diskarte sa fortune gems First Métis group signs modern treaty with the federal governmentBronny set for G League road debut, sources say - ESPN

Producers of metals and other raw materials fell amid fears that a multibillion-dollar steel merger was in jeopardy. Shares of U.S. Steel plummeted by more than 7% after President-elect Donald Trump indicated on his social network Truth Social that he would block the storied Pittsburgh steelmaker's buyout from Japanese rival Nippon Steel. Nippon has agreed to acquire U.S. Steel through a $14.9 billion takeover deal that would see it pay $55 per share and take responsibility for another $800 million worth of debts owed by the American company. Closely held farm-products firm Cargill said it was laying off 5% of its global work force, or roughly 8,000 workers, as the agricultural giant deals with tepid crop prices and pressure on the beef industry. Cargill, which processes crops and meat and trades commodities, has more than 160,000 employees in 70 countries, according to its Web site. Write to Rob Curran at rob.curran@dowjones.comHow to reset your Instagram algorithm so it’s not as terrible

School district defends decision to punish parents for wearing pink 'XX' wristbandsElectrifying Kashmir: Lessons from Riverless RegionsDavid Bonderman, who managed money for one of the richest families in Texas, helped create one of the giants of the private-equity business and pushed to bring professional hockey to Seattle , died Wednesday. He was 82. Bonderman's death was announced by TPG, the asset-management firm he co-founded, his Wildcat Capital Management investment company, the Seattle Kraken hockey team, and his family. They said he was surrounded by his family, but did not say where he died. A spokesperson for the Kraken said they would not disclose the cause of death. For much of his career, Bonderman kept a low profile in public, rarely granting interviews with news organizations. He concentrated on corporate takeovers and other investments, many of which were highly profitable. Forbes magazine estimated his wealth at $6.4 billion in April. "Rarely the loudest person in the room, but often the smartest, David remained humble, once saying that his personal strength was ‘Not knowing a lot about something but knowing enough to make a decent decision,’” his family and companies said in a statement. Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said Bonderman played a role in creating the team's logo and brand. “David was a visionary; unafraid to take on challenges and make bold decisions. He was smart, witty, curious, and humble,” Leiweke said. As an investor, Bonderman had a contrarian streak, and he was not afraid of offending others, even those in the White House. Over the Obama administration's objections, he attended Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual economic forums in 2014 and 2015 — after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and was slapped with U.S. sanctions. Bonderman also was known for throwing lavish birthday parties. The Rolling Stones played at his 60th birthday bash, and former Beatle Paul McCartney headlined his 70th birthday soiree. Both events were in Las Vegas. Born in Los Angeles on Nov. 27, 1942, Bonderman attended the University of Washington and Harvard Law School, from which he graduated in 1966. After a stint teaching law at Tulane University, he joined the U.S. Justice Department in the late 1960s, then in 1971 became a partner and expert in corporate and securities law at Arnold & Porter, a high-powered Washington, D.C., law firm. In 1983, he went to work for the Robert M. Bass Group investment company in Fort Worth, Texas. With money from the Bass family , which traced its wealth to the exploits of Texas oil wildcatter Sid Richardson, Bonderman and partner Jim Coulter made several leveraged buyouts in the 1980s, including a hugely profitable investment in Continental Airlines. Bonderman, Coulter and Bill Price started Texas Pacific Group in 1992. According to its website, the private-equity firm now known as TPG manages $239 billion in assets and has invested in industries that include health care, technology and business services. The firm was a major early investor in short-term rental site Airbnb and music-streaming service Spotify. Bonderman served on several corporate and philanthropic boards. In 2017, he resigned from the Uber board hours after making an insensitive comment during a meeting on sexism at the ride-hailing company. When fellow director Arianna Huffington said data showed that having one woman on the board made it more likely a second would be added, Bonderman interjected, “Actually, what it shows is that it’s much more likely to be more talking.” He later apologized. In politics, Bonderman was a longtime backer of former Texas governor and Republican President George W. Bush but flipped to support Bush's challenger, Democrat John Kerry, in the 2004 election. He famously told The Wall Street Journal that Bush was “a really good guy” but had divided the country. “He’s turning out to be the worst president since Millard Fillmore — and that’s probably an insult to Millard Fillmore,” Bonderman said. With his wealth from TPG, Bonderman purchased a minority stake in the Boston Celtics and was a member of the group holding a majority interest in the Seattle Kraken , an expansion team in the National Hockey League. Survivors include five children and three grandchildren.WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz said Friday that he will not be returning to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump amid growing allegations of sexual misconduct. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, adding that he has “some other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue with my wife and my family.” The announcement comes a day after Gaetz, a Florida Republican, stepped aside from the Cabinet nomination process amid growing fallout from federal and House Ethics investigations that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The 42-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations against him. Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general had stunned many career lawyers inside the Justice Department, but reflected Trump’s desire to place a loyalist in a department he has marked for retribution following the criminal cases against him. Hours after Gaetz withdrew, Trump nominated Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, who would come to the job with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty. It’s unclear what’s next for Gaetz, who is no longer a member of the House. He surprised colleagues by resigning from Congress the same day that Trump nominated him for attorney general. Some speculated he could still be sworn into office for another two-year term on Jan. 3, given that he had just won reelection earlier this month. But Gaetz, who has been in state and national politics for 14 years, said he’s done with Congress. “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he said.

‘My trust was broken’ – Shallipopi accuses record label of exploitationNone

Schwarzenegger wore 'McFelon' T-shirt mocking Trump? No, image is altered | Fact checkISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Nov, 2024) The ’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) will host a two-day workshop to promote ’s rights and foster an inclusive political environment, in collaboration with the ( ). The ’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of ’s 16th , under the leadership of Secretary WPC Dr. Shahida Rehmani, will host the “Thought Leadership Workshop” on ( 1st) and the “Digital Workshop” on Monday ( 2nd). These workshops are a key component of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global call to action for the protection and empowerment of . They will focus on addressing critical issues such as ending gender-based violence, ensuring ’s physical, social, legal, and online safety, and combating forms of harassment. The workshops are designed to facilitate a powerful dialogue and equip participants with the skills, knowledge & tools needed for identifying, sensitising and tackling women-related issues through informed legislation and promoting and upholding digital . Secretary of the 's Parliamentary Caucus and a Member of the , Dr. Shahida Rehmani will deliver keynote addresses, outlining the core objectives of the workshops. She will emphasize the importance of empowering Members of the to ensure robust participation in 's General Elections. Additionally, Dr. Shahida Rehmani will underscore the need for ethical parliamentary practices, enhanced digital literacy to counter technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and crucially, the development of skills in managing and narratives to tackle the growing menace of misinformation, fake , and propaganda. In addition, a panel of esteemed speakers, including renowned journalists, veteran personalities, experts, and key societal figures, will engage in thought-provoking discussions and interactive sessions to provide valuable insights on these pressing issues. This collaborative effort is a significant step forward in empowering , particularly within the political sphere, to create a safer, more equitable society for .

WASHINGTON — Linda McMahon once claimed an unearned education degree from East Carolina University. Now she is nominated to lead President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Education. Trump announced Tuesday that McMahon, best known as a founder of World Wrestling Entertainment, is nominated to be the next education secretary. She is his first nominee to have served in his previous administration. “It is my great honor to announce that Linda McMahon, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration, will be the United States Secretary of Education,” Trump wrote in a news release. McMahon now must wait for the Senate to confirm her nomination. North Carolina roots McMahon grew up in New Bern. Her parents worked 30 minutes away at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and she attended the nearby Havelock High School. It was during high school that she met her now-estranged husband and business partner, Vince McMahon. Together they attended East Carolina University where, in 1969, she earned a degree in French. After college, they moved away from the Tar Heel State. But in 2010, McMahon’s ties to North Carolina would be noted in a story by the Hartford Courant, which reported that she received a position on the Connecticut Board of Education after wrongfully claiming to then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell that she graduated from ECU with an education degree. In response to the allegations, McMahon told the Courant, “she first thought she had been right, because she did a semester of student-teaching, and after state testing, emerged with the certificate to teach — although she never did,” the Courant reported. Education background Her college degree was one of several misleading statements the newspaper reported McMahon had made on her application. McMahon’s opponents had argued her connection to WWE, and its violent, sexual and vulgar content, sent the wrong kind of message. They also criticized her lack of experience in education, though supporters saw that as a win. She still faces that criticism as Trump’s nominee. McMahon’s resume also includes serving on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Despite the opposition, and news of her misidentified degree breaking in the Stamford Advocate a month before her confirmation hearing, the Connecticut legislature approved Rell’s nomination of McMahon. She would serve on the board for around a year. McMahon took to social media Thursday following the news that Rell died suddenly at 78. “Her dedication and approach to public service is the gold standard to which we all should aspire to,” McMahon wrote. “I was honored to have her appoint me to serve on the CT State Board of Education and so enjoyed working with her.” When McMahon resigned from Connecticut’s board in 2010, she told the Courant it didn’t have to do with their pending story. She said it was instead because of the board’s rules wouldn’t allow her to raise money for her Senate campaign while serving. She would go on to lose two separate Senate campaigns. Political work But McMahon never walked away from politics. She became a major donor and fundraiser for Republicans. During Trump’s 2024 campaign, she donated more than $20 million to the former and future president, NBC News reported. McMahon supported Trump from the beginning of his political career and it paid off for her when he nominated her to lead the Small Business Administration. After three years, McMahon resigned to lead America First Action, a Trump super-PAC. She chairs the America First Policy Institute board. Trump’s news release about her most recent nomination credits her for working on parents’ rights and universal school choice policy at the institute. She also serves as co-chair of Trump’s transition team. Education’s future McMahon is one of several of Trump’s nominees who could face a tough nomination process. For McMahon, she’s accused of allowing one of her employees to use his position to sexually abuse five teenagers 15 and under The accusation is part of a lawsuit filed anonymously by former teenage employees. If McMahon clears the Senate nomination, she faces a different hurdle. It’s unclear how long her position might even exist. And once again, that might be left up to Congress to decide. One of Trump’s constant campaign promises was to shutter the Department of Education. However, that’s a promise Trump can’t keep without congressional approval.

Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of Biden's pardon of his son Hunter, poll findsOver 5.59 lakh aspirants apply for 4,002 police constable posts in J&K

East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., a potential first-round pick, declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday. Revel, who sustained a torn left ACL in practice in September, had one season of eligibility remaining. "After an incredible journey at East Carolina, I am officially declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft," the senior posted on social media. "... Pirates nation, thank you for your unwavering energy and support every game. Representing ECU is an honor, and I look forward to continuing to do so on Sundays!" Revel recorded two interceptions in three games this season, returning one 50 yards for a touchdown on Sept. 14 against Appalachian State. Over three seasons with the Pirates, Revel had three interceptions, 15 passes defensed and 70 tackles in 24 games. He was a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection last season. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Revel as the No. 2 cornerback and No. 23 overall prospect in the 2025 draft class. --Field Level Media REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowNone

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim claims that "the storm is coming" for his team. Despite a promising start to his tenure, with two wins and a draw in his first three games, Amorim is aware of the daunting challenges ahead. United's next fixture is away to Arsenal , a team that has finished second in the Premier League for the past two seasons, and Amorim acknowledged the significant gap between the two clubs. With a tough run of fixtures looming, including matches against Manchester City , Tottenham , Liverpool , and another encounter with Arsenal in the FA Cup, Amorim is cautious about his team's prospects. United's recent record against the top six teams is dismal, with no wins in their last ten away fixtures, and Amorim is bracing himself for difficult times ahead. "I would like to say different things, but I have to say it again: the storm will come," the Portuguese coach said. "I don't know if you use that expression but we are going to have difficult moments and we will be found out in some games. And I know that because I'm knowing my players and I know football and I follow football. "So I understand the difference between the teams and we are in the point in that we are putting simple things in the team, without training, and you feel it in this game against Everton. They change a little bit the way they were building up. "They are a very good team and we were with a lot of problems because we cannot change it by calling one thing to the captain. So we don't have this training. So let's focus on each game, on the performance, what we have to improve, trying to win games. And that is the focus." He further stressed the high expectations at the club: "I know it's really hard to be a Manchester United coach and say these things in press conferences. We want to win all the time, no matter what. We are going to try to win but we know that we are in a different point if you compared to Arsenal . "So it is what it is and we will try to win it and we go with confidence to win, but we know that we need to play very well to win the next football match."

Former President Ram Nath Kovind highlights transformative power of education, advises students to dream big

David Bonderman, who managed money for one of the richest families in Texas, helped create one of the giants of the private-equity business and pushed to bring professional hockey to Seattle , died Wednesday. He was 82. Bonderman's death was announced by TPG, the asset-management firm he co-founded, his Wildcat Capital Management investment company, the Seattle Kraken hockey team, and his family. They said he was surrounded by his family, but did not say where he died. A spokesperson for the Kraken said they would not disclose the cause of death. For much of his career, Bonderman kept a low profile in public, rarely granting interviews with news organizations. He concentrated on corporate takeovers and other investments, many of which were highly profitable. Forbes magazine estimated his wealth at $6.4 billion in April. "Rarely the loudest person in the room, but often the smartest, David remained humble, once saying that his personal strength was ‘Not knowing a lot about something but knowing enough to make a decent decision,’” his family and companies said in a statement. Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said Bonderman played a role in creating the team's logo and brand. “David was a visionary; unafraid to take on challenges and make bold decisions. He was smart, witty, curious, and humble,” Leiweke said. As an investor, Bonderman had a contrarian streak, and he was not afraid of offending others, even those in the White House. Over the Obama administration's objections, he attended Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual economic forums in 2014 and 2015 — after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and was slapped with U.S. sanctions. Bonderman also was known for throwing lavish birthday parties. The Rolling Stones played at his 60th birthday bash, and former Beatle Paul McCartney headlined his 70th birthday soiree. Both events were in Las Vegas. Born in Los Angeles on Nov. 27, 1942, Bonderman attended the University of Washington and Harvard Law School, from which he graduated in 1966. After a stint teaching law at Tulane University, he joined the U.S. Justice Department in the late 1960s, then in 1971 became a partner and expert in corporate and securities law at Arnold & Porter, a high-powered Washington, D.C., law firm. In 1983, he went to work for the Robert M. Bass Group investment company in Fort Worth, Texas. With money from the Bass family , which traced its wealth to the exploits of Texas oil wildcatter Sid Richardson, Bonderman and partner Jim Coulter made several leveraged buyouts in the 1980s, including a hugely profitable investment in Continental Airlines. Bonderman, Coulter and Bill Price started Texas Pacific Group in 1992. According to its website, the private-equity firm now known as TPG manages $239 billion in assets and has invested in industries that include health care, technology and business services. The firm was a major early investor in short-term rental site Airbnb and music-streaming service Spotify. Bonderman served on several corporate and philanthropic boards. In 2017, he resigned from the Uber board hours after making an insensitive comment during a meeting on sexism at the ride-hailing company. When fellow director Arianna Huffington said data showed that having one woman on the board made it more likely a second would be added, Bonderman interjected, “Actually, what it shows is that it’s much more likely to be more talking.” He later apologized. In politics, Bonderman was a longtime backer of former Texas governor and Republican President George W. Bush but flipped to support Bush's challenger, Democrat John Kerry, in the 2004 election. He famously told The Wall Street Journal that Bush was “a really good guy” but had divided the country. “He’s turning out to be the worst president since Millard Fillmore — and that’s probably an insult to Millard Fillmore,” Bonderman said. With his wealth from TPG, Bonderman purchased a minority stake in the Boston Celtics and was a member of the group holding a majority interest in the Seattle Kraken , an expansion team in the National Hockey League. Survivors include five children and three grandchildren.

Avoid ill practices: Bittu to Pb officersChorizo parsnips, spicy roast potatoes and three-green gratin: Rosie Mackean’s alternative Christmas sides – recipes

NEW YORK , Dec. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report on how AI is driving market transformation - The global sports tourism market size is estimated to grow by USD 771.4 billion from 2024 to 2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15.2% during the forecast period. The report provides a comprehensive forecast of key segments below- Segmentation Overview Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! 1.1 Fastest growing segment: Domestic sports tourism is a significant segment in the global sports tourism market, with a large number of tourists traveling within their countries to attend various sports events. This includes both participation and spectating, as well as expenditures on hospitality and merchandise related to the sports event. The popularity of domestic sports tourism is due to several factors, such as the ease of transportation within regions, the use of a uniform regional currency, and the familiar cultural and regional backgrounds. Many domestic sports leagues are held across the world, and governments and sports teams are facilitating fan travel between venues, as seen in Qatar with free shuttle buses, the Doha Metro, taxis, and cab services, and dedicated lanes for fans. The growth of domestic sports tourism is also driven by the strong growth in developing economies, offering economic opportunities and regional benefits. The global domestic sports tourism market is expected to experience a steady YoY growth rate during the forecast period due to the familiarity it provides with a country's tourism policies, government rules, and adventure sports risks. Analyst Review The sports tourism market is a dynamic and growing sector that brings together the excitement of sports and the allure of travel. Motorsport, cricket, tennis, and soccer are just a few of the popular sports that attract fans and travelers from around the world. Major events like the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League draw massive crowds, while Formula 1, NASCAR, marathons, and triathlons offer unique experiences for participants and spectators alike. The sports industries have recognized the potential of this market and have initiated strategic partnerships to host events in premier travel destinations. The destination appeal and visitor experiences are crucial for sustained growth in sports tourism. Leisure travelers and fans seek authentic and memorable experiences, making sports events an integral part of their travel plans. The Olympics, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer are other sports that contribute significantly to this thriving market. Market Overview The sports tourism market encompasses various segments, including Motorsport, Cricket, Tennis, FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Formula 1, NASCAR, Marathons, Triathlons, Adventure races, and more. Travel agencies, tour operators, hospitality chains, event management companies, and Olympics are key players in this industry. Partnership initiatives between these entities and sports industries have led to the hosting of world-class sports events, making destinations premier travel attractions. Sports tourists seek adrenaline-fueled, experiences, driving sustained growth in the market. However, challenges include seasonal fluctuations, infrastructure limitations, and financial challenges for event organizers. The market caters to fans and travelers alike, offering leisure travel and live entertainment. Historical data shows a significant increase in visitor numbers, with top-tier athletes and host cities generating regional tourism revenues and economic growth. Sustainable practices, eco-friendly initiatives, and environmental awareness are becoming increasingly important to ensure long-term profitability and overall sustainability. Despite these challenges, the sports tourism market continues to be a captivating frontier, with safari tourism and travel & outdoor activities adding to its allure. Event organizers must address infrastructure limitations and carbon footprints while maintaining visitor experiences and overall sustainability. To understand more about this market- Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Venodr Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sports-tourism-market-to-grow-by-usd-771-4-billion-2023-2028-segmented-by-type-product-area-and-geography-with-ai-powered-market-evolution--technavio-302331099.html SOURCE Technavio

Game changers

Pharming announces public cash offer to the shareholders of Abliva ABClimate shocks impede SDGs progress as Rwanda records 10,000 disasters in 8 years

fortune gems 2 slot Georgia QB Carson Beck declares for 2025 NFL DraftSarawak Sukma singles champion Ling Ching quits BAM

Boxing Day Test LIVE updates: Series on the line as Aussies chase wickets as day three begins against IndiaAP Trending SummaryBrief at 11:18 a.m. ESTWhy is China—a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and a party-litigant (that chose to be legally in default but indirectly participated through official statements of its spokespersons) in the 2016 Arbitral Award—militarizing the South China Sea and why does it not recognize and obey the AA that invalidated China’s nine-dash line and upheld freedom of navigation in the SCS? And why does the United States—though not a signatory to Unclos and though not a party-litigant in the AA—enforce, together with its allies like Australia, France, Germany, and Great Britain, freedom of navigation in the SCS? So, I asked rhetorically in last Monday’s column (“The Maritime Zones Act, Asean, and China”). THE UNSAID SHORT AND SIMPLE ANSWER IS “NATIONAL INTEREST.” All states, including the Philippines, always act to protect and project what is beneficial to them and to their people. National interest is not constant. It shifts according to the present and future political, economic, security, and social aspirations of, and sometimes turmoil in, a country. For decades, China solemnly taught its people in its schools and in its media that the SCS and its fisheries and natural resources belong to them. While dormant in the past, this teaching has become prevalent in the country, such that any Chinese leader who refuses or neglects to protect and project this teaching would be deemed a traitor or a nincompoop to be ousted summarily. Moreover, China boasts of a robust civilization antedating many Western powers like Great Britain and Portugal that enslaved it and occupied portions of its territory under long-term leases like Hong Kong and Macau and that ignored its dormant but simmering desire to become a respected world power again. And indeed, it has meteorically risen from utter poverty and slavery to become the second biggest economy in the world that aspires to be on equal, if not better, footing with the West. And one way to achieve this ambition is to propel its military might to the Pacific Ocean through domination of the SCS. In the process, it has crossed the maritime entitlements of the states bordering the SCS—Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines that among themselves have separate territorial and maritime disputes. THE UNITED STATES, TOO, HAS CHANGED ITS ASPIRATIONS from neutrality (though covertly assisting the European powers) in the military aggressions of Adolf Hitler that started on Sept. 1, 1939, with the German blitzkrieg on Poland only to be drawn fully into it by the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Imperial Navy on Dec. 7, 1941. After the unconditional surrender of Germany and later of Japan on Sept. 2, 1945, the US, as the leader of the victorious allies, expanded its reach to all parts of the world thereby making Pax Americana and the institution of American-style democracy, libertarianism, capitalism, and free trade among both its allies and erstwhile enemies as its national interest. From then on, the US spent trillions of dollars—much of it borrowed domestically and, ironically, from China—and planted American boots on the battlegrounds of Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Election after election since then, the American foreign policy and its perception of its national interest had not materially changed. But during the elections last Nov. 5, the Americans got tired of being the peacekeepers of the world and of gradually losing economic dominance to the surging Chinese. Now, Donald Trump emerged and advocated to “Make America Great Again” as their national interest and demanded that their allies share the cost of peacekeeping. So, too, Trump vowed to undertake mass deportation of illegal migrants whom he accused of stealing American jobs and of waging criminality in American cities, hills, and plains. Verily, he loves being a disruptor. IN 2016, THE FILIPINOS, TOO, GOT TIRED OF THE DEMOCRATIC IDEALS of compromise and free elections that were controlled by dynasties and “imperial Manila.” They welcomed the feisty, even autocratic, rule of Rodrigo Duterte. He veered to China as the true ally and abandoned the friendship and military protection of the US. But, lo and behold, his grip on power was limited to six years and a new leader emerged, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who reverted to America as our country’s ally in protecting and advancing our national interest especially in preserving our entitlements to the fisheries and natural resources in the West Philippine Sea. Clearly, our national interest shifted from America to China and back to America. This see-sawing shifts in our national interest seem to be backed up by the landslide victory of Duterte in 2016 only to be overcome by the even more lopsided win of Marcos Jr., who gathered, for the first time under our 1987 Constitution, an absolute majority (well over 50 percent) of the ballots cast in the 2022 election. With his overwhelming mandate, President Marcos can indeed lead in the protection and projection of our national interest vis-à-vis our Asean neighbors, China, the US, and the world. ————— Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . Comments to [email protected]

From a young age, Graeme Simpfendorfer has been no stranger to struggle. or signup to continue reading Whether it was navigating family moves across NSW, grappling with the pressures of school, or facing life-threatening emergencies as a frontline police officer, his life has been marked by challenges that would have shaken many people. Yet, through it all, he has been driven by a commitment to serving others and making a That is why it was fitting for to in the Albury-Wodonga region. "I've always believed in showing genuine care for the people I serve, especially during hard times," he said. "My motivation stems from a deep desire to help people feel supported, listened to, and empowered." Mr Simpfendorfer was born in Dubbo, NSW, and is the youngest of three boys. Growing up, his mum, Norma, a registered nurse, was "always very busy with us boys". In 1983, his dad, Peter, a public servant and volunteer firefighter, packed the family up and moved to Wagga. Academically, he didn't stand out in school but dabbled in soccer, gymnastics, and eventually rugby league later in life. He finished high school in 1991, and in 1994, he moved to Melbourne to pursue his dream as a police officer. "I graduated and never looked back," he said. In 2009, a job opportunity led him to the Border. "Our region is more than just a place on the map," he said. "It's a home in the truest sense." He said life as a recently retired police officer was not easy. "I've faced my fair share of what life has thrown at me," he said. He was put to the test in unimaginable ways during the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 and the Black Summer fires of 2019-2020 The destruction of homes and lives across the state left a heavy toll on him mentally. Along the way, he learnt that resilience is as much about mindset as it is about action. "I choose to keep going, even when it feels completely overwhelming," he said. "It's about adapting, growing, and finding solutions through a deliberate process. "Every challenge has shaped me into someone who purposely approaches obstacles." he transitioned to politics, where he was a councillor and deputy mayor at Wodonga Council, and now he runs his own business, Peregrine Consultancy. He is also a director of the Centre Against Violence and on the Blue Ribbon Foundation's committee. Despite his accomplishments, he said focusing on what matters is essential. "My path has included diverse roles," he said. "Success, to me, isn't defined by accolades but by the difference I can make in people's lives. "This motivation keeps me grounded, reminding me that with humility, care, and empathy, I can continue to serve effectively and inspire others to strive to improve." His three children are a constant reminder to push through self-doubt and the feeling of not being good enough. "Knowing there are people who believe in me makes it easier to push forward," he said. Looking ahead, he said he was excited to deepen his impact in leadership roles. "On a more immediate front, I am consulting to a few companies and clients in the areas of risk mitigation, intelligence, and personal safety, both online and face-to-face," he said. "On the personal side, my goal is to continue to be a role model and mentor, especially for men in our community. "When the time is right, I want to tell my whole story to help others develop the resilience, confidence, and skills they need to thrive, no matter what challenges come their way." DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementA recent advisory from the United States Surgeon General has made it clear — parents and caregivers are burned out. In a 2023 poll of more than 3,100 American parents, nearly 50 per cent reported experiencing debilitating levels of stress most days. Other recent surveys from Canada and the U.S. also found between 20 to 30 per cent of parents are experiencing moderate to severe levels of anxiety that could warrant a clinical diagnosis. When the tasks of the holidays are piled onto this baseline stress, it’s easy to see how the “season of joy” may feel more like the “season of overwhelm.” How can both our society as a whole and parents as individuals dial back the pressure? Structural changes are essential. But scientific insights about child development can also help parents prioritize what matters most and shift how they respond to things that may otherwise trigger anxiety. What’s causing parent stress? Much of what is making parents stressed these days is structural in nature: things are more expensive, it’s hard to find affordable child care, parents are more isolated, work is taking up more of parents’ time and children’s engagement with ever-evolving technology brings a range of serious health and safety concerns . These factors disproportionately affect parents who experience poverty, racism, violence or trauma. Addressing them will require substantial political and cultural shifts . But there are smaller factors to tackle as well. Parents today have more access to information than ever before. It’s not just a pediatrician or family member they can turn to for advice, but endless blogs, forums and social media platforms. While online sources can build community and confidence, they can also contribute to information overload as panic headlines and contradictory advice often compound parents’ feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed. These platforms also tend to showcase idyllic situations that lead parents to create unhelpful comparisons and unrealistic expectations, contributing to feelings of shame and guilt . To counteract these feelings, it’s helpful to remember a few things: children’s development is influenced by many things parents can’t control, there are many benefits to imperfect parenting and independent play and parent wellness matters more than most else. 1. It’s more than just parenting It’s common for people who haven’t experienced discrimination or unexpected challenges to attribute children’s behaviours and outcomes to parents’ choices and efforts. This is an example of “attribution bias,” a bias towards a particular kind of explanation . Developmental science helps dispel this bias by highlighting that children’s development is influenced by many factors other than parenting and beyond parents’ control. First among these is genetics. For example, twin studies have found that genetic factors explain 57-76 per cent of child/adolescent mental illness, 60-84 per cent of picky eating and 60-85 per cent of school achievement. Another is exposure to adverse or positive experiences , such as witnessing violence or being supported by friends and non-parental adults. These types of experiences have substantial effects on children’s physical and mental health. But they are inequitably distributed, based on factors such as income and race . There are big differences in children’s temperaments and how they respond to their environments . The same parenting strategy applied to two different children can lead to two very different outcomes, as you may have observed in siblings. This is why the next time you catch yourself feeling shame or judgment about a child’s behaviour, it’s important to remember parenting choices might not be to blame. 2. Parental imperfections are opportunities Psychologists and pediatricians often recommend certain parenting strategies to support children’s development. But rarely do these providers suggest parents must follow their advice 100 per cent of the time to achieve the desired effects. It’s what happens most of the time that matters. Even when parenting “imperfections” happen, like breaking routines or uncharacteristically snapping at children, they can be seen as opportunities. When “rupture” is followed up by “repair” in the form of acknowledgement, apologies, explanations and/or moments for restoring connection, it can benefit the parent-child attachment relationship and help children build their emotion-regulation skills. By using repair after the overwhelming moments that often happen during the holidays, parents can transform these moments from sources of shame to reasons for pride. 3. Benefits of independent play Over the past few decades, parents’ worries about children’s physical safety have grown , while children’s unsupervised play time has declined . Many parents are spending more time with their children , hovering or helicoptering over them rather than promoting independent play. No doubt, playing with the support of a responsive adult has many benefits for children’s learning and development . But when it comes to parent involvement in play, sometimes less is more. Research shows that unstructured play — play that isn’t organized by adults and doesn’t have defined goals — is a “ fundamental necessity ” for children’s well-being. Outdoor risky play has enormous benefits for children’s physical and mental health that outweigh many of the perceived safety risks. There are also many unique benefits of playing with peers for both academic and social skill development. With this in mind, if you are a parent who is regularly your child’s main playmate, it may be time to seek more opportunities to take a step back. The holidays can be a great time to start. 4. Parent well-being is paramount News and social media feeds are full of panic headlines that can make it seem that certain foods, toys or parenting habits are what make or break children’s life outcomes. It’s easy for parents consuming this media to feel anxious or even want to change their purchases or behaviours in response to every new study. But most headlines overstate the findings of weak studies or small effects. And if following the headlines comes at the cost of parental well-being, it could be doing more harm than good. This is because one of the most consistent and strongest predictors of children’s well-being is having safe, stable and nurturing relationships with caregivers — as both the Canadian and American Pediatric Societies have stated. Children need present and responsive caregivers more than they need any specific foods, presents or new parenting fads. This is why it may be worth considering what you can do to support yourself or other parents’ well-being this year. This could mean providing practical or social support to the parents around you or just making them feel heard and understood . With high parental stress , it’s more important than ever for everyone to replace judgment with empathy and advice with real support. And for parents, let’s try to distinguish what we can and can’t control, practise self-forgiveness in tough times, allow ourselves moments to do less and focus in on what matters most. It might help us experience more moments of joy in this holiday season and through all the seasons of parenthood. Nina Sokolovic has worked in several roles at non-profit and government organizations that support the well-being of children and parents, including her current as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Ontario Public Service. She previously received funding for her research from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

'Buy now, pay later' is more popular than ever but can cost more than you thinkGeorgia QB Carson Beck declares for 2025 NFL Draft

GTD sees nothing wrong in naming KRS road after CM if not already named after PrincessThe White House has identified a ninth U.S. telecom network that Chinese state hackers have compromised, a senior official said on Dec. 27. Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, revealed the new information in a press briefing as officials continue to assess the scope of the cybersecurity breach from China’s state-backed Salt Typhoon hacking group, which has carried out a wide-ranging espionage campaign since 2022. “Our understanding is that a large number of individuals were geolocated in the Washington DC, Virginia area,” she said. Only a fraction of them had their communications affected, Neuberger said, as the hackers are more interested in eavesdropping on U.S. government officials. “The scale we’re talking about is far larger on the geolocation, probably less than 100 on the actual individuals,” she said. Shortly after the briefing, the Justice Department issued a final rule naming China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela as countries of concern over their ambitions to exploit sensitive U.S. personal and government-related data by bulk. Under the rule, certain individuals and groups whom authorities deemed as threat actors are barred from transactions involving six types of U.S. data, including certain personal identifiers such as social security numbers or government identification numbers, precise geolocation data, biometric identifiers, human genetic or molecular data, personal health data, and personal financial data. The regulation applies to entities over which China has an ownership of 50 percent or more, those that principally conduct business in China or are organized under Chinese law, their contractors and employees, and foreign individuals who primarily reside in China. The hacking group has targeted now-Vice President-elect JD Vance and now-president-elect Donald Trump, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris. To deter Chinese hacking attempts, Neuberger said, the first step is to build a “defensible infrastructure.” “We wouldn’t leave our homes, our offices unlocked, and yet our critical infrastructure, the private companies owning and operating our critical infrastructure often do not have the basic cybersecurity practices in place,” she said in the press call. Authorities are also scrutinizing government contracts to enforce stricter cybersecurity practices, Neuberger said. In doing so, she said, the United States is following in the footsteps of Australia and the UK. “The nation’s secrets, the nation’s economy, lies on our telecommunications sector,” she said. “When I talked with our UK colleagues and I asked, ‘Do you believe your regulations would have prevented the Salt Typhoon attack?’ their comment to me was, we would have found it faster, we would have contained it faster.” Neuberger said it was a “powerful message.” “Those networks are not as defensible as they need to be to defend against a well resourced, capable offensive cyber actor like China,” Neuberger said. In assessing the Salt Typhoon breach, she said, authorities have found one administrator account that had access to more than 100,000 routers. “So when the Chinese compromised that account, they gained that kind of broad access across the network,” she said. Neuberger said officials are looking to segment the telecom networks so that in the event of a cyber attack, the potential damage could be contained. The Federal Communications Commission on Dec. 5 proposed cybersecurity rules requiring communications service providers to certify annually that they have a plan to protect against cyberattacks. The rule is waiting for a vote by Jan. 15, Neuberger said, noting that they are eager to see bipartisan support across the commission to see it through. The Chinese were “very careful about their techniques. They erased logs,” she said. And as “we will never know regarding the scope and scale of this,” she said, the United States is “looking forward.” Neuberger said more actions will be coming out in the next few months. “Let’s lock down this infrastructure. And frankly, let’s hold the Chinese accountable for this,” she said.

'We can't tolerate that': Second Cup boss on why he moved swiftly to oust Montreal franchisee over Nazi remarksMT's 'Nirmalyam': A set-free masterpiece that transformed Keezhekkavu into southern Mookambika

Barclays PLC cut its holdings in shares of SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF ( NYSEARCA:JNK – Free Report ) by 49.3% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 17,900 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock after selling 17,400 shares during the period. Barclays PLC’s holdings in SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF were worth $1,750,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ocean Park Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ocean Park Asset Management LLC now owns 4,790,796 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $451,628,000 after buying an additional 273,096 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF by 4.1% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 4,446,240 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $434,798,000 after acquiring an additional 174,815 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF by 0.6% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,156,310 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $297,545,000 after acquiring an additional 19,504 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF by 90,838.6% in the third quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,966,093 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $192,264,000 after acquiring an additional 1,963,931 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF by 13.7% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,376,590 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $134,617,000 after acquiring an additional 165,682 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.54% of the company’s stock. SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF Price Performance Shares of NYSEARCA:JNK opened at $95.42 on Friday. SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF has a 52 week low of $92.47 and a 52 week high of $97.90. The company’s 50 day moving average is $96.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $96.06. SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF Company Profile SPDR Barclays High Yield Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly SPDR Barclays Capital High Yield Bond ETF, seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Barclays Capital High Yield Very Liquid Index (the Index). The Index includes publicly issued United States dollar denominated, non-investment grade, fixed-rate, taxable corporate bonds that have a remaining maturity of at least one year, regardless of optionality, are rated high-yield using the middle rating of Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch, respectively, and have $600 million or more of outstanding face value. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JNK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF ( NYSEARCA:JNK – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .None

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Senator Talal Chaudhry has responded to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s remarks on the alliance between the two parties. Speaking to a private TV channel, Chaudhry said the PML-N remains committed to strengthening its coalition partnership with the PPP, describing it as essential for promoting democracy and political stability. “The current government, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, has successfully steered the nation out of economic and political crises,” Chaudhry stated. Acknowledging PPP’s concerns, Chaudhry assured that all coalition issues would be resolved through mutual consultation, reiterating that both parties share a legacy of pivotal contributions to democratic progress. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see ourBarclays PLC decreased its holdings in Redwood Trust, Inc. ( NYSE:RWT – Free Report ) by 79.7% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 218,900 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 861,811 shares during the period. Barclays PLC’s holdings in Redwood Trust were worth $1,692,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in RWT. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Redwood Trust by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 14,611,264 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $112,945,000 after purchasing an additional 941,223 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Redwood Trust by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,189,667 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $40,116,000 after purchasing an additional 102,274 shares during the period. Systematic Financial Management LP purchased a new position in Redwood Trust in the third quarter valued at $1,217,000. NFC Investments LLC boosted its position in Redwood Trust by 127.7% during the third quarter. NFC Investments LLC now owns 484,975 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $3,749,000 after purchasing an additional 271,975 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new stake in Redwood Trust in the third quarter valued at approximately $101,000. 74.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Redwood Trust Price Performance RWT stock opened at $6.57 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $7.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.17. Redwood Trust, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $5.45 and a fifty-two week high of $8.15. The company has a quick ratio of 44.36, a current ratio of 44.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.55. The stock has a market cap of $868.99 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.95 and a beta of 1.57. Redwood Trust Increases Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Redwood Trust from $7.50 to $8.50 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. JMP Securities lifted their price target on shares of Redwood Trust from $8.50 to $9.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 4th. StockNews.com upgraded Redwood Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Raymond James raised their target price on Redwood Trust from $8.50 to $9.50 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $7.00 target price (down previously from $8.00) on shares of Redwood Trust in a report on Monday, December 9th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $8.03. View Our Latest Stock Report on Redwood Trust Redwood Trust Profile ( Free Report ) Redwood Trust, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty finance company in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Residential Consumer Mortgage Banking, Residential Investor Mortgage Banking, and Investment Portfolio. The Residential Consumer Mortgage Banking segment operates a mortgage loan conduit that acquires residential loans from third-party originators for subsequent sale, securitization, or transfer to its investment portfolio. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RWT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Redwood Trust, Inc. ( NYSE:RWT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Redwood Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Redwood Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

It was Thanksgiving night 2019, and a jubilant crowd of tens of thousands of democracy activists rallied harborside on Hong Kong island. Singing and waving American flags, they celebrated a new U.S. law to sanction Chinese authorities for suppressing the basic freedoms of people in Hong Kong. A cheer arose as a video of the law’s author, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, appeared on a huge screen. The protesters were “an inspiration to the world,” Mr. Rubio said. “Your cause,” he pledged, “will continue to be our cause.” But behind the scenes, the U.S. government’s support for the movement was less clear-cut. Until the last minute, then-President Donald Trump had wavered on signing the law. “I stand with freedom,” he explained. “But we’re also in the process of making the largest trade deal in history” with China. Today this same tension – between ideology and pragmatism – promises to play out prominently in the incoming administration’s China policy. Now the nominee for secretary of state, Mr. Rubio is among several “hawks” Mr. Trump has selected for his Cabinet. Their stances toward Beijing have been consistently tougher than their boss’s. But experts say the new president’s pragmatism may soften them. It was Thanksgiving night 2019, and a jubilant crowd of tens of thousands of democracy activists rallied harborside on Hong Kong island. Singing and waving American flags above a sea of glittering cellphone lights, they celebrated a new U.S. law to sanction Chinese authorities for suppressing the basic freedoms of Hong Kong’s 7.4 million people. A cheer arose as a video of the law’s author, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, appeared on a huge screen. “I hope the people of Hong Kong know that they have served as an inspiration to the world,” Mr. Rubio said. “Your cause,” he pledged, “will continue to be our cause.” But behind the scenes, the U.S. government’s support for the protesters was less clear-cut. Until the last minute, then-President Donald Trump had wavered on signing the law. “I stand with freedom,” he explained. “But we’re also in the process of making the largest trade deal in history” with China. Today this same tension – between ideology and pragmatism – promises to play out prominently in the incoming administration’s China policy. Now the nominee for secretary of state, Mr. Rubio is among several “hawks” Mr. Trump has selected for his Cabinet. Their stances toward Beijing have been consistently tougher than their boss’s. But he will also have allies for a more transactional approach, like entrepreneur Elon Musk, who will serve as an adviser to the new president. Either way, Mr. Trump’s return to power is expected to bring heightened confrontation and increased volatility to the relationship between the world’s two superpowers, especially over trade. “We watch all this very carefully, with suspicion, to be honest,” says Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing. “President Trump could be very hawkish toward China, or could be transactional – we don’t know.” Beijing, for its part, is hoping to establish informal channels to size up the Trump administration’s goals. It will do this by leveraging friendly relations with business executives such as Mr. Musk, who sees China as a vital market for his Tesla electric vehicle company and has cordial relations with top Chinese leaders, including Premier Li Qiang. Meanwhile, the strategy Mr. Trump adopts toward the administration of leader Xi Jinping, whom Mr. Trump has called “a friend,” could determine whether the world’s two major powers deepen their conflict over key issues such as Taiwan, trade, and technology. It will also influence whether they continue key dialogues – including those aimed at preventing accidents between their two formidable militaries – as well as cooperation on critical issues such as global warming, analysts say. Overall, Mr. Trump’s administration is likely to take “a more hawkish approach” towards Beijing than that of Joe Biden, including new tariffs and technology restrictions, says Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an American think tank. “There is already a comprehensive rivalry underway. This would raise the temperature,” he says. Mr. Rubio’s nomination in particular points to how the hawks may shape the two countries’ relationship going forward. As one of the most ideologically driven critics of China among U.S. leaders, he has championed human rights in China and repeatedly authored laws aimed at defending groups such as Hong Kong citizens and western China’s ethnic Uyghurs, a Muslim minority. In a major speech at The Heritage Foundation in March 2022, Mr. Rubio laid out his stark view of China’s Communist Party as a threatening, power-hungry regime bent on weakening the United States and dominating the world. China – not climate change or the pandemic – is “the gravest threat facing America today,” he said, raising his voice and waving a finger for emphasis. The U.S. must unify domestically, block Chinese espionage, revitalize American industry, and empower its allies to fight this danger, he warned. If China prevailed, he said, it would usher in “a new dark age of exploitation, conquest, and totalitarianism and all the worst aspects of human nature.” Mr. Rubio attributes his staunch anti-communist views in part to his upbringing in the Cuban exile community and, in particular, to the profound influence of his late grandfather, Papá. Each morning on the family’s small front porch, the young Mr. Rubio would sit at his grandfather’s feet for hours to learn from the soft-spoken but proudly individualistic man, whom he now reveres as his closest boyhood friend. “Papá ... believed the United States was destined to be the defender of human progress, the only power capable of preventing tyranny from dominating the world,” Mr. Rubio wrote in his 2012 autobiography, “An American Son.” “Due to his family background, he knows that people suffer under communism,” says Sunny Cheung, an exiled Hong Kong democracy advocate and associate fellow for China Studies at The Jamestown Foundation in Washington. Mr. Cheung organized the 2019 Thanksgiving rally in Hong Kong, which he says drew tens of thousands eager to voice their gratitude to Mr. Rubio and other U.S. officials. He also says “Beijing is not happy” with Mr. Trump’s choices of Mr. Rubio and other China hawks, such as his pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, a retired Army officer who has called for more U.S. defense spending to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan. Indeed, in 2020 China sanctioned Mr. Rubio for his human rights actions, with a Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying the U.S. senator “behaved egregiously on Hong Kong-related issues.” As a result, America’s next top diplomat could be barred from traveling to China at all. Still, experts say Beijing is relieved that Mr. Rubio has not called for the U.S. to pursue a policy of regime change toward China, as did his predecessor Michael Pompeo. Ultimately, Mr. Trump calls the shots, says Dr. Da of Tsinghua, and the incoming president’s pragmatic tendencies may rein in the hawks on his team. “Secretary Rubio could be, to some extent, different from Senator Rubio,” he says.The claim: NASA footage shows fly on Mars rover An Oct. 24 Facebook video ( direct link , archive link ) shows purported images from a NASA Mars rover mission. The video appears to scan the landscape before zooming in on the front of the rover. The close-up shows a blurry shape that resembles a fly. "Things that make you scratch your head a fly on the Mars rover they really need to get some better video editors for when they film the 'mars missions' on devon island, ridiculous (sic)," reads the post's caption. The post was shared more than 100 times in about nine weeks. More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: Altered The image with the purported fly in the post is altered, according to NASA. The images in the post match an authentic panoramic compiled from images captured by the NASA Mars Perseverance rover, a robotic mission launched in 2020. However, the purported fly is not in the original image. NASA's Mars Perseverance rover panoramic image altered The video in the post appears to have been created by panning and zooming in on a still panoramic image that was compiled from many images captured by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover in 2021. The position of rocks on the Martian surface and shadows near the purported fly match the authentic panoramic image − which can be seen on Arizona State University's website. However, the blurry fly shape is not present in the original image. "The content of the post you reference includes an image from Mars that has been changed from the original," Alana Johnson, a NASA spokesperson told USA TODAY. Fact check : Gases on exoplanet K2-18b can be produced by things besides aliens Devon Island, referenced in the post, is an uninhabited Canadian island with a harsh climate that "mimics the environmental conditions on Mars and other planets," according to NASA . The agency uses the island to test vehicles and other technology related to planetary exploration. But the images from the Perseverance rover were taken on Mars, not in Canada. Evidence that Mars missions are real includes photos captured by Perseverance and other Martian rovers and satellite missions . NASA includes descriptions of various Mars missions on its website. USA TODAY has debunked other posts that claimed NASA space missions were staged on Earth. For instance, some social media users spread an image of an International Space Station training facility and wrongly claimed it showed the actual space station was located in a pool. USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Reuters also debunked the claim. Our fact-check sources Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here . USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta .

Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record. The Capitals updated Ovechkin’s status Thursday after he was evaluated by team doctors upon returning from a three-game trip. The 39-year-old broke the leg in a shin-on-shin collision Monday night with Utah's Jack McBain, and some of his closest teammates knew it was not good news even before Ovechkin was listed as week to week and placed on injured reserve. “Everyone’s bummed out,” said winger Tom Wilson, who has played with Ovechkin since 2013. “We were sitting there saying: ‘This is weird. Like, it’s unbelievable that he’s actually hurt.’ It’s one of those things where like, he’s going to miss games? I’ve been around a long time, and it’s new to me.” Ovechkin in his first 19 seasons missed 59 games — and just 35 because of injury. Durability even while throwing his body around with his physical style is a big reason he is on track to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals that once looked unapproachable. “He doesn’t go out there and just coast around,” Wilson said. “He’s played 20 years every shift running over guys and skating. He’s a power forward, the best goal-scorer ever maybe, and he’s a power forward that plays the game really hard.” Ovechkin surged to the top of the league with 15 goals in his first 18 games this season. He was on pace to break the record and score No. 895 sometime in February. “You know when goal-scorers start scoring, it’s dangerous,” said defenseman John Carlson, who has been teammates with Ovechkin since 2009-10. “There was a bit of that in the downs that everyone was feeling about it too, of course. We see him coming to the rink every day, we know what’s at stake. You never want anyone to get injured, but there’s a lot to it and certainly he was playing his best hockey in years.” ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press

Chloée Alary said she always suspected that her daughter, Fabienne, may have ADHD. She could spot the signs since she had been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder as a child. While at first it was manageable, she said Fabienne’s behaviour became more difficult to deal with when she started puberty. "It got to a level where she couldn't have a normal daily routine. It really was out of whack. And it wasn't normal little things. It was a million small, accumulated things," she said. There are many symptoms to Attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They range from the inability to concentrate and forgetfulness to impulsive behaviours and emotional outbursts. The neurodevelopmental disorder interferes with functioning and evolves over time. "We really just didn't want her to go into high school, and for this to persist and get worse and worse," said Alary. But getting a diagnosis for her daughter was anything but straightforward. Alary said waiting lists for publicly funded assessments are long in the Laurentians, where the family lives, and getting assessed in English is next to impossible. They decided to go the private route and paid for several sessions with a psycho-educator, but that person left for another job before the diagnosis was done. Finally, Alary said their family doctor took over the file and prescribed the ADHD medication, Concerta. Fabienne, 13, said the medication helped her. "I was a little all over the place. I couldn't concentrate on one thing at a time. And I feel like when I take my, medication or when I take the pills, it does, like, help me stay on task," she said. Dr. Martin Gignac, chair of the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance, said getting a proper diagnosis at a young age is crucial and left untreated, ADHD can get worse. "This is why it's so important to acknowledge when it is there, because ADHD can be treated. And if you treat it early, you can prevent negative outcomes. You can reduce the risk of depression. You can have a positive impact on the risk of suicidal behaviors. You can reduce the risk of accidents," he said. Quebec has most ADHD diagnoses in Canada According to the province’s public health ministry, Quebec has the highest rate in the country of people under the age of 25 diagnosed with ADHD. An investigation published in La Presse found some private clinics offer an ADHD diagnosis in as little as 60 minutes. Dr. Gignac said there are different professionals that are able to provide people with the diagnosis, but extreme care needs to be taken to ensure the patient really has ADHD and not another disorder. Quebec’s Collège des médecins told CTV News it has taken efforts over the years to remind its physicians of the importance of rigorously carrying out evaluations and taking the time necessary to make a diagnosis. It added that in their inspections, the college is paying particular attention to the prescription of psychostimulants. Alary said while the medication has helped her daughter in school, there is no magic pill to treat the challenge of living with ADHD. She said her daughter has been able to stick with a routine and her grades are improving. She’s also playing sports and volunteering. The important thing, Alary added, is that if she’s having a problem, she can talk to her family and teachers about it.

Investment firms are making waves in the semiconductor arena with strategic changes in their NVIDIA holdings. During the third quarter, numerous firms altered their investment approaches, reflecting their assessments of NVIDIA’s market position. WCM Investment Management LLC made a notable adjustment by reducing its stake in NVIDIA. The firm parted with 66,549 shares, thereby lowering its investment by $66 million. Despite this reduction, NVIDIA remains the 21st biggest holding in WCM’s portfolio, comprising 1.7% of its investments, valued at $742.2 million. Meanwhile, smaller firms are betting more on NVIDIA. Hoertkorn Richard Charles bolstered its holdings by purchasing 70 additional shares, marking a 2% increase and bringing its total to 3,490 shares, valued at $424,000. Similarly, Smart Portfolios LLC showed confidence by enhancing its position by 2.7%, acquiring a total of 2,805 shares worth $341,000. Other firms, like Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC and Pavion Blue Capital LLC , made slight increases in their holdings, while Total Wealth Planning LLC expanded its stake by 3.6%. These moves underscore NVIDIA’s significance in the sectors of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. With institutional investors owning over 65% of NVIDIA’s outstanding shares, the company’s status in competitive markets is reaffirmed. Investors closely monitor NVIDIA’s progress, aware of its pivotal role in technological advancements and implications for future growth trends. Why Investment Firms Are Adjusting Their NVIDIA Holdings: Insights and Trends As investment firms shuffle their NVIDIA portfolios, the semiconductor giant’s market dynamics continue to attract attention. The strategic adjustments made by these firms reflect broader industry trends and investment strategies that could influence future financial landscapes. In-Depth Market Analysis and Investment Trends Recent shifts in NVIDIA holdings by notable investment firms reveal a keen interest in the company’s potential, driven by its pivotal role in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing sectors. With institutional investors now owning over 65% of NVIDIA’s outstanding shares, the company’s market significance is clear. Firms like WCM Investment Management LLC reduced their stake yet maintained NVIDIA as a significant portfolio component, signifying a strategic realignment rather than a loss of confidence. On the flip side, smaller firms, such as Hoertkorn Richard Charles, increased their positions, showcasing trust in NVIDIA’s growth potential. Predictions for the Semiconductor Industry The semiconductor industry is poised for further evolution, making predictions a critical component for investors. NVIDIA’s advancements in AI and data processing technologies position it as a leader in this transformation. As technological innovations surge, NVIDIA is expected to capitalize on new opportunities, potentially driving upward valuation adjustments. Features and Use Cases Enhancing NVIDIA’s Investment Appeal NVIDIA’s cutting-edge technology, including GPUs widely used for AI and machine learning applications, underpins its strong market presence. These features create diverse use cases across industries from automotive to healthcare, where high-performance computing is essential. This versatility reinforces investor sentiment toward long-term value and stability. Comparative Analysis with Competitors In the competitive landscape, NVIDIA stands alongside companies like AMD and Intel. Its robust product offerings and strategic partnerships give NVIDIA a competitive edge, making it a favored choice among analysts when considering growth potential and innovation leadership. Sustainability and Innovations NVIDIA’s commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly technologies aligns well with modern investment priorities that emphasize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. Continued innovation in energy-efficient products may further enhance NVIDIA’s attractiveness to ESG-conscious investors. Security and Limitations While NVIDIA leads in technology development, challenges such as supply chain volatility and geopolitical factors could impact stock performance. However, strategic risk management and diversification efforts could mitigate these issues. Links for More Information For more insights about NVIDIA, visit the company’s official webpage . The evolving narrative around NVIDIA’s market performance and innovation underscores its key role in shaping the future of technology. As investment firms continually assess their positions, understanding the broader implications of these changes can provide valuable insights for stakeholders and investors alike.LSU outlasts UCF 109-102 in triple-OT affair

fortune gems 3 max win Wake Forest keeps Detroit Mercy at arm's length for winNone

BALTIMORE (AP) — Miles Brewster had 18 points in Boston University's 75-71 victory over UMBC on Saturday. Brewster also had six rebounds for the Terriers (2-4). Matai Baptiste added 13 points while shooting 4 for 5, including 3 for 3 from beyond the arc while they also had nine rebounds. Michael McNair went 3 of 6 from the field (2 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 10 points. Josh Odunowo led the Retrievers (3-4) in scoring, finishing with 23 points and six rebounds. UMBC also got 18 points from Bryce Johnson. Marlon Short had 10 points and three steals. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Tenstorrent positions itself as a viable alternative to Nvidia Startup plans to ramp up hiring for engineering roles following new funding Interoperability is a key appeal for Tenstorrent AI chip startup Tenstorrent has secured $700 million in funding as part of an investment round valuing the company at $2.6 billion. The investment, led by AFW Partners and Samsung Securities, also included funding pledges LG Electronics, Fidelity, and Bezos Expeditions, the venture capital firm launched by former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The company says this funding will play a key role in enabling it to expand headcount, further develop supply chain capabilities, and build AI training servers to showcase its technologies. Major expansion Tenstorrent specializes in developing powerful, cost-efficient chips aimed specifically for use in AI development. Notably, the company uses open source technology in its development, enabling it to swerve pricey high-bandwidth memory (HBM) currently used by Nvidia . Similarly, it also focuses heavily on interoperability with other providers, and has been a vocal proponent of the open-standard RISC-V processor architecture. It's this aspect of the firm's operations which makes the Santa Clara-headquartered firm an appealing alternative to Nvidia, according to CEO Jim Keller. “You can’t beat Nvidia if you use HBM , because Nvidia buys the most HBM and has a cost advantage. But they’ll never be able to bring the price down the way HBM is built into their products and their sockets,” Keller said in a statement. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Enterprises have been making efforts to seek alternatives to Nvidia in recent years amidst its meteoric rise to prominence in the global tech industry, and Tenstorrent is one of a number aiming to fill that void. In March 2024, Toronto-based AI chip startup Taalas secured $50 million in funding – again with the aim of challenging the GPU-centricity of the industry created by Nvidia's dominance. While Tenstorrent is still a relatively young firm, it’s already secured around $150 million in contracts and is scaling significantly. The company’s first chips to hit the market were manufactured as part of a deal with GlobalFoundries. The launch of Grayskull , Tenstorrent’s RISC-V alternative, was designed to be far easier to program and scale. Future chip series will be built through a deal with TSMC and Samsung. This includes development of a 2nm AI Accelerator, but exact details on release dates are yet to be determined. Long-term, the company intends to release a new AI processor every year. Via Bloomberg You can now buy two liquid-cooled AI workstations with 192GB GDDR6 memory for the price of one Nvidia H100 GPU Yet another AI chip firm wants to challenge Nvidia's GPU-centric world These are the best mobile workstations around right now

Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggled with deputies and shouted while arriving for a court appearance in Pennsylvania a day after he was arrested at a McDonald’s and charged with murder. Luigi Nicholas Mangione emerged from a patrol car, spun toward reporters and shouted something partly unintelligible while deputies pushed him inside Tuesday. At the brief hearing, the defense lawyer informed the court that Mangione would not waive extradition to New York but instead wants a hearing on the issue. Mangione was denied bail. Brian Thompson, who led the United States’ largest medical insurance company, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. From wealth and success to murder suspect, the life of Luigi Mangione took a hard turn Luigi Nicholas Mangione was apparently living a charmed one: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation’s top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-od Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy.” Pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators are working to piece together why Mangione diverged from a path of seeming success to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. Key details about the man accused of killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO The 26-year-old man charged in last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in New York City has appeared in a Pennsylvania courtroom. Luigi Nicholas Mangione was arrested Monday after a worker at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, notified police that he resembled the suspect in last Wednesday's killing of Brian Thompson. While being led into court to be arraigned Tuesday, Mangione shouted something that was partly unintelligible but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” During the hearing in Hollidaysburg, Mangione was denied bail and his attorney said Mangione would not waive extradition. DA suggests unusual idea for halting Trump’s hush money case while upholding his conviction NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors are trying to preserve President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction as he returns to office, and they're suggesting various ways forward. One novel notion is based on how some courts handle criminal cases when defendants die. In court papers made public on Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books. The proposals included freezing the case until he’s out of office, or agreeing that any future sentence wouldn’t include jail time. Another idea: closing the case with a notation that acknowledges his conviction but says that he was never sentenced and that his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. There's no immediate response from Trump's lawyers. Middle East latest: Israel bombs hundreds of sites across Syria as army pushes into border zone Israel says it bombed more than 350 military sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wave of strikes was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s stunning collapse. Israel also acknowledged its troops were pushing into a border buffer zone inside Syria, which was established after the 1973 Mideast war. However, Israel denied its forces were advancing Tuesday toward the Syrian capital of Damascus. Life in the capital was slowly returning to normal. People celebrated for a third day in a main square, and shops and banks reopened. Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. For Trump, they were also prime trolling opportunities. Throughout his first term in the White House and his recent campaign to return there, the Republican has dished out provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. Task force probing attempts to kill Trump urges Secret Service to limit protection of foreigners WASHINGTON (AP) — A task force looking into the assassination attempts against Donald Trump during his presidential campaign is recommending changes to the Secret Service. These include protecting fewer foreign leaders during the height of the election season and considering moving the agency out of the Department of Homeland Security. The 180-page report was released Tuesday. It constitutes one of the most detailed looks so far into the July 13 assassination attempt against Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and a second one in Florida two months later. South Korea's ex-defense minister is formally arrested over brief imposition of martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's previous defense minister has been formally arrested over his alleged collusion with President Yoon Suk Yeol and others in imposing martial law last week. Kim Yong Hyun resigned last week and has been detained since Sunday. He is the first person arrested in the case. Prosecutors have up to 20 days to determine whether to indict him. A conviction on the charge of playing a key role in rebellion carries the maximum death sentence. Kim is accused of recommending martial law to Yoon and sending troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting on it. Homes burn as wind-driven wildfire prompts evacuations in Malibu, California MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Thousands of Southern California residents are under evacuation orders and warnings as firefighters battle a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu. The flames burned near seaside mansions and Pepperdine University, where students sheltering at the school’s library on Monday night watched as the blaze intensified. Officials on Tuesday said a “minimal number” of homes burned, but the exact amount wasn’t immediately known. More than 8,100 homes and other structures are under threat, including more than 2,000 where residents have been ordered to evacuate. Pepperdine University on Tuesday morning said the worst of the fire has pushed past campus. It was not immediately known how the blaze started. More beans and less red meat: Nutritionists weigh in on US dietary guidelines Americans should eat more beans, peas and lentils and cut back on red and processed meats and starchy vegetables. That's advice from a panel of expert nutritionists charged with counseling the U.S. government about the next edition of the dietary guidelines. The panel did not weigh in on the growing role of ultraprocessed foods that have been linked to health problems or alcohol use. But they did say people should continue to limit added sugars, sodium and saturated fat in pursuit of a healthy diet. Tuesday’s recommendations now go to federal officials, who will draft the final guidance set for release next year.10 hot-ticket gifts we predict will sell out on Black Friday 2024

UTR Sports Partners with Stack Sports to Launch TeamInn Travel Services for Tennis and PickleballAlienware's most recent Black Friday deal is a good one. As part of the Alienware Black Friday Sale , Dell (which owns the Alienware brand) is offering an Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4070 Ti Super gaming PC for only $1,499.99 with free shipping after a $600 instant discount. This is currently the least expensive Black Friday deal on an RTX 4070 Ti gaming PC so far . The RTX 4070 Ti GPU is powerful enough to handle gaming at up to 4K at a solid 60fps, even with the recently released games like Black Myth: Wukong or Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. This Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC features an Intel Core i7-14700F CPU, RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU, 16GB of DDR5-1600MHz RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD. The Intel Core i7-14700F Raptor Lake Refresh CPU boasts a max clock of 5.4GHz with 20 cores, 28 threads, and a 33MB cache. If you plan to use this PC as a gaming rig, then an i7 is a better choice in terms of value than an i9. Performance is nearly identical because games cannot utilize the extra cores that the i9 has and at higher resolutions, games are almost always GPU-bound. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super is about 10% more powerful than the RTX 4070 Ti. This is a great card for gaming at any resolution, from 1080p all the way to 4K. At 1080p and 1440p you'll be able to achieve 144fps or beyond in most games, so it's a great complement to FHD or QHD monitors capable of achieving high refresh rates. 4K is a much more demanding resolution, but you should still be able to run most games at a consistent 60fps. The RTX 4070 Ti Super also has more VRAM than the RTX 4070 Ti (16GB vs 12GB), which means it's a great economical option for AI work. A note on Alienware's newest "R16" desktop chassis The R16 is Alienware's current 2024 desktop PC design. It's 40% smaller in volume compared to previous iterations. It features a simple yet proven airflow pattern; air is drawn in through the side intake vents over the GPU area and a 120mm fan at the front of the case, and exhausts by way of a 120mm rear fan and two 120mm top fans. A 240mm radiator for the all-in-one liquid cooling system is mounted to these top fans. Some configurations don't actually include the liquid cooling system, but we rarely include them in this roundup. That's because Alienware's liquid cooling solution is far superior to their stock air cooling and is easily worth the price premium. Alienware isn't the only brand that's on sale for Black Friday. Check out all of the best gaming PC deals from vendors like Best Buy , Amazon , and Walmart . If you want to stick with an OEM manufacturer, HP has a Black Friday Sale going on. In most cases, we would say that Black Friday has the best deals of the year . Dell, however, is quite the opposite. Dell likes to push its best Black Friday deals well in advance of Black Friday, sometimes even as early as October. There are very specific "doorbuster" deals that go live on Black Friday, but they aren't necessarily on gaming PCs. If you find a great deal on a configuration that's exactly what you're looking for at a price you're happy with, you should jump on it early. Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.Summit Materials SUM underwent analysis by 11 analysts in the last quarter, revealing a spectrum of viewpoints from bullish to bearish. Summarizing their recent assessments, the table below illustrates the evolving sentiments in the past 30 days and compares them to the preceding months. Bullish Somewhat Bullish Indifferent Somewhat Bearish Bearish Total Ratings 4 3 4 0 0 Last 30D 0 0 2 0 0 1M Ago 2 2 1 0 0 2M Ago 2 1 1 0 0 3M Ago 0 0 0 0 0 Insights from analysts' 12-month price targets are revealed, presenting an average target of $50.73, a high estimate of $60.00, and a low estimate of $41.00. Witnessing a positive shift, the current average has risen by 6.29% from the previous average price target of $47.73. Diving into Analyst Ratings: An In-Depth Exploration The perception of Summit Materials by financial experts is analyzed through recent analyst actions. The following summary presents key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets. Analyst Analyst Firm Action Taken Rating Current Price Target Prior Price Target Adrian Heurta JP Morgan Raises Neutral $52.50 $43.00 Mike Dahl RBC Capital Lowers Sector Perform $52.50 $54.00 Brent Thielman DA Davidson Raises Neutral $47.00 $41.00 Garik Shmois Loop Capital Raises Buy $54.00 $49.00 Mike Dahl RBC Capital Raises Outperform $54.00 $53.00 Keith Hughes Truist Securities Raises Buy $60.00 $47.00 Adam Seiden Barclays Raises Overweight $52.00 $45.00 Brent Thielman DA Davidson Maintains Neutral $41.00 $41.00 Philip Ng Jefferies Lowers Buy $56.00 $58.00 Anthony Pettinari Citigroup Lowers Buy $46.00 $47.00 Adrian Heurta JP Morgan Lowers Overweight $43.00 $47.00 Key Insights: Action Taken: Analysts respond to changes in market conditions and company performance, frequently updating their recommendations. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise' or 'Lower' their stance, it reflects their reaction to recent developments related to Summit Materials. This information offers a snapshot of how analysts perceive the current state of the company. Rating: Providing a comprehensive analysis, analysts offer qualitative assessments, ranging from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings reflect expectations for the relative performance of Summit Materials compared to the broader market. Price Targets: Analysts navigate through adjustments in price targets, providing estimates for Summit Materials's future value. Comparing current and prior targets offers insights into analysts' evolving expectations. To gain a panoramic view of Summit Materials's market performance, explore these analyst evaluations alongside essential financial indicators. Stay informed and make judicious decisions using our Ratings Table. Stay up to date on Summit Materials analyst ratings. Discovering Summit Materials: A Closer Look Summit Materials Inc is engaged in the production and sale of aggregates, cement, ready-mix concrete, asphalt paving mix and concrete products and owns and operates quarries, sand and gravel pits, two cement plants, cement distribution terminals, ready-mix concrete plants, asphalt plants and landfill sites. It is also engaged in paving and related services. The Company's three operating and reporting segments are the West, East and Cement segments. It operates in 21 U.S. states and in British Columbia, Canada and has assets in 21 U.S. states and in British Columbia, Canada through its platform. Key Indicators: Summit Materials's Financial Health Market Capitalization Analysis: Below industry benchmarks, the company's market capitalization reflects a smaller scale relative to peers. This could be attributed to factors such as growth expectations or operational capacity. Positive Revenue Trend: Examining Summit Materials's financials over 3 months reveals a positive narrative. The company achieved a noteworthy revenue growth rate of 47.35% as of 30 September, 2024, showcasing a substantial increase in top-line earnings. When compared to others in the Materials sector, the company excelled with a growth rate higher than the average among peers. Net Margin: The company's net margin is below industry benchmarks, signaling potential difficulties in achieving strong profitability. With a net margin of 8.98%, the company may need to address challenges in effective cost control. Return on Equity (ROE): Summit Materials's ROE lags behind industry averages, suggesting challenges in maximizing returns on equity capital. With an ROE of 2.4%, the company may face hurdles in achieving optimal financial performance. Return on Assets (ROA): Summit Materials's ROA falls below industry averages, indicating challenges in efficiently utilizing assets. With an ROA of 1.26%, the company may face hurdles in generating optimal returns from its assets. Debt Management: Summit Materials's debt-to-equity ratio stands notably higher than the industry average, reaching 0.65 . This indicates a heavier reliance on borrowed funds, raising concerns about financial leverage. What Are Analyst Ratings? Ratings come from analysts, or specialists within banking and financial systems that report for specific stocks or defined sectors (typically once per quarter for each stock). Analysts usually derive their information from company conference calls and meetings, financial statements, and conversations with important insiders to reach their decisions. Some analysts also offer predictions for helpful metrics such as earnings, revenue, and growth estimates to provide further guidance as to what to do with certain tickers. It is important to keep in mind that while stock and sector analysts are specialists, they are also human and can only forecast their beliefs to traders. Breaking: Wall Street's Next Big Mover Benzinga's #1 analyst just identified a stock poised for explosive growth. This under-the-radar company could surge 200%+ as major market shifts unfold. Click here for urgent details . This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Special counsel moves to dismiss election interference case against Donald Trump

Wireless Car Charging Market is Booming Worldwide | Gaining Revolution In Eyes of Global Exposure 11-23-2024 08:12 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: AMA Research & Media LLP Wireless Car Charging Advance Market Analytics published a new research publication on "Global Wireless Car Charging Market Insights, to 2030" with 232 pages and enriched with self-explained Tables and charts in presentable format. In the Study, you will find new evolving Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities generated by targeting market-associated stakeholders. The growth of the Wireless Car Charging market was mainly driven by the increasing R&D spending across the world. Get Free Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Research @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/52487-global-wireless-car-charging-market?utm_source=OpenPR&utm_medium=Vinay Major players profiled in the study are: Evatran Group (United States), WiTricy Corporation (United States) , Hevo Power (United States) , Tesla Inc. (United States) , Bombardier, Inc. (Canada), Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (Germany) , Momentum Dynamic Corporation (United States), Robert Bosch Group (Germany), Evatran, LLC (United States), Mojo Mobility Inc. (United States), ZTE Corporation (China), HEVO, Inc. (United States) Scope of the Report of Wireless Car Charging Wireless Car Charging enables to charge the electric-powered car in order to with constant source of power both at the stationary and moving position. Instead of using a plug-in cable to charge the electric car, it uses wireless electric vehicle charging (WEVC) technology to wirelessly charge the carâ€TMs battery. Due to increasing greenhouse gas radiation and scarcity of petroleum products for upcoming years the demand for electric cars is increasing and this has driven the wireless car charging market. In February 2019, WiTricity signed technology licensing agreement with Yura Corporation, a leading South Korea-based automotive Tier 1 supplier for wireless charging technology for EVs. This agreement enables Yura to access WiTricity's wireless charging technology, support, and intellectual property (IP) rights to develop and commercialize wireless EV charging systems. In July 2016, Evatran Group and Zhejiang VIE Science and Technology Company formed a joint venture to integrate Plugless, Evatranâ€TMs wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging system, into the EVs of car manufacturers (OEMs) based in China. This new venture is called Zhejiang VIE Evatran Electronic Technologies Co. and was created with an initial investment of USD 5 million The Global Wireless Car Charging Market segments and Market Data Break Down are illuminated below: by Type (Static Wireless Charging, Dynamic Wireless Charging), Application (Passenger Cars, SUV Cars), Operating Techniques (Capacitive Wireless Power Transfer (CWPT), Permanent Magnetic Gear Wireless Charging System (PMWC), Inductive Wireless Charging System (IWC), Resonant Inductive Power Transfer (RIPT)), Power Supply (3â€" Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA - 08837 About Author: Advance Market Analytics is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enables clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. This release was published on openPR.

Over the past two weeks, much of the world’s attention has been on Baku, Azerbaijan, the venue for this year’s UN climate conference, known as Cop29. Leaders, policymakers and environmentalists, among others, have been following the talks in progress – though, not without apprehension, given the impasse between various countries over the issue of climate financing. Getting nearly 200 countries, of different sizes, economies and climate vulnerabilities to agree on how much money the advanced nations should provide the lower-income ones to support their financing needs has been an onerous task for the past 15 years. Delegates representing the most disadvantaged nations in Baku even staged walkouts during the negotiating process. Further, in light of the current geopolitical climate, efforts to shore up global diplomacy proved inadequate. It is notable therefore that a deal was eventually struck on Saturday night, with the developed world pledging $300 billion annually over the next decade. Even as an agreement of this figure is notable – and may well have been considered a victory if only the climate challenge were not as enormous and global in scope – the urgent nature of the crisis remains unchanged. The developing world says that at least $1.3 trillion is needed every year, a long way off from the sum pledged in Baku. Countries, particularly those on the frontlines of the climate crisis, sorely need funds to transform their economies, build climate-resilient infrastructure and develop agriculture that is better able to withstand extreme temperatures and floods. As things stand, coping with climate disasters takes too large a chunk out of the gross domestic product of smaller nations. It is a fact that the world is equipped with the technological innovations, the know-how and the personnel to create an impact. What is required, however, is finance. But as Mariam Almheiri, head of the International Affairs Office of the Presidential Court, explained in these pages last week: “The gulf between available climate finance and actual needs is staggering.” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who earlier declared that “failure is not an option” in Azerbaijan, conceded that he had hoped for a more ambitious outcome on Saturday. But he added that the agreement “provides a base on which to build”. Indeed, in the run-up to the next climate conference, Cop30 in Brazil, it is important that countries continue to engage with each other, deepen partnerships and increase their financial commitment. Some countries have moved the needle on climate finance. At last year’s Cop28 in Dubai, for instance, the UAE pledged $100 million to a disaster fund and launched Alterra, a $30 billion climate investment fund. Much more, of course, is needed. As experts have reiterated, international public-private partnerships must bear some of the burden of a crisis that affects us all. The agreement struck in Baku may not be enough for those most vulnerable to rising temperatures to cope with the effects of climate change while simultaneously boosting the prosperity levels of their citizens. Yet the process for further negotiations has gone to the next phase. The onus is on all parties to build on that momentum.

LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said on Saturday that the fire in Parachinar has now spread to the streets, while KPK Chief Minister Gandapur is sleeping. While addressing a press conference at the DGPR, Azma said, “he (Gandapur) is only focused on one dream— how to launch an attack on the federal government using government employees. He has never held any meeting regarding law and order in KPK. These individuals are creating a ruckus on social media, asking why the army and federal government aren’t coming to help. The federal government will only step in when the provincial government is present and active.” She said Gandapur is more concerned with how to distribute billions of rupees among protesters than the safety of his people. They (PTI) should be ashamed of spewing venom against the very country from which they have been doing business with diamonds, Azma said. The minister stated, “We cannot leave Islamabad at the mercy of these goons. Maintaining peace and order is the responsibility of both the provinces and the federal government, and we will fulfil this responsibility. Anyone who tries to take the law into their own hands will be treated like the Khawarij.” In response to questions, Azma Bokhari said that Punjab is a province where development is taking place rapidly. However, disruptive elements are preventing peace even in Punjab. She stated, “They (PTI) want to neither do any work themselves nor allow others to do it.” Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

fortune gems 3 tricks Coal and gas-fired power plants will stay open for longer under the coalition's $330 billion nuclear transition plan. or signup to continue reading Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pledged to build seven publicly-owned nuclear power plants across the country, with predictions the first will come online from the mid-to-late 2030s - a timeline rubbished by some experts. Renewables would make up just over half of Australia's energy grid by 2050, with nuclear accounting for just under 40 per cent and the rest a combination of storage and gas, snippets of the plan dropped ahead of its release contend. Labor's plan is to have the grid firmed by just over 80 per cent renewable energy by 2030. This will increase to more than 90 per cent by 2050 with the rest made up of storage and gas. Nuclear energy would provide the "always-on" power to back up renewables and lead to cheaper power bills in the long run, Mr Dutton claimed. But nuclear energy does not offer a good deal for Australia, a report released just ahead of Mr Dutton unveiling his costings found, while postponing coal power station closures would heighten Australia's carbon emissions in the medium term. For the seventh straight year, the found renewable energy sources are the lowest-cost of any new-build electricity-generating technology. Nuclear energy generation would be 1.5 to two times more expensive than large-scale solar, according to the analysis by the national science agency CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator. Energy market operators would also need to establish new connection points to safely supply the national electricity grid, experts have said. The coalition's plan was modelled by Frontier Economics, which cost Labor's transition around $600 billion. Energy Minister Chris Bowen has rubbished this number, saying the government's plan would cost $122 billion, citing a forecast made by the national energy grid operator. "They're making it up as they go along," Mr Bowen told ABC TV of the coalition's costings on Friday. Mr Bowen said preliminary reports of the coalition's plan ahead of Friday's full announcement that nuclear would need fewer transmission lines - therefore bringing down the estimated cost - was incorrect. "I'm not sure how they'll get the nuclear power into the grid, maybe by carrier pigeon if they're going to assert if somehow you'll need less transmission," he said. "They have had to make some very heroic assumptions here and they have had to really stretch the truth to try to get some very dodgy figures." Keeping coal-fired power plants open beyond their lifespan was a threat to energy reliability, with outages and breakdowns happening on a daily basis, Mr Bowen said. "It's a recipe for blackouts to keep ageing coal-fired power stations in the grid for longer," he said. The coalition is pushing for an end to Australia's nuclear ban but has faced opposition from states. Nuclear power doesn't stack up for Australian families or businesses, Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest said on Friday. "As our national science agency has shown, 'firmed' solar and wind are the cheapest new electricity options for all Australians," he said in a statement. "The cost of electricity generated on a grid dominated by firmed renewable energy in 2030 will be half what you would have to pay if it came from nuclear, CSIRO found." Mr Forrest, who is a big player in the non-fossil fuels energy market, said that without continued action on "low-cost, high-efficiency renewable energy" Australians will be left with "pricier power and crumbling coal stations". "We must never forget - Australia has the best renewable resources in the world," he added. "Seizing these Australian opportunities must be our shared national goal." DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement

The Billionaire Shifts: Where Wealth Meets StrategyThese three women were upskirted. Their lives have never been the same again

President-elect Donald Trump called his meeting with Justin Trudeau productive and says the prime minister made a commitment to work with the United States to end the drug crisis amid the threat of stiff tariffs. Trudeau flew to Florida Friday evening to attend a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump’s transition team is based. The in-person meeting came at the end of a rocky week in which Trump threatened to impose stiff tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico, unless the two countries stop illegal border crossings and prevent illicit drugs from entering the U.S. In a post on Truth Social, Trump says he and Trudeau discussed the drug crisis, particularly fentanyl, illegal immigration, as well as trade, energy and the Arctic. Trump’s post did not directly mention tariffs. Trudeau told reporters in West Palm Beach Saturday morning that he had an excellent conversation with Trump’s transition team. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2024.CLEVLEAND — Shane Bieber's comeback with Cleveland has double meaning. The former Cy Young winner re-signed with the Guardians on Wednesday, a reunion that seemed unlikely when he became a free agent. However, the 29-year-old Bieber decided to stay with the AL Central champions after making just two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Bieber agreed last week to a one-year, $14 million contract. The deal includes a $16 million player option for 2026. It seemed like a long shot that Bieber, who is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA in 132 starts, would return to Cleveland. He had turned down long-term offers in the past from the club, and it was expected he would sign with another contender, likely one on the West Coast. But the California native has a special connection with the Guardians, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Bieber, who won the AL Cy Young in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, threw only 12 innings last season before lingering issues with his elbow forced him to have surgery. He is expected to join Cleveland's rotation at some point in 2025. A two-time All-Star, Bieber was named MVP of the midsummer event in 2019 when it was held in Cleveland. He has the highest strikeout ratio per nine innings (10.2) and third-highest winning percentage (.660) in the franchise's 124-year history. Bieber is one of just three Cleveland pitchers to start five season openers, joining Stan Coveleski (1917-21) and Corey Kluber (2015-19). While Bieber had some elbow issues in the past, he didn't show any issues before being shut down. He struck out 11 in six scoreless innings against Oakland on March 28, and followed that up with six more shutout innings at Seattle on April 2. DALLAS — Pitchers again dominated the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings, comprising 11 of the 15 unprotected players who were picked Wednesday. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox had the first pick and selected 24-year-old right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Smith was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest when he was signed by Milwaukee in July 2021. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has gone 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over 157 innings in 19 starts and 54 relief appearances over three minor league seasons. There were 14 teams who made picks in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft of players left off 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Only Atlanta made two selections, after making none since 2017. Atlanta chose right-hander Anderson Pilar from the Miami Marlins with the 11th pick, and then took infielder Christian Cairo from the Cleveland Guardians with the 15th and final pick in the MLB portion. The 26-year-old Pilar was original signed by Colorado as a minor league free agent in 2015 and has pitched in 213 minor league games that included 17 starts. He is 28-20 with a 2.86 ERA. Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Six of the 10 players selected during the Rule 5 draft last December — five of them right-handed pitchers — remained last season with organization that selected them. Two of the four position players taken Wednesday by other teams came from the Detroit Tigers organization: catcher Liam Hicks and third baseman Gage Workman. Miami drafted second after Colorado passed making a selection, and took Hicks. Workman was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 10th pick. Baltimore lost two right-handed pitchers on back-to-back picks, Juan Nunez to San Diego with the 12th pick before Connor Thomas went to Milwaukee. DALLAS — Tom Hamilton, who has called Cleveland games on the radio for 35 seasons, won the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting on Wednesday. Hamilton, 70, joined the team's broadcast in 1990, when he was with Herb Score in the booth and part of the coverage of their World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Hamilton became the voice of the franchise when Score retired after that second World Series. Hamilton will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York. He was selected the hall's Frick Award 16-member committee as the 49th winner. There were 10 finalists on this year's ballot, whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card era. The other nine were Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dave Sims and John Sterling. DALLAS — The Texas Rangers acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in a trade for three minor league players. Burger hit .250 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs in 137 games for the Marlins last season, with 150 strikeouts in 535 at-bats with 31 walks. He started 59 games at third base and made 50 starts at first. Five days of service time short of being eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, he will be eligible next winter and can become a free agent after the 2028 World Series. Miami got infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas and left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza. The acquisition of Burger comes about a month after the Rangers hired former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior adviser for baseball operations. Luis Urueta, Miami's bench coach the past two seasons, also was added recently to manager Bruce Bochy's on-field coaching staff for 2025. BRIEFLY WHITE SOX: Mike Tauchman is switching sides in Chicago. The White Sox announced a $1.95 million, one-year contract for the outfielder. Tauchman, 34, grew up in Palatine, Illinois, about 35 miles northwest of Chicago, and played college ball for Bradley in Peoria, Illinois. He spent the previous two seasons with the Cubs. TRADE: All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox for four prospects. Catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth, right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez and outfielder Braden Montgomery are headed to Chicago. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNTM) (“ ConnectM ” or the “ Company ”), a technology company focused on the electrification economy, today announced that on December 6, 2024, it received a notice from the staff of the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq stating that because the Company had not filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024 (the “ Filing ”), it no longer complies with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) for continued listing, which requires listed companies to timely file all required periodic financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This notification has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s shares on Nasdaq. However, if the Company fails to timely regain compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule, the Company’s securities will be subject to delisting from Nasdaq. ConnectM now has until February 4, 2025 to submit a plan to regain compliance. If Nasdaq accepts the plan, Nasdaq can grant an exception of up to 180 calendar days from the Filing’s due date, or until May 19, 2025, to regain compliance. If Nasdaq does not accept the plan, ConnectM will have the opportunity to appeal that decision to a Nasdaq Hearings Panel. This announcement is made in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(b), which requires prompt disclosure of receipt of a deficiency notification. About ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. ConnectM is a technology company focused on advancing the electrification economy by integrating electrified energy assets with its AI-powered technology solutions platform. The Company provides residential and light commercial buildings and all-electric original equipment manufacturers with a proprietary Energy Intelligence Network platform to accelerate the transition to all-electric heating, cooling, and transportation. Leveraging technology, data, artificial intelligence, contemporary design, and behavioral economics, ConnectM aims to make electrification more user-friendly, affordable, precise, and socially impactful. As a vertically integrated company with wholly owned service networks and a comprehensive technology stack, ConnectM empowers customers to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, lower overall energy costs, and minimize their carbon footprint. For more information, please visit: https://www.connectm.com/ Contact : MZ North America (203) 741-8811 ConnectM@mzgroup.usKohl’s ( NYSE:KSS – Free Report ) had its target price trimmed by TD Cowen from $20.00 to $16.00 in a report published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a hold rating on the stock. KSS has been the subject of several other research reports. Gordon Haskett lowered shares of Kohl’s from a “hold” rating to a “reduce” rating and set a $11.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Kohl’s from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $19.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Kohl’s from $17.00 to $15.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 25th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Kohl’s from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their price target on Kohl’s from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.22. Check Out Our Latest Report on Kohl’s Kohl’s Price Performance Kohl’s ( NYSE:KSS – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 26th. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.08). Kohl’s had a return on equity of 6.44% and a net margin of 1.47%. The firm had revenue of $3.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.53 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Kohl’s will post 1.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Kohl’s Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 11th will be given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 13.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 11th. Kohl’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 90.09%. Insider Transactions at Kohl’s In related news, EVP Feeney Siobhan Mc sold 16,367 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.27, for a total value of $315,392.09. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 136,799 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,636,116.73. This represents a 10.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Company insiders own 0.86% of the company’s stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kohl’s Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of Kohl’s by 23.0% during the first quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 15,942 shares of the company’s stock valued at $465,000 after acquiring an additional 2,982 shares during the period. EMC Capital Management raised its stake in shares of Kohl’s by 231.8% in the 1st quarter. EMC Capital Management now owns 7,891 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,000 after buying an additional 5,513 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kohl’s by 97.1% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 948 shares during the period. Annex Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Kohl’s by 19.5% during the second quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC now owns 196,637 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,521,000 after buying an additional 32,034 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Kohl’s by 2.4% during the second quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 320,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,358,000 after buying an additional 7,419 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.04% of the company’s stock. About Kohl’s ( Get Free Report ) Kohl’s Corporation operates as an omnichannel retailer in the United States. It offers branded apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, and home products through its stores and website. The company provides its products primarily under the brand names of Croft & Barrow, Jumping Beans, SO, Sonoma Goods for Life, and Tek Gear, as well as Food Network, LC Lauren Conrad, Nine West, and Simply Vera Vera Wang. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Kohl's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kohl's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries over currency plans

Kiffin calls crammed calendar ‘a dumb system’Florida State continues torrid star with rout of UMass

Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly?

After a thrilling double-overtime win over Fresno State, California Baptist makes the nearly 2,500-mile trip to Orlando to face Central Florida on Sunday. The Lancers (5-3) capped their time at the Acrisure Holiday Invitational in Palm Springs, Calif., with an 86-81 victory over the Bulldogs on Wednesday. That followed a last-second, 79-77 loss to SMU the day before. Dominique Daniels Jr. played 45 minutes against Fresno State and led California Baptist with 29 points. He paces the Lancers with 20.3 points per game, while Kendal Coleman averages 15.1 points and is shooting 59.7 percent form the floor. However, coach Rick Croy's team has struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 30.7 percent entering its first true road game this season. UCF (5-2) is coming off of an 84-76 win over Milwaukee last Wednesday despite being outrebounded 41-31. The Knights were helped by the heroics of senior guard Darius Johnson, who had 28 points as he shot a career-best 8-for-10 from beyond the arc. "Darius was terrific," UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. "He's so comfortable in his leadership role now, he's leading our team and running the show, and our new players are becoming more comfortable playing with him. He's been a rock for us this season, and you love to see it out of a senior point guard." "I had an extraordinary night shooting the ball from three," Johnson said. "I rarely think that would happen again, but it's great. I know my teammates are going to have nights like that as well." Johnson is among the nation's leaders in minutes per game (36.6) and is shooting a team-high 50 percent from 3-point range (23 of 46). He, along with his fellow guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, are each averaging 16.9 points to lead UCF. The Knights opened the season with an impressive win over Texas A&M, now No. 20 in the AP poll, but lost both games at last weekend's Greenbrier Tip-Off, including a triple-overtime defeat against LSU on Sunday. UCF has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2018-19. This will be the first meeting between the Knights and the Lancers, who will each have time off afterwards. UCF won't play until Dec. 8 against Tarleton State, while California Baptist is idle until its Dec. 11 game at San Diego State. --Field Level MediaAlex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record. The Capitals updated Ovechkin’s status Thursday after he was evaluated by team doctors upon returning from a three-game trip. The 39-year-old broke the leg in a shin-on-shin collision Monday night with Utah's Jack McBain, and some of his closest teammates knew it was not good news even before Ovechkin was listed as week to week and placed on injured reserve. “Everyone’s bummed out,” said winger Tom Wilson, who has played with Ovechkin since 2013. “We were sitting there saying: ‘This is weird. Like, it’s unbelievable that he’s actually hurt.’ It’s one of those things where like, he’s going to miss games? I’ve been around a long time, and it’s new to me.” Ovechkin in his first 19 seasons missed 59 games — and just 35 because of injury. Durability even while throwing his body around with his physical style is a big reason he is on track to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals that once looked unapproachable. “He doesn’t go out there and just coast around,” Wilson said. “He’s played 20 years every shift running over guys and skating. He’s a power forward, the best goal-scorer ever maybe, and he’s a power forward that plays the game really hard.” Ovechkin surged to the top of the league with 15 goals in his first 18 games this season. He was on pace to break the record and score No. 895 sometime in February. “You know when goal-scorers start scoring, it’s dangerous,” said defenseman John Carlson, who has been teammates with Ovechkin since 2009-10. “There was a bit of that in the downs that everyone was feeling about it too, of course. We see him coming to the rink every day, we know what’s at stake. You never want anyone to get injured, but there’s a lot to it and certainly he was playing his best hockey in years.” ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press

Iconic muscle car goes on sale in UK with right-hand drive for first time – & could be yours for same price as a BMW M4

TORONTO (AP) — Hannah Miller scored a power-play goal with 1:38 remaining in the game, lifting the Toronto Sceptres to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Fleet in the Professional Women’s Hockey League season opener on Saturday. With Boston standout Hilary Knight in the penalty box for a vicious boarding penalty on Sceptres defender Renata Fast, Miller made good on her rebound attempt on a shot by Daryl Watts with a half-open net. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Popular author Shobaa De's opinions on celebrities and their choices always raise eyebrows. A few weeks ago, she took to her social media to slam actor Nayanthara's Netflix documents Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale. While some agreed with her view, others felt it didn't deserve the flak. Much before this, the author once spoke about Rajinikanth and wished his biopic to be on Netflix. Rajinikanth's life deserves a biopic on Netflix says Shobaa De In a column dated from 2021, the time when Rajinikanth took an exit from jumping into politics, Shobaa De shared her thoughts on his much-talked about decision. She said "Rajinikanth is not a run-of-the-mill regional superstar―his fans worship him as God incarnate. For a man who started his adult life taking up odd jobs as a carpenter, coolie and bus conductor, Rajinikanth’s extraordinary story is worthy of a detailed biopic on Netflix. There are Bollywood stars who are far wealthier than he is. But hey, Rajini was honoured with a Padma Vibhushan in 2016, and his earlier films dubbed in Japanese and other languages make him a bigger global icon than any other Indian actor―including Amitabh Bachchan." She lauded his decision to back out from politics. She said "It takes courage to back out at such a late stage―an actor risks losing face. Health before all else, sir". About Rajinikanth's political exit In 2020, the actor, was on the verge of launching his political party, however, a health scare changed his decision. He said "With extreme sadness I say that I can't enter politics. I alone know the pain I went through while announcing this decision. Without entering electoral politics, I will serve the people. This decision of mine will disappoint my fans and people but please forgive me." Rajinikanth celebrates his 74th birthday on December 12, 2024. The actor has bid adieu to politics but not films. He will soon be seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Tamil, Entertainment News and around the world.None

HuffPost and its publishing partners may receive a commission from some purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently curated by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change. Whether you’re reading the latest HuffPost article or looking through family photos, sometimes scrolling on your phone just doesn’t cut it. If you’ve been looking for a new device that’s easy to use, actually practical and won’t totally break the bank, you can snag a 2021 Apple 10.2-inch iPad from Target for just $199 — a whole 40% off its regular price and the lowest price we’ve seen since September . We’re unsure how long this deal sticks around, so if you’re considering grabbing a new tablet, now’s the time! This 9th generation model runs on Wi-Fi, has a full 10 hours of battery life, Apple pencil and smart keyboard capabilities and an ultra-wide front-facing camera with Apple’s “center stage” tech that automatically adjusts the camera to your face as you move around on FaceTime. An A13 bionic chip supports its 10.2-inch retina display and user-friendly operation. The chip provides the graphics performance needed for playing games, watching videos or browsing social media. This device uses lighting ports, so it’s likely you can use your existing iPhone charger with it. Best of all, it weighs just over a pound, making it easy to carry and hold whether you’re on the go or lounging on the couch. If you’re looking to play games, take virtual notes, video chat family or just surf the web, this handy device will help you do it all. Nab this iPad at its lowest price — and act fast, because we’re not sure how long this deal will last. (Pro tip: Don’t forget to grab the screen protector too! At only $8, it’ll pay for itself in seconds flat.) “ Using the Apple iPad (9th generation), I’ve found it to be a reliable and versatile device that balances performance and value. The 10.2-inch Retina display offers sharp and vibrant visuals, making it enjoyable for everything from streaming videos to browsing the web. The A13 Bionic chip ensures smooth performance for multitasking and running apps, and it handles most tasks with ease, from casual gaming to productivity work. The iPadOS provides a user-friendly experience with access to a wide range of apps and features that enhance productivity and entertainment. The addition of the Center Stage feature during video calls is a nice touch, keeping you in the frame as you move around. Battery life is impressive, comfortably lasting through a day of regular use. For those seeking a dependable tablet that offers great performance without breaking the bank, the 9th generation iPad is a solid choice. It delivers a good mix of functionality and affordability, making it a practical option for both casual users and those needing a device for work or study.” — mr newyork “This IPad 9th generation is definitely one you should get if ur looking for an amazing budget iPad. This IPad has every feature that the newer (IPad air/pro) has if looking at the big things. It came with no scratches or cosmetic blemishes. Its A13 chip really shines, super fast performance and battery life is insane. Not lying, it lasts me 10 hours. The screen quality is amazing and has True Tone which IPad 8th gen and under don’t have. It’s very durable and the weight is so nice and feels great when you’re holding it. Also, I’d recommend an Apple Pencil just to get the full iPad experience (it’s not mandatory but if u have the extra money I would definitely recommend). Especially for artists, I barely got into digital art with an Apple Pencil, it’s a world of difference. Pressure sensitivity and just the overall fluidity that the Apple Pencil has with the IPad is heavenly. Anyways, I would recommend this IPad for anyone, amazing product.” — Jonathan “So I really like this iPad. As far as the screen size, although it’s larger than my old iPad really can’t tell the difference which is fine. Bought it for the price and iPads I think are already just the perfect size for the intended purpose. Also not much difference in screen quality, but that was also already good. Touch screen is responsive even with glass screen protector and battery life, also no change. Depending on what you’re doing, just checking email- will last a week- surfing content- shopping, u tube, streaming, maybe 6-8hr. But what do you expect. Runs on a battery the harder it works the more battery it uses. No brained. My favorite thing was how easy it was to transfer all my stuff from my old iPad to the new one. And I’m not a computer genius. It practically did it all by itself. It walks you through the whole process when you start your set up. The old iPad does have to have a specific operating system requirement, so like my 1st iPad from like 2009 probably wouldn’t transfer over. So for the price I found this to be a good buy.” — Sandra “I love my iPad it was super easy to set up. The picture is great on it and snd screen in clear. It easily connects to your apple account. So far it’s be very durable and has worked perfectly. ” — Ashley M “ If you need a basic iPad, this is the one to get, if you don’t care about the extra features and newer design the new iPads have, and if you want to save a buck. If you want a digital notebook for college, then this is the one to get, pair it with the gen 1 Apple Pencil, and it does the job fine. This is a good device for most things, except for maybe high performance gaming, video editing, or any graphics intensive game or software. If you are looking to use an iPad for artistic purposes, getting one with the more accurate colors would be worth it, but this iPad is sufficient for most day to day applications. I would recommend this over the iPad 10th gen, because you spend less and you don’t lose much, except for usb c and the new design, and this iPad 9th gen has a headphone jack, which some may care about, it is convenient to have. The new iPad does not have one, so if you plan to use wired headphones with the iPad, I would go with the 9th gen. But overall it is a very good device for most people in my opinion, and that the more expensive ones are pretty overkill if you just want to use basic tablet applications.” — Michael Murphy Related From Our Partner

AP Business SummaryBrief at 4:48 a.m. ESTNone

49ers' Brock Purdy Out with Shoulder Injury; Brandon Allen to Be QB1 vs. Packers

Don't Miss These Incredible AiRROBO Black Friday Deals - Unbeatable Prices Await!

NoneAlberta to hike auto insurance premium cap on 'good drivers' to 7.5% in January 2025

fortune gems app legit or not BERLIN (AP) — Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor in protest. Germany is to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalize the country’s stagnant economy. Musk's guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag — a sister publication of POLITICO owned by the Axel Springer Group — published in German over the weekend, was the second time this month he supported the Alternative for Germany, or AfD. “The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the last spark of hope for this country," Musk wrote in his translated commentary. He went on to say the far-right party “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality.” The Tesla Motors CEO also wrote that his investment in Germany gave him the right to comment on the country's condition. The AfD is polling strongly, but its candidate for the top job, Alice Weidel , has no realistic chance of becoming chancellor because other parties refuse to work with the far-right party. An ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the technology billionaire challenged in his opinion piece the party's public image. “The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk’s commentary has led to a debate in German media over the boundaries of free speech, with the paper's own opinion editor announcing her resignation, pointedly on Musk's social media platform, X. “I always enjoyed leading the opinion section of WELT and WAMS. Today an article by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag. I handed in my resignation yesterday after it went to print," Eva Marie Kogel wrote. The newspaper was also attacked by politicians and other media for offering Musk, an outsider, a platform to express his views, in favor of the AfD. Candidate for chancellor, Friedrich Merz, of the Christian Democratic Union, said Sunday that Musk's comments were “intrusive and presumptuous”. He was speaking to the newspapers of the German Funke Media Group. Co-leader of the Social Democratic Party, Saskia Esken said that “Anyone who tries to influence our election from outside, who supports an anti-democratic, misanthropic party like the AfD, whether the influence is organized by the state from Russia or by the concentrated financial and media power of Elon Musk and his billionaire friends on the Springer board, must expect our tough resistance,” according to the ARD national public TV network. Musk's opinion piece in the Welt am Sonntag was accompanied by a critical article by the future editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Jan Philipp Burgard. “Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong,” Burgard wrote. Responding to a request for comment from the German Press Agency, dpa, the current editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Ulf Poschardt, and Burgard — who is due to take over on Jan. 1 — said in a joint statement that the discussion over Musk's piece was "very insightful. Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression.” “This will continue to determine the compass of the “world” in the future. We will develop “Die Welt” even more decisively as a forum for such debates,” they wrote to dpa.Thunder rout short-handed Grizzlies 130-106 for their 11th straight victory

Politics of protest bleeding a staggering Rs190bn daily: FinMin

A judge has once again rejected Musk’s multi-billion-dollar Tesla pay package. Now what?A cluster of people talking on social media about their mysterious rashes. A sudden die-off of birds at a nature preserve. A big bump in patients showing up to a city’s hospital emergency rooms. These are the kinds of events that public health officials are constantly on the lookout for as they watch for new disease threats. Health emergencies can range from widespread infectious disease outbreaks to natural disasters and even acts of terrorism. The scope, timing or unexpected nature of these events can overwhelm routine health care capacities . I am a public health expert with a background in strengthening health systems, infectious disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness. Rather than winging it when an unusual health event crops up, health officials take a systematic approach. There are structures in place to collect and analyze data to guide their response. Public health surveillance is foundational for figuring out what’s going on and hopefully squashing any outbreak before it spirals out of control. Tracking day by day Indicator-based surveillance is the routine, systematic collection of specific health data from established reporting systems. It monitors trends over time; the goal is to detect anomalies or patterns that may signal a widespread or emerging public health threat. Hospitals are legally required to report data on admissions and positive test results for specific diseases , such as measles or polio, to local health departments. The local health officials then compile the pertinent data and share it with state or national public health agencies, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When doctors diagnose a positive case of influenza, for example, they report it through the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System , which tracks respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. A rise in the number of cases could be a warning sign of a new outbreak. Likewise, the National Syndromic Surveillance Program collects anonymized data from emergency departments about patients who report symptoms such as fever, cough or respiratory distress. Public health officials keep an eye on wastewater as well. A variety of pathogens shed by infected people, who may be asymptomatic, can be identified in sewage. The CDC created the National Wastewater Surveillance System to help track the virus that causes COVID-19. Since the pandemic, it’s expanded in some areas to monitor additional pathogens, including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and norovirus. Wastewater surveillance adds another layer of data, allowing health officials to catch potential outbreaks in the community, even when many infected individuals show no symptoms and may not seek medical care. Having these surveillance systems in place allows health experts to detect early signs of possible outbreaks and gives them time to plan and respond effectively. An extremely busy emergency room could be a signal that an outbreak is underway. Jeffrey Basinger/Newsday via Getty Images Watching for anything outside the norm Event-based surveillance watches in real time for anything that could indicate the start of an outbreak. This can look like health officials tracking rumors, news articles or social media mentions of unusual illnesses or sudden deaths. Or it can be emergency room reports of unusual spikes in numbers of patients showing up with specific symptoms. Local health care workers, community leaders and the public all support this kind of public health surveillance when they report unexpected health events through hotlines and online forms or just call, text or email their public health department. Local health workers can assess the information and escalate it to state or national authorities. Public health officials have their ears to the ground in these various ways simultaneously. When they suspect the start of an outbreak, a number of teams spring into action, deploying different, coordinated responses. Collecting samples for more analysis Once event-based surveillance has picked up an unusual report or a sudden pattern of illness, health officials try to gather medical samples to get more information about what might be going on. They may focus on people, animals or specific locations, depending on the suspected source. For example, during an avian flu outbreak, officials take swabs from birds , both live and dead, and blood samples from people who have been exposed. Health workers collect material ranging from nose or throat swabs, fecal, blood or tissue samples, and water and soil samples. Back in specialized laboratories, technicians analyze the samples , trying to identify a specific pathogen, determine whether it is contagious and evaluate how it might spread. Ultimately, scientists are trying to figure out the potential impact on public health. Finding people who may have been exposed Once an outbreak is detected, the priority quickly shifts to containment to prevent further spread. Public health officials turn into detectives, working to identify people who may have had direct contact with a known infected person. This process is called contact tracing . Often, contact tracers work backward from a positive laboratory confirmation of the index case – that is, the first person known to be infected with a particular pathogen. Based on interviews with the patient and visiting places they had been, the local health department will reach out to people who may have been exposed. Health workers can then provide guidance about how to monitor potential symptoms, arrange testing or advise about isolating for a set amount of time to prevent further spread. Many states, including Nevada, set up contact tracing apps to help people determine whether they may have been exposed to the coronavirus. Gabe Ginsberg/Experience Strategy Associates via Getty Images Contact tracing played a pivotal role during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic , helping health departments monitor possible cases and take immediate action to protect public health. By focusing on people who had been in close contact with a confirmed case, public health agencies could break the chain of transmission and direct critical resources to those who were affected. Though contact tracing is labor- and resource-intensive, it is a highly effective method of stopping outbreaks before they become unmanageable . In order for contact tracing to be effective, though, the public has to cooperate and comply with public health measures. Stopping an outbreak before it’s a pandemic Ultimately, public health officials want to keep as many people as possible from getting sick. Strategies to try to contain an outbreak include isolating patients with confirmed cases, quarantining those who have been exposed and, if necessary, imposing travel restrictions . For cases involving animal-to-human transmission , such as bird flu, containment measures may also include strict protocols on farms to prevent further spread. Health officials use predictive models and data analysis tools to anticipate spread patterns and allocate resources effectively. Hospitals can streamline infection control based on these forecasts, while health care workers receive timely updates and training in response protocols. This process ensures that everyone is informed and ready to act to maximize public safety. No one knows what the next emerging disease will be. But public health workers are constantly scanning the horizon for threats and ready to jump into action. John Duah is affiliated with the Association of University Programs in Health Administration.

Lam Research Corporation Comments on Newly Announced Export RegulationsThe World Bank has warned that developing countries, including Nigeria, are wasting a large amount of their public money through inefficient spending. This was revealed in their report “How Can Developing Countries Power Up Public Investment?” published on 16th December 2024. The report found that developing countries lose more than a third of their public investment through poor spending practices, which hurts their economic growth. This happens when government spending doesn’t create equal value in return. In the worst cases, this leads to expensive projects (called “white elephant” projects) that cost a lot but don’t help the economy much. This can make it harder for countries to manage their debts. The World Bank stated: “Improvements in government spending efficiency are essential for maximizing the benefits of public investment. Estimates suggest over one-third of public investment in EMDEs may be lost to inefficiency, much more than in advanced economies. Institutional weaknesses, such as regulatory bottlenecks and corruption, often result in lower-quality projects.” Read Also: Over 50% of Nigerians, sub-Saharan Africans are multidimensionally poor – World Bank To fix these problems, the World Bank suggests that developing countries should make their purchasing processes more open and clear, set up better ways to check and evaluate projects and take better care of infrastructure so it lasts longer. They also recommend collecting taxes more effectively, stopping spending on things that don’t work well, managing debts better, and investing more in important areas like education, health and infrastructure. The report mentions that countries can use World Bank guidelines to check how well they manage public money. It also suggests that governments could work with private companies, though this hasn’t always been successful in the past. The World Bank added that new technology means governments don’t need to provide everything themselves anymore – like with mobile phone networks – but should instead focus on making sure these services work well through proper regulation. Finally, the World Bank called for more international help for poorer countries, especially for big projects related to climate change. As they put it: “The international community must step up, particularly on climate-related infrastructure projects, to ensure that developing nations have the resources to make lasting progress.”

As the central intelligence hub of the manufacturing process, the control room is the brain of the organization. When investing in technology to make the process more efficient (i.e., smarter), it is a logical place to start. Control rooms have made a major technological leap in recent years, transforming from on-site, reactive, and highly stressful spaces into professional, digital, and highly flexible environments that proactively avoid potential issues. Although they tended to look spectacular, with lots of screens or even flashing lights, traditional process control rooms were straightforward environments with limited possibilities. Operators monitored and controlled the manufacturing process on-site, based on limited sensor data. Anomalies were typically met with high stress, as it often took time to identify the root cause of the issue. This vision contrasts with that of their modern counterparts. While the screens are still in place, all information is now digitally available and can easily be distributed to any location. This means the control room could be located 100 miles away and even control multiple production plants. Alternatively, multiple small control rooms can handle day-to-day decisions, with a central crisis room managing escalations. Any configuration is possible, which makes contemporary control rooms very flexible. The large amount of available real-time data also allows staff to drastically cut the time needed to pinpoint and resolve issues. For example, in the past an alarm would be triggered when a temperature sensor exceeds a certain threshold. In most cases, a field worker would need to investigate the situation on-site. Today, a lot more information is available, allowing the control room staff to assess what’s happening from behind their desks. Boosting Efficiency The ultimate goal of the control room is to use predictive analytics to proactively prevent all emerging issues. While even the most sophisticated current systems cannot guarantee this, modern technology certainly plays a pivotal role in risk mitigation. This includes not only production hazards but also upholding safety protocols for workers. It is therefore critical that operators have direct access to all the information they need. This may sound basic, but it often isn’t the case; information is often not available in the same system. Organizations may choose to separate networks — for example, placing process data on one network, internal data on another, and a third that accesses the internet. This is a nightmare for operators, who must constantly switch between computers to do their jobs. That’s why state-of-the-art systems can integrate all information into a single (virtual) environment. Although the networks are still separated, the information appears to be in the same environment (“integration at the glass”), and operators only need a single keyboard and mouse to do their jobs, resulting in a more ergonomic way of working. Empowering the Operator The most critical presence in the control room is always the operator. Firms need to avoid overloading staff with an abundance of data. The optimal way to present and visualize the information is important and this will not only increase efficiency it will also enhance the operator’s job satisfaction and retention. For example, in Barco’s Global Control Room Report 2024 , 91 percent of operators working in highly efficient control rooms reported job satisfaction—significantly higher than the 51 percent of satisfied workers in less efficient environments. Smarter Systems, Reduced Risk In the control room every component is expected to function 24/7, and even scheduled interruptions should be minimal. How can organizations achieve this always-on ideal? The Barco report recommends investing in high-quality equipment. Control rooms are typically environments designed for the long haul, and this should be reflected in the hardware and software. Redundancy of all critical components, with seamless takeovers when the original unit fails, also helps ensure uptime. However, not all risks are related to the system. External threats, such as hackers, can arise. Security breaches can result in weeks of downtime or millions of dollars in ransom payments. Systems should therefore be extremely secure, shielding against all possible penetration attempts. Some organizations address this by completely isolating their critical systems (so-called “air-gapping”). However, this is not 100 percent safe and it can create a false sense of security while severely limiting system flexibility. Instead, the modern approach is to deploy a software platform that is completely secure upon installation (“secure by default”). Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

fortune gems download free Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon that will take effect at 4 a.m. Wednesday. Moments after U.S. President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire deal , which Israel's Cabinet approved late Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike slammed into the Lebanese capital. Residents of Beirut and its southern suburbs have endured the most intense day of Israeli strikes since the war began nearly 14 months ago, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah before the ceasefire is set to take hold. At least 24 people have killed by Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Tuesday, according to local authorities. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel on Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens across the country’s north. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. Hezbollah began attacking Israel a day after Hamas’ attack. The fighting in Lebanon escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes across the country and an Israeli ground invasion of the south. In Gaza, more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in the nearly 14-month war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Here's the Latest: BEIRUT -- Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah, describing it as a crucial step toward stability, the return of displaced people to their homes and regional calm. Mikati made these comments in a statement issued just after U.S. President Joe announced the truce deal. Mikati said he discussed the ceasefire agreement with Biden by phone earlier Tuesday. The prime minister reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to implementing U.N. resolution 1701, strengthening the Lebanese army’s presence in the south, and cooperating with the U.N. peacekeeping force. He also called on Israel to fully comply with the ceasefire and withdraw from southern Lebanon in accordance the U.N. resolution. JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, clearing the way for the truce to take effect. Netanyahu’s office said the plan was approved by a 10-1 margin. The late-night vote came shortly before President Joe Biden was expected to announced details of the deal in Washington. Earlier, Netanyahu defended the ceasefire, saying Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah and could now focus its efforts on Hamas militants in Gaza and his top security concern, Iran. Netanyahu vowed to strike Hezbollah hard if it violates the expected deal. WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump’s designate to be national security adviser, credited Trump’s victory with helping bring the parties together toward a ceasefire in Lebanon. “Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” he said in a post on X on Tuesday. “His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated. I’m glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East.” He added: “But let’s be clear: The Iran Regime is the root cause of the chaos & terror that has been unleashed across the region. We will not tolerate the status quo of their support for terrorism.” BEIRUT — Israeli jets targeted a building in a bustling commercial area of Beirut for the first time since the start of the 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel. The strike on Hamra is around 400 meters (yards) from the country’s central bank. A separate strike hit the Mar Elias neighborhood in the country’s capital Tuesday. There was no immediate word on casualties from either strike, part of the biggest wave of attacks on the capital since the war started. Residents in central Beirut were seen fleeing after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for four targets in the city. Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on at least 30 targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including two strikes in the Jnah neighborhood near the Kuwaiti Embassy. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 13 people were injured in the strikes on the southern suburbs. BEIRUT — Hezbollah has said it accepts the ceasefire proposal with Israel, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Among the issues that may remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his Cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people. The Israeli military also issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal. In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire to Cabinet ministers later on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Netanyahu said the vote was expected later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal does not affect Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s state media said Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 10 people in Baalbek province the country’s east. At least three people were killed in the southern city of Tyre when Israel bombed a Palestinian refugee camp, said Mohammed Bikai, a representative of the Fatah group in the area. He said several more people were missing and at least three children were among the wounded. He said the sites struck inside the camp were “completely civilian places” and included a kitchen that was being used to cook food for displaced people. JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israeli protesters took to a major highway in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to call for the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as the country awaited news of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Protesters chanted “We are all hostages,” and “Deal now!” waving signs with faces of some of the roughly 100 hostages believed to be still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are thought to be dead. Most of the other hostages Hamas captured in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack were released during a ceasefire last year. The prospect of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon has raised desperation among the relatives of captives still held in Gaza, who once hoped that the release of hostages from Gaza would be included. Instead of a comprehensive deal, the ceasefire on the table is instead narrowly confined to Lebanon. Dozens of Israelis were also demonstrating against the expected cease-fire, gathering outside Israel’s military headquarters in central Tel Aviv. One of the protesters, Yair Ansbacher, says the deal is merely a return to the failed 2006 U.N. resolution that was meant to uproot Hezbollah from the area. “Of course that didn’t happen,” he says. “This agreement is not worth the paper it is written on.” FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world’s industrialized countries said Tuesday they strongly supported an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and insisted that Israel comply with international law in its ongoing military operations in the region. At the end of their two-day summit, the ministers didn’t refer directly to the International Criminal Court and its recent arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over crimes against humanity . Italy had put the ICC warrants on the official meeting agenda, even though the G7 was split on the issue. The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, isn’t a signatory to the court and has called the warrants “outrageous.” However, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said all the other G7 countries were signatories and therefore obliged to respect the warrants. In the end, the final statement adopted by the ministers said Israel, in exercising its right to defend itself, “must fully comply with its obligations under international law in all circumstances, including international humanitarian law.” And it said all G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – “reiterate our commitment to international humanitarian law and will comply with our respective obligations.” It stressed that “there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel.” The ICC warrants say there's reason to believe Netanyahu used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny. BEIRUT — An Israeli strike on Tuesday levelled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded in Beirut, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. It was not immediately clear if anyone in particular was targeted, though Israel says its airstrikes target Hezbollah officials and assets. The Israeli military spokesman issued a flurry of evacuation warnings for many areas, including areas in Beirut that have not been targeted throughout the war, like the capital’s commercial Hamra district, where many people displaced by the war have been staying. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks in Lebanon during the final hours before a ceasefire is reached, sparked panic and sent residents fleeing in their cars to safer areas. In areas close to Hamra, families including women and children were seen running away toward the Mediterranean Sea’s beaches carrying their belongings. Traffic was completely gridlocked as people tried to get away, honking their car horns as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. The Israeli military also issued warnings for 20 more buildings in Beirut’s suburbs to evacuate before they too were struck — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah in the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. TEL AVIV, Israel — The independent civilian commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel has found Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly responsible for the failures leading up to the attack, alongside former defense ministers, the army chief and the heads of the security services. The civil commission presented its findings today after a four-month probe in which it heard some 120 witnesses. It was set up by relatives of victims of the Hamas attack, in response to the absence of any state probe. The commission determined that the Israeli government, its army and security services “failed in their primary mission of protecting the citizens of Israel.” It said Netanyahu was responsible for ignoring “repeated warnings” ahead of Oct. 7, 2023 for what it described as his appeasing approach over the years toward Hamas, and for “undermining all decision-making centers, including the cabinet and the National Security Council, in a way that prevented any serious discussion” on security issues. The commission further determined that the military and defense leaders bear blame for ignoring warnings from within the army, and for reducing the army’s presence along the Gaza border while relying excessively on technological means. On the day of the Hamas attack, the report says, the army’s response was both slow and lacking. The civil commission called for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack. Netanyahu has opposed launching a state commission of inquiry, arguing that such an investigation should begin only once the war is over. JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military says its ground troops have reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River — a focal point of the emerging ceasefire. In a statement Tuesday, the army said it had reached the Wadi Slouqi area in southern Lebanon and clashed with Hezbollah forces. Under a proposed ceasefire, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border. The military says the clashes with Hezbollah took place on the eastern end of the Litani, just a few kilometers (miles) from the border. It is one of the deepest places Israeli forces have reached in a nearly two-month ground operation. The military says soldiers destroyed rocket launchers and missiles and engaged in “close-quarters combat” with Hezbollah forces. The announcement came hours before Israel’s security Cabinet is expected to approve a ceasefire that would end nearly 14 months of fighting. BEIRUT — Israeli jets Tuesday struck at least six buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including one that slammed near the country’s only airport. Large plumes of smoke could be seen around the airport near the Mediterranean coast, which has continued to function despite its location beside the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah’s operations are based. The strikes come hours before Israel’s cabinet was scheduled to meet to discuss a proposal to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The proposal calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. There were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday’s airstrikes. FIUGGI, Italy — EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. (edited)Percentages: FG .455, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 7-18, .389 (T.Thomas 4-5, Camara 1-2, Carralero Martin 1-3, Willoughby 1-3, Rouzan 0-1, Ward 0-1, Freeman 0-3). Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Carralero Martin 2, Willoughby). Turnovers: 9 (Carralero Martin 2, Freeman 2, T.Thomas 2, Ward 2, Rouzan). Steals: 13 (Camara 3, Carralero Martin 3, Freeman 3, Ward 3, Love). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .373, FT .625. 3-Point Goals: 7-31, .226 (Eaglestaff 3-10, Panoam 1-3, R.Thomas 1-3, King 1-5, Woodson 1-7, Kuljuhovic 0-1, Mara 0-1, Natsvishvili 0-1). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Woodson 2, King). Turnovers: 17 (Eaglestaff 5, Kuljuhovic 3, Panoam 3, King 2, Woodson 2, Mara, Mayar). Steals: 7 (R.Thomas 2, Eaglestaff, King, Mara, Mathews, Natsvishvili). Technical Fouls: None. A_123 (1,000).Prosecutors suggest no prison for Trump in hush money case

BETHUNE-COOKMAN 79, NORTH DAKOTA 67Georgia uses water cannon, tear gas at pro-EU rally after government threats

While serving as the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter—who died on December 29 at age 100—brokered a peace deal between Israel and Egypt, pioneered a federal energy program and reassured a nation that was still shaken by the Watergate scandal. Carter’s greatest legacy, however, might just be the way he approached life following his presidency. Carter, inaugurated at age 52, was relatively young when he took the highest office in the nation. He had decades of possibility ahead of him when he left the White House in 1981, and he chose to devote the latter half of his life to continued public service. In 1982, in partnership with Emory University, he established the Carter Center , an organization dedicated to promoting peace and well-being around the globe. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn , who died in November 2023 at age 96, famously volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for decades, and he brought to action what most presidents only speak about, says Claire Jerry, curator of political history at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History . “He doesn’t just talk about housing issues; he’s building houses. He doesn’t just talk about fair elections; he’s traveling the world to ensure that they happen,” Jerry says. “He’s actually doing the things that other people only give words to.” Mindy Farmer, a historian with the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, agrees. “One of the interesting things about being a post-president or former president is that there’s no job description for what you do. You can do any number of things, and some presidents have chosen a life that’s quiet. Some have chosen to be activists. But Carter is really remarkable for choosing to be a nonpartisan humanitarian.” The National Portrait Gallery is home to a significant archive of Carter images , including those displayed here. “Our portraits of Jimmy Carter include images by noted photographers Ansel Adams and Diana Walker. We have prints by Andy Warhol,” says Farmer. “We have several paintings of distinction, and we have many pieces that at one time adorned the cover of Time magazine. Those span a number of mediums, including collages, sculptures and more paintings. And, of course, we have political cartoons.” Carter will be remembered for governing with a sense of morality and honesty, in his approach to both foreign affairs and domestic matters. The late president said in 1978, “Human rights is the soul of our foreign policy.” He maintained his commitment to human rights in his projects with the Carter Center, and he was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” “He was absolutely steadfast in promoting human rights across the globe,” says Farmer. “It actually cost him at times in his overall foreign policy, but to that he was committed, and that commitment extended not just to the presidency, but the post-presidency.” Domestically, Carter implemented policies that were progressive for his time. He was devoted to protecting the environment in ways big and small, from the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to the solar panels he installed on the roof of the White House. In his infamous “Crisis of Confidence” speech , Carter stressed the gravity of the energy crisis and warned of “a loss of a unity of purpose for our nation”—ideas that the public perhaps was not ready to hear in the 1970s, Jerry says. Carter enjoyed the longest life of any U.S. president, and he made his many years count. Although his commitment to human rights and ethics may have been underappreciated during his term in office, Jerry says his reputation was resurrected in his out-of-office life. “This idea that the post-presidential platform has a lot of power will be an enduring legacy of Jimmy Carter,” she says. “I think future post-presidencies will be measured against his mark.” James Earl Carter Jr. was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. His family owned a peanut farm, which would become the subject of good-natured jokes throughout Carter’s political campaigns. At age 10, young Jimmy had already started helping with the family business by selling produce from the farm at the town market. Inspired by postcards from his uncle Tom Gordy , Carter decided to join the Navy at a young age. After completing two years at Georgia Southwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Carter enrolled in the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He graduated in the top ten percent of his class in 1946. In the Navy, Carter completed two years of surface ship duty before applying to join the submarine service. Admiral Hyman G. Rickover selected the then-lieutenant to join a new nuclear submarine program, where he would become an engineering officer for the nuclear power plant of the U.S.S. Seawolf . However, when the senior Carter fell ill and died in 1953, Jimmy returned to Plains to take over the family business. Carter married Rosalynn Smith, a friend of his sister Ruth, shortly after graduating from the Naval Academy in 1946. Together, they operated Carter’s Warehouse, a seed and farm supply company, in the years following his father’s death. Upon his return to Plains, Carter quickly became a community leader in the areas of education, the hospital authority and the local library. He pursued leadership roles in local elections, winning a seat in the State Senate in 1962 and becoming Georgia’s governor in 1971 after losing his first gubernatorial race in 1966. On December 12, 1974, Carter announced his candidacy for president of the United States. Although he was the Democratic National Committee chairman for the congressional and gubernatorial elections earlier that year, he was entirely unknown in the public sphere—in fact, after his announcement, the Atlanta Constitution ran a headline that read, “Jimmy Who is Running for What!?” Carter’s outsider status turned out to be an advantage given the state of post- Watergate politics. The public was still distrustful of what has come to be known as the imperial presidency, says Jerry, so a newcomer was more than welcome in Washington. “Carter ran very much as a more personal candidate,” Jerry said. “‘We’re going to restore honesty to the White House; we’re going to really work on this together.’ And that resonated very, very positively with the American people.” The 1976 election saw a record number of primaries as the presidential nomination process we know today coalesced, giving Carter the opportunity for nationwide exposure. His campaign established the modern role of the Iowa caucuses as a litmus test for the nation. “He really anticipated that if he was to make a showing in Iowa, it would vault him to the list of front-runner candidates,” Jerry says. Carter came out of Iowa as the top candidate—second only to “uncommitted” in the polls—proving his personal campaigning strategy to be a success. Carter was nominated on the first ballot at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, and he went on to defeat incumbent President Gerald Ford in the presidential election on November 2, 1976. Following his inauguration, Carter opted to walk from the Capitol to the White House with his wife and daughter in the Inaugural Parade, symbolizing a humble shift away from the imperial presidency. On his first full day in office, Carter pardoned hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War draft evaders in an attempt to heal the psychic effects of the war and the social unrest that came with it. Throughout his inaugural year, Carter prioritized energy policy and urged the public to seriously consider the energy crisis. In a televised April 1977 speech , the president called the impending crisis the “moral equivalent of war” and emphasized energy conservation measures. He established the Department of Energy with the Department of Energy Organization Act later that year, but he expressed frustration with the slow pace of energy reform for the remainder of his presidency. “He creates new protected land, especially in Alaska,” notes Farmer. “He encouraged the creation of new forms of renewable energy. In fact, he created [the] Department of Energy just to do that. Under his administration, we see the development of nuclear, wind, solar and other sustainable sources of energy.” Carter inherited the economic quagmire of stagflation, a combination of high inflation and unemployment and slow economic growth. He managed to decrease the budget deficit and create some eight million jobs during his time in office, but inflation and interest rates continued to rise. Toward the end of his presidency, Carter created another new cabinet-level department, the Department of Education , to expand social services for children and families. When it came to foreign policy, Carter took a values-based approach of protecting democracy and advocating for human rights abroad. His most celebrated achievement in the global sphere is the Camp David Accords, the result of a two-week meeting that put to rest 30 years of conflict between Egypt and Israel, and that set a framework for the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty of 1979. Carter also relieved tension between the U.S. and Latin America with the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties that returned the canal zone to the Panamanians. Additionally, he set a precedent for future foreign affairs in Asia by officially establishing diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Carter further strained U.S. relations with the Soviet Union, especially when he criticized Soviet rights abuses openly. While this may have exacerbated Cold War tensions, some historians credit Carter’s bold criticism as a catalyst for later social reforms in the Soviet Union. Nonetheless, there were casualties in Carter’s dicey diplomacy with the Soviets, such as the failure to ratify the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty. With a series of unfortunate events—namely the Iran hostage crisis—causing discord during Carter’s final year in office, he failed to win reelection in 1980. However, he bounced back with a uniquely strong post-presidency. The Carter Center , a nongovernmental organization committed to promoting human rights around the globe, has engaged in conflict resolution, overseen democratic elections and pioneered public health initiatives in more than 80 countries. His 2002 Nobel Peace Prize made him the third of four presidents to receive the honor. The former chief executive also wrote more than 30 books , including several memoirs, a poetry collection and a children’s book, and he won three Grammy Awards for his audiobooks. Many of Carter’s books deal with the topic of religious faith, which was central to the way he approached his life and death. At a Sunday school lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, in November 2019, Carter shared his reflections on death. “I obviously prayed about it,” Carter said of his diagnosis of metastatic melanoma, which he beat in 2015. “I didn’t ask God to let me live, but I asked God to give me a proper attitude toward death. And I found that I was absolutely and completely at ease with death.”HANOVER, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 20, 2024-- An affiliate of Balmoral Funds LLC (“Balmoral”) has successfully acquired R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc. (“Sheppard” or the “Company”), a leading provider of steering technologies for Class 5-8 trucks in North America, from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, a North American subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse (ISIN: DE000KBX1006, ticker symbol: KBX). The transaction encompasses the entire Sheppard business, including Sheppard’s branded products, production equipment, sales and service companies, and interests in joint ventures relating to sales and production. This acquisition positions R.H. Sheppard as an independent platform, primed to build on its legacy of reliability, innovation, and customer trust. With a deep history of serving major OEMs and delivering critical steering solutions, Sheppard remains at the forefront of heavy-duty truck steering technology. Kevin Stevick, an experienced industry leader with a proven leadership track record across companies such as Niagara LaSalle Corporation and Advanced Alloy Processing, has been appointed CEO of R.H. Sheppard. “We are thrilled to lead Sheppard into its next chapter as an independent company,” said Kevin Stevick. “Sheppard has built a legacy of trust by delivering reliable, high-quality solutions that our customers depend on. As we move forward, our first priority is to uphold and strengthen that reliability, ensuring we continue to meet and exceed customer expectations. At the same time, we’re committed to investing in the business—empowering our employees, enhancing operations, and driving innovation to unlock Sheppard’s full potential. Together, we will build on Sheppard’s strong foundation and position the company for long-term success.” Richard Levernier, board member of Sheppard and Principal at Balmoral Funds, added: “We are excited to partner with and support R.H. Sheppard as the leading U.S.-based provider of steering technologies for commercial vehicles. As a standalone company, Sheppard now has the freedom and focus to chart its own path—investing in its employees, strengthening operations, and delivering the reliable, high-quality solutions customers deserve. We look forward to providing management with the resources needed to secure the bright future we envision for the Company, its employees, customers and all stakeholders.” Balmoral’s investment underscores a commitment to strengthening Sheppard’s operational capabilities and driving improved performance. By prioritizing its employees, operational efficiency, and deeper customer partnerships, Sheppard is poised to elevate its role as a leader in steering solutions for the heavy-duty trucking industry. This renewed focus will not only build upon Sheppard’s trusted reputation but also position the company to capitalize on emerging opportunities for long-term, sustainable growth. About R.H. Sheppard R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc. is a leading North American provider of steering technologies for Class 5-8 trucks, delivering safety-critical steering solutions to support performance and reliability across the heavy-duty trucking industry. Headquartered in Hanover, PA, Sheppard operates a vertically integrated manufacturing base with facilities in Wytheville, VA, and Shelby Township, MI. About Balmoral Funds LLC Balmoral is a Los Angeles, CA based private equity fund that was founded in 2005. Balmoral’s objective is to be the financial partner of choice for entrepreneurial and successful C-suite executives and operating advisors creating transformative outcomes in the businesses they co-invest in together. Balmoral has approximately $1.3 billion of assets under management. Balmoral typically invests in companies that have revenues between $30 to $500 million and require equity investments of $10 to $120 million, with the capability of doing more in particularly compelling opportunities. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241220851230/en/ CONTACT: Richard Levernier rlevernier@balmoralfunds.com KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA PENNSYLVANIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TRUCKING AUTOMOTIVE GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE TRANSPORT FINANCE SOURCE: Balmoral Funds LLC Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/20/2024 01:33 PM/DISC: 12/20/2024 01:33 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241220851230/en

A London restaurant found itself under siege by an 'AI mafia' gang that bombarded it with fake negative reviews, demanding £10,000 to stop the attack. Experts are warning that this sinister scheme could target more businesses next, urging, 'Pray you're not next.' Nikolas Lemmel , founder of online reputation firm Maximatic Media, shared that the unnamed eatery turned to his company for help after being overwhelmed by the assault. A flood of one-star reviews caused the restaurant's Google rating to nosedive from an impressive 4.9 to a dismal 2.3 overnight, leaving the owner shocked and desperate for a solution. Nikolas stated that the malicious reviews falsely accused the independent restaurant of racism, food poisoning, and generally poor service. Subsequently, the owner received an anonymous email from the 'review-bombing mafia', claiming responsibility and demanding a £10,000 ransom in Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Nikolas revealed that the attackers orchestrated a sophisticated global operation, utilising AI-powered bot farms to flood Google with fake reviews. These bots were designed to mimic the geolocation and user behaviour of genuine London-based customers accessing the internet via smartphones, thus circumventing Google's review verification systems. Maximatic Media collaborated with Google to remove fraudulent reviews and implemented a digital strategy to encourage positive reviews from loyal customers. In a remarkable turnaround, Maximatic Media rehabilitated the restaurant's Google profile, elevating its rating back to 4.8 stars within a month. Since then, the terrifying silence from the 'review-bombing mafia' has provided much-needed relief, per DailyMail . Nikolas explained that the 'AI mafia' continued to bombard the restaurant with negative reviews even as they worked with Google to remove them. However, over time, the frequency of these attacks gradually diminished. The owner was urged to share her story on social media to counter the negative narrative and openly discuss the ordeal. Furthermore, she was encouraged to incentivise loyal customers to demonstrate their support and help her navigate this difficult time. An influx of new positive reviews ultimately helped the restaurant overcome the attack, restoring its reputation and leaving the grateful owner relieved. Nikolas expressed concern over a 'scary' increase in automated attacks, warning that these incidents can jeopardise livelihoods and that limited options exist to prevent such attacks. 'Usually, we see competitors attempting to decrease the standing of a business within the eyes of a local customer base, but this was an outside party,' he continued. 'They were trying to extort money to remove these reviews. They were like a review-bombing mafia.' 'They were using bot farms to mask the IP address of the accounts and emulate a mobile device that was in the area of the restaurant. Usually, if someone was to leave a review from a different country, then it would be easy to get it removed, but in this case it was a lot more difficult.' 'The owner was extremely thankful that we got all of those reviews down and she didn't succumb to the extortion attempt. There weren't many precautions she could have taken to stop the review-bombing mafia from demolishing her rating.' 'There isn't much you can do other than pray you don't become a victim of this sort of attempt. It's scary. Unless your business is within the IT field, this is above a lot of people's pay grades and that's why it's hard to work out where it's coming from or how to stop it.' 'It's important people reach out to specialists in these sorts of situations because it's a tailored approach depending on what's happening. If you see a business get hundreds of reviews within seconds, then that's a very easy tell-tale sign that it's probably being targeted by an automated attack,' said Nikolas. Founded in 2020, Maximatic Media specialises in helping small businesses manage their online reputation through targeted PR strategies. Recently, Nikolas has expanded the company's focus, ramping up crisis management services to combat online adversaries who exploit modern technology to target businesses.The Latest: UnitedHealthcare shooting suspect contests his extradition back to New York

Jimmy Carter had the longest post-presidency of anyone to hold the office, and one of the most active. Here is a look back at his life. 1924 — Jimmy Carter was born on Oct. 1 to Earl and Lillian Carter in the small town of Plains, Georgia. 1928 — Earl Carter bought a 350-acre farm 3 miles from Plains in the tiny community of Archery. The Carter family lived in a house on the farm without running water or electricity. 1941 — He graduated from Plains High School and enrolled at Georgia Southwestern College in Americus. 1942 — He transferred to Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. 1943 — Carter’s boyhood dream of being in the Navy becomes a reality as he is appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. 1946 — He received his naval commission and on July 7 married Rosalynn Smith of Plains. They moved to Norfolk, Virginia. 1946-1952 — Carter’s three sons are born, Jack in 1947, Chip in 1950 and Jeff in 1952. 1962-66 — Carter is elected to the Georgia State Senate and serves two terms. 1953 — Carter’s father died and he cut his naval career short to save the family farm. Due to a limited income, Jimmy, Rosalynn and their three sons moved into Public Housing Apartment 9A in Plains. 1966 — He ran for governor, but lost. 1967 — Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s fourth child, Amy, is born. 1971 — He ran for governor again and won the election, becoming Georgia’s 76th governor on Jan. 12. 1974 — Carter announced his candidacy for president. 1976 — Carter was elected 39th president on Nov. 2, narrowly defeating incumbent Gerald Ford. 1978 — U.S. and the Peoples’ Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations. President Carter negotiates and mediates an accord between Egypt and Israel at Camp David. 1979 — The Department of Education is formed. Iranian radicals overrun the U.S. Embassy and seize American hostages. The Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty is signed. 1980 — On March 21, Carter announces that the U.S. will boycott the Olympic Games scheduled in Moscow. A rescue attempt to get American hostages out of Iran is unsuccessful. Carter was defeated in his bid for a second term as president by Ronald Reagan in November. 1981 — President Carter continues to negotiate the release of the American hostages in Iran. Minutes before his term as president is over, the hostages are released. 1982 — Carter became a distinguished professor at Emory University in Atlanta, and founded The Carter Center. The nonpartisan and nonprofit center addresses national and international issues of public policy. 1984 — Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter volunteer one week a year for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that helps needy people in the United States and in other countries renovate and build homes, until 2020. He also taught Sunday school in the Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains from the mid-’80s until 2020. 2002 — Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 2015 — Carter announced in August he had been diagnosed with melanoma that spread to his brain. 2016 — He said in March that he no longer needed cancer treatment. 2024 — Carter dies at 100 years old. Sources: Cartercenter.org, Plains Historical Preservation Trust, The Associated Press; The Brookings Institution; U.S. Navy; WhiteHouse.gov, GallupSeattle Seahawks’ defensive anchor expected to return soonWhat links the Black Isle Isle, Vikings and the Countess of Sutherland’s shopping list?

Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8. Conor McGregor must pay woman $250K in sexual assault case, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has found that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The Dublin jury awarded the woman more than $250,000 for her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her on Dec. 9, 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified he never forced her to do anything and that the woman had fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. The jury found for the woman on Friday. Week 16 game between Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers flexed to Thursday night spot The Los Angeles Chargers have played their way into another prime time appearance. Justin Herbert and company have had their Dec. 22 game against the Denver Broncos flexed to Thursday night, Dec. 19. Friday’s announcement makes this the first time a game has been flexed to the Thursday night spot. The league amended its policy last season where Thursday night games in Weeks 13 through 17 could be flexed with at least 28 days notice prior to the game. The matchup of AFC West division rivals bumps the game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals to Sunday afternoon. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Red Bull brings wrong rear wing to Las Vegas in mistake that could stall Verstappen's title chances LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen is suddenly in jeopardy of being denied a fourth consecutive Formula 1 title Saturday night. Red Bull apparently brought the wrong rear wing to Las Vegas and GPS data showed its two cars to be significantly slower on the straights than both McLaren and Mercedes, which led both practice sessions. Red Bull says it doesn’t have a replacement rear wing in Las Vegas to fix the issue and little chance of getting two flown in from England ahead of the race. Caitlin Clark to join Cincinnati bid for 16th National Women's Soccer League team WNBA star Caitlin Clark has joined Cincinnati’s bid for an expansion National Women’s Soccer League team. Major League Soccer franchise FC Cincinnati is heading the group vying to bring a women’s pro team to the city. The club issued a statement confirming Clark had joined the bid group. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has said the league plans to announce the league’s 16th team by the end of the year. The league's 15th team will begin play in 2026 in Boston. In a 'Final Four-type weekend,' two top-6 clashes put women's college basketball focus on West Coast LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two games featuring four powerhouse teams has put the focus in women's college basketball on the West Coast this weekend. JuJu Watkins and No. 3 Southern California host Hannah Hidalgo and No. 6 Notre Dame on Saturday. Top-ranked South Carolina visits Lauren Betts and fifth-ranked UCLA on Sunday. Both games are nationally televised and the arenas are expected to be packed. WNBA scouts will be on hand to check out some of the nation's top talent. Two teams will come away with their first losses of the season. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb calls it “a Final Four-type weekend.” A documentary featuring Watkins will air on NBC ahead of USC's game, which leads into the Army-Notre Dame football game. Noodles and wine are the secret ingredients for a strange new twist in China's doping saga Blame it on the noodles. That's what one Chinese official suggested when anti-doping leaders were looking for answers for the doping scandal that cast a shadow over this year's Olympic swim meet. Earlier this year, reports that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned heart medication emerged. None were sanctioned because Chinese authorities determined the swimmers were contaminated by traces of the drug spread about a hotel kitchen. In a strange twist, the leader of China's anti-doping agency suggested this case could have been similar to one in which criminals were responsible for tainting noodles that were later eaten by another Chinese athlete who also tested positive for the drug. Athletes see climate change as threatening their sports and their health. Some are speaking up BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Pragnya Mohan has been a professional triathlete for nearly a decade, but summers in her native India are now so hot that she can’t train there anymore. And she worries about a day when heat around the world kills her sport entirely. She was among athletes who spoke at the United Nations climate summit in Azerbaijan about the threat global warming poses to them, to fans and to sport itself. They described how extreme weather is making training and competing difficult or impossible. With billions of fans worldwide, some athletes and leagues are trying to get more people to care, and act, on climate change. Lionel Messi's former teammate Javier Mascherano close to becoming Inter Miami coach, AP source says Lionel Messi is on the cusp of reuniting with former Argentina national teammate Javier Mascherano with Inter Miami, this time as player and coach, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. Multiple reports out of Argentina said Mascherano has already agreed to take over as coach at Inter Miami as the replacement for Gerardo “Tata” Martino — who stepped down citing personal reasons. Mascherano emerged as Inter Miami’s frontrunner earlier this week, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been revealed by the team., known for enjoying a glass of vodka while hosting foreign dignitaries, is a modern proponent of the temperance movement compared to previous leaders. Peter the Great, for instance, would consume from a custom-made 1.5-litre chalice. His love of women was the only match for his love of alcohol. Boris Yeltsin, meanwhile, was discovered wandering along Pennsylvania Avenue, during a presidential trip, half-dressed and on a quest for pizza. now, however appears to be reshaped in his more temperate image. Tax measures and marketing restrictions mean alcohol consumption has fallen for over ten years, hitting a low of seven litres per person in 2017, down from a record high of 20 litres in 2003. These 'health initiatives' are now been undermined by another of Putin's hallmark policies - war. The mental strain of nearly three years of full-blown conflict is now reportedly causing a resurgence in heavy drinking. From January to October of this year, alcohol sales in Russia reached a record 184.2 million decaliters, according to data released by the industry regulator, marking the highest volume since records began in 2017. Russians' fondness for vodka, a term that affectionately translates to 'little water', remains strong, with the national drink topping the market with 62.5 million decaliters sold. Sales of still wine reached 46.9 million decaliters, a rise of 22.5 per cent from 2017, while sales of sparkling wine saw a significant increase of 10.9 per cent from last year and a whopping 61 per cent more than in 2017, totalling 16.3 million decaliters. Research agency To Be Exact claims Russians are now consuming the equivalent of eight litres of pure alcohol per person each year. This surge in consumption, of course, has accompanied an increase in alcohol dependency rates, as reported by Moscow officials, marking the first such rise in a decade. From 2010 to 2021, first-time diagnoses of alcohol use disorder fell from 153,900 to 53,300. However, in 2022, this figure began to climb again, with doctors issuing 54,200 diagnoses. Russia's health ministry has attributed this trend to the Covid-19 pandemic, where people stuck inside due to lockdown restrictions had nothing better to do than to drink. However, this explanation fails to consider an obvious unanswered question about war and the increasing totalitarianism within Russian life. "Social and economic upheavals, increased geopolitical confrontations and sanctions have somewhat slowed" progress in reducing excessive alcohol consumption, Ruslan Isayev, who heads a Moscow-based addiction clinic, told Kommersant. Come and join The Daily Star on , the social media site set up by ex-Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. It's now the new go-to place for content after a mass exodus of the Elon Musk-owned Twitter/X. Fear not, we're not leaving , but we are jumping on the bandwagon. So come find our new account on , and see us social better than the rest. You can also learn more about The Daily Star team in what Bluesky calls a . So what are you waiting for?! Let's Other reasons include fears of losing a loved one, being drafted into the military, or facing imprisonment for voicing dissent - all compounded by the existential threat of nuclear confrontation with the West. On Tuesday, the Kremlin declared that it had lowered the bar for launching a nuclear strike against the West, updating its nuclear weapons doctrine to permit their use in response to attacks on its territory with Western-supplied arms. Concurrently, Russia has started manufacturing mobile nuclear bomb shelters for the first time. Perhaps the advice to Moscow should be: make vodka not war.

New disability ministers will ‘champion’ inclusion and accessibility – minister

Fly with confidenceFBI identifies Texas man accused of recording child's sexual abuse by his tattoos

No, Serena Williams Did Not Bleach Her SkinAnnapolis City Council eyes delaying gas-powered leaf blower ban penalties

Social Media Dad Predicts Major Shifts in Digital Landscape for 2025, Parents Need to Buckle Up

Ayaz optimistic about resolving govt-opposition issuesGutsy girl who saved lives from fire to get PM award

Aldi Ireland launch major new motor accessories range with winter car essentials and ice melt spray from €4.99Netflix signs US broadcast deal with FIFA for the Women's World Cup in 2027 and 2031Croatia’s incumbent president wins most votes at polls but still faces runoff

Trump vows tariffs on China, Mexico, Canada that may spike commodity pricesATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Contributors include former AP staffer Alex Sanz in Atlanta.

fortune gems game President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he wants real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker." Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former senior Trump adviser who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. RELATED STORY | Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum are discussing tariffs. What should consumers expect? Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said. Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought. Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. attorney.” Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.

Mustapha Gbande, the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed confidence that Ghanaians will vote John Dramani Mahama back into power in the upcoming presidential election. In an interview with Kemini Amanor on Ghana Tonight , Gbande argued that Ghanaians are frustrated with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and are eager for a change. He pointed to a sense of renewed hope among the youth and a widespread desire for a different direction. “I see hope and restoration in the eyes of Ghanaians,” Gbande said. “The youth are reinvigorated by the new hope emerging from the wind of change. Ghanaians are fed up; they believe they have had enough and are eager to experience something new.” Despite this optimism, Gbande voiced concerns over the NDC’s ability to protect every vote on December 7, 2024. He referenced issues raised by the party’s flagbearer, John Mahama, who has highlighted the circulation of fake ballot papers as a potential threat to the election’s integrity. Gbande also criticized the NPP for alleged corruption and inefficiency, claiming that many Ghanaians are disillusioned with the current administration. He believes this growing frustration is evident in the large crowds attending NDC rallies, signaling widespread support for Mahama’s return to power. As Ghanaians head to the polls tomorrow, Gbande’s comments reflect the strong sentiment of change within the electorate, as Mahama seeks a political comeback after serving as president from 2012 to 2016.RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina Democratic Party sued on Friday to block the potential removal of tens of thousands of ballots tallied in an extremely close state Supreme Court race, saying state election officials would be violating federal law if they sided with protests initiated by the trailing Republican candidate. The lawsuit filed in Raleigh federal court comes as attorneys for Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin also went to state courts on Friday to attempt to force the State Board of Elections to act more quickly on accusations contained in the protests. The board tentatively planned to hold a public hearing on the protests next Wednesday, according to a board email provided with Griffin's motion. Griffin wants a final decision from the board earlier. Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs leads Griffin by 734 votes following a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots cast in their Nov. 5 election. A partial hand recount began this week and is nearly complete. But Griffin, joined by three other GOP state legislative candidates, contend that well over 60,000 ballots shouldn't have counted, casting doubt on election results. Among their complaints: voter registration records of some voters casting ballots lack driver’s license or partial Social Security numbers, and overseas voters never living in North Carolina have run afoul of state residency requirements. The Democratic Party's lawsuit said that some of the protests represent “systematic challenges to voter eligibility” that counter a federal law's prohibition of what's essentially removing people from voter registration lists retroactively after an election. The lawsuit wants a judge to declare federal law and the Constitution prevents the votes from being discarded and to order the election board — a majority of its members Democrats — to comply. “No North Carolinian deserves to have their vote thrown out in a callous power grab,” state party Chair Anderson Clayton said in a written statement. According to state law, a board considering an election protest could correct a ballot tally, direct another recount or order a new election. Griffin's attorneys filed requests Friday for judges to demand that the board issue final rulings by late Tuesday afternoon. They were filed in Wake County Superior Court and at the Court of Appeals — the same court where Griffin serves. Usually three members on the 15-judge court — second only to the Supreme Court in state's jurisprudence — hear such motions. “Public trust in our electoral processes depends on both fair and efficient procedures to determine the outcome of our elections. By failing to give a timely decision, the State Board continues to undermine the public interest,” Griffin attorney Troy Shelton wrote. Attorneys for Riggs separately on Friday also responded to Griffin's actual protests before the board, saying they should all be denied. Griffin led Riggs — one of two Democrats on the seven-member court — by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as tens of thousands of qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals through the canvass. Riggs has declared victory. The three Republican legislative candidates joining Griffin's protests all trailed Democratic rivals after the machine recounts. One is GOP Rep. Frank Sossamon, who trails Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn by about 230 votes. Should Cohn win, Republicans would fall one seat short of retaining its current veto-proof majority in both chambers. That would give more leverage to Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein in 2025. The Associated Press has not called the Supreme Court race and two of the three legislative races highlighted in the protests. Gary D. Robertson, The Associated PressCOLEEN Rooney will have a surprise reunion with her youngest sons in an I’m A Celebrity tear-jerker. The mother of four is expecting a jungle visit from only her mum in a “friends and families” episode. A source said seeing Kit, eight, and Cass, six, will turn her “into a ­blubbering mess”. Friends and relatives of stars were sneaked into camp in last year’s show for the first time since 2018 — but insiders say Coleen would be expecting to see only her mum. A source said: “Everyone knows how much Coleen loves her boys, and it would be one of the most heart-warming moments of the series. “It’s a really special part of the show, and there’s no doubt Coleen would be a blubbering mess — as would the millions of viewers watching at home. It’s going to be such a surprise for her.” Coleen, wife of former Manchester United and England ace Wayne, is wearing a necklace with their four sons’ names and touches it on screen to let them know she is thinking of them. She revealed before entering the camp that Kai, 15, and Klay, 11, decided to stay at home while Kit and Cass were travelling with her mum to meet her when she leaves. It is believed that ITV bosses and Ant and Dec realised it was a “too good an opportunity” to miss. Wayne, 39, cannot be there due to his commitments as manager of Championship team Plymouth Argyle. The friends and family segment usually happens in the third week, when there are five or six celebs remaining. By that time Coleen, 38, will have been away for nearly three weeks, having flown out a week before the show started on November 17. She left the boys a box of jungle-themed props to wear at home in Cheshire while she is on TV. A source said: “The boys have some jungle-style hats, and khaki items of clothing and bandanas. “They’re really enjoying seeing her each night, especially as it means the younger ones get to stay up a bit later than usual.” Before the first episode aired last Sunday, Coleen’s Instagram page shared messages of support from her kids. Video showed Kai saying: “Hi Mum. I just want to say good luck.” Cass said: "Good luck, mum. Do your best.” Kit added: “Good luck in the jungle, Mum. Hope you win lots of stars. I love you.” I can’t wait to watch you on the telly later. And Klay declared: “I can’t wait to watch you on the telly later. Good luck. I love you.” The Sun on Sunday revealed Coleen signed for the show in a deal reputed to be worth more than £1.5million. Last night Wayne urged fans to vote for Coleen to do Bushtucker trials. He posted online: “Proud of @coleen_rooney on @imacelebrity she’s doing great. “Me and the boys would love to see her doing a trial and we know she’d want to put herself to the test. If you can download the #ImACeleb app and let’s get voting.” i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher. Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth."

South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd (SAGT), Sri Lanka’s first Public Private Partnership emerged winner in the “Other” category at the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2024 hosted by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, an SAGT news release said. “Since launching its sustainability strategy in 2018, SAGT has been at the forefront of driving sustainable operations both within its terminal and the Port of Colombo. SAGT was the first and to date remains the only single operator terminal in the South Asia Region to publish an independently accredited annual sustainability report which charts the Company’s progressive journey in sustainable terminal operations,” it said. The release added that in pursuit of achieving net zero ahead of the 2050 IMO mandated target, SAGT continues to leverage energy efficient technology and innovation to drive down its carbon emissions. Following the successful hybrid conversion of its Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGs), SAGT has achieved over 50% diesel saving per machine. Over the past five years (2019/20-2023/24) SAGT has reduced the Green House Gas (GHG) intensity of its operations by 28%. Accelerating progress towards decarbonization, SAGT continues to explore electrification and renewable energy to power relevant segments across all of its operations. “Employees are at the heart of SAGT’s business success. SAGT’s commitment continues to invest in the wellbeing and development of its employees. In 2024 SAGT redoubled its efforts to create a more diverse and equitable working environment and became the first port sector organization in Sri Lanka to introduce a paternity leave policy,” it continued. “Amidst the prevailing economic backdrop in the country SAGT continues to work towards the upliftment of its surrounding communities. During the period 2023/24 SAGT partially funded the restarting of the stalled Thriposha production by donating milk powder (a primary ingredient) to the value of USD 500,000.00 facilitating production of 3 million 750g packs reaching 1.5 million beneficiaries. Thriposha is the Government of Sri Lanka’s fortified nutritional program benefitting malnourished children (between 6 months-5 years) and pregnant and lactating mothers.” Commenting on the award, Udara Cumaratunga, Deputy General Manger – Commercial and Marketing stated “SAGT is committed to its sustainability aspirations that permeates through all aspects of our operations encompassing social, environmental and governance responsibilities. We are grateful to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the judging panel for recognizing our efforts in pioneering sustainable best practices in the Port of Colombo and the region”. South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT), Sri Lanka’s first Public Private Partnership container terminal commenced operations in 1999 with a vision to be the most trusted Gateway in the Indian ocean. Built on a foundation of Teamwork, Safety, Trust and Integrity, Customer Centricity & Excellence, SAGT presents the international trading community a competitive best in class service. A pioneer in sustainable terminal operations, SAGT continues to steer course for a sustainable future. Promoting “Ease of doing business” through digitalization and digitization is an integral part of SAGT’s DNA. SAGT is a recipient of multiple independent globally recognized “best practice” awards since inception. SAGT is a Board of Investment flagship company whose shareholders include – John Keells Holdings, Maersk/APM Terminals, SLPA and Evergreen Marine Corporation.

In California's 'earthquake country,' a 7.0 temblor prompts confusion and a tsunami warningDeputy PM honours Military Equestrian Championship winners

Australian regulator moves to curtail criminal use of cryptocurrency

Leaders warned against politicising synagogue attackSome news on Friday's I'm A Celebrity left viewers pretty disappointed ahead of the final. Hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly had some news to share just as the final four stars were revealed for Saturday's penultimate episode. With Celebrity Cyclone looming ahead of Sunday night's final, viewers were ready and waiting for the action to commence. But just under 24 hours to go, Ant and Dec has some slightly annoying news to share. Just as the episode was about to end, the pair announced to fans that the show wouldn't be on at the usual time on Saturday night. Instead it would be airing at "a later time" due to the return of another show on ITV1. You Bet! hosted by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern is a reboot of a past game show. The episode starts at 8:15PM, finishing at 9:30PM which means I'm A Celebrity won't be airing in its normal 9PM time slot. Instead Ant and Dec revealed the show would be on at 9:30PM - and the news did not go down well with viewers. Fans shared their upset over the time change, knowing it would mean a late finish for the episode. That said, the episode is only scheduled for an hour and five minutes, with a 10:35PM finish. Taking to X, one viewer said: "9.30!!???" Another added: "9.30pm start tomorrow gunna be a late night," with a sad face emoji, while a third fan posted: "9.30??? PM??? You’re having a laugh." It comes as GK Barry left Ant and Dec a little taken aback as she made a fix claim about the ITV series. As she left the jungle on Friday night in a double elimination, the social media star made a comment about who should win the show. She went on to claim that if said person did not win, it would be "a fix". Ant immediately interjected and called this claim out, as GK laughed at the drama she had caused. GK, real name Grace, had just left the camp after the public vote off with Coronation Street star Alan Halsall . In her exit interview with Ant and Dec she claimed her time on the show "was hell" and worse than she could have imagined. She made it clear she'd never be back, discussing the hunger and the boredom, as well as missing her loved ones. But as Ant and Dec asked her who she wanted to win the show, they got more than they bargained for. Loose Women star GK quipped that Reverend Richard Coles should win the show, after their new found friendship won over fans. She then declared the star "has got to win", suggesting otherwise "it's a fix". Ant immediately shouted out as Dec didn't know how to react as the trio laughed. Ant screamed out: "No... how would it be a fix? People vote," as he pointed to the cameras. I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! airs every night at 9PM on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Palo Alto city manager, attorney up for 6% raisesIs Niks Professional Ltd.'s (Catalist:NPL) Stock On A Downtrend As A Result Of Its Poor Financials?Virtual vitriol! Mocking Indians has become a global sport online

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meets with Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan (out of frame) at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Dec. 5. AFP-Yonhap Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday highlighted the United States' network of alliances as a "great strategic advantage," and called for "strong" and "steady" American leadership as he seeks to cement the Biden administration's security policy legacy. Austin made the remarks at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California, amid expectations that after taking office on Jan. 20, President-elect Donald Trump would reorient U.S. foreign policy under his America First credo likely to affect ties with allies and America's global leadership role. The secretary stressed that U.S. allies and partners, including South Korea, are "huge force multipliers," as he enumerated major security challenges, including "malice" from North Korea, China's assertiveness and Russia's war in Ukraine, to name a few. "First, we know that our unmatched network of alliances and partnerships is one of America's great strategic advantages," Austin said in a keynote speech. He added: "In today's world, any policy of 'peace through strength' depends by definition on alliances. American power projection depends by definition on our friends abroad. And American security depends by definition on those who freely join us in common purpose." Ahead of Trump's return to the White House, concerns have lingered that his perceived transactional approach to allies and partners could be a source of tension at a time when a raft of global challenges call for closer security coordination with them. Austin said that America's rivals and foes look at its network of allies and partners "with envy," while warning that they want to "divide and weaken" the U.S., and split it off from its allies and partners. He also pointed out a growing alignment among potential adversaries. "Yes, autocrats may band together. But when Putin turns to North Korea for troops, it is not a sign of strength. It's an admission of weakness," he said. "Autocrats resort to partnerships of convenience. But America leads partnerships of conviction." Austin asserted the need for America to maintain robust global leadership, which he said rallies allies and partners for shared security. "Peace is not self-executing. Order does not preserve itself. And security does not flower on its own," he said. "The world built by American leadership can only be maintained by American leadership." He underscored that the troubles of the current times will "only grow worse without strong and steady American leadership." "And if we forfeit our position of responsibility, our rivals and foes will be glad to fill the vacuum," he said. The secretary took stock of progress in the Biden administration's efforts to address global security quandaries, while noting that four years ago before Biden took office, America faced a "moment of great challenge." "We face major national security challenges. That includes coercion and bullying from the People's Republic of China; imperial aggression from Putin's Russia; malice from Iran, North Korea and terrorist groups; and autocrats worldwide who believe that democracy is a thing of the past," he said. "But we have stood up to Putin, stood up to North Korea, stood up to Iran, stood up to Hamas and Hizballah, and stood up to autocrats and thugs and bullies worldwide. We have stood up for American values and American leadership." He voiced hope that progress from the Biden administration will continue. "The baton will soon be passed. Others will decide the course ahead," he said. "And I hope that they will build on the strength that we have forged over the past four years." Austin attended the annual forum before he heads to Japan in his 13th trip to the Indo-Pacific. He had initially planned a visit to South Korea, but the Korea portion of the trip was canceled in the aftermath of President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law imposition. (Yonhap)Ohio State football’s loss vs. Michigan raises a question: What’s next for coach Ryan Day?

Trump aims to appoint son-in-law’s father as US ambassador to FranceCHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks fired coach Luke Richardson on Thursday, signaling their frustration with the state of the franchise's rebuilding project. Chicago has dropped four in a row to fall to an NHL-worst 8-16-2 on the season. It was outscored 41-27 while going 3-9-1 in its last 13 games. Anders Sorensen was elevated to interim coach. Sorensen had been coaching the team's top minor league affiliate in Rockford. “Today I made the difficult decision to move on from Luke as our head coach,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “We thank him for his efforts and contributions to the organization and our community. As we have begun to take steps forward in our rebuilding process, we felt that the results did not match our expectations for a higher level of execution this season and ultimately came to the decision that a change was necessary.” Chicago had expected to be more competitive in Richardson's third season. It signed Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, Alec Martinez and Craig Smith on a busy first day of free agency this summer. It also had Connor Bedard coming back for his second season after winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. But Bertuzzi and Teravainen have struggled, and Martinez has been hampered by injuries. Bertuzzi has five goals and five assists in 26 games going into Saturday's matchup with Winnipeg. Teravainen has three goals and two assists in his last 21 games. Of course, the most important player for Chicago is the 19-yeard-old Bedard — and it's his lack of production that likely led to Richardson's dismissal. While the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft has shown some positive developmental signs, the young center has struggled offensively. Bedard stopped a 12-game drought when he scored in a 6-2 victory against Dallas on Nov. 27. He has five goals and 14 assists in 26 games after he had 11 goals and 10 assists at the same point last season. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlWilly Adames agrees to $182 million, 7-year deal with the Giants, AP source says Willy Adames has agreed to a $182 million, seven-year deal with San Francisco, providing the Giants with a power-hitting shortstop in the prime of his career, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. ESPN first reported the move. The 29-year-old Adames is coming off his best offensive season in the big leagues after hitting .251 with a career-high 32 homers and 112 RBIs with the Milwaukee Brewers. Georgia QB Carson Beck knocked out by hand injury in SEC championship game against Texas ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia quarterback Carson Beck will not return after he was hit on his throwing hand on the final play of an ugly first half in the Southeastern Conference championship game against Texas. Beck was hit by outside linebacker Trey Moore, forcing a fumble recovered by Anthony Hill Jr., who then lost the ball on an errant attempt to extend the play with a lateral as time expired. Beck was one of the last players to return to the field following halftime. Backup Gunner Stockton led the offense to a touchdown on the Bulldogs’ first drive of the second half. Arizona State makes College Football Playoff with 45-19 win over Iowa State in Big 12 title game ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Big 12 newcomer Arizona State will represent the conference in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Cam Skattebo ran for 170 yards and two scores while adding a touchdown catch the 12th-ranked Sun Devils beat No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 championship game. The Sun Devils with 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham are 11-2 after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of their new 16-team league. They have won six games in a row. Iowa State is 10-3, already the first 10-win season in the program's 133-year history. LA Galaxy strike early, hold off New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win their record 6th MLS Cup championship CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half, and the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes with goals from their star forwards, the Galaxy nursed a lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league’s biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable charge through the playoffs ended one win shy of the founding MLS franchise’s first Cup championship. No. 16 Iowa State falls short in Big 12 title game again, this time with CFP at stake ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The stakes were higher for Iowa State, and the outcome was the same as the first for the Cyclones in their second trip to the Big 12 championship game. And the 112-year wait for a conference title will go on. No. 16 Iowa State was playing for a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in a 45-19 loss to 12th-ranked Arizona State. Four years ago, neither Iowa State nor Oklahoma had a realistic path into the four-team tournament before the Sooners' 27-21 victory. The Cyclones haven't won a conference title since going 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1912. Big 12's Yormark brings up hard choices for fans before sparsely attended title game ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — College football fans are facing some hard choices in the expanded playoff system with some teams set to play away from home multiple times. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark raised that point No. 12 Arizona State's 45-19 victory over 16th-ranked Iowa State. The announced crowd of 55,889 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys appeared far smaller. Yormark says he remains committed to having a Big 12 title game. Besides the issues of fans, there have been suggestions that some leagues might be better off without title games as it relates to playoff hopes. Lindsey Vonn competes in a pair of downhills, another step on her comeback trail at the age of 40 COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — Lindsey Vonn finished in the middle of the pack in a pair of lower-level downhill events as she competed for the first time in nearly six years. The 40-year-old Vonn is on the comeback trail after stepping away from the sport because of injuries. Vonn wasn't concerned with times and places in the races so much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races she had enough points to enter World Cup events. Justin Thomas with big drives and a few big putts takes 1-shot lead over Scheffler in the Bahamas NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Justin Thomas has a one-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Thomas is using a slightly longer driver and has been blasting away. He also was helped by two long putts on the back nine that carried him to 66 at windy Albany Golf Club. Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole that cost him the lead and he never caught up. He still shot a 69 and will be in the last group with Thomas on Sunday. Tom Kim had a 62 and was two shots back. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy gets restructured deal after 3-9 season, according to reports Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy will be staying on with a restructured deal. That's according to news reports published on Saturday. The deal reportedly will shift some of his salary to revenue sharing with players. The Cowboys were among the preseason favorites in the Big 12, but a rash of injuries and problems at quarterback tanked the team, and the Cowboys went 3-9. The school's Board of Regents held a special meeting on Friday morning regarding his status, but no immediate action was taken. The fact that Gundy has 169 wins in 20 years plus a hefty buyout likely saved him from being fired outright. Norris takes pole for season-ending Abu Dhabi GP and Hamilton 18th in Mercedes farewell ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Lando Norris took pole position for the last Formula 1 race of the season alongside teammate Oscar Piastri to put McLaren on the verge of a first constructors’ title in 26 years. Norris’ last lap put him .209 of a second faster than Piastri, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. .020 further back. Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton qualified 18th for his last race with Mercedes after a bizarre incident wrecked his final qualifying lap. A plastic pole marking the inside of a corner was knocked loose by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and Hamilton drove over it.

Lindsey Vonn takes another step in comeback at age 40, competes in a pair of downhills

49ers QB Brock Purdy, DE Nick Bosa out, Brandon Allen to start at Green Bay

fortune gems gcash review Chinese scientist elected International Science Council vice presidentClemson head coach Dabo Swinney looks on during an NCAA college football game between Clemson and South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman) AP Chris Carlson | ccarlson@syracuse.com Syracuse, N.Y. -- Clemson coach Dabo Swinney promised Syracuse coach Fran Brown a gift on Tuesday if the Tigers go on to win the national title this season, continuing a couple days of banter between the football coaches. Syracuse’s win over Miami last Saturday knocked the Hurricanes out of the ACC championship game and put Clemson in. With a win over SMU, the Tigers would make the College Football Playoff as one of the five highest-ranked league champions. That is Clemson’s only chance to make the playoffs. More Orange Football Five Syracuse football players named All-ACC led by Oronde Gadsden II Top 100 football prospect lists Syracuse among Top 5 heading into Signing Day: ‘I know where I’m going’ ‘Send him a f— case’: Fran Brown ups the ante on what to gift Ryan Day after Kyle McCord’s big season Clemson coach Dabo Swinney got a FaceTime call from Fran Brown after Syracuse upset Miami Three former Syracuse players planning to transfer again, seek third college home (report)While addressing the community program 'Hala Modi,' the Prime Minister said that after seeing the crowd in the event, he felt like he had witnessed a “mini Hindustan” in front of him. PM Modi Kuwait Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed Kuwait for the warm welcome and said that there is a different sense of belonging in the Gulf country. While addressing the community program 'Hala Modi,' the Prime Minister said that after seeing the crowd in the event, he felt like he had witnessed a “mini Hindustan” in front of him. "I have reached Kuwait just two and a half hours ago. since the time I have stepped here, I am feeling a different sense of belonging, a different warmth all around. You all have come from different states of India, but seeing all of you, it seems as if a mini Hindustan has come in front of me," he said. #WATCH | Kuwait: Addressing the community program 'Hala Modi', Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "I have reached Kuwait just two and a half hours ago, since the time I have stepped here, I am feeling a different sense of belonging, a different warmth all around. You all have... pic.twitter.com/UgILDfQK2R — ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024 PM Modi, who is visiting Kuwait at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, was addressing a gathering of the Indian community. His visit to the Gulf nation is the first for any Indian Prime Minister to this Gulf nation in 43 years. Hailing the relationship between India and Kuwait, the Prime Minister said that the two countries are not linked just by diplomacy but also by hearts. "The relationship between India and Kuwait is of civilisations, of the ocean, of trade. India and Kuwait are situated on two banks of the Arabian Sea. We are linked not just by diplomacy but also by our hearts. Not only our present but also our past connects us," he said. #WATCH | Kuwait | PM Modi at the Community Event #HalaModi , says, "The relationship between India and Kuwait is of civilisations, of the ocean, of trade. India and Kuwait are situated on two banks of the Arabian Sea. We are linked not just by diplomacy but also by our hearts. Not... pic.twitter.com/UxNRWewD7m — ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024 “Every year, hundreds of Indians come to Kuwait; you have added Indian touch to Kuwaiti society. You have filled Kuwait’s canvas with colours of Indian skills, mixed with the essence of India's talent, technology and tradition,” he added. India has manpower, skills and technology needed by 'New Kuwait', he also said. Stay informed on all the latest news , real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.

Tigers making surprise push for star free agent infielderRussian President Vladimir Putin thanked the veterans for their courage and said that the state must do everything it can to ensure disabled soldiers can live full lives after their injuries. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with veterans injured in the Ukraine conflict to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities. "Everything will be fine," Putin told soldiers undergoing rehabilitation in Moscow after sustaining injuries in the war in Ukraine. Putin visited the Centre for Innovative Technologies in Orthopaedics on Tuesday, where prosthetics are made and patients are treated. During his visit, he inspected the production of prostheses for both upper and lower limbs. The president expressed confidence that the soldiers would recover and continue to live fulfilling lives. In September, The Wall Street Journal reported that nearly one million Ukrainians and Russians had been killed or injured since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

BALTIMORE — Who wants to be a billionaire? Mega Millions, the national lottery known for its high-stakes jackpots, has reached $1.15 billion for the next drawing Friday – potentially the fifth largest prize in the game’s history. Mount Washington resident Paul Chrismer said he is feeling lucky and is looking to end the year as a wealthy man. “Driving back from my in-laws in New Jersey and heading to my sister’s house in Maryland for Christmas dinner, I heard on the radio that the jackpot for this Friday’s drawing was going to be $1.1 billion,” Chrismer said. “So when I stopped for gas, I purchased four Mega Millions tickets, one each for my sister, nephew, niece and parents as last-minute stocking stuffers. “Before handing them out, I reminded them that for any winning ticket, I would receive a 50% finders fee,” he said. The price of the ticket is still a relative bargain for now. Mega Millions, which is sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is raising the price of its tickets in April from $2 to $5. It is the second “price adjustment” since it began selling tickets more than 20 years ago, and the first since 2017. Carney resident Eric Blunt joked about the chances of winning the grand prize, which are estimated at one in 302,575,350. “Don’t tell anyone,” he said about the $1.15 billion jackpot. “I don’t want my odds to get worse.” The Maryland Lottery’s total sales of all tickets since Sept. 10 are approximately $750 million, and Mega Millions has accounted for about 4.7% of total sales since the last jackpot was hit on Sept. 10. Seth Elkin, a spokesman for Maryland Lottery, said this $1.15 billion jackpot “is a win for Maryland Lottery players and retailers, as well as for the state.” There has been $35.1 million in Mega Millions ticket sales in Maryland since Sept. 10, when the last jackpot was for $810 million in Texas. There have been $5.5 million in prizes won by Maryland Lottery players on Mega Millions tickets sold since Sept. 10, including two tickets each worth $1 million. One of the $1 million tickets was sold in October in Brooklyn Park, and the prize was claimed by an Anne Arundel County resident. The other $1 million ticket is still unclaimed as of Thursday morning. It was sold Dec. 10 at a Wawa store in Bel Air and the winner has 182 days from the drawing date to claim. “We tend to see an uptick in sales after a jackpot has been rolling for a while because it’s not just regular lottery players who are interested in high jackpots, it’s everybody,” Elkin said. “At one time or another almost everyone has done some daydreaming about what they might do if they won a large jackpot. We also see groups of coworkers, friends or relatives who join together to buy tickets when there’s a big jackpot, which increases participation and makes it a fun shared experience. “We encourage everyone to keep it fun and please play responsibly, within their budget and their means,” Elkin said. -------- Baltimore Sun reporter Jean Marbella contributed to this article. ---------- ©2024 The Baltimore Sun. Visit at baltimoresun.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Bengaluru to host International Millet Festival in January 2025: Agriculture Minister

Essential Links Top 20 All-time scorers Players | Title contenders Featured Games Saturday, Dec. 21 BCSL Maple Shade vs. Westampton Tech at Jimmy V Classic @Cherokee HS, 10am Camden Tech at Pennsauken Tech, 10:30am Delran at Audubon, 11:30am Camden Catholic at Cinnaminson, 7pm Big North Ridgewood at Passaic Tech, 10am Teaneck vs. Pioneer Academy at Paterson Eastside HS, 11am Tenafly at Dwight-Morrow, 11:30am Ramapo vs. Bergen Tech at Ramapo HS, 12pm Old Tappan at Paramus, 12pm Lakeland at Mahwah, 12pm Pascack Hills at Ridgefield Park, 1pm River Dell at Pascack Valley, 1pm Paramus Catholic at Ramsey, 1pm Northern Highlands at Union City, 1pm Fort Lee at Passaic Valley, 1pm Passaic at DePaul, 1pm West Milford at Westwood, 1pm Clifton at Wayne Valley, 1pm Dumont at Indian Hills, 1pm Cliffside Park at Bergenfield, 1pm Demarest at St. Joseph (Mont.), 1pm Hackensack at Paterson Eastside, 2pm Don Bosco Prep vs. Devon Prep (PA) at Archbishop Wood (PA), 3pm Wayne Hills vs. Paterson Kennedy at Paterson Eastside HS, 3:30pm Bergen Catholic vs. Father Judge (PA) at Archbishop Wood High School (PA), 6pm Cape-Atlantic Cumberland vs. Bridgeton at Bridgeton High School, 10am Overbrook at Mainland, 11:30am Gateway at Cape May Tech, 11:30am Pleasantville vs. St. Joseph (Hamm.) at Ocean City High School Tip Off Classic, 12pm Timber Creek vs. Middle Township at Cherokee High School, 4:30pm Paul VI at Atlantic City, 5:15pm Vineland vs. Millville at Millville High School, 5:30pm Camden Eastside at St. Augustine, 7pm Colonial Delran at Audubon, 11:30am Gateway at Cape May Tech, 11:30am Cherry Hill West at Sterling, 1pm Haddon Township at Triton, 1pm Haddonfield vs. Lenape at Cherokee High School, 5:30pm Haddon Heights at Washington Township, 7pm CVC Middletown South vs. West Windsor-Plainsboro South at Hightstown High School, 10am Nottingham at New Egypt, 11:30am Princeton Day at Episcopal (PA), 11:30am Lawrence at Carteret, 1pm West Windsor-Plainsboro North vs. Jackson Memorial at Hightstown High School Showcase, 2pm Manalapan at Steinert, 2:30pm Shore vs. Princeton at Hightstown High School, 4pm Marlboro vs. Notre Dame at Hightstown HS, 5:30pm Hopewell Valley at Freehold Borough, 5:30pm Trenton vs. Morris Catholic at Weequahic HS, 5:30pm GMC North Brunswick at Perth Amboy, 11:30am Edison at South Brunswick, 11:30am Dunellen at Spotswood, 11:30am Pilgrim Academy vs. Timothy Christian at Timothy Christian School, 12:30pm J.P. Stevens at Oratory, 1pm Lawrence at Carteret, 1pm Wardlaw-Hartridge at Johnson, 1pm East Brunswick at Woodbridge, 1pm Piscataway Magnet at Metuchen, 1:30pm Calvary Christian (Old Bridge) at South Amboy, 2pm Bridgewater-Raritan at North Plainfield, 4pm CSI/McCown (NY) vs. Sayreville at South Amboy High School, 4pm Montgomery vs. St. Joseph (Met.) at Friends of South Amboy Charity Showcase, 8pm HCIAL St. Peter's Prep at Roman Catholic (PA), TBA Newark Global Studies at McNair, 11:30am Kearny at Memorial, 12pm Hoboken at Ridge, 1pm Northern Highlands at Union City, 1pm Miami Senior (FL) at Hudson Catholic, 1pm Ferris vs. Dickinson at Dickinson HS, 1pm NJAC Madison vs. Phillipsburg at Hackettstown HS, 11am American Christian at High Point, 11am Roselle Park at Hanover Park, 12pm North Warren at Notre Dame (E. Stroudsburg) (PA), 12pm Dover at Wallkill Valley, 12:30pm West Morris vs. North Hunterdon at Hackettstown HS, 12:30pm Rutgers Prep at Delbarton, 1pm Warren Hills at Vernon, 1pm Chatham at Montville, 1pm Jefferson at Morris Hills, 1pm Mountain Lakes at Parsippany Hills, 1pm Bergen Charter at Morristown, 1pm Kinnelon at Kittatinny, 1pm Pope John vs. Bloomfield at Bloomfield High School, 1pm Bernards at Morristown-Beard, 2pm Randolph at Hackettstown, 3:30pm Trenton vs. Morris Catholic at Weequahic HS, 5:30pm Whippany Park at Mendham, 6pm NJIC Paterson Charter at Saddle Brook, 10am Elmwood Park at Lodi, 10am Dwight-Englewood at New Milford, 10am Lyndhurst at Rutherford, 12pm Bogota at Leonia, 12pm Hawthorne Christian at Pompton Lakes, 12pm Park Ridge at Saddle River Day, 1pm Waldwick at Midland Park, 1pm Wallington at Wood-Ridge, 1pm Secaucus at Weehawken, 1pm Butler at Glen Rock, 1pm Emerson Boro at Cresskill, 1pm Hawthorne at Eastern Christian, 1pm Harrison at North Arlington, 1pm Becton at Hasbrouck Heights, 1pm Palisades Park at Ridgefield, 7pm Olympic Clearview at Rancocas Valley, 10am Williamstown vs. Winslow at Jimmy V Classic/Cherokee High School, 11:30am Bishop Guilfoyle (PA) vs. Bishop Eustace at Archbishop Wood - Diane Mosco Showcase, 12pm Cherry Hill West at Sterling, 1pm Delsea at Cherry Hill East, 1:30pm Gloucester Catholic at Cherokee, 2:30pm Toms River North vs. Eastern at Cherokee HS, 4pm Paul VI at Atlantic City, 5:15pm Haddonfield vs. Lenape at Cherokee High School, 5:30pm Kingsway at Moorestown, 5:30pm Camden Catholic at Cinnaminson, 7pm Camden Eastside at St. Augustine, 7pm SEC Caldwell at Orange, 10am Irvington at West Essex, 11:30am West Caldwell Tech at Nutley, 11:30am West Orange at Cedar Grove, 1pm American History at Barringer, 1pm Montclair at Science Park, 1pm North Star Academy at Belleville, 1pm Glen Ridge at Eagle Academy, 1pm Seton Hall Prep at Columbia, 1pm Technology at West Side, 1pm Newark Tech at East Orange, 1pm Weequahic at University, 1pm Shabazz at Newark Lab, 1pm Pope John vs. Bloomfield at Bloomfield High School, 1pm Newark Academy at Bard, 1:30pm Millburn at Livingston, 3pm Gill St. Bernard's vs. St. Benedict's at Weequahic HS, 4pm Brooklyn Collegiate (NY) vs. Arts at Weequahic HS, 7pm Shore Middletown South vs. West Windsor-Plainsboro South at Hightstown High School, 10am Raritan vs. Wall at Wall HS, 11:30am Freehold Township at Red Bank Catholic, 11:30am Long Branch at Point Pleasant Beach, 11:30am Nottingham at New Egypt, 11:30am Manasquan at Rumson-Fair Haven, 1pm Colts Neck at Neptune, 1pm Holmdel at Christian Brothers, 1pm West Windsor-Plainsboro North vs. Jackson Memorial at Hightstown High School Showcase, 2pm Manalapan at Steinert, 2:30pm Shore vs. Princeton at Hightstown High School, 4pm Toms River North vs. Eastern at Cherokee HS, 4pm Marlboro vs. Notre Dame at Hightstown HS, 5:30pm Hopewell Valley at Freehold Borough, 5:30pm Skyland Madison vs. Phillipsburg at Hackettstown HS, 11am West Morris vs. North Hunterdon at Hackettstown HS, 12:30pm Hoboken at Ridge, 1pm Rutgers Prep at Delbarton, 1pm Warren Hills at Vernon, 1pm Dayton at South Hunterdon, 1pm Immaculata at Delaware Valley, 1pm Hunterdon Central at Hillsborough, 1pm Bernards at Morristown-Beard, 2pm Bridgewater-Raritan at North Plainfield, 4pm Gill St. Bernard's vs. St. Benedict's at Weequahic HS, 4pm Montgomery vs. St. Joseph (Met.) at Friends of South Amboy Charity Showcase, 8pm Tri-County Cumberland vs. Bridgeton at Bridgeton High School, 10am Clearview at Rancocas Valley, 10am Williamstown vs. Winslow at Jimmy V Classic/Cherokee High School, 11:30am Overbrook at Mainland, 11:30am Haddon Township at Triton, 1pm Delsea at Cherry Hill East, 1:30pm Gloucester Catholic at Cherokee, 2:30pm Timber Creek vs. Middle Township at Cherokee High School, 4:30pm Kingsway at Moorestown, 5:30pm Haddon Heights at Washington Township, 7pm UCC Roselle Park at Hanover Park, 12pm Union Catholic at Westfield, 12pm Union at Roselle Catholic, 1pm Brearley at Roselle, 1pm Cranford at Summit, 1pm Dayton at South Hunterdon, 1pm New Providence at Hillside, 1pm J.P. Stevens at Oratory, 1pm Wardlaw-Hartridge at Johnson, 1pm Rahway at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 6:30pm Elizabeth at Linden, 7pm10 TV Characters Who’d Be Thanksgiving Dinner Nightmares (And 5 Who’d Be a Dream)Is Enron back? If it’s a joke, some former employees aren’t laughing

Oliver Glasner: Crystal Palace are heading in right direction after Ipswich winImproving bureaucratic efficiency A representational image of a man working in an office.— The News/File LAHORE: The efficiency of a country’s bureaucracy is typically evaluated based on factors such as transparency, accountability, meritocracy, corruption levels, adaptability and responsiveness. In this regard, Singapore ranks at the top, followed by Denmark and Switzerland. In contrast, the country’s public sector efficiency is ranked very low. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); Pakistan’s bureaucracy faces numerous challenges, including red tape, corruption, and delays, which stem from structural, operational and cultural issues. The country’s selection process, centred around the central superior services (CSS) exam, prioritises general knowledge and analytical skills over specialised expertise. As a result, bureaucrats are frequently transferred between departments, regardless of their qualifications. This practice leads to inefficiency in sectors such as health, education, and technical industries. While initial training is provided, ongoing professional development, especially in specialised fields, remains limited. This hinders bureaucrats’ ability to adapt to the technical demands of different sectors. Regular rotation of bureaucrats across departments and regions disrupts continuity, institutional memory and long-term planning. Political considerations often influence appointments and transfers, undermining meritocracy and accountability. The hierarchical nature of the system offers little room for innovation or flexibility, with junior officers often lacking the authority to make decisions, thereby slowing down processes. The current selection policy, which only requires a graduate degree for entry, does not ensure candidates possess the technical expertise needed for specialised roles. Although the CSS exam is rigorous, it primarily assesses general knowledge, leaving gaps in technical competency. Once selected, candidates undergo uniform training, without specialised tracks for fields like health, education or finance. To improve governance, introducing specialised qualifications for bureaucrats in various sectors would be crucial. For instance, health departments should be managed by professionals with backgrounds in medicine or public health, while specialists with experience in education policy and administration should oversee the education sector. For administrative roles, generalists with strong analytical and management skills could handle traditional tasks. Furthermore, cross-sector collaboration should be encouraged, but technical positions should remain in the hands of domain experts. The deputation of bureaucrats to public-sector enterprises (PSEs) is another issue in Pakistan, as many lack the technical and managerial skills needed to run these organizations efficiently, often leading to operational inefficiencies and financial losses. Bureaucrats tend to prioritize bureaucratic processes over entrepreneurial decision-making, stifling innovation. In countries like the US and the UK, public enterprises are typically managed by professionals with domain expertise rather than bureaucrats. To address these issues, the government of Pakistan should introduce specialised entry tracks for sectors like health, education and technical industries, alongside the generalist cadre. Continuous sector-specific training and certifications should be implemented, and bureaucrats should be allowed to gain long-term experience in particular sectors. Furthermore, private-sector professionals should be allowed to enter the bureaucracy for technical roles through a transparent process. Professional managers should be appointed to public enterprises to reduce bureaucratic control, and performance metrics should be integrated into bureaucratic evaluations. India also uses a common pool entry system through the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Revenue Service (IRS), but it has separate cadres for technical roles such as the Indian Health Service and Indian Engineering Service. While generalists dominate administrative roles, India has recently emphasized the lateral entry of domain experts into bureaucratic positions. Civil servants in India receive specialised training after selection, with sector-specific modules for certain cadres. While India also appoints bureaucrats to public-sector enterprises, the practice is debated regarding its efficiency. China’s bureaucracy is highly centralised and hierarchical but is known for its efficiency in executing policies, due to strict accountability mechanisms and a focus on technical expertise. Bangladesh’s bureaucracy operates similarly to Pakistan’s, with similar challenges and structures.

Govt inspects Siaya projects, commits to fast-track completionFor the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal. His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft. Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time.

Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elevai Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB) (Elevai" or the "Company") announced today it will implement a 1-for-200 reverse stock split (“Reverse Stock Split”) of its common stock, which will be effective at midnight on November 27, 2024. This initiative aligns with the Company’s efforts to meet Nasdaq's minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share under Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). Key Details of the Reverse Stock Split: - Conversion Ratio: Every 200 shares of issued and outstanding common stock will be automatically consolidated into one share, with no action required from shareholders. - Fractional Shares: Shareholders entitled to fractional shares will receive one full share for each fractional portion. - Updated Stock Identifier: While the trading symbol remains "ELAB", the common stock now carries a new CUSIP number (28622K 203). - Equity Adjustments: Outstanding stock awards, options, and the equity incentive plan have been adjusted proportionally to reflect the new share structure. Purpose of the Reverse Stock Split: The Reverse Stock Split is a critical step in ensuring compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements, allowing Elevai to maintain its presence on the Nasdaq Capital Market. A continued listing enhances the Company’s visibility, strengthens investor confidence, and positions Elevai for future growth. Impact on Shareholders: - No Immediate Action Required: Shareholders holding shares through a broker or in "street name" will see their holdings updated automatically. - Certificate Holders: Shareholders with physical certificates can exchange them, if desired, through VStock Transfer, LLC, which will provide detailed instructions. - Share Value: The Reverse Stock Split does not impact the overall value of shareholder equity; it only reduces the number of shares outstanding while proportionally adjusting the share price. Impact on our Common Stock: - Post Reverse Stock Split there will be approximately 3.07 million shares of common stock issued and outstanding Looking Ahead: “The reverse stock split is a required measure to preserve Elevai’s Nasdaq listing and set the stage for our continued progress in innovation and shareholder value creation,” said Graydon Bensler, Chief Executive Officer of Elevai. “We are optimistic about the future and committed to executing our growth strategy.” For additional information, please refer to Elevai’s full Form 8-K filing available regarding the Reverse Stock Split, filed on November 22, 2024, on the SEC’s website, or contact Elevai directly at IR@elevailabs.com . About Elevai Labs, Inc. Elevai Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB) specializes in medical aesthetics and biopharmaceutical drug development, focusing on innovations for skin aesthetics and treatments tied to obesity and metabolic health. The Company operates a diverse portfolio of three wholly owned subsidiaries across the medical aesthetics and biopharmaceutical sectors, Elevai Skincare Inc., Elevai Biosciences Inc., and Elevai Research Inc. For more information please visit www.elevailabs.com . Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Words such as “believes,” “expects,” “plans,” “potential,” “would” and “future” or similar expressions such as “look forward” are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, activities of regulators and future regulations and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. These and other risks are described more fully in Elevai’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 29, 2024, and its other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the SEC. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov . All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except to the extent required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. IR Contact: IR@ElevaiLabs.com

Trump team signs agreement to allow Justice to conduct background checks on nominees, staff

Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.None

Keir Starmer warned elderly people ‘going to die’ as he is confronted on radio show over winter fuel cutsJapanese steakhouse/sushi bar Wu’s House opens in Naperville, coffee/pastry shop settling into Route 59 location

TN govt will give more incentives for establishing industries in B&C category districts: Minister

Heroes of the Redwoods | Now taking nominations for your hometown heroesbjdlzx Peyto ( OTCPK:PEYUF ) does not even know that there are low natural gas prices thanks to its hedging program . This Canadian natural gas producer ( that reports in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted) raked in revenue I analyze oil and gas companies like Peyto and related companies in my service, Oil & Gas Value Research, where I look for undervalued names in the oil and gas space. I break down everything you need to know about these companies -- the balance sheet, competitive position and development prospects. This article is an example of what I do. But for Oil & Gas Value Research members, they get it first and they get analysis on some companies that is not published on the free site. Interested? Sign up here for a free two-week trial . Long Player believes oil and gas is a boom-bust, cyclical industry. It takes patience, and it certainly helps to have experience. He has been focusing on this industry for years. He is a retired CPA, and holds an MBA and MA. Oil & Gas Value Research Learn more Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of PEYUF either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Disclaimer: I am not an investment advisor, and this article is not meant to be a recommendation for the purchase or sale of stock. Investors are advised to review all company documents and press releases to see if the company fits their own investment qualifications. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.