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One of the best ways to grow your wealth is to invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These products offer investors exposure to a basket of stocks, at a fraction of the cost it would take to purchase each one individually. Let's examine two simple ETFs that can help anyone grow their nest egg. Vanguard Growth ETF First up is the Vanguard Growth ETF ( VUG 0.68% ) . VUG Total Return Level data by YCharts Right off the bat, this Vanguard fund offers long-term investors something that will grab their attention: Its 20-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is 11.7%. That beats the S&P 500 , which logged a 10.4% CAGR over the same period. In dollar terms, a $1,000 investment made in the Vanguard fund in 2004 would be worth almost $10,000 today, while the same investment made in the S&P 500 would be worth less than $7,900. Today, the Vanguard fund is heavily weighted toward " Magnificent Seven " stocks like Apple , Nvidia , Microsoft , and Amazon . Other top holdings include Costco Wholesale , Eli Lilly , and Visa . Company Name Symbol Percentage of Holdings Apple AAPL 12.1% Microsoft MSFT 11.4% Nvidia NVDA 10% Amazon AMZN 6% Alphabet GOOG/GOOGL 6% Meta Platforms META 4.7% Eli Lilly LLY 2.9% Tesla TSLA 2.7% Visa V 1.7% Mastercard MA 1.6% Broadcom AVGO 1.5% Costco COST 1.5% Netflix NFLX 1.2% Advanced Micro Devices AMD 1% Data source: Vanguard Group. While the fund holds many megacap stocks with excellent growth rates, investors won't find much in the way of dividend-paying stocks. Overall, the fund pays a very meager dividend, resulting in a dividend yield of only 0.5% -- meaning a $1,000 investment will only generate about $5 in annual dividend income. Yet, what the fund lacks in dividend payments, it makes up for with its expense ratio . The fund has an expense ratio of only 0.04%. That means investors only pay $0.40 per year for every $1,000 invested in the fund. In summary, this Vanguard fund boasts several features that make it worth considering for long-term investors. It has outperformed the benchmark S&P 500 index over 20 years, it charges low fees, and it pays a modest dividend. Those reasons make it a solid choice for anyone looking for a lifetime ETF. Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF Next, there's the Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF ( SCHD -0.45% ) . SCHD Total Return Level data by YCharts Let me be clear: This Schwab fund isn't for growth-oriented investors. Yet, this fund is worth considering for investors looking to generate income from their investment. Rather than loading up on growth-oriented stocks like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon, this fund focuses on value stocks that pay dividends. Among its top holdings are Chevron , Altria Group , and Verizon Communications -- some of the biggest and most well-known dividend stocks around . Company Name Symbol Percentage of Holdings BlackRock BLK 4.5% Bristol Myers Squibb BMY 4.5% Cisco Systems CSCO 4.5% Chevron CVX 4.4% Home Depot HD 4.3% Texas Instruments TXN 3.9% Verizon Communications VZ 3.8% United Parcel Service UPS 3.7% Altria Group MO 3.6% Lockheed Martin LMT 3.6% PepsiCo PEP 3.6% Pfizer PFE 3.5% Amgen AMGN 3.4% Coca-Cola KO 3.3% AbbVie ABBV 3.3% Data source: Charles Schwab. Accordingly, the fund pays out a hefty portion of dividends. Its current dividend yield is 8.4%. That means a $1,000 investment in the fund should generate roughly $84 in annual income. On top of that, the fund keeps its expenses low. Its expense ratio is only 0.06%, meaning that a $1,000 investment in the fund results in only $0.60 in annual fees. Of course, there is a downside. While dividend income is great , dividend stocks have been out of favor with investors for years. As a result, dividend-focused funds, like this Schwab fund, have underperformed the broader market. For example , over the last decade , this fund has generated a CAGR of 11.7%. That's not bad. Yet, it's significantly below what the S&P 500 generated over the same period (13.2%). In dollar terms, even with the effects of dividend payments included, a $1,000 investment in the S&P 500 would now be worth about $500 more than what the Schwab fund would have generated. SCHD Total Return Level data by YCharts The Schwab fund isn't an ETF for every investor. However, for those who would like to generate income from their investment, while also generating growth, this fund offers a nice balance of both. Investors looking for a lifetime of income would be smart to consider adding some shares of this ETF.PHILADELPHIA — Scott Laughton scored a career-high four goals to break out of a drought and help the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Thursday night. After scoring just once in his previous 25 games, Laughton had his second career hat trick and became the first Flyers player to score four goals since John LeClair in 2002. Laughton opened the scoring in the second period with a breakaway goal on a slap shot from the left circle. He added a short-handed goal in the third, tipping a pass from Travis Konecny, and had two empty-net goals. Aleksei Kolosov made 25 saves for his fourth victory of the season. Ben Chiarot scored a late goal for Detroit, his first of the season. The Red Wings have lost six of seven games. Takeaways Red Wings: Cam Talbot tried to keep the Red Wings in the game and made several highlight reel stops when the game was scoreless. In the span of three minutes, he made a sprawling glove save on Matvei Michkov, a sliding pad stop on Joel Farabee and stoned Sean Couturier on a breakaway. Later in the period, Talbot thwarted Michkov's attempt at scoring a goal on a “Michigan" wraparound play where he picked up the puck on his blade behind the net and tried to tuck it in the top corner of the net. Flyers: Konecny had two assists to extend his points streak to four games. Philadelphia Flyers' Scott Laughton reacts after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Slocum Key moment Travis Sanheim blocked a shot attempt by Vladimir Tarasenko on Detroit's power play at the start of the third period that sprung Konecny and Laughton on a 2-on-1 breakaway that led to Laughton's second goal. Key stat Laughton's second goal was the 100th of his NHL career. Up next Detroit hosts Toronto on Saturday. Philadelphia is at Minnesota on Saturday.

AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:08 p.m. ESTAs President-elect Donald Trump promises to take immediate action on a number of fronts once he returns to the White House, he and House Speaker Mike Johnson will continue their talks about the upcoming agenda Saturday at the in Landover. The Republican congressional leader, whose son is a at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, is a key Trump ally expected to help push the president’s plans through Congress. “American families are ready to see an American First agenda and we’re excited about that,” Johnson said at a news conference Tuesday. “You hear a lot of talk about the agenda and how it will be formulated and come together right out of the gates in early January. We’re working on that right now. In fact, House Republicans are already working to enact that agenda.” The football game could be one of a few Maryland-based conversations for how that agenda comes together. While the lawmakers have not officially announced other meetings, House GOP leaders are expected to meet for a daylong retreat in the days after Congress begins its next session Jan. 3 — a retreat that is likely to be in Baltimore, the political news organization Punchbowl News reported. Johnson said he and Trump would be talking “in-depth” about their “playbook” this weekend. The top priority, he said, is curtailing the flow of undocumented immigrants at the southern border and tax reform, both of which could be addressed early in 2025. Some of the work is already underway, he noted, began last week with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy with House and Senate Republicans about their plans to significantly cut the federal budget. Trump has named the two wealthy businessmen to run a new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Trump also as president-elect in 2016, when the 71,600-person crowd greeted him with chants of “USA, USA.” Johnson said Tuesday some of his son’s Naval Academy classmates had recently visited the Capitol. “I guess I got to say ‘Go Navy,’ because my son’s there,” Johnson said. “But President Trump is coming to the game and others, and we’ll all be there together. It’ll be a lot of fun.”

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A newborn baby has been rushed to hospital with serious head injuries after two teens allegedly stormed a home in the Northern Territory. Emergency services were called to the home in Larapinta after reports two males had unlawfully entered the property about 2.30pm on Wednesday. Police allege one man threatened a woman who was holding her two-month-old infant before assaulting her with a blunt weapon, while another searched the home. The two youths allegedly fled the scene with the woman’s handbag and vehicle keys but were located by police a short time later, with one of the men placed under arrest. A second youth allegedly fled in a vehicle but after a short pursuit was also arrested by Northern Territory police. The woman, who was at home with four children at the time, was rushed to Alice Springs Hospital. The infant sustained a serious head injury and was also taken to Alice Springs, before being flown to Adelaide for further treatment where they remained in a stable condition. Detective Superintendent Regional Crime Paul Lawson said police responded “en masse” to the alleged incident, and thanked the first responders who attended. “This is an absolutely shocking incident. I’m shocked. The community is shocked. First responders are shocked,” he said in a social media video. “Our thoughts go out to the victims of this incident, their families. I cannot even think about what they’re going through”. Two males, aged 16 and 17, have since been charged over the alleged attack, including with aggravated burglary and robbery. They also face charges of unlawfully causing serious harm, aggravated assault, and theft, and are due in court on Thursday. Originally published as Newborn, mum rushed to hospital after teens allegedly attack home

Republicans lash out at Democrats' claims that Trump intelligence pick Gabbard is 'compromised'

OTTAWA - The dismissal of a class-action lawsuit over rules governing the cross-border live bee trade is casting a spotlight on political division within Canada’s beekeeping community. A federal judge has ruled against awarding commercial beekeepers damages from a decades-old partial ban on shipping live honeybees across the Canada-U.S. border, which is in place out of concerns that could bring in aggressive pests and diseases. Beekeepers from Western Canada involved in the suit claim the government’s risk assessments that inform the tight restrictions are hurting their businesses and are blown out of proportion. Michael Paradis of Paradis Honey Ltd., a seven-generation family beekeeping business based in Girouxville, Alta., and one of the representative plaintiffs in the case, said he’s disappointed with the ruling, saying it puts beekeepers in a “dangerous position” since the industry is already in crisis mode. “Canada does not have enough bees and cannot replenish its own stock at all,” he said. “It’s going to mean a lot more hardship for the industry if we cannot get access to the U.S. bees.” Beekeepers were slammed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when fewer airline flights made it harder to import bees and they suffered a nightmare year of winter losses in 2022. Manitoba commercial beekeeper Brent Ash, one of the witnesses in the case, said the ruling will hamper the industry, and makes it especially tough for apiaries in colder parts of the country like the Prairies, where most of Canada’s beekeepers are located. “Climate makes the regional divide difficult to keep those bugs alive over the course of the winter,” he said, noting honeybees are not native to North America. But Steve Moore, president of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, said his group worries about the risks of accidentally bringing in antibiotic resistant mites, the import of Africanized honeybees commonly known as killer bees, and a small hive beetle that’s capable of damaging colonies. “In Ontario here, we feel quite strongly that we don’t want to take the risk of it becoming even more challenging if some of these new and emerging threats come into the country in packages,” he said. But he empathizes with the plaintiffs. “When we go into our apiaries, we get stung by our bees. When we come home, we might be stung by a low honey price, stung by rising cost of production or stung by high overwintering losses, with the threat of new and emerging pathogens. So, we’re all facing the same challenges and it’s a challenging time to be a beekeeper,” he said. Even though a ban on U.S. live bee imports expired in 2006, Ottawa has not issued permits for the live worker bee boxes to be brought over the border since. The plaintiffs argued Ottawa owes them duty of care — and hundreds of millions in damages. The judge disagreed. “There is no duty of care owed and no negligence,” Justice Cecily Strickland wrote in a lengthy ruling, adding the plaintiffs failed to establish that Ottawa hurt their businesses. The case has a long history, dating back to a court filing from 2012, and was only certified as a class action in 2017. The problem is even older. Headlines from the 1980s screamed about fears that deadly infectious mites from U.S. states could level Canadian bee populations. Risks to bee health have only compounded since then. A 2003 risk assessment by the regulator found that importing queen bees was less risky, since they are easier to inspect. So, Canada allows imports of queen bees and their worker-bee attendants from the U.S., Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Italy and Malta. “Bee packages carry a higher risk of disease introduction because they are shipped with the contents of their hive, which may include mites, parasites and bacteria,” said a statement from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that welcomed the judge’s ruling. Canada does, however, also allow imports of worker bee packages from Italy, Chile, Australia and New Zealand, which sent Canada some 69,364 kgs of packaged bees in 2023, according to statistics from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. But importing from these countries also dramatically drives up import costs due to transportation. One of the plaintiffs, John Gibeau, wrote to CFIA a decade ago complaining that importing more than 1,200 packages for $170,000 would have cost half that if he could have purchased them from California instead. Gibeau said he wasn’t ready to comment since he hasn’t yet digested the ruling. Paradis said the larger issue for him than cost, though, is the quality of the bee stock and the timing of when shipments arrive. “We are looking at bees in the U.S. that are spring bees — young, invigorated bees,” he said, adding that gives them longer lifespans in Canada. While he was disappointed, Paradis said one of the main reasons for the lawsuit was to “bring CFIA to the table and to actually have some discussions” on the import ban, something he said has only happened recently. Canada’s honeybee pollination is estimated to contribute $3.18 billion directly to the economy, but that rises to $7 billion a year when canola pollination is factored in. Canada has some 794,341 beehives. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2024.‘The fight is coming:’ Ford threatens to cut off energy to U.S. states in response to tariffs

New book chronicles NASCAR’s ‘mavericks’City slumped to their seventh defeat in 10 games in all competitions as they were beaten 2-0 at Juventus in their latest European outing on Wednesday. Second-half goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie at the Allianz Stadium left Guardiola’s side languishing in 22nd place in the standings. Juventus beat Man City 💪 #UCL pic.twitter.com/H4KL15iCke — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 11, 2024 With just two games of the league phase remaining, a place in the top eight and automatic last-16 qualification looks beyond them and they face a battle just to stay in the top 24 and claim a play-off spot. City manager Guardiola said: “Of course I question myself but I’m stable in good moments and bad moments. “I try to find a way to do it. I’m incredibly honest. If we play good (I say) we played good and today I thought we played good. “Our game will save us. We can do it. We conceded few chances compared to the Nottingham Forest game that we won. We’re making the right tempo. “We missed the last pass, did not arrive in the six-yard box (at the right time) or have the composure at the right moment. “But I love my team. This is life, it happens. Sometimes you have a bad period but I’m going to insist until we’re there.” City now face a crunch trip to Paris St Germain, who are also at risk of failing to qualify, next month. Guardiola accepts the top 24 is now the only aim. He said: “It’s the target. We need one point or three points. We go to Paris to try to do it and the last game at home.” Veteran midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said after the game he felt City were suffering from a loss of confidence but Guardiola dismissed his player’s comments. “I am not agreeing with Ilkay,” he said. “Of course it is tough but, except one or two games in this period, we’ve played good.” City now face a further test of their resolve as they host rivals Manchester United in a derby on Sunday. "We played well" Pep Guardiola trusts in his squad despite 2-0 loss to Juventus... 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/VrmTzcTrEF — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 11, 2024 Gundogan told TNT Sports: “It (confidence) is a big part of it. That’s a mental issue as well. “You can see that sometimes we miss the ball or lose a duel and you see that we drop immediately and lose the rhythm. They (the opponents) don’t even need to do much but it has such a big effect on us right now. “Even more you have to do the simple things as good as possible and create and fluidity, then it’s work hard again. This is how you get confidence back – do the small and simple things, (but) in crucial moments at the moment we are always doing the wrong things.” Juventus coach Thiago Motta was pleased with the hosts’ performance, which boosted their hopes of making the top eight. “It was a deserved victory,” he said. “We had to defend as a team and be ready to attack with quality. “We have shown we can compete at this level and now we have to do it consistently.”

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Ninth telecoms firm hit by massive Chinese espionage campaign: White HouseBy Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) -The euro faltered on Monday against a strong U.S. dollar on growing concerns about a possible government collapse in France, which would stall plans to curb a burgeoning budget deficit. The greenback, meanwhile, extended gains after strong U.S. manufacturing data from both the Institute for Supply Management and S&P Global reports. However, despite the generally upbeat data, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Monday he was inclined to cut the benchmark interest rate at the Dec. 17-18 meeting as monetary policy remained restrictive. Monday’s rise in the dollar against a basket of currencies followed the U.S. unit’s first weekly fall posted on Friday since November 2023. In Europe, the risk premium investors demand to hold French debt rather than benchmark German bonds jumped after France’s far-right National Rally (RN) President Jordan Bardella said his party would likely back a no-confidence motion in the coming days unless there were a “last-minute miracle”. Leading RN lawmaker Marine Le Pen has given Prime Minister Michel Barnier until Monday to meet her party’s budget demands. The euro fell 1% to $1.0469, on track for its largest daily fall since early November. “Crashing political sentiment in France and another activity data beat in the U.S. have handed the euro a dire start to December,” wrote Kyle Chapman, FX market analyst at Ballinger Group, in emailed comments. Ballinger provides currency risk management and trading services. “As expected, the interim government now faces a vote of no confidence that it is likely to lose, and with a new election not allowed until the summer, there is no clear path to reducing the deficit in the near term.” The yield spread between French and German 10-year government bonds – a gauge of the premium investors demand to hold French debt – rose 7.6 basis points to 87.3 bps after hitting 90 bps last week, its highest level since 2012, during the euro area’s sovereign debt crisis. POSITIVE US DATA; WALLER BACKS FED CUT IN DECEMBER Monday’s data once again showed a resilient American economy, with U.S. manufacturing activity improving in November, orders growing for the first time in eight months, and factories facing significantly lower prices for inputs. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing PMI increased to 48.4 last month from 46.5 in October, which was the lowest level since July 2023. The S&P Global final manufacturing PMI also rose to 49.7, from the initial 48.8 estimate. “With a solid economic situation in the United States, it makes sense of the U.S. dollar to be thriving as the economies on the other side of the pond face more headwinds,” said Juan Perez, director of trading at Monex USA in Washington. “(Positive data) only makes for higher Treasury yields and even lower expectations of the Fed exercising looser monetary policy.” Fed’s Waller, however, noted on Monday that monetary policy remains restrictive enough that a further cut later this month at their meeting “will not dramatically change the stance of monetary policy and allow ample scope to later slow the pace of rate cuts, if needed.” Following Waller’s comments, the markets raised the odds of a 25-bp easing this month to 79%, from 66% late on Friday, according to CME’s FedWatch. At the same time, rate futures reduced the chances of a Fed pause to 21% from 34% on Friday. The greenback had earlier gained as President-elect Donald Trump marked a shift from his prior advocacy of a weaker dollar by demanding BRICS member countries commit to not creating a new currency or supporting another currency. The Kremlin said on Monday any U.S. attempt to compel countries to use the dollar would backfire. The U.S. dollar index – a measure of its value relative to a basket of its main peers — rose 0.3% to 106.33. Key to the outlook for rates will be the November payrolls report due Friday, where median forecasts favor a rise of 195,000 following October’s weather and strike-hit report, which could also be revised given the low response rate for that survey. The jobless rate is seen edging up to 4.2%, from 4.1%, The dollar slipped 0.2% versus the yen to 149.37, having shed 3.3% last week in its worst run since July. Over the weekend, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said the next interest rate hikes are “nearing in the sense that economic data are on track,” following figures showing Tokyo inflation picked up in October. Currency bid prices at 2 December​ 09:05 p.m. GMT Descripti RIC Last U.S. Pct YTD Pct High Low on Close Change Bid Bid Previous Session Dollar 106.38 106.04 0.34% 4.94% 106.73 106. index 02 Euro/Doll 1.0498 1.0576 -0.74% -4.89% $1.0587 $1.0 ar 461 Dollar/Ye 149.54 149.49 0.04% 6.03% 150.755 149. n 15 Euro/Yen 1.0498​ 158.35 -0.85% 0.89% 158.64 156. 39 Dollar/Sw 0.8863 0.8813 0.58% 5.32% 0.8889 0.88 iss 14 Sterling/ 1.2651 1.2741 -0.7% -0.58% $1.2745 $1.2 Dollar 619​ Dollar/Ca 1.4046 1.4001 0.33% 5.97% 1.409 1.39 nadian 86 Aussie/Do 0.6473 0.6519 -0.69% -5.05% $0.6527 $0.6 llar 443 Euro/Swis 0.9303 0.932 -0.18% 0.18% 0.9324 0.92 s 9 Euro/Ster 0.8295 0.8304 -0.11% -4.3% 0.8305 0.82 ling 71 NZ 0.5882 0.5924 -0.57% -6.79% $0.592 0.58 Dollar/Do 65 llar Dollar/No 11.103​ 11.0181 0.77% 9.55% 11.1578 11.0 rway 626 Euro/Norw 11.657 11.662 -0.04% 3.86% 11.6899 11.6 ay 37 Dollar/Sw 10.993 10.8844 1% 9.13% 11.0383 10.8 eden 868 Euro/Swed 11.5413 11.521 0.18% 3.74% 11.5552 11.5 en 165 (Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Additional reporting by Stefano Rebaudo in Milan; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Gareth Jones, Toby Chopra and Jonathan Oatis) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. 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NEW YORK (AP) — Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa scored 27 points as Columbia beat Fairfield 85-72 on Saturday night. De La Rosa shot 8 of 15 from the field, including 5 for 11 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 6 from the line for the Lions (11-1). Avery Brown shot 5 of 8 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line to add 16 points. Kenny Noland went 5 of 12 from the field (3 for 7 from 3-point range) to finish with 15 points. The Stags (5-8, 1-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) were led by Louis Bleechmore, who recorded 12 points. Fairfield also got 12 points and seven assists from Jamie Bergens. Deon Perry had 12 points and five assists. Columbia's next game is Monday against Rutgers on the road, and Fairfield visits Merrimack on Friday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .CORAL GABLES — RJ Johnson scored 23 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute, Daylen Berry added two clutch free throws and Charleston Southern surprised Miami 83-79 on Saturday. The Buccaneers led for the last four minutes of the first half and deep into the second half before a 3-pointer from Austin Swartz gave Miami a 76-75 lead with 3 minutes left in the game. A three-point play by Lynn Kidd gave the Hurricanes a 79-75 lead with 2:11 remaining. Berry hit a 3-pointer to make it 79-78 and Johnson followed with a 3 that gave the Buccaneers an 81-79 lead. Kidd missed in the paint for Miami but came up with a steal a few seconds later. With 15 seconds left, Swartz missed a 3-pointer and the Buccaneers rebounded. Miami put Berry on the line and he made both free throws for a four-point lead with 11 seconds remaining. Miami’s Jalen Blackmon missed a 3-pointer with 8 seconds left, the Hurricanes’ A.J. Staton-McCray grabbed the rebound and he missed a 3 as time ran out. Taje Kelly had 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Buccaneers (2-7), who snapped a five-game losing streak and defeated a Division I opponent for the first-time this season. Thompson Camara made five 3-pointers and scored 21. Brandon Johnson made six 3-pointers and scored 23 for Miami (3-4). Swartz scored 15 points off the bench and Staton-McCray had 13 points.

Investor Moez Kassam donates $15-million to SickKids, where his daughter received life-saving care

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FORMER Vice-President, Cde Phelekezela Mphoko, died in India yesterday afternoon at the age of 84 while receiving medical treatment. Acknowledging his dedicated contributions to Zimbabwe’s liberation and growth, the Zanu-PF Politburo promptly honoured him by declaring him a national hero. He is survived by wife, Laurinda, three children, Sikhumbuzo, Siduduzo and Siqokoqela, as well as several grandchildren. Family member Velile Mphoko said the former Vice-President’s wife and children were in Dubai and preparing to fly back home. “Senior family members have instructed us not to allow anyone into the house,” he told Saturday Chronicle at the Mphoko family home in Douglasdale suburb, Bulawayo, yesterday evening. President Mnangagwa expressed deep grief and sadness at the passing of the former Vice-President. “A veteran of our Liberation Struggle, Cde Mphoko’s political and military history coincides with the early days of militant nationalism against white settler colonialism, which later morphed into the armed Liberation Struggle. He was among its early architects, brave fighters, and formative commanders,” said President Mnangagwa. The President stressed that the national hero’s contribution to the liberation struggle can hardly be overstated. “Trained in many countries, including in the then Soviet Union, Cde Mphoko specialised in logistics, an onerous and sensitive responsibility which ensured huge consignments of assortments of arms of war were moved to different bases in the rear, and the war front inside the country in order to maintain the momentum of the Armed Liberation Struggle and to exert ever-mounting pressure on the settler regime until final victory. “A versatile cadre, Cde Mphoko would later join Zapu’s liaison department, a role which took him to Maputo, Mozambique, where the then Zanu was headquartered. We worked very closely with him, laying the groundwork and anticipating the eventual convergence of the two liberation movements into the Patriotic Front,” said President Mnangagwa. He noted that Cde Mphoko’s latter career as an ambassador was moulded by his early exposure to diplomacy during the liberation struggle. “It was an illustrious career which peaked with his appointment as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to various key countries, including the Russian Federation. On behalf of the Party Zanu-PF, Government, my family, and on my behalf, I wish to express my deepest, heartfelt condolences to the Mphoko family, especially to Mrs Mphoko and the children, on this their saddest loss,” said the President. In recognition of Cde Mphoko’s meritorious role of service to his country, the former Vice -President has been declared a national hero. “The Zanu-PF Politburo has unanimously decided and agreed to celebrate and immortalise his life of sacrifice by according him the status of National Hero. May his dear soul rest in eternal peace.” Cde Mphoko was appointed Vice-President in 2014, replacing Cde John Landa Nkomo, who died in 2013. Cde Mphoko was born on June 11, 1940, at Gwizane in Bubi District, Matabeleland North. The former Vice-President was arrested in 1963 for political violence after lashing out at a Rhodesian police officer who had set his dog on him and fellow youths. He was sentenced to three years in jail and sent to Khami Prison. He was a delegate at the Cold Comfort Farm People’s Caretaker Council Congress in the same year. The Congress created a Special Affairs Department and decided on an external wing of Zapu that would plan and direct the armed struggle. Under the Special Affairs programme, Cde Mphoko, along with Albert Nxele, Walter Mbambo, and Sam Dumaza Mpofu, was selected by Zapu leader Cde Joshua Nkomo to go for military training. On April 4, 1964, while awaiting a retrial, Cde Mphoko left Zimbabwe as part of a group of six and received military training in the Soviet Union between May 1964 and February 1965. In March 1965, he created the first military command structure, the Military Planning Committee, to plan and direct the armed struggle. He was one of the first seven commanders commissioned by the revolution and the political leadership to recruit, train, and command Zimbabweans into a revolution for the liberation of Zimbabwe. In 1967, he became a member of the Joint Military Command in charge of Logistics and Supply in the ANC/Zapu Alliance. He commanded the Joint Military rehearsals for the Wankie operations at Dan Nang base, Luthuli Camp, which included South African freedom fighters Joe Modise and Chris Hani, who was the commander of the Detachment, among others. In 1967 and 1968, he operated in Sipolilo (now Guruve) together with Modise, Abraham Nkiwane, Dumiso Dabengwa and others. In 1976, he was a delegate at the formation of the Patriotic Front in Maputo, Mozambique, with Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo, George Silundika, and Joseph Msika. In 1977, Cde Mphoko attended the OAU Adhoc Committee of Foreign Ministers in Luanda, Angola, with Cdes Msika and Silundika. In 1979, he attended the Lancaster House Peace Talks as a military delegate. In 1980, Cde Mphoko was appointed as a Special Envoy for Dr Joshua Nkomo to President Samora Machel of Mozambique, King Sobhuza II of Swaziland, Chief Leabuwa Jonathan of Lesotho, President Fidel Castro of Cuba, and Eric Honneker of the German Democratic Republic. He served in the sub-committee that designed the national flag of the new Republic of Zimbabwe. In 1981, Cde Mphoko worked in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare as Deputy Director for Demobilisation. In 1987, he was transferred to the diplomatic service, with junior stints in Mozambique as Liaison Officer, and in 1996, he was appointed Liaison Officer to Austria, also covering the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation. In 2002, he was appointed Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Botswana, before becoming Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation. Zvamaida Murwira and Remember Deketeke PRESIDENT Mnangagwa, who is also Chancellor of all State universities, yesterday capped 3 320 graduates from the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU), with the institution saying it will start producing bio-methane gas as part of its contribution to address the energy gap that has affected the country owing to the El [...] Patrick Chitumba, AFTER successfully hosting the inaugural SADC Regional Construction Summit, Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association (ZBCA) president, Dr Tinashe Manzungu, has revealed ambitious plans for the sector to establish itself as a major player in the region. This vision aligns with the industry’s broader objective of bolstering Zimbabwe’s economic growth and development. Zimbabwe’s construction [...] Ashley Phiri, DEPUTY Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology, and Bubi Member of Parliament, Simelisizwe Sibanda, has stressed the urgent need for collective action to address the ongoing HIV/Aids crisis. Speaking at the Matabeleland North World Aids Day commemorations, themed “Take the Rights Path — my health, my rights, our [...]

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NoneSYDNEY, Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IREN Limited (NASDAQ: IREN) (ACN 629 842 799) (“IREN”) today announced the closing of its offering of $440 million aggregate principal amount of 3.25% convertible senior notes due 2030 (the “notes”) in a private offering to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Key details of the transaction Oversubscribed and upsized from $300 million to $400 million, plus $40 million greenshoe Net proceeds of approximately $425.4 million 3.25% coupon, 30% conversion premium Capped call transactions entered into in connection with the notes are generally expected to provide a hedge upon conversions up to an initial cap price of $25.86 per share, which represents a 100% premium (as compared to the 30% conversion premium under the notes) Citigroup Global Markets Inc and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as joint bookrunners Oversubscribed and upsized In response to strong investor demand, IREN upsized the initial offering size of $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of notes to $400.0 million, and the initial purchasers fully exercised their option to purchase an additional $40.0 million aggregate principal amount of the notes. The notes were issued pursuant to, and are governed by, an indenture, dated as of December 6, 2024, between IREN and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee. Use of proceeds The net proceeds from the offering are approximately $425.4 million, after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts and commissions and IREN’s estimated offering expenses. IREN intends to use the net proceeds as follows: $44.4 million to fund the cost of the capped call transactions (described below) $73.7 million to fund the cost of the prepaid forward transaction (described below) General corporate purposes and working capital Capped call transactions In connection with the pricing of the notes and the exercise by the initial purchasers of their option to purchase additional notes, IREN entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with certain of the initial purchasers or their affiliates and certain other financial institutions (the “option counterparties”). The capped call transactions cover, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, the number of ordinary shares of IREN that initially underlie the notes. The cap price of the capped call transactions is initially $25.86 per share, which represents a premium of 100% over the last reported sale price of IREN’s ordinary shares of $12.93 per share on December 3, 2024, and is subject to certain adjustments under the terms of the capped call transactions. The capped call transactions are expected to generally reduce the potential dilution to IREN’s ordinary shares upon any conversion of the notes and/or offset any potential cash payments IREN is required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted notes, as the case may be, with such offset and/or reduction subject to a cap price. If, however, the market price per ordinary share of IREN, as measured under the terms of the capped call transactions, exceeds the cap price of the capped call transactions, there would nevertheless be dilution and/or there would not be an offset of such potential cash payments, in each case, to the extent that such market price exceeds the cap price of the capped call transactions. The capped call transactions will be solely cash settled unless certain conditions are satisfied. Prepaid forward transactions In connection with the pricing of the notes, IREN also entered into a prepaid forward share purchase transaction (the “prepaid forward transaction”) with one of the initial purchasers of the notes or its affiliate (the “forward counterparty”), pursuant to which IREN purchased approximately $73.7 million of its ordinary shares (based on the last reported sale price of IREN’s ordinary shares on the pricing date), for settlement shortly after the maturity date of the notes, subject to any early settlement, in whole or in part, of the prepaid forward transaction. The prepaid forward transaction will be solely cash settled unless certain conditions are satisfied. The prepaid forward transaction is generally intended to facilitate privately negotiated derivative transactions, including swaps, between the forward counterparty or its affiliates and investors in the notes relating to IREN’s ordinary shares by which investors in the notes will establish short positions relating to IREN’s ordinary shares and otherwise hedge their investments in the notes. As a result, the prepaid forward transaction is expected to allow the investors to establish short positions that generally correspond to (but may be greater than) commercially reasonable initial hedges of their investment in the notes. In the event of such greater initial hedges, investors may offset such greater portion by purchasing IREN’s ordinary shares on or shortly after the day IREN prices the notes. No registration The notes were only offered and sold to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The offer and sale of the notes and any of IREN’s ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or any other securities laws, and the notes and any such shares cannot be offered or sold except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any other applicable securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, the notes or any of IREN’s ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the notes, nor will there be any sale of the notes or any such shares, in any state or other jurisdiction (including the United States and Australia) in which such offer, sale or solicitation would be unlawful. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the completion of the offering and the expected amount and intended use of the net proceeds. Forward-looking statements represent IREN’s current expectations, beliefs, and projections regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown uncertainties, risks, assumptions and contingencies, many of which are outside IREN’s control and that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Among those risks and uncertainties are market conditions and risks relating to IREN’s business, including those described in periodic reports that IREN files from time to time with the SEC. IREN cannot provide any assurances regarding its ability to effectively apply the net proceeds after funding the cost of entering into the capped call transactions and financing the prepaid forward as described above. The forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and IREN does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements included in this press release for subsequent developments, except as may be required by law. For a further discussion of factors that could cause IREN’s future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in IREN’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended June 30, 2024 and other risks described in documents filed by IREN from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About IREN IREN is a leading data center business powering the future of Bitcoin, AI and beyond utilizing 100% renewable energy. Bitcoin Mining: providing security to the Bitcoin network, expanding to 50 EH/s in H1 2025. Operations since 2019. AI Cloud Services: providing cloud compute to AI customers, 1,896 NVIDIA H100 & H200 GPUs. Operations since 2024. Next-Generation Data Centers: 460MW of operating data centers, expanding to 810MW in H1 2025. Specifically designed and purpose-built infrastructure for high-performance and power-dense computing applications. Technology: technology stack for performance optimization of AI Cloud Services and Bitcoin Mining operations. Development Portfolio: 2,310MW of grid-connected power secured across North America, >2,000 acre property portfolio and additional development pipeline. 100% Renewable Energy (from clean or renewable energy sources or through the purchase of RECs): targets sites with low-cost & underutilized renewable energy, and supports electrical grids and local communities. Contacts

Anduril and Palantir to Accelerate AI Capabilities for National Security

NASA is set to evaluate advancements to a tool designed to , or Quesst, during supersonic flight. The agency said Thursday the new technology, a shock-sensing probe, will be instrumental in validating computer models and gaining critical insights into supersonic aircraft behavior. The test results will be used to evaluate the current state of supersonic flight and potentially develop a quieter aircraft. ‘Under the Hood’ of the X-59 Quesst Shock-Sensing Probe The cone-shaped air data probe is designed to capture the unique “sonic thumps” and gather precise pressure data generated by the X-59. Researchers at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California developed two versions of this shock-sensing probe. The near-field probe captures shock waves occurring near the X-59 while the mid-field probe measures those at altitudes between 5,000 to 20,000 feet below the research aircraft. The probes are equipped with five pressure ports, which enables them to sense small pressure changes, particularly the weak shock waves produced by the X-59. These pressure ports combine their data to determine local pressure, speed and airflow direction. During the test, an F-15B aircraft equipped with the probe will fly behind another F-15. The probe will measure the shock waves generated by the second aircraft during the supersonic flight. Additionally, the researchers enhanced the heating system to prevent fluctuations caused by changing conditions seen in previous designs. “A shock-sensing probe acts as the truth source, comparing the predicted data with the real-world measurements,” said Mike Frederick, NASA principal investigator. “The probe will meet the resolution and accuracy requirements from the Quesst mission.”Published 18:26 IST, November 30th 2024 The Ministry of Defence has signed a ₹1207.5 crore contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the Short Refit and Dry Docking (SRDD) of INS Vikramaditya. Kochi, India - The Ministry of Defence on November 30, 2024, inked a significant contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the Short Refit and Dry Docking (SRDD) of the Indian Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya. The ₹1207.5 crore project is set to bolster India’s naval capabilities, enhance the carrier’s combat readiness, and provide a substantial boost to the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives. Commissioned into the Indian Navy in November 2013, INS Vikramaditya is a crucial component of India’s maritime strength. The aircraft carrier will undergo essential maintenance and upgrades at Cochin Shipyard Limited, with the refit expected to significantly enhance its operational capabilities. Once completed, the carrier will rejoin the active fleet of the Indian Navy, better equipped to perform its strategic and tactical roles. Key Features and Historical Background of INS Vikramaditya Originally built as Baku in 1987 for the Soviet Navy, the vessel was later renamed Admiral Gorshkov and served the Russian Navy until its decommissioning in 1996. After extensive negotiations, India acquired the ship in 2004 and retrofitted it into a modern aircraft carrier, commissioning it as INS Vikramaditya in 2013. The carrier spans 284 meters in length, with a draught of 10 meters. It boasts the capacity to carry and operate MiG-29K fighter jets and various helicopters and is armed with advanced weapons systems, including anti-ship missiles, guided bombs, rockets, and air-to-air missiles. This refit project underscores Cochin Shipyard Limited’s emerging role as a Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) hub, a critical component in developing India’s defence industrial ecosystem. The project will engage around 50 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), generating employment for over 3,500 skilled personnel. It positions CSL as a leader in supporting naval modernization and self-reliance in defence technology. Boost to Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat The SRDD project aligns with the Government of India’s vision to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities in defence. By involving Indian industries and MSMEs, it reinforces the principles of self-reliance and innovation, key tenets of the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. As the flagship of the Indian Navy, INS Vikramaditya symbolizes India’s maritime prowess. This refit not only upgrades its combat potential but also marks a milestone in India's journey toward defence self-sufficiency. With Cochin Shipyard Limited at the helm, the project is expected to elevate the nation’s capability to maintain and modernize its fleet while creating significant economic and strategic opportunities. Updated 18:26 IST, November 30th 2024

GUJRANWALA: Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar categorically stated on Saturday that the events of May 9 are unpardonable and will not be compromised or forgiven due to ongoing negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). During a media interaction in Rahwali, Gujranwala, the minister stressed that overlooking PTI’s anti-state activities would be tantamount to opening the gates of jails (and releasing the culprits). Letting PTI’s anti-state activities go unpunished would render the country’s jails meaningless. While acknowledging the seriousness of the crimes, the government is negotiating with PTI to prioritize national stability. Criticizing PTI, he said the party was promoting an incomprehensible false narrative about military court convictions, often changing its stance with remarks like “Are we slaves?” He stressed the importance of adhering to the correct narrative and avoiding politicization of state affairs, particularly in matters of international relations. PTI often makes statements and then reverses its position. Tarar stated that 85 PTI activities responsible for the violence on May 9 were convicted by military courts following a thorough legal process. The evidence proving their involvement in the attacks on army installations was considered irrefutable. While the cases of the remaining individuals involved in sabotage activities were being processed in various anti-terrorism courts. Negotiations among political parties were crucial for addressing the country’s pressing issues. Referring to the ISPR DG’s recent press conference as comprehensive, Tarar stated that the DG addressed topics including the May 9 violence, the war on terrorism, and the military trials of miscreants. He noted that trying individuals who attack military installations in military courts is a common global practice. He stated that those convicted for the May 9 violence were given a fair trial, the right to appeal within military and high courts, access to case records, contact with their families, and were not tried in absentia. The Federal Information Minister explained that, just as drug cases are handled by Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) courts, terrorism cases by Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs), mega corruption cases by NAB and attacks on railway facilities by the Railway Police, attacks on military installations are prosecuted in military courts. He said the convictions were not rushed, taking two years to reach verdicts against the culprits. All were prosecuted in accordance with relevant laws, and stressed the need to prosecute the planners and masterminds behind the May 9 violence. He said that even the harshest opponents of government were acknowledging the economy was on the right track, exports were rising, foreign currency reserves were increasing, and the rupee was stable against the dollar. Tararacknowledged PTI’s role in the passage of the 26th Amendment, working together with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to have various clauses removed from the draft amendment package.Tiger Zeenat keeps Bengal’s Forest officials on their toes as she crosses three districts; attempt to tranquilise big cat fails

Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bullish stance on Verizon Communications . Looking at options history for Verizon Communications VZ we detected 9 trades. If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 44% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 33% with bearish. From the overall spotted trades, 6 are puts, for a total amount of $327,928 and 3, calls, for a total amount of $247,780. Projected Price Targets Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $34.0 to $47.0 for Verizon Communications over the last 3 months. Volume & Open Interest Trends Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Verizon Communications's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Verizon Communications's whale activity within a strike price range from $34.0 to $47.0 in the last 30 days. Verizon Communications Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview Noteworthy Options Activity: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume VZ CALL SWEEP BULLISH 07/18/25 $6.35 $6.3 $6.35 $34.00 $156.8K 467 248 VZ PUT SWEEP BEARISH 09/19/25 $8.3 $8.2 $8.3 $47.00 $100.4K 1.1K 122 VZ PUT SWEEP BEARISH 03/21/25 $3.15 $3.1 $3.15 $42.00 $81.2K 7.5K 258 VZ PUT TRADE BULLISH 06/20/25 $6.75 $6.35 $6.4 $45.00 $64.0K 1.9K 100 VZ CALL TRADE BULLISH 09/19/25 $3.55 $3.4 $3.5 $38.00 $52.5K 782 158 About Verizon Communications Wireless services account for about 70% of Verizon Communications' total service revenue and nearly all of its operating income. The firm serves about 93 million postpaid and 20 million prepaid phone customers via its nationwide network, making it the largest US wireless carrier. Fixed-line telecom operations include local networks in the Northeast, which reach about 30 million homes and businesses and serve about 8 million broadband customers. Verizon also provides telecom services nationwide to enterprise customers, often using a mixture of its own and other carriers' networks. Verizon agreed to acquire Frontier Communications in September 2024. Where Is Verizon Communications Standing Right Now? With a volume of 6,649,497, the price of VZ is down -0.25% at $39.86. RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be oversold. Next earnings are expected to be released in 28 days. What Analysts Are Saying About Verizon Communications 1 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $45.0. Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days? 20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. Click here for access .* An analyst from UBS persists with their Neutral rating on Verizon Communications, maintaining a target price of $45. Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Verizon Communications options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro . © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Authorities found Haddon, 76, dead in a second-floor bedroom on Friday morning after emergency dispatchers were notified about a person unconscious at the house in Solebury Township, Pennsylvania. A 76-year-old man police later identified as Walter J Blucas, of Erie, was hospitalised in critical condition. Responders detected a high level of carbon monoxide in the property and township police said on Saturday that investigators determined that “a faulty flue and exhaust pipe on a gas heating system caused the carbon monoxide leak”. Two medics were taken to a hospital for carbon monoxide exposure and a police officer was treated at the scene. As a model, Haddon appeared on the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Esquire in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1973 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She also appeared in about two dozen films from the 1970s to 1990s, according to IMDb, including 1994’s Bullets Over Broadway, starring John Cusack. Haddon left modelling after giving birth to her daughter, Ryan, in the mid-1970s, but then had to re-enter the workforce after her husband’s 1991 death. This time, she found the modelling industry far less friendly: “They said to me, ‘At 38, you’re not viable,'” Haddon told The New York Times in 2003. Working a menial job at an advertising agency, Haddon began reaching out to cosmetic companies, telling them there was a growing market to sell beauty products to aging baby boomers. She eventually landed a contract with Clairol, followed by Estee Lauder and then L’Oreal, for which she promoted the company’s anti-aging products for more than a decade. She also hosted beauty segments for CBS’s The Early Show. “I kept modelling, but in a different way,” she told The Times, “I became a spokesperson for my age.” In 2008, Haddon founded WomenOne, an organisation aimed at advancing educational opportunities for girls and women in marginalised communities, including Rwanda, Haiti and Jordan. Haddon was born in Toronto and began modelling as a teenager to pay for ballet classes – she began her career with the Canadian ballet company, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, according to her website. Haddon’s daughter, Ryan, said in a social media post that her mother was “everyone’s greatest champion. An inspiration to many”. “A pure heart. A rich inner life. Touching so many lives. A life well lived. Rest in Light, Mom,” she said.

U.S. Announces $725 Million Aid Package For Ukraine

Stock market today: Rising tech stocks pull Wall Street to another recordRichard Parsons, one of corporate America's most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, died Thursday. He was 76. Parsons, who died at his Manhattan home, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and cited "unanticipated complications" from the disease for cutting back on work a few years later. The financial services company Lazard, where Parsons was a longtime board member, confirmed his death. Parsons' friend Ronald Lauder told The New York Times that the cause of death was cancer. Parsons stepped down Dec. 3 from the boards of Lazard and Lauder's company, Estée Lauder, citing health reasons. He had been on Estée Lauder's board for 25 years. "Dick was an American original, a colossus bestriding the worlds of business, media, culture, philanthropy, and beyond," Ronald Lauder said in a statement on behalf of the Lauder family. David Zaslav, the CEO of Time Warner successor Warner Bros. Discovery, hailed Parsons as a "great mentor and friend" and a "tough and brilliant negotiator, always looking to create something where both sides win." "All who got a chance to work with him and know him saw that unusual combination of great leadership with integrity and kindness," Zaslav said, calling him "one of the great problem solvers this industry has ever seen." Parsons, a Brooklyn native who started college at 16, built a track record of steering big companies through tough times. He returned Citigroup to profitability after turmoil from the global financial crisis and helped restore Time Warner after its much-maligned acquisition by internet provider America Online. Parsons was named to the board of CBS in September 2018 but resigned a month later because of illness. Parsons said in a statement at the time that he was already dealing with multiple myeloma when he joined the board, but "unanticipated complications have created additional new challenges." He said his doctors advised him to cut back on his commitments to ensure recovery. "Dick's storied career embodied the finest traditions of American business leadership," Lazard said in a statement. The company, where Parsons was a board member from 2012 until this month, praised his "unmistakable intelligence and his irresistible warmth." "Dick was more than an iconic leader in Lazard's history — he was a testament to how wisdom, warmth, and unwavering judgment could shape not just companies, but people's lives," the company said. "His legacy lives on in the countless leaders he counseled, the institutions he renewed, and the doors he opened for others." Parsons was known as a skilled negotiator, a diplomat and a crisis manager. Although he was with Time Warner through its difficulties with AOL, he earned respect for the company and rebuilt its relations with Wall Street. He streamlined Time Warner's structure, pared debt and sold Warner Music Group and a book publishing division. He also fended off a challenge from activist investor Carl Icahn in 2006 to break up the company and helped Time Warner reach settlements with investors and regulators over questionable accounting practices at AOL. Parsons joined Time Warner as president in 1995 after serving as chairman and chief executive of Dime Bancorp Inc., one of the largest U.S. thrift institutions. In 2001, after AOL used its fortunes as the leading provider of Internet access in the U.S. to buy Time Warner for $106 billion in stock, Parsons became co-chief operating officer with AOL executive Robert Pittman. In that role, he was in charge of the company's content businesses, including movie studios and recorded music. He became CEO in 2002 with the retirement of Gerald Levin, one of the key architects of that merger. Parsons was named Time Warner chairman the following year, replacing AOL founder Steve Case, who had also championed the combination. The newly formed company's Internet division quickly became a drag on Time Warner. The promised synergies between traditional and new media never materialized. AOL began seeing a reduction in subscribers in 2002 as Americans replaced dial-up connections with broadband from cable TV and phone companies. Parsons stepped down as CEO in 2007 and as chairman in 2008. A year later AOL split from Time Warner and began trading as a separate company, following years of struggles to reinvent itself as a business focused on advertising and content. Time Warner is now owned by AT&T Inc. A board member of Citigroup and its predecessor, Citibank, since 1996, Parsons was named chairman in 2009 at a time of turmoil for the financial institution. Citigroup had suffered five straight quarters of losses and received $45 billion in government aid. Its board had been criticized for allowing the bank to invest so heavily in the risky housing market. Citigroup returned to profit under Parsons, starting in 2010, and would not have a quarterly loss again until the fourth quarter of 2017. Parsons retired from that job in 2012. In 2014 he stepped in as interim CEO of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers until Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took over later that year. "Dick Parsons was a brilliant and transformational leader and a giant of the media industry who led with integrity and never shied away from a challenge," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. Parsons, a Republican, previously worked as a lawyer for Nelson Rockefeller, a former Republican governor of New York, and in Gerald Ford's White House. Those early stints gave him grounding in politics and negotiations. He also was an economic adviser on President Barack Obama's transition team. Parsons, whose love of jazz led to co-owning a Harlem jazz club, also served as Chairman of the Apollo Theater and the Jazz Foundation of America. And he held positions on the boards of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Parsons played basketball at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his law degree from Albany Law School in 1971. He is survived by his wife, Laura, and their family.

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“One day, I receive a call from an unfamiliar number. “Hello, is this Dasho Dzongda?” I responded, “Yes, I am Dorji Dhradhul, Dzongda. May I ask who’s calling?” “Kuzuzangpola. I am Ms. Dagom, the person who supplied blankets and mattresses to the Bjishong school.” “Oh. Yes, I recall. I trust you have received your payment. I remember signing the cheque a few weeks ago.” To my astonishment, she responds,“Actually. No Dasho. That’s why I am reaching out to you. I was hoping you could assist me in receiving my payment.” I was taken aback and perplexed. I distinctly remember signing the check after being reminded by the same person. I concluded the conversation by promising her that the payment would be made by the latest, the next day. Subsequently, I contacted the accountant responsible for this. Unsure of what response I might receive, I questioned, “Kuchum. Was the payment for the blankets and mattresses supplied to Bjishong school not processed? I recall signing the check quite some time ago.” To my surprise, Kuchum responded, “No La. The cheque is still with me la. The supplier hasn’t come to collect it yet.” Stunned, I thought to myself, “This is ludicrous. Unbelievable.” On the verge of losing my patience, I firmly communicated to her, “How could you retain the cheque for such a lengthy period? She should have been notified as soon as the cheque was ready. You must remember, we are here to provide services. This implies we shouldn’t wait for our clients to claim these services. We need to be proactive. It’s absolutely acceptable to offer services even if they haven’t been requested. I want you to immediately contact the supplier and arrange the delivery of the cheque. This directive should also be shared with all other account personnel for strict adherence.” I acknowledge that it’s also the client’s responsibility to follow up. Thus, the client too shares part of the blame for not pursuing the matter...” – This is an excerpt from a chapter titled “Delayed Service, Service Denied” in my book, “Hercules of Tongchudrak...Learnings to unlearn and relearn to build a great Nation.” Many years ago, as part of a team from the Ministry of Timeliness, we arrived at a meeting venue half an hour early as instructed. However, our meeting started almost four hours late. We waited inefficiently without any updates on when our agenda would begin. In another instance, an organization lost my letter with original receipts and asked me to resubmit them weeks later. Similarly, after waiting weeks for a response to my application, I was told to submit additional documents, which I could have provided much earlier if informed. I experienced numerous times, when I had to send reminders for response to my submission or for appointments. Such situations of not respecting set schedules, losing documents, and overvaluing the service providers’ time over that of the clients can lead to frustration, unnecessary costs and opportunities lost to the service seekers. While I have no study to back up, I hear that these are some reasons pushing out our aspiring younger lots to other countries. In this article, I try to suggest that we could overcome these issues by becoming more sensitive to the idea that “Time” is precious to everyone. Respecting time as a valuable resource for everyone can make a significant difference in public service delivery. Timeliness in public service delivery means providing services within a reasonable time frame, without unnecessary delays. It involves responding promptly to the needs and requests of service seekers, processing applications and documents quickly, giving decisions or informing how long it will take for the decisions and delivering services and benefits in a timely manner. Despite its importance, timeliness is often overlooked or taken for granted in our public service delivery. Many times, service providers take their own time in responding the call of service seekers, assuming that the latter have the luxury of time. Unfortunately, the reality could be otherwise, meaning time could be many times more precious to the service seekers. This will be more serious, if the service seeker is an ordinary person from another dzongkhag. ? Timeliness is crucial for building trust and credibility between the service seekers and the service providers. When public services are delivered on time, it demonstrates that the governance is efficient, responsive, and reliable. Service seekers are more likely to trust and have confidence in a service provider that respects their time and promptly addresses their needs. We have heard of stories how individuals, organizations and even countries are being compared on the promptness of their services. Conversely, delays and inefficiencies can erode public trust and confidence, leading to dissatisfaction and frustration. Timely delivery of public services directly contributes to public satisfaction. Public expect prompt responses and swift resolution of their issues when they approach public service providers. When these expectations are met, it leads to higher levels of satisfaction and positive perceptions of public services. On the other hand, delays can lead to dissatisfaction, complaints, and negative perceptions, which can harm the reputation of public institutions. Delays in public service delivery can cause significant stress and inconvenience for citizens. For example, delays in processing applications for social services, loans, licenses, various approvals, recommendations can lead to increased social, emotional, health and financial burdens. By delivering services on time, public service providers can alleviate stress and reduce the inconvenience faced by citizens and significantly contribute in alleviating the GNH. y Timeliness is also linked to the overall efficiency and productivity of public service delivery. When services are delivered on time, it indicates that processes are well-organized, resources are effectively utilized, and staff are performing their duties efficiently. Timely delivery helps to streamline operations, reduce backlogs, and avoid the accumulation of pending work. This, in turn, enhances the overall productivity of public service institutions. Timely public service delivery plays a crucial role in promoting economic development. For instance, timely issuance of business licenses, permits, and approvals can facilitate business operations, attract investments, and stimulate economic growth. Delays in these processes can hinder business activities, discourage investments, and negatively impact the overall economic environment. We have made significant advancements in infrastructure, systems, institutions, and technology, comparable to anywhere else in the world. Our policies and strategies are up to date, geared towards improving public service delivery, including the timeliness of services. Key initiatives include: Simplified procedures and reduced administrative complexities, making public services more accessible. Operational online platforms for permits, licenses, and loans, reducing wait times and improving service efficiency. Continuous investment in training public service employees to ensure they are well-equipped to deliver services effectively. Establishment of clear turnaround times (TAT), performance targets, and accountability measures to ensure high standards of efficiency. Systems for better coordination and collaboration among agencies One-stop service center offering a range of services under one roof, reducing time and effort for citizens. Mechanisms for engaging citizens and gathering feedback to improve public services. Despite these advancements, service seekers more often than not remain dissatisfied, suggesting room for improvement. What is the missing link? Could it be one’s attitude and mindset? Time is precious to everyone. Embracing a culture of punctuality, responsiveness, mindfulness, while discarding habits of complacency, indifference, and procrastination will significantly elevate public service delivery. This immediate response demonstrates respect for the service seeker’s time and helps them to move forward without unnecessary delays.Will Elon kill Elmo? Panic grips public media over fears of DOGE cuts to $535m funding

Stocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The benchmark index’s 1.7% gain for the week erased most of its loss from last week. The Dow rose 1% as it nudged past its most recent high set last week, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. It's now within about 0.5% of its all-time high set last week. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 12.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 2.2% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.8% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 gained ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.2%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.7%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.7% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. All told, the S&P 500 rose 20.63 points to 5,969.34. The Dow climbed 426.16 points to 44,296.51, and the Nasdaq picked up 42.65 points to close at 2,406.67. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December.Presidency: Atiku, others should wait till 2031 – Akume

Benchmark indices on Wall Street pulled back from record high levels amidst caution around the upcoming inflation numbers and a fall in street darling Nvidia's shares. Share Market View All Nifty Gainers View All Company Value Change %Change The Dow Jones fell 250 points, continuing its underperformance to peers. The index has now declined in five out of the last six trading sessions. On the other hand, S&P 500 and Nasdaq retreated from their respective record high levels, declining 0.6% each. Nvidia shares fell over 3% after China opened a probe over suspicions that the chipmaker and currently the most valuable company in the world, broke anti-monopoly laws around a deal it made in 2020. Meantime, Chinese stocks that are listed in the US staged a sharp rally as top leaders in Beijing used their most direct language yet on providing monetary easing and boosting domestic consumption. The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index, which tracks the biggest Chinese stocks in the US, climbed nearly 10%, its strongest intraday gain since late September. Large-cap technology stocks including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and PDD Holdings Inc. rose more than 7% each in New York trading. Shares of Western companies with high revenue exposure in China also rallied. In the US, consumer names Estée Lauder Cos. and Amer Sports Inc. traded higher. In Europe, miners such as Rio Tinto Plc and luxury brands like LVMH led stock gains in the region’s equity benchmark. Data including Wednesday’s consumer price index will offer Fed officials a final look at the pricing environment ahead of their meeting the following week. Any indication that progress has stalled on the inflation front could well undercut the chances of a third straight reduction in rates. “This Wednesday’s inflation data may hold the key to the Fed’s next move,” said Jay Woods at Freedom Capital Markets. “So far results have been in line with economists’ expectations and haven’t scared the market. However, an upward surprise should raise eyebrows at the Fed and could put another rate cut on pause.” Treasury 10-year yields rose four basis points to 4.20%. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.1%. Oil climbed as China signaled bolder stimulus for next year, with traders also keeping an eye on developments in the Middle East. The S&P 500 will extend its record-setting rally to 7,100 by the end of next year amid a strong economy, according to Oppenheimer Asset Management, whose outlook is now the most bullish among peers. Fundamentals “suggest the current resilience of the economy and the stock market appear poised to continue into next year,” the firm’s Chief Investment Strategist John Stoltzfus wrote in a note. Citigroup Inc. strategists expect mid-single-digit gains for the S&P 500 in 2025 amid increasing volatility, fueled by a soft landing of the US economy, artificial intelligence and Donald Trump’s policy promises. Their base-case target is 6,500 points for the S&P 500. The upper scenario is set at 6,900 and lower at 5,100; both the bull- and bear-case scenarios “frame an expectation for increased volatility,” the strategists wrote. (With Inputs From Agencies.)ATLANTA — The U.S. government’s premier research body has made an important discovery that could help create new drugs to lower “bad” cholesterol, and hopefully prevent heart attacks and stroke. But the interesting part of that story isn’t just the discovery itself, but the technology responsible for it: a relatively new type of microscope that essentially froze LDL cholesterol molecules, allowing researchers for the first time to get a detailed view of the structure of LDL and find new ways to approach stopping LDL buildup into body. The technology, cryo-electron microscopy, allowed National Institutes of Health scientists to view how LDL accumulates in the blood. The microscope’s inventors won the Nobel Prize in 2017, and the tech promises breakthroughs of all kinds in science. Research with this tool is going to have serious health benefits, the NIH said, because it allowed them for the first time to see how “bad” cholesterol, known as low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol or LDL-C, builds up in the body, and causes heart attacks and strokes in people who have genetically high LDL cholesterol. That condition is known as familial hypercholesterolemia. The genetic disorder causes LDL (bad) cholesterol levels to spike and remain elevated. The condition begins at birth and can cause heart attacks at an early age, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The researchers hope the breakthrough will help scientists cure FH, which affects 1 in 250 Americans, and increases their likelihood of dying from coronary artery disease at a younger age. Presently, most people who have FH treat it by taking statins or other drugs. But until the NIH discovery in December, which allowed them to take a sort of freeze-frame photo of the molecule, the actual way in which LDL accumulated in the body wasn’t completely understood. The findings provide new insights that one day can lead to new types of drugs, said Dr. Alan Remaley , senior investigator in lipoprotein metabolism at the NIH. “Our findings provide a potential new strategy for increasing the ability of the LDL receptor for binding and removing LDL from the circulation,” Remaley explained. Dr. Aditi Das and Dr. MG Finn, both with Georgia Tech’s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, explained in an email that the technology represents a revolution in biology and biochemistry because it allows scientists to determine the structures of biological molecules in great detail. How molecules function is determined by their structures. “When we know their structures, we have a big clue as to how they work, how to fix them if they are defective, or how to stop them if they cause harm. Nature is the supreme molecular architect, and we need techniques like cryo-EM to see the details of what she builds,” Finn explained. Why LDL is bad The breakthrough came when the NIH was able to preserve the LDL’s structure, creating a sort of freeze-frame that literally trapped LDL in a form of ice that allowed it to be seen by an electron microscope. The images were sent to a computer algorithm that then built a 3D model of the molecule. Cryo-electron machines cost between $2 million and $3 million per device, and have become essential tools for modern biological and biomedical research, Finn said. Atlanta has two of them: one at Georgia Tech , the other at Emory . The fact that LDL cholesterol contributes to cardiovascular disease has been known for some time, but until the NIH finding, researchers couldn’t quite observe the process. LDL causes fatty deposits, known as plaque, to build up in the walls of arteries, which is a major cause of heart disease. LDL’s purpose isn’t entirely harmful: it’s job is to transport cholesterol to cells for energy, repair or hormone production. But excess LDL is harmful, and the liver produces too much LDL when we eat unhealthy fats (like saturated and trans fats), which contributes to cardiovascular risk. Excess LDL in the bloodstream can get stuck in the arteries, triggering inflammation and narrowing the blood vessels. Over time, this plaque buildup can reduce blood flow or rupture, forming clots that block blood supply to the heart or brain, leading to heart attacks or strokes. Saturated fats are found naturally in animal products (like butter, cheese, fatty meats) and some tropical oils (like coconut and palm oils). Overeating foods high in saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol. Trans fats are found in margarine, shortening, baked goods and fried foods. They raise LDL cholesterol significantly while lowering HDL (good) cholesterol, making them much more harmful, according to the American Heart Association. For heart health, it’s best to replace these fats with unsaturated options like those found in fish, nuts, seeds, avocados and plant-based oils, said Dr. Danny J. Eapen, of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital and Emory University School of Medicine. Olive oil can also help lower cholesterol, especially when it replaces harmful fats such as butter and margarine, Eapen said. ©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Cubs' top 5 offseason questions: How does Cody Bellinger fit? And which free-agent pitchers will Chicago target?

Bucks snap a 2-game skid with a 118-113 victory over the Nets

Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78

“It’s a Saffron Tsunami,” political experts across TV channels on the day the Assembly election votes were being counted erupted. After the voting across Maharashtra for the 2024 Assembly elections wrapped up on November 20, all eyes were on the counting day November 23 on which the results were to be realised. True to our ground report titled “Development vs appeasement reset the electoral equations”, the Maharashtra voters not only ‘did not disappoint’ but in fact ‘overwhelmed the ruling dispensation’ with their overt support. Six months is a long period for any political buildup. If the BJP led NDA had suffered a serious setback in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, the comeback in the Assembly elections has been just as forceful and stunning. The consolidation of the OBC vote and pro-Hindutva vote has acted as a force multiplier. Several Islamic organisations have given open calls to Muslim voters to back Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates in any constituency. The MVA – a disparate coalition comprising the Congress party, Sharad Pawar faction of NCP, and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena – on the other hand, was attempting to divide the Hindu votes along caste lines. The Organiser had reported that poll-bound Maharashtra was witnessing an intriguing voter sentiment akin to a wave as the date of the forthcoming Assembly polls neared. A call for Hindus to not be divided by castes or communities phrased as “Batenge Toh Katenge” – loosely translated as: “If divided, we perish” by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and another by Prime Minister Narendra Modi phrased as “Ek Hai oh Safe Hai” – translated as “We are safer when we are united as one” seemed to be gaining resonance among voters. This call for Hindu votes to come together in the Assembly election campaigns in Maharashtra and Jharkhand found resonance in the former state despite the fact that the UP CM had first voiced it during a campaign rally in the latter. The results on counting day stunned all. The Mahayuti (MY) alliance grabbed the largest portion of the pie. The BJP won 132, the Shiv Sena (under chief minister Eknath Shinde) won 57, the Ajit Pawar led NCP got 41. The MVA fared rather poorly, with only 20 seats to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, a mere 16 to the Congress party, and a very poor 10 to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Samajwadi Party took two, and the remaining 10 went to independents and others. The voters in Maharashtra have not shown this extreme leaning earlier. This result reflects the BJP’s best show in the state assembly polls yet and the worst on the Congress party’s electoral history in the most prosperous state of India. Do the results reflect the consolidation of the Hindu vote to counter the Vote Jihad by Muslim leaders? Irfan Ali Pirzade, member of Maharashtra’s interfaith committee and the national convenor of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Muslim Rashtriya Manch, says the Muslim vote has never shifted to the BJP. It has stayed behind either the Congress or any other party save for the BJP. According to Pirzade, even the Ladki Bahin (cash transfer scheme for women) scheme that brought financial benefits to all women (Hindu, Muslim, or otherwise) has cut no ice with women from the Muslim community. He blames the extremist ideology of certain Muslim leaders, such as Sajjad Nomani, who declared punitive action against those Muslims who did not vote for the MVA and benefited the MY instead. Pirzade says Nomani’s apology after the poll results is worthless as “Boond se gayee Haud se nahin aati!” – meaning you cannot reclaim respect after losing it once – an inference drawn from an anecdote pertaining to the fabled exchanges between the Mughal Emperor Akbar and his trusted aide Birbal. “They took all the financial benefits, but did not vote for the Mahayuti,” said Pirzade, referring to Muslim women. Then what worked? “People saw how hollow the Congress claims about the Constitution of India being in peril were. People were also satisfied with the way the MY government delivered on the work front in the last two and a half years. Apart from that, the disillusionment with the Maratha reservation leader Manoj Jarange helped draw attention to the fact that neither the MVA nor the MY had anything on the issue in their poll manifesto. That means, all the poll planks that the Congress and MVA had utilised to garner votes in the Lok Sabha polls were now redundant,” Pirzade told the Organiser. Varun Singh, a senior journalist who covers Maharashtra politics, highlights that while in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP struggled to counter the narrative of threat to the constitution and the pompous declaration of agenda to win “400 paar” seats, in the Maharashtra Assembly elections the same year, the partners in the MY coalition avoided making any controversial claims. “They showed cohesion, no infighting or friction within. The MVA meanwhile seemed to be struggling to keep their flock together. Also, the Congress could not gain women voters’ confidence despite declaring a more financially alluring Mahalakshmi Yojana to beat the Ladki Baheen scheme of MY as the forms and promises to similar effect made in the Lok Sabha polls had turned out to be duds,” Varun Singh said. Varun Singh also credits the local leadership of the BJP and its workers, along with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers who went from home to home weeks before the election to ensure that voters’ names did not go missing from voter lists. Anomalies found were put on a remedial path quickly. On polling day, Hindu voters, as well as the MahaYuti members, ensured the maximum number of voters came out in time to vote. The lack of lethargy and refusal to submit to complacency helped, says Varun Singh. Senior journalist Dinesh Gune calls this consolidation of the Hindu vote as the “Hindu Guilt Vote”. So much changed in Maharashtra post 2024 General Elections to Assembly elections. “People of Maharashtra remembered that the shortfall of Lok Sabha seats from Maharashtra had cost Prime Minister Modi’s BJP the absolute majority that could have strengthened his hands in getting key bills or legislations passed. People recalled his crest-fallen face on June 4 when India’s Parliamentary votes were counted. They felt rather guilty for the BJP-led NDA just about scraping through. The Assembly polls for the people of Maharashtra were an opportunity to right that wrong, to reward Deputy Chief Minister (and former Chief Minister) Devendra Fadnavis for their good work,” says Dunesh Gune. To understand what Gune says, we must look at the Lok Sabha polls results. The Maharashtra Lok Sabha numbers in 2024 Parliamentary polls compared to the previous one had shocked the BJP supporters. In Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress won 13, the BJP a mere 9, the Uddhav Thackeray Shiv Sena won 8, and the BJP’s ally Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena won 7, and NCP 1. This was quite a fall for the BJP, which was hoping to better its previous LS poll tally of 28 and ally SS tally of 15 (a sum of 43 out of 48 in the NDA kitty). That is how the Maharashtra Assembly votes were overwhelmingly in the BJP’s favour, with 132 seats in the 288-member assembly to the BJP and 57 plus 41 to its alliance partners. That makes it 230 in all, well past the two-third majority. Jharkhand, meanwhile, had no such correction to make. Chief Minister Hemant Soren-led JMM steered the INDI bloc to victory with 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly, returning its incumbent state assembly government to power. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Jharkhand did not give any broken heart moments to the BJP-led NDA as it got 9 seats and the I.N.D.I Alliance got 5. This was not too much of a deviation from the 2019 Lok Sabha polls where the NDA had 12 and the UPA (Congress-led coalition) had won 2. This election saw the near decimation of the poll prospects of the electoral fortunes of parties led by patriarchs through prolonged or dynastic politics. Uddhav Thackeray had shown reluctance to allow the democratic nomination to party leadership and had clutched onto the helm of the Shiv Sena established by his late father, Balasaheb Thackeray. His son, Aaditya Thackeray, who has been elected to the Worli Assembly seat in this election, is the third generation of the Thackerays in politics, if not in the legislature. But the drubbing that the UBT Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction makes one wonder if it sounds the death knell for dynastic politics, at least in Maharashtra. Mrinalini Naniwadekar, Associate Editor, Sakal, says that to say so would be erroneous. “At least 73 of the 288 elected legislators in the Maharashtra Assembly 2024 are in some way or the other an extension of the political mileage that they have inherited by virtue of their family’s political legacy,” Naniwadekar says. She added that the thumping majority that the Maha Yuti got is due to the sentiment among the people that they had misjudged the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and the active campaigning by party workers as well as right wing organisations who refused to fall for over-assumptions and realised the importance of strategic voting. “That ensured the churning of the voters who turned up at polling booths and voted,” she said. As we go to press, serious fissures are showing up in the forcibly stitched-up alliance of the MVA. The Congress’s “overconfidence” in Maharashtra and its “attitude” during seat-sharing talks hurt Maha Vikas Aghadi’s prospects, a senior leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) said about the embarrassing and disheartening rout. Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi should have projected Uddhav Thackeray as its Chief Minister face. On the other hand, the Maha Yuti seems to be progressing towards the swearing in of the next government. Outgoing Chief Minister and leader of the Shiv Sena, Eknath Shinde, on Wednesday, stepped back and said he would accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision on the Chief Minister post – Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis being a strong contender for the top post.

Biden's broken promise on pardoning his son Hunter is raising new questions about his legacy WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and pardon his son Hunter wasn't all that surprising to those who are familiar with the president's devotion to his family. But by choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old president has raised new questions about his legacy. Biden has held himself up as placing his respect for the American judicial system and rule of law over his own personal concerns. It was part of an effort to draw a deliberate contrast with Republican Donald Trump. Now, both his broken promise and his act of clemency are a political lightning rod.

Student’s human rights complaint against Okanagan school district can proceed

New documentary on Christa McAuliffe explores the ‘power of ordinary people achieving extraordinary things’With each team coming off a come-from-behind win, West Virginia and North Carolina Central square off Tuesday night in Morgantown, W.Va. West Virginia (6-2) has won two straight games and is in the midst of a 16-day, four-game homestand that kicked off with a 73-60 win over Georgetown in the Big 12-Big East Battle on Friday night. North Carolina Central (4-7) comes off a 78-77 road win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday night. Javon Small led the Mountaineers with a game-high 26 points against Georgetown as they overcame a second-half deficit with a decisive run. "The way we played in the second half (against Georgetown), I'll take that team everywhere," West Virginia coach Darian DeVries said. "You have to be able to do that every single night, every single possession you don't always get to go on a 16-0 run to pull you out of it. That's where we are still growing as a team." Eduardo Andre was questionable for the Georgetown game after he missed the Mountaineers' 83-76 overtime win against Arizona on Nov. 29. But the fifth-year senior center returned with four points, three rebounds and four blocks. "It was good to have him back in the lineup for a reason," DeVries said. "That presence, especially defensively and the ability to block shots, that's a huge deal for us." Against Gardner-Webb, Po'Boigh King led NCCU with 28 points, well above his 17.4 points per game average, as the Eagles rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to win on a late 3-pointer from Isaac Parson. On offense, the Eagles take care of the ball. They are seventh in the nation in turnover margin at plus-7.5 per game. They seek extra possessions on defense and are second nationally with 18.9 turnovers forced per game "We're good enough, we just need to fine tune some things," NCCU coach LeVelle Moton said. "We've got to cross some T's, dot some I's and close. We can't be a really good basketball team until we get the mindset that when winning time presents itself in the last five minutes, (the other team) has to earn it." --Field Level MediaINTERNATIONAL TASTE A culinary student of the Joji Ilagan International School of Hotel and Tourism Management prepares a dish of French-Western fusion, introducing him to international cuisine. —PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOJI ILAGAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HOTEL AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT DAVAO CITY—For businesswoman Joji Ilagan-Bian, running a family business is not just about money. For a business to thrive and last beyond its time, there has to be fulfillment for those who work and devote their time and energy in it. “At the end of the day, if [money] is the only goal you have, I don’t think that’s going to last,” she said. “For a family business, fulfillment has to be there; and what I’m saying is the internal fulfillment, something that is not measured by money.” From the four-classroom school known as the Joji Ilagan Career Center (JICC) that she started in 1982, offering short courses for the youth, her company has grown into a network of international schools and a business process outsourcing (BPO) and call center. These are now under the Joji Ilagan Bian (JIB) Group run by her son and daughters. But the company’s core values remain. Bian instilled in her children, and also in people who worked with her, the passion for their work and the pride to be the best of what they can be. “If you work with me, it could not just be half-hearted. There has to be passion in your work because it is this business that will provide them better opportunities in life,” she said. As a young teacher in the early 1980s, Bian was looking around Davao and discovered quite a number of youth who wanted to be financially independent early in life. But everyone’s focus then was on acquiring college education, then thought of as the main yardstick for measuring one’s competence and ability to go through a professional career. That was when she realized there was a room for an educational institution that offers short courses for those who couldn’t go to college but who wanted to earn good so they could pursue their own dreams and that of their families. That was also the time when technical and vocational courses were yet looked down as merely for those who do not have the acumen for or could not afford college education. “I was thinking I should restore respect and dignity to short-term courses. It’s part of a lifelong learning,” Bian said. So she ensured that the short courses offered by JICC were top of the line even as she nurtured among her employees and students passion for excellence and pride in their work. “One of the core values that I put in my school is pride,” she said. “Pride not only among people who work for me but more importantly, [among] the students. They have to have that pride in themselves so that they remain confident in themselves, they’re able to talk well, communicate well, and that is the signature of JIB students even today.” As a result, JIB graduates have become top choices among fast-growing hospitality and tourism industry players here and in other parts of the country. They were immediately hired by restaurants, hotels and resorts as JICC started earning its reputation for quality and excellence that continued up to this day. “We have the best graduates until today because what makes our training program’s curriculum and methodology [the best] is the inclusion of personality development and communication skills,” Bian said. Aside from passion for their work, the company nurtures the value of respect, honesty and integrity. “We listen, we argue, we fight in [the process of] making decisions, but at the end of the day, there is to be respect for each other,” she said. “Integrity is very important. Honesty is very important in everything that we do for us to grow, and integrity has a place not only at the business table but also in our family relationship,” Bian said. She also cited the need to develop the sense of dynamism to make the business responsive to change and new challenges. “Everything changes very fast, even without technology and social media before, the best marketing was through word of mouth and we easily took advantage of that because of our dynamism.” Bian considers it the death of family enterprises when old people stop to be dynamic and when people continue to stick to old solutions to new problems. But in the company that she founded, the young people at the helm are allowed to make mistakes and learn from these. Joji Ilagan Bian So, from the four-classroom school when it started, what is now the Joji Ilagan Career Center Foundation Inc. has grown into the Joji Ilagan Bian (JIB) International Schools, a network of learning centers in Davao City and General Santos City, and a call center. As Bian gradually retreats, the new generation takes the helm of the family business. About 90 percent of the business had been turned over to the new generation, Bian said, with daughter Nicole, now the chief executive officer of JIB International Schools, while son Michael runs Six Eleven Global Services Inc., which this year was cited as the fastest-growing Davao-based IT company and one with the best employee engagement. The award was given during the recent Innovation Summit organized by the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. and ICT Davao. “These accolades reflect not only our rapid growth but also our unwavering commitment to excellence in everything we do,” said Michael, CEO of Six Eleven. For him, every business aims to be profitable, but “true, sustainable profit is built on a foundation of strong ethical principles—understanding what is right and wrong.” “These core values guide our decision-making and shape how we engage with our partners, employees and customers,” he added. By adhering to these principles, the company ensures that their success is not only measured by financial performance but also by the positive impact on those they work with. “Our values help us foster meaningful relationships, prioritize integrity in all our dealings and create an environment where both employees and customers are valued and cared for. This commitment to doing what is right drives us to succeed, not just for the bottom line but for the long-term well-being of everyone involved,” he said. Six Eleven started at the time when the call center industry was just emerging, and the JIB Group offered specialized training courses to prepare individuals for careers in the sector. But there were few local call centers in Davao City, so most of the JIB graduates had to relocate to Cebu or Metro Manila in search of jobs. Michael founded Six Eleven to address this gap so that trained graduates no longer had to leave their home region, but could now find rewarding careers right in Mindanao. “Our journey began with just 20 graduates, who made up the first batch of agents hired by Six Eleven. Since then, we’ve experienced tremendous growth. Today, we proudly employ over 5,000 call center agents and BPO professionals, working with top-tier, internationally recognized companies,” Michael said. Now, his company is the largest independently owned and locally operated BPO company in Mindanao. Michael said there were moments when they were tempted to prioritize rapid growth over their mission and vision. “While this approach might offer short-term advantages, we recognize that it’s not a path that leads to long-term success,” he said. “We believe that true sustainable growth requires us to look beyond immediate gains and focus on building a solid foundation and [the] infrastructure that will support us for the long haul. By staying true to our core values and long-term objectives, we ensure that our growth is not just fast, but also lasting and meaningful towards the community,” he added. These principles, according to Michael, could be behind the recognition that the relatively young company had been getting. Bian observed the changes her children had initiated in running their family businesses, which reflected on how the core values remain even as the company navigates the digital age. “A lot has changed [in the business] after my children took over,” she said, particularly citing the organizational setup. “Before, the structure used to be authoritarian with the boss on top [and] the people below. But things have changed,” she said. “They initiated change, they created teams, they reorganized the whole way of doing business. When they started, they looked at the people, studied the organization charts and combined functions.” 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 . “During my time, the office had walls. Every time you needed me, you had to knock. But in the digital era, offices no longer have walls. Now, you see open spaces, everyone is connected to each other seamlessly, no longer as compartmentalized as before. Then, if you’re the top, you’re the top; if your work is B, you’re B.” INQ

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State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, protests outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, ahead of a hearing in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood seeking to overturn the state's TRAP laws (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent). On the eve of a Wednesday hearing seeking to strike down most Missouri abortion restrictions, GOP lawmakers and anti-abortion activists assembled outside five Planned Parenthood clinics around the state to call on the courts to leave abortion regulations in place. At the same time, Republican lawmakers have begun filing some of their first pieces of legislation aimed at weakening or overturning Amendment 3, which was narrowly approved by voters last month and enshrines the right to reproductive health care in the state constitution. The constitutional amendment, which received 51.6% of the nearly 3 million votes cast, goes into effect Thursday. It prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures. Already, at least 11 lawmaker-proposed amendments have been prefiled seeking to reverse Amendment 3 through another vote of the people. One such bill, filed by Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, would ask voters to ban gender-affirming surgeries for minors and all abortions with exceptions for medical emergencies and rape. “Missouri families deserve clarity and compassion in our laws when it comes to protecting women and safeguarding innocent life like our children from danger,” Coleman said in a statement Tuesday. “These constitutional amendments align with the beliefs of the majority of Missourians when it comes to supporting the dignity and value of all life.” State Rep. Justin Sparks, a Wildwood Republican, is proposing his own version of a repeal amendment. He said he was inspired to take action by Amendment 3’s close margin of victory. Sparks’ proposed constitutional amendment would define a “person” as “every human being with a unique DNA code regardless of age, including every in utero human child at every stage of biological development from the moment of conception until birth.” State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, filed a proposed amendment similar to Coleman’s, but one that also included abortion exceptions for fetal anomalies. It would limit abortions in the cases of rape or incest to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and only if the victim filed a police report. Such requirements have been widely-criticized in other states, with victim advocates calling such reporting requirements harmful to survivors. But on Tuesday, standing outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City with other anti-abortion activists, Brattin said his immediate focus was appealing to the courts to uphold the state’s current “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws, which previously made it all but impossible for doctors to provide abortions in Missouri. The laws, enacted over the last several years by the legislature, include a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion, mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions and requirements that providers report all abortions to the state. “That’s going to be first and foremost, making sure that if they’re operating, they’re operating at the highest level of standard of care,” Brattin said. ‘Care delayed and care denied’: Doctor recalls 30 months under Missouri abortion ban Less than 24 hours after Amendment 3 was approved by voters, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers announced a lawsuit seeking to strike down several of these TRAP laws . The first hearing in the case is set to take place Wednesday afternoon in Jackson County. The Missouri Secretary of State’s office filed a motion requesting the proceedings be moved to Cole County. Earlier this year, a Cole County judge struck Amendment 3 from the ballot, a decision that was quickly overridden by the Missouri Court of Appeals. Planned Parenthood leadership has said they hope a quick decision from the judge will allow them to start performing abortions at three health centers across the state — Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City — as soon as the new amendment goes into effect. “Abortion is safe and a very common healthcare procedure,” Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates the St. Louis clinics, said in a statement Tuesday. “We know that Missourians across the political spectrum support access to this life-saving care, but anti-abortion extremists are again resorting to false, tired, and previously litigated scare tactics, trying to subvert the will of the people and keep abortion banned.” A 2018 study by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that abortion complications are rare, and complications during childbirth remain more common . Outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis’ Central West End, Brian Westbrook, executive director of Coalition Life, called for the TRAP laws to remain in place “to make sure that women do not go into a place like this and leave in an ambulance headed to the hospital.” “We stand here today with real, clear evidence that Planned Parenthood is not safe for women and requires serious oversight and inspections, not immunity,” he said. Westbrook also referenced a 2018 health inspection report that determined equipment in the Columbia clinic included tubing that contained “black mold and bodily fluid.” Planned Parenthood officials later said the equipment had been replaced and the issue resolved. The Columbia health center ended the procedure in fall 2018 when it could no longer meet a state requirement that doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges at a hospital no more than 15 minutes from the clinic and the clinic’s license expired. After that, until the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022, only one Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri, located in St. Louis, continued to perform abortions. The St. Louis clinic temporarily lost its licensure as well until May 2020, when then- Missouri Administrative Hearing Commissioner Sreenivasa Rao Dandamudi ruled that the state health department had to re-issue the license . “​​Planned Parenthood has demonstrated that it provides safe and legal abortion care,” Dandamudi’s ruling concluded. “In over 4,000 abortions provided since 2018, the Department has only identified two causes to deny its license.” Westbrook ended Tuesday’s press conference saying he is hopeful the Trump administration will enforce the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans the mailing of obscene material, including medications used for abortion. He also said he supports Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s efforts to hold Planned Parenthood accountable. The Missouri Attorney General’s office recently posed a court challenge to the Planned Parenthood suit. The latest lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Cole County, questions Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ ability to sue, claiming a 2010 settlement agreement prevents them from doing so. Bailey, in a recent official opinion from his office , argued that while Missouri statutes prohibiting abortion prior to fetal viability will no longer be enforceable in their entirety, the state can still enforce other laws on the books related to abortion. “In a contest where the ‘yes’ side was able in effect to rewrite the ballot summary language, received tens of millions of dollars in funding from out of state, and outspent the ‘no’ side 6 to 0,” Bailey wrote, “This tight margin suggests the result may be very different if a future constitutional amendment is put up for a vote.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLENone

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Apple’s Vision Pro shipments doubled in Q3, AR glasses set to grow in 2025The claim: Image shows Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing anti-Trump T-shirt A Nov. 19 Threads post ( direct link , archive link ) appears to show actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing a T-shirt mocking President-elect Donald Trump. “I didn’t vote for the McFelon," reads the message on the shirt, which also shows the McDonald’s golden arches logo beneath a graphic of Trump’s trademark hairstyle. The post received more than 100 likes in three days. A similar post on Threads received thousands of likes before it was deleted. The image was also shared thousands of times on X, formerly Twitter . More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: Altered The image was digitally edited to add the anti-Trump message on Schwarzenegger’s shirt. Schwarzenegger's shirt blank in original image Schwarzenegger, a Republican, served as California's governor from 2003 to 2011 but supported Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for president in the 2024 election. He did not, however, pose while wearing a T-shirt with an anti-Trump slogan. The image in the Threads post was digitally altered to make it appear as if he did. Fact check : 'Hitler Did Nothing Wrong' message edited onto Laura Loomer's photo Schwarzenegger posted the original image to Instagram on March 16. It shows him wearing a blank T-shirt and smiling as he poses alongside fellow bodybuilder Phil Heath in a gym. The background and the expression on the former governor’s face match those in the version shared to Threads. Heath is cropped out of the altered version of the image. The slogan edited onto the T-shirt references Trump’s much-publicized love of fast food along with his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to an adult film actress before the 2016 presidential election. His sentencing in that case, most recently scheduled for Nov. 26 , was postponed indefinitely on Nov. 22. Schwarzenegger gave Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, his endorsement in the presidential race, writing in an Oct. 30 X post "I will always be an American before I am a Republican." USA TODAY previously debunked similar images of political messages being edited onto clothing worn by public figures including musicians Taylor Swift and Kid Rock and former First Lady Michelle Obama . USA TODAY reached out to multiple social media users who shared the image but did not immediately receive any responses. Check Your Fact 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 .

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Every Black Friday, there’s a number of viral products that everyone has on their Christmas wish list, and we don’t expect this year to be any different. However, not all of these popular items are going to stay in stock, and we have some insight on the ones that won’t. Black Friday is big business, and last year shoppers spent $222.1 billion during the entire holiday shopping season, according to Queue-it. Sales on Black Friday reached $16.4 billion (online and in stores), and this was a 9% increase from the year before. While it comes as no surprise that electronics are the most sought-after products of the holiday season, Queue-it said this accounts for the majority of holiday sales, jumping to $50.8 billion in 2023. Apparel, furniture, groceries and toys are the other hot sellers of Black Friday. Together, these five categories accounted for 65% of sales during the holidays last year and is only expected to grow in 2024. While many items that sell out over Black Friday are driven by a good deal, we also know that a hot product is just that — a gift that most people want to open on Christmas Day. So, here are our picks for the top 10 hot-ticket items that could sell out over Black Friday. Samsung 98-inch QLED TV The holidays are ripe for TV deals, and we expect shoppers to buy a ton of them in 2024, especially at Walmart. Consumers are trending toward bigger TVs and the super low-price deals over Black Friday force many models to sell out. This is especially true of popular models from Samsung, Hisense, LG and more favorites. Apple Watch Series 9 Apple's smartwatches are a top pick among Apple fans. We’ve seen prices on the Apple Watch continue to trend downward, which was only spurred by the release of the new Apple Watch 10 in September. This pushed down prices on earlier models, with the best deals coming on the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch 9. For Black Friday, we think the prices will drop even lower and sell out due to high demand. Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones are one of the most popular products of 2024, and Beats are one of the top brands. We’re already seeing big markdowns on Beats Wireless Headphones, and we expect these price drops to continue into Black Friday. The Beats Solo3 is likely to be on sale for even cheaper than we’ve already seen, and we think they will sell out for Black Friday, with the possibility of other popular Beats headphones joining them. Apple AirPods (3rd gen) If you haven’t picked up a pair of Apple AirPods yet, this could be your year to do it. With Apple launching a fourth generation of AirPods earlier this year, the price on prevvious models are creeping lower. We think over Black Friday they’ll be at their cheapest price ever, with the AirPods (3rd Gen) likely to sell out. JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth speakers are a must-have for many this year, and with the big sound that comes from JBL’s speakers, it’s easy to see why they might sell out for Black Friday. These popular speakers come in a variety of portable sizes and waterproof designs. We expect big deals on JBL’s top-rated Clip 5 and Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker models. Apple iPad (10th Gen) One of Apple’s most sought-after products of the year was the iPad, and we saw the 9th Gen and 10th Gen models drop to their lowest prices ever. We think this year will bring some iPad bliss with even better discounts, but these deals will disappear just as fast as they arrive. We think that mega discounts on the iPad (9th Gen) and iPad (10th Gen) could cause sell outs, especially on Amazon. Dyson Airwrap The Dyson Airwrap just might be the top product of Black Friday, as this is one of the rare times there’s a discount on the beloved hair styling tool. At $600, the Airwrap carries a hefty price tag, so any discount presented is a welcome surprise. But as we’ve seen in the past, any Black Friday deal on the Dyson Airwrap causes a crush of interest that’s followed by a sell out. Ugg Tasman slippers If you’ve tried to scoop up the UGG Tasman Slippers in previous years, you already know they never stay in stock for long. As the “it” slipper of the holiday season, UGG’s Tasman sells out multiple times over the holidays, even without a discount offered. We think that this year will be similar, with popular sizes and colors of the Tasman Slipper snatched up fast over Black Friday. Bissell Little Green The Bissell Little Green carpet cleaner is a popular home product that just can’t seem to stay in stock. With prices falling under $90, this mighty machine can be a blessing for pet owners and parents, as its compact size makes it easy to store and use when needed. We’ve seen the Little Green Machine sell out before, and we’d be surprised if it didn’t do it again over Black Friday. Furby Galaxy Edition We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a top toy that we think will be hard to find and gift this year. Our pick is the Furby Galaxy Edition. This glow-in-the-dark Furby is based on the original Furby from the late ’90s with even more features, interactive modes and more fun. Making a comeback in 2023, we saw the revival of this popular toy sell out last year, and we expect the new Furby Galaxy Edition to do the same. For the holidays: Get inspiring home and gift ideas – sign up now!On Friday, December 6, Netflix debuted , a holiday special hosted by the “Espresso” singer with other beloved musical stars as her guests. “The holidays have always been so special to me,” Carpenter in a statement when the show was announced. “I am excited to bring my take to a classic holiday variety show—infusing my love of music and comedy to make something that is uniquely me.” Throughout the special, Carpenter performed songs from her 2023 holiday EP “Fruitcake,” including “A Nonsense Christmas.” Guests included Chappell Roan, Tyla, Shania Twain, and Kali Uchis. Tyla and Carpenter dueted on “This Christmas,” while Twain and Carpenter sang “Santa Baby,” before she and Uchis took on “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” Roan and Carpenter also sang “Last Christmas” on the Short N’ Sweet Tour singer’s disheveled set. Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter’s full performance of ‘Last Christmas’! 🤍 — “A Nonsense Christmas” is available now only on Netflix. — best of chappell roan (@bestofchappell) The show included a number of comedic bits as well, with guests like star Quinta Brunson, actor Nico Hiraga, and model Cara Delevingne. “There are comedy specials, and there are musical specials, and there are holiday specials. But who does musical comedy holiday specials? A lot of people,” Carpenter joked as she sang “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” adding, “But do those specials have celebrity guests? Yes, they do! Everyone with a musical comedy holiday special does them with celebrity guests, and this is one of those.” Fans reacted with excitement on social media, pointing out their favorite moments from the special, especially in regards to Carpenter’s old-fashioned glamour. Many of her outfits seemed to pay tribute to classic performers and traditional light-hearted Christmas specials of the past—with a modern twist, of course. actually so proud of sabrina it’s not even funny anymore like i remember back when her music videos would play during ad breaks on disney channel and now she’s one of the most famous pop stars with her own netflix special and sold out global arena tour — ale (@sw1ftianity) finished a nonsense christmas and i think sabrina should be allowed to have a christmas special every year — alex7 🎄 wesliz enthusiast (@percyseas) not letting y’all sleep on that kali x sabrina duet, i’m sorry it’s just too good! — ri ☽ 💋 (@dearrdecode) a nonsense christmas was excellent. outfits ate, sabrina's vocals ate, sabrina just hot and hot, love! — ً (@VEGASPOETRY) just finished watching a nonsense christmas and it was amazing. sabrina the multi-talented bright and shining star that you are!! — ً (@decodeemails) sabrina carpenter has been talking nonsense since forever — 2000s (@PopCulture2000s) omg tyla's look for sabrina carpenter's nonsense christmas??? — ★ (@tylasgirl) Me taking photos of Sabrina’s ‘Nonsense Christmas’ like i’m actually at a concert 😭 — tortured cay department📚🖋️ (@caysmanuscript) a nonsense christmas was everything it needed to be it was so authentically sabrina,, i didn’t want it to end — steph (@yourlivslike) sabrina carpenter accusing me of scrolling on my phone in a nonsense christmas as i was scrolling on phone felt very personal...... — aude!!🇵🇸 (@vdeodream) just finished the nonsense christmas special, sabrina u are so loved😭 — 💋 (@viciouslovess) On Thursday, Carpenter attended a screening of the special in New York City wearing a cozy vintage Chanel black-and-white faux fur coat over a cashmere mini dress. She paired the look with white open-toed furry heels, leaving her golden blonde hair down in dramatic waves.

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CARSON, Calif. — 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 on Saturday. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes of the final with goals from their star forwards, the Galaxy nursed their lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league's biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. MLS' most successful franchise struggled through most of the ensuing decade, even finishing 26th in the 29-team league last year. But the Galaxy turned everything around this season with a high-scoring new lineup that finished second in the Western Conference and then streaked through the playoffs with a playoff-record 18 goals in five games to win another crown. “I’m just so proud of this group after the challenges that we (had) and the way they bounced back and competed as a group,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “We spent a lot of energy at the start, but I’m just so proud of these guys. They’ve cemented themselves as legends in this club.” Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable postseason charge ended one win shy of their first Cup championship. With the league's youngest roster, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win MLS' playoff tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz. “I love these guys,” Schwarz said. “Some guys, they are crying. In the big picture, that’s a start. Sometimes when you lose the final, it’s tough, but you use this experience to create the next energy, the next intensity.” The Galaxy won this title without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking midfielder from Barcelona who ran their offense impressively all season long, tore a ligament in his knee last week in the Western Conference final. Puig watched this game in a suit, but his teammates hadn't forgotten him: After his replacement, Gastón Brugman, set up LA's opening goal with a superb pass, Paintsil held up Puig's jersey to their fans during the celebration. “I was really waiting for this moment,” said Paintsil, who scored his 14th goal of an impressive season. “I’m much more, 10 times faster than them, and Gaston saw the space. ... It was really a good thing. We did it for Riqui, and we did it for our family that came, and our supporters.” Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home the 21st goal of his outstanding year as the Galaxy’s striker. Brugman was named the MLS Cup MVP after a commanding performance in midfield. The Uruguayan hadn't started a match for the Galaxy since Oct. 5, playing only as a postseason substitute before the final. Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons. He was the MVP of the 2022 MLS Cup Final for the Galaxy's crosstown rival, Los Angeles FC. Paintsil put the Galaxy ahead in the ninth minute when he ran onto that sublime pass from Brugman and pounded home his 14th MLS goal — including four in the playoffs — in the Ghanaian forward's outstanding first season. Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home the 21st goal of his outstanding year as the Galaxy's striker. Nealis got New York on the scoreboard in the 28th minute when he volleyed home a ball that got loose in LA's penalty area after a corner. The Galaxy's usually shaky defense gave up another handful of good chances before reaching halftime with a tenuous lead. The second half was lively, but scoreless. Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hit the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while LA's Gabriel Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus nearly converted chances a few moments later. The ball got loose again in the Galaxy's penalty area in the third minute of extra time, but two Red Bulls couldn't finish. The Galaxy bench rushed onto the field and prematurely celebrated a victory in the seventh minute of injury time, only to be herded back off for another 30 seconds of play. After Galaxy owner Phil Anschutz received the MLS Cup that bears his name because of his steady financial support of the league during its shaky years, Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida carried the trophy onto a stage filled with his teammates for a celebration amid fireworks and confetti. The Galaxy extended their lead over DC United (4) for the most MLS Cup championships in league history. The Red Bulls remain one of three original MLS franchises never to win the title, along with FC Dallas and the New England Revolution. The Galaxy's Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two clubs. The former Galaxy player also won it all with Toronto in 2017. The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the final included several robust cheering sections of traveling Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based club's breakthrough on MLS' biggest stage. Just last season, the Galaxy's own supporters boycotted the team at certain matches, fed up with years of mismanagement and no progress. The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández swiftly rebuilt itself into a contender this season by spending big to get lesser-known young talents from around the world. The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and Paintsil out of Belgium. The duo combined with incumbent Serbian striker Joveljic to form a potent attack that could outscore almost any MLS opponent. But the Galaxy also relied heavily on Puig, their Catalan catalyst and one of MLS' best players. Puig stayed in last week's game after injuring his knee, and he even delivered the decisive pass to Joveljic for the game's only goal. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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real money casino gambling In the ever-evolving world of online gaming, the concept of Zephon Factions is set to revolutionize player alliances and strategic dynamics in the virtual realm. Emerging from the intersection of artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies, the announcement of Zephon Factions promises a new era of gaming experiences defined by adaptability and immersive narratives. At the heart of Zephon Factions is a sophisticated AI that enables dynamic faction evolution . Unlike traditional game factions that remain static, Zephon Factions will evolve based on player interactions and the overarching storyline. These factions are designed to adapt and reconfigure themselves in real time, responding to in-game events and player behavior, allowing for a more personalized and engaging gameplay experience. What sets Zephon Factions apart is its use of adaptive storytelling . This feature allows the game’s narrative to shift and change, creating a living storyline that reacts to the choices and actions of its players. As a result, no two gameplay experiences will be the same, adding an element of unpredictability that enhances replay value and player engagement. Looking to the future, Zephon Factions could redefine how players perceive alliances and adversaries in games. By continuously learning and evolving, these factions can offer unprecedented levels of strategic depth and emotional investment. As more details emerge, the gaming community remains eagerly poised to explore the boundaries of what Zephon Factions can bring to the virtual world. Zephon Factions: Transforming the Future of Online Gaming In the dynamic world of digital gaming, Zephon Factions represents a groundbreaking leap forward with innovative technologies offering unparalleled gaming experiences. As the gaming community eagerly anticipates its launch, Zephon Factions promises not only to redefine player alliances but also to reshape the strategic dimensions of gaming itself. Key Features of Zephon Factions 1. Dynamic Faction Evolution: Zephon Factions introduces a groundbreaking feature where factions evolve in real-time. Powered by advanced artificial intelligence, these factions adapt based on player interactions and storyline developments. This results in an ever-changing landscape where players can experience unique and personal gameplay matches. 2. Adaptive Storytelling: Unlike traditional games, where narratives remain static, Zephon Factions features a living storyline that evolves with player decisions. This adaptive storytelling enhances replayability, ensuring that each visit to the game offers a fresh and unpredictable adventure. Pros and Cons Pros: – High Replay Value: With evolving storylines, players are encouraged to explore multiple scenarios. – Enhanced Engagement: The game’s ability to adapt to player actions fosters deeper emotional investment. – Strategic Depth: Dynamic factions add layers of complexity to strategic gameplay. Cons: – Complexity for Beginners: New players might find the evolving dynamics challenging to grasp initially. – Resource Demands: The advanced AI and VR technologies behind Zephon Factions require significant processing power. Potential Controversies As with any innovative technology, Zephon Factions may face scrutiny regarding its reliance on AI-driven narratives. Concerns about AI predictability or fairness could arise, prompting discussions about transparency and player autonomy in game design. Market Trends and Predictions The introduction of adaptive storytelling and dynamic factions represents a significant trend in the gaming industry, where immersion and personalization are prioritized. As developers look toward the future, games like Zephon Factions will likely pave the way for more interactive and responsive gaming ecosystems, potentially influencing broader trends within the market. Future Innovations Speculation is rife about further enhancements to Zephon Factions, including potential integrations with augmented reality (AR) and expanded multiplayer features that could further revolutionize the gaming experience. As technology continues to evolve, Zephon Factions is well-positioned to remain at the forefront of innovation within the virtual realm. For more information about Zephon Factions and its future developments, make sure to stay updated by visiting credible gaming platforms and news sources.

VANCOUVER — Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Data show the problem spiked during COVID-19 when children began spending more time online — but rates did not wane as police anticipated after lockdowns ended. In B.C., they soared, almost quadrupling from 2021 to 2023. Const. Solana Pare is now warning exploitation of children is likely here to stay, as a technological race between police and predators gains momentum. "Technology is becoming more and more available, and online platforms and social media sites are being used by children younger and younger, which provides an opportunity for predators to connect with them," Pare said in an interview. Police say child exploitation cases in B.C. went from about 4,600 in 2021 to 9,600 in 2022 to 15,920 reports last year. The upwards trend is seen nationally, too. Statistics Canada says the rate of online child sexual exploitation reported to police rose by 58 per cent from 2019 to 2022, and police data show cases have continued to rise. The RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre reported that from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, it received 118,162 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation offences — a 15 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Online child sexual exploitation, Pare explained, includes offences such as sextortion, child luring and the creation or distribution of sexually explicit images of a minor. "We don't see these types of reports going away," Pare said. "We only see them increasing because the use of electronic devices and social media, and kids being online earlier and earlier is becoming more common. There's going to be more opportunity for predators to target children online." Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the most common type of child luring is communicating with a youth online in order get them to produce sexual abuse material. She said "the pandemic accelerated those types of cases, and it hasn't slowed down." "The tools (Canadian authorities) have to deal with this type of behaviour are inadequate for the scope and the scale of what's going on," she said. THE RISE OF 'SEXTORTION' Online exploitation gained international attention in 2015 in the case of Port Coquitlam, B.C., teenager, Amanda Todd, who died by suicide after being blackmailed and harassed online by a man for years, starting when she was 12. The month before the 15-year-old died, she uploaded a nine-minute video using a series of flash cards detailing the abuse she experienced by the stranger and how it had affected her life. It's been viewed millions of times. Dutch national Aydin Coban was extradited to Canada for trial and, in October 2022, he was convicted of charges including the extortion and harassment of Todd. Since then, the term "sextortion" has made its way into the vernacular as more cases come to light. Among them was Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide in October 2023 after falling victim to the crime. In New Brunswick that same month, 16-year-old William Doiron took his own life after falling victim to a global sextortion scheme. Mounties across Canada have issued news releases warning of increased cases in their communities, noting that the consequences for the victims can include self-harm and suicide. St. Germain said technology, such as artificial intelligence, is also becoming more user-friendly. "The existence of that technology and its ease of use and ready accessibility is a problem, and it is going to be an increasingly large problem as we move forward," she said. Pare said police are also adapting to technological advancements in order to keep up with the ever-changing online landscape. "Police are constantly obtaining training on digital technologies to increase our knowledge and understanding of all the intricacies involving their use and how to capture any digital evidence," she said. Pare said the true rates of the crime are impossible to determine, but pointed to increased social awareness and legislation across North America around mandatory reporting of child abuse material from social media companies as a potential reason for the increase. It's not going undetected any longer, she said. "Additionally, there's been a lot of use in artificial intelligence to detect child exploitation materials within those platforms." Pare said "it's up to each individual platform" to ensure there is no child sexual abuse material on their sites or apps. "With mandatory reporting, it's putting the onus back on the electronic service providers to ensure they have measures in place to prevent this from happening, and if it is happening that it is being reported," she said. "That being said, there are times when things don't get located." That is why the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has been advocating for the adoption of the Online Harms Bill that the federal government introduced in February, St. Germain said. "It's shocking that up until now, we've relied on companies to self regulate, meaning we've just relied on them to do the right thing," she said. "What we are seeing in terms of the number of offences and in terms of all the harm that is happening in society as a result of online platforms is completely tied to the decision not to regulate. We need to have rules in any sector, and this sector is no different." 'CANADA IS REALLY BEHIND' The Online Harms Bill covers seven types of harms, from non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Arif Virani announced the Liberal government will split the bill into two parts: dealing with keeping children safe online, and combating predators and issues related to revenge pornography. “We are putting our emphasis and prioritization and our time and efforts on the first portion of the bill,” Virani told reporters on Dec. 5. Such measures would include a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada, which would compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would have the power to levy fines and evaluate companies’ digital safety plans. St. Germain said such a split "makes sense," noting that most objections to the bill are related to changes to the Criminal Code and not measures around curbing harms to children. "There obviously are differences of opinion in terms of what is the best way forward, and what kind of regulatory approach makes sense, and who should the regulator be, but there does seem to be consensus on the idea that we need to do more in terms of protecting children online," she said, adding that the organization is still in support of the second half of the bill. She said the United Kingdom previously passed its own Online Safety Act that will come into effect in 2025, which includes requiring social media firms to protect children from content such as self-harm material, pornography and violent content. Failure to do so will result in fines. "Canada is really behind," she said. "The amount of information that has come out of the U.K., the amount of time and care and attention that their legislatures have paid to this issue is really quite remarkable, and we really hope that Canada steps up and does something for Canadian children soon." In the absence of national legislation, province's have filled the void. In January, B.C. enacted the Intimate Images Protection Act, providing a path for victims to have online photos, videos or deep fakes expeditiously removed. Individuals are fined up to $500 per day and websites up to $5,000 a day if they don't comply with orders to stop distributing images that are posted without consent. B.C.'s Ministry of the Attorney General said that as of Dec. 11, the Civil Resolution Tribunal had received a total of 199 disputes under the Intimate Images Protection Act. It said the Intimate Images Protection Service had served more than 240 clients impacted by the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, adding that four awards of $5,000 each and one for $3,000 had been supplied as of mid-December. Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan have also enacted legislation targeting unauthorized distribution of intimate images. St. Germain said the use of provincial powers is also necessary, but it's not enough. "A piece of provincial legislation is going to be very difficult to be effective against multiple actors in multiple countries," she said, noting that the online crime is borderless. "We need something bigger — more comprehensive. We need to use all tools in the tool box." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024. Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian PressElwood Watson: Congress has an old problem to deal withStock market today: Wall Street mixed at the start of a holiday-shortened weekClean Energy Technologies ( NASDAQ:CETY – Get Free Report ) and Cheniere Energy Partners ( NYSE:CQP – Get Free Report ) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership and profitability. Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Clean Energy Technologies and Cheniere Energy Partners, as provided by MarketBeat. Cheniere Energy Partners has a consensus target price of $50.50, indicating a potential downside of 5.59%. Given Cheniere Energy Partners’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Cheniere Energy Partners is more favorable than Clean Energy Technologies. Insider and Institutional Ownership Earnings & Valuation This table compares Clean Energy Technologies and Cheniere Energy Partners”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Cheniere Energy Partners has higher revenue and earnings than Clean Energy Technologies. Clean Energy Technologies is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Cheniere Energy Partners, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Clean Energy Technologies and Cheniere Energy Partners’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Risk and Volatility Clean Energy Technologies has a beta of 0.32, meaning that its stock price is 68% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Cheniere Energy Partners has a beta of 0.73, meaning that its stock price is 27% less volatile than the S&P 500. Summary Cheniere Energy Partners beats Clean Energy Technologies on 11 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks. About Clean Energy Technologies ( Get Free Report ) Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. designs, produces, and markets clean energy products and integrated solutions that focuses on energy efficiency and renewable energy in the United States. It operates through four segments: Clean Energy HRS and CETY Europe, CETY Renewables Waste to Energy Solutions, engineering and Manufacturing Business, and CETY HK. The company offers Clean Cycle, which generates electricity by recycling wasted heat produced in manufacturing, waste to energy, and power generation facilities. It also converts waste products created in manufacturing, agriculture, wastewater treatment plants, and other industries to electricity, renewable natural gas, hydrogen, and bio char. In addition, the company offers engineering, consulting, and project management solutions. Further, the company is involved in the sourcing and suppling of liquefied natural gas to industries and municipalities located in the southern part of Sichuan Province and portions of Yunnan Province. The company was formerly known as Probe Manufacturing, Inc. and changed its name to Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. in November 2015. Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. is a subsidiary of MGW Investment I Ltd. About Cheniere Energy Partners ( Get Free Report ) Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P., through its subsidiaries, provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) to integrated energy companies, utilities, and energy trading companies worldwide. The company owns and operates natural gas liquefaction and export facility at the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. It also owns a natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Sabine Pass LNG terminal with various interstate pipelines. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. is a subsidiary of Cheniere Energy, Inc. Receive News & Ratings for Clean Energy Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Clean Energy Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

( MENAFN - IANS) Washington, Dec 27 (IANS) The US-India Business Council (USIBC) on Friday said that former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh played a significant role in strengthening the US-India ties. In a statement, the USIBC which represents hundreds of top global companies operating across the United States, India and the Indo-Pacific, said Dr Singh was“rightly regarded” as an architect of the modern bilateral relationship. The Chair, President, Managing Director, member companies, and staff of the USIBC conveyed their heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr Singh, and to the people of India, on his demise at age 92. “Dr Singh played a key role in elevating US-India ties and modernising the relationship, and embarking both democracies on a steady path of strategic, economic and technological convergence," said USIBC President Ambassador (ret.). Atul Keshap. Keshap further stated that through his sustained leadership in achieving the transformative agreement on civilian nuclear energy cooperation,“Dr Singh was rightly regarded as an architect of the modern bilateral relationship, and he will be remembered by many in America with honor and fondness for his gentle and clear leadership”. Among the key highlights of Dr Singh's regime was the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement 2008, which paved the way for civilian nuclear cooperation. This ended India's decades-long nuclear isolation, besides shaping the country's relationship with major powers, including the US. The nuclear deal helped India elevate diplomatic ties with several countries like Japan, France, Australia and Germany, positioning the country as a responsible nuclear power. Moreover, the liberalisation of India's economy in 1991 was a turning point in the country's post-independence history, which opened India's doors to the global economy. Established in 1975 at the behest of the US and Indian governments, the USIBC serves as the premier voice of industry and creates connections between businesses and governments across both countries. MENAFN26122024000231011071ID1109033952 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

Richard Parsons, Prominent Black Executive Who Led Time Warner and Citigroup, Dies at 766,000 inmates escape from a high-security prison as post-election violence roils Mozambique

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it's usually a backhanded compliment. They say he's a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn't try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here's the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that's hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. "I get it — we have a really passionate fan base and they're a huge part of our success," Allar said Sunday at College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day. "For us, we always want to go out there every drive and end with a touchdown, so when we don't do that, there's nobody more frustrated than us." The polarizing Allar is having a solid season by just about any standard, completing more than 68% of his passes for 3,021 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions to a 12-2 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl for Tuesday's game against No. 3 seed Boise State. People are also reading... But in a college football world filled with high-scoring, explosive offenses, Allar's no-frills performances often are the object of ire. The Penn State offense is a run-first bunch, led by the talented combo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. "If we had a nickel for every time there was a Monday morning quarterback saying some BS stuff, we'd all be pretty rich," offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. "I think part of being a quarterback, especially at Penn State but really anywhere, is how you respond to and manage criticism." The 20-year-old Allar has made strides in that department after a trying 2023 season that finished with a 10-3 record. He says that's largely because once fall camp started back in August, he logged off the social media platform X. Allar said negative online experiences wore on him last year, and his phone number was leaked a few times, which added to the stress. He finally realized that controlling outside narratives was impossible, so the best course of action was to eliminate a needless distraction. "I've been more mentally free, as much as that sounds crazy," Allar said. "I think that's been a huge difference for me this year." The biggest criticism of Allar — and really Penn State as a whole during the 11-year James Franklin era — is that he isn't capable of winning the big games. He's 0-2 against rival Ohio State and threw a late interception against Oregon in the Big Ten title game earlier this month, which sealed the Ducks' 45-37 victory. He wasn't great in the CFP's first round, either, completing just 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards as Penn State muscled past SMU 38-10 on a cold, blustery day to advance to the Fiesta Bowl. But the quarterback is confident a better performance — aided by a game that will be played in comfortable temperatures in a domed stadium — is coming. "For me, I just have to execute those (easy) throws early in the game and get our guys into rhythm," Allar said. "Get them involved early as much as I can and that allows us to stay on the field longer, call more plays and open up our offense more. That will help us a ton, building the momentum throughout the game." Allar might be a favorite punching bag for a section of the Penn State fan base, but that's not the case in his own locker room. Star tight end Tyler Warren praised his quarterback's ability to avoid sacks, saying that the 6-foot-5, 238-pounder brings a toughness that resonates with teammates. "He's a football player," Warren said. "He plays quarterback, but when you watch him play and the energy he brings and the way he runs the ball, he's just a football player and that fires up our offense." Now Allar and Penn State have a chance to silence critics who say that the Nittany Lions don't show up in big games. Not that he's worried about what other people think. "I think it's a skill at the end of the day — blocking out the outside noise," Allar said. "Focusing on you and the process and being honest with yourself, both good and bad." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!December 23, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by Renée LaReau, University of Notre Dame How can human rights groups criticize governments' human rights violations without appearing racist or fueling racism toward diaspora groups? Research by a University of Notre Dame human rights expert sheds light on the complex relationship between race and human rights, especially as it plays out between human rights groups and governments. "If public criticism by a human rights group, known as shaming, could be perceived as racist, it could threaten these organizations' impartial, unbiased reputations," said Zoltan Búzás, associate professor of global affairs at the University of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs. "Maintaining a reputation for fairness is critical for enabling these organizations' important work: raising funds, recruiting volunteers and mobilizing Americans to pressure their representatives against human rights violations ." In a study published in the American Journal of Political Science , Búzás and Lotem Bassan-Nygate of Harvard University found that when shaming by human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, included anti-racist cues denouncing racism , survey respondents perceived the shaming as less racist. For example, a February 2022 Amnesty report labeling Israel an "apartheid state" but condemning antisemitism and clarifying that its criticism was aimed at the government, not Jewish people, reduced perceptions of racism by 5% when compared to a report with no anti-racist cues. "Human rights organizations should seriously consider emulating Amnesty's use of anti-racist cues in shaming messages," Búzás said. "Although shaming with such cues is slightly less effective at mobilizing the public against human rights violators than shaming without cues, the price seems worth paying to lower perceptions of racism." The researchers conducted two U.S. survey experiments involving nearly 7,000 respondents and interviews with 11 individuals from the prominent human rights organizations Amnesty International, Oxfam and Human Rights Watch. Survey results showed that shaming of the Israeli and Chinese governments for human rights violations reduced support for the governments themselves but did not increase antisemitism or anti-Asian sentiment. "If shamers face a racial dilemma, it is less about how to shame without fueling racism, and more about how to shame without appearing racist," said Búzás, though he noted that more research is needed to explore the issue of fueling racism among diasporas. The researchers also investigated "countershaming"—when targeted governments accuse human rights organizations of racism—and found that governments can partially win back foreign support by making accusations of racism. In the case of China, for example, racial countershaming by the Chinese government increased overall support by nearly 3%, almost completely eliminating the adverse effects of shaming. Búzas recently shared the study's findings with several prominent human rights organizations in a meeting at the Keough School's Washington Office. Future research on this topic should explore additional tactics for minimizing perceptions of racism beyond anti-racist cues, Búzás said. "These cues are just one instrument," he said. "Organizations could also look into internal reform such as diversifying their staff and their boards, creating strong accountability mechanisms and embracing inclusive organizational cultures. This question of developing and protecting a good reputation came up repeatedly and deserves more sustained study. "Ultimately, however, human rights organizations should strive to become genuinely anti-racist organizations, rather than simply engage in superficial reputation management." More information: Zoltán I. Búzás et al, Race, shaming, and international human rights, American Journal of Political Science (2024). DOI: 10.1111/ajps.12938 Journal information: American Journal of Political Science Provided by University of Notre Dame

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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent successful surgery Sunday to have his prostate removed, hospital officials said, a procedure that came as he manages multiple crises including the war in Gaza and his trial for alleged corruption . Netanyahu, who has had a series of health issues in recent years, has gone to great lengths to bolster a public image of himself as a healthy, energetic leader. During his trial this month, he boasted about working 18-hour days, accompanied by a cigar. But as Israel's longest-serving leader, such a grueling workload over a total of 17 years in power could take a toll on his well-being. Netanyahu, 75, is among older world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, 82 , President-elect Donald Trump, 78 , Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , 79, and Pope Francis , 88, who have come under scrutiny for their age and health issues. Netanyahu's latest condition is common in older men, but the procedure has had some fallout. The judges overseeing his trial accepted a request from his lawyer on Sunday to call off three days of testimony scheduled this week. The lawyer, Amit Hadad, had argued that Netanyahu would be fully sedated for the procedure and hospitalized for “a number of days.” Jerusalem's Hadassah Medical Center announced late Sunday that the procedure had been “completed successfully.” Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally, served as acting prime minister during the operation. Netanyahu is expected to remain hospitalized for several days. With so much at stake, Netanyahu’s health in wartime is a concern for both Israelis and the wider world. A turbulent time in the region As Israel’s leader, Netanyahu is at the center of major global events that are shifting the Middle East . With the dizzying pace of the past 14 months, being incapacitated for even a few hours can be risky. Netanyahu will be in the hospital at a time when international mediators are pushing Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and as fighting between Israel and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensifies . Prostate issues are common and in many cases easily treatable. Still, the procedure puts a dent in Netanyahu’s image of vigor at a time when he would want to project strength more than ever, both to an Israeli audience navigating constant threats as well as to Israel’s enemies looking to expose its weaknesses. Previous health issues, including a heart condition Netanyahu insists he is in excellent health. His office releases footage of him touring war zones in full protective gear flanked by military officers, or meeting with defense officials on windswept hilltops in youthful dark shades and puffer jackets. But that image was shattered last year when Netanyahu’s doctors revealed that he had a heart condition , a problem that he had apparently long known about but concealed from the public. A week after a fainting spell, Netanyahu was fitted with a pacemaker to control his heartbeat. Only then did staff at the Sheba Medical Center reveal that Netanyahu has for years experienced a condition that can cause irregular heartbeats. The revelation came as Netanyahu was dealing with massive anti-government protests. The news about a chronic heart problem stoked further anger and distrust during extreme political polarization in Israel. Last year, Netanyahu was rushed to the hospital for what doctors said likely was dehydration . He stayed overnight, prompting his weekly Cabinet meeting to be delayed. Earlier this year, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery , during which he was under full anesthesia and unconscious. Levin served as acting prime minister during the operation. Recovery can be quick According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli leader was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection on Wednesday stemming from a benign enlargement of his prostate. The infection was treated successfully with antibiotics, but doctors said the surgery was needed in any case. Complications from prostate enlargement are common in men in their 70s and 80s, Dr. Shay Golan, head of the oncology urology service at Israel’s Rabin Medical Center, told Israeli Army Radio. Golan spoke in general terms and was not involved in Netanyahu’s care or treatment. He said an enlarged prostate can block proper emptying of the bladder, leading to a build-up of urine that can lead to an infection or other complications. After medicinal treatment, doctors can recommend a procedure to remove the prostate to prevent future blockages, Golan said. In Netanyahu’s case, because the prostate is not cancerous, Golan said doctors were likely performing an endoscopic surgery, carried out by inserting small instruments into a body cavity, rather than making surgical cuts in the abdomen to reach the prostate. The procedure lasts about an hour, Golan said, and recovery is quick. He said that aside from catheter use for one to three days after the procedure, patients can return to normal activity without significant limitations. ___ AP correspondent Isaac Scharf contributed reporting. Tia Goldenberg, The Associated PressPercentages: FG .448, FT .875. 3-Point Goals: 1-16, .063 (Dezonie 1-2, Berry 0-1, Brown 0-2, Stanford 0-2, Gray 0-3, Mashburn 0-3, Settle 0-3). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 4 (Berry 2, Durodola, Settle). Turnovers: 15 (Berry 5, Mashburn 4, Dezonie 2, Durodola, Gray, Settle, Stanford). Steals: 4 (Dezonie 2, Brown, Durodola). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .395, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 7-25, .280 (McKeithan 3-6, Lilley 2-4, Marrero 1-4, Shepherd 1-5, White 0-2, Vahlberg Fasasi 0-4). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 8 (Lilley 2, Jones, Marrero, McKeithan, Shepherd, Vahlberg Fasasi, White). Turnovers: 6 (White 2, Jones, Marrero, Shepherd, Vahlberg Fasasi). Steals: 12 (Marrero 3, Jones 2, McKeithan 2, White 2, Etienne, Lilley, Vahlberg Fasasi). Technical Fouls: None. A_3,001 (3,400).

Giants topple Colts 45-33 to eliminate Indy from the playoff raceHarris: Fine Gael ‘will gain seats’ amid further fragmentation of Irish politicsInfosecTrain's CSR Initiative Raises Cyber Awareness with Nukkad-Natak 'Jaago Cyber Jaago' 12-23-2024 09:54 PM CET | Science & Education Press release from: ABNewswire InfosecTrain, a leading cybersecurity training organization, successfully conducted its CSR initiative 'Jaago Cyber Jaago', a street play (Nukkad-Natak) designed to promote cyber awareness. Delhi, India - Dec 23, 2024 - InfosecTrain, a leading cybersecurity training organization, successfully conducted its CSR initiative 'Jaago Cyber Jaago', a street play (Nukkad-Natak) designed to promote cyber awareness. Collaborating with the Cyber Cell Department of Delhi, this initiative was met with enthusiastic participation and engagement from the local community. Image: https://www.abnewswire.com/uploads/9374e3515228dc7ddc18b761a2aa445c.png The captivating street play focused on educating the audience about pressing cybersecurity challenges and how to combat them effectively. Topics covered during the play included: * Deep-fakes: Understanding and identifying manipulated digital content. * Digital Arrest: Educating individuals about fake cyber-arrests and their legal consequences. * Phishing: Recognizing fraudulent communication to safeguard personal and financial information. * Photo Morphing: Raising awareness of digital image manipulation and its potential misuse. The engaging performance highlighted real-world scenarios and practical tips for staying vigilant online. The audience responded with immense enthusiasm, showing a deep interest in understanding these critical issues. InfosecTrain further supports its mission by offering free cybersecurity training [ https://www.infosectrain.com/free-cybersecurity-training/ ] programs, helping individuals build foundational knowledge and strengthen their digital defenses at no cost. This initiative aligns with the organization's commitment to making cybersecurity education accessible to all. Commenting on the success of the initiative, Ms. Deepti Kalra, [CEO & Co-founder, InfosecTrain], said: "At InfosecTrain, we believe in empowering communities with knowledge to navigate the digital world securely. Through this street play, we aimed to simplify complex cybersecurity issues and make them accessible to everyone. The overwhelming response from the audience reaffirms the importance of such initiatives." Sh. Arvind Kumar, a senior official from the Cyber Cell Department of Delhi, added: "Collaborations like these are crucial in today's cyber-driven world. The creative and impactful medium of a Nukkad-Natak helped deliver the message effectively and left a lasting impression on the audience." Image: https://www.abnewswire.com/uploads/e337512ebc14e76b538a2626b6faf462.png InfosecTrain remains committed to its mission of creating a safer digital environment through awareness campaigns and training programs. This initiative is a testament to the company's dedication to corporate social responsibility and its proactive efforts in promoting cybersecurity education. For more information about InfosecTrain and its initiatives, visit InfosecTrain [ https://www.infosectrain.com/ ]. About InfosecTrain: InfosecTrain is a recognized leader in cybersecurity training, focused on enhancing awareness and expertise in data protection, cybersecurity, and compliance. Through expert-led sessions and informative events, InfosecTrain equips professionals and organizations to protect sensitive information and effectively navigate the constantly evolving cybersecurity landscape. With extensive industry knowledge, they are positioned as frontrunners in cybersecurity training and consulting. Additionally, they offer continuous post-training support for future reference, fostering ongoing learning. To know more about training programs offered by InfosecTrain: Please write back to sales@infosectrain.com or call at IND: 1800-843-7890 (Toll-Free) / US: +1 657-221-1127 / UAE: +971 569-908-131 Media Contact Company Name: InfosecTrain (An Intiative by Azpirantz Technologies LLP) Contact Person: Vikas Agrawal Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=infosectrains-csr-initiative-raises-cyber-awareness-with-nukkadnatak-jaago-cyber-jaago ] Phone: 18008437890 Address:B7, Sector 1 City: Noida State: Uttar Pradesh 201301 Country: India Website: http://www.infosectrain.com This release was published on openPR.

AP News Summary at 6:42 p.m. EST

President-elect Donald Trump's repeated support for TikTok has sparked speculation about potential solutions to prevent the app's impending ban in the United States, though the path forward remains unclear. "We got to keep this sucker around for a little while," Trump told supporters on Sunday, just days after meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Florida. Trump, who credits the wildly popular platform with delivering him a large young user base, opposes banning TikTok partly because he believes it would primarily benefit Meta, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company behind Instagram and Facebook. The situation is complex, according to University of Richmond School of Law professor Carl Tobias, given the various potential solutions and Trump's unpredictable nature. Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation, signed by President Joe Biden in April, that would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless Beijing-based ByteDance sells its stake by January 19. US officials and lawmakers grew wary of the potential for the Chinese government to influence ByteDance or access the data of TikTok's American users. Even with Trump's decisive election victory and incoming Republican-led Congress, acquiescing to the president-elect's desire and preventing the ban faces significant hurdles. The law enjoyed rare bipartisan support in a divided Washington, making its outright repeal through a vote in Congress politically unlikely even with Trump's influence over Republicans. The Supreme Court may offer the clearest path forward. TikTok has appealed to the nation's highest court, arguing the law violates First Amendment rights to free speech. The court, which is dominated by Trump-aligned conservatives, will hear the case on January 10, just nine days before the ban takes effect. This follows a lower appeals court's unanimous decision to uphold the law in December. Another possibility, according to Tobias, is that a Trump-led Department of Justice could determine ByteDance has addressed the law's national security concerns. However, such a move would likely be seen as caving to China by Congress and others. The final option is ByteDance selling to a non-Chinese buyer, though the company has consistently refused this possibility. With 170 million monthly active users, acquiring TikTok's US operations would require substantial resources. As president, Trump could extend the ban deadline by 90 days to facilitate a transaction. Few potential buyers have emerged, with major tech companies likely deterred by antitrust concerns. Former Trump Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin, who runs a private equity fund backed by Japan's SoftBank Group and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala sovereign wealth fund, has expressed interest. During a recent event with Trump, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son pledged to invest $100 billion in the US economy, though specific investments weren't detailed. Other contenders include US real estate billionaire Frank McCourt, who aims to make social media safer through his Project Liberty organization. Elon Musk, given his proximity to Trump and ownership of X, could also have a role to play, as he has expressed plans to transform the text-focused platform into something more like TikTok. A senior Republican lawmaker recently suggested Trump might orchestrate a "deal of the century" satisfying both US concerns and ByteDance's interests. The chairman of the US House committee on China, John Moolenaar, told Fox News Digital that once ByteDance accepts it must comply with US law, the situation could progress rapidly. Any agreement would need Beijing's approval, with US-China relations expected to remain tense during Trump's upcoming term. This isn't the first attempt to resolve TikTok's US status. In 2020, Trump also threatened a ban unless ByteDance sold its US operations. While Oracle and Walmart reached a preliminary agreement with ByteDance for ownership stakes, legal challenges and the transition to the Biden administration prevented the deal's completion. arp/mlmFormer President Jimmy Carter Dead at 100Online child exploitation spiked during lockdowns. Police worry it’s here to stay

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T.Johnson 10-30 0-2 21, Bratcher 5-15 0-0 10, Corrigan 0-1 0-0 0, Newman 5-15 9-12 19, Joppy 0-1 0-0 0, Crews 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 20-66 9-14 50. Davis 4-9 0-0 9, Henry 3-4 4-6 10, Atwell 6-14 4-4 21, Giles 4-10 0-0 12, Polite 4-7 2-2 12, Ahemed 3-5 0-0 7, Breath 3-6 2-5 8, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Reath 5-6 0-0 10, Saizonou 2-7 2-2 7, Kauzonas 3-4 0-0 6, Webb 0-0 0-0 0, Bailey 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 38-74 14-19 105. Halftime_UNC-Greensboro 56-26. 3-Point Goals_Va.-Lynchburg 1-12 (T.Johnson 1-5, Corrigan 0-1, Crews 0-1, Joppy 0-1, Newman 0-1, Bratcher 0-3), UNC-Greensboro 15-38 (Atwell 5-10, Giles 4-9, Polite 2-5, Bailey 1-2, Ahemed 1-3, Davis 1-4, Saizonou 1-4, Reath 0-1). Rebounds_Va.-Lynchburg 24 (T.Johnson 10), UNC-Greensboro 52 (Davis, Henry, Reath 7). Assists_Va.-Lynchburg 4 (Bratcher 3), UNC-Greensboro 29 (Polite 7). Total Fouls_Va.-Lynchburg 15, UNC-Greensboro 11. A_462 (23,500).Recap - While New Zealand might be leaving 2024 with fewer reporters than it started , no one told the news - so it just kept happening. Rude. Luckily, RNZ was there to cover it all - whether it was about brain worms , brain computer chips or brain rot , we were there. Or at least somewhere with access to a computer where we could stick it online. Here are some of the strangest, oddest and most brain-tickling stories RNZ covered in 2024. January Mysterious 'Big Ring' found in space 'must surely be telling us something' - astronomer The 'Big Ring' of "galaxies and galaxy clusters" is apparently "by no means the first likely violation of the cosmological principle", RNZ partner BBC News reported , definitely an inauspicious start to the year. Just send us an obelisk next time, ET. Mystery envelope containing $5000 cash handed to Auckland pensioner by young man who runs away "He knows of no debt that was ever to be repaid, favour not recognised or betrayal to be made good," RNZ's friends at the NZ Herald reported . Must have been a landlord? Mystery of disappearing gnomes in Hastings appears to be solved Officers discovered an array of animals, gnomes, fairies and other creatures in the garden of a suspect they were visiting after receiving a tip-off . Elon Musk's Neuralink implants brain chip in first human While many people who valued their brains fled X (formerly Twitter, I'm obliged to add) in 2024, one brave person in January let Elon Musk stick a computer chip in his brain - which they then used to play Civilization VI . Achievement unlocked. February Rogue digital billboard pokes fun at Waka Kotahi A digital billboard poking fun at Waka Kotahi appeared near an intersection in New Plymouth in February, featuring several tongue-in-cheek jibes at the transport operator. March Winston Peters told to stop using Chumbawamba hit 'Tubthumping' at rallies It sounds like a headline written via Madlibs or by ChatGPT, but this really happened . "Is he just being antagonistic about it now? Is that his thing?" Chumbawamba singer and sweet summer child Dunstan Bruce told First Up . US says UFO sightings likely secret military tests Of course that's what THEY would say. This could be a case for Mulder and Scully. Rare 'UFO cloud' has Aucklanders' eyes on the skies Ditto . April Swipe card found in Antarctica years after being lost in Wellington RNZ Concert senior music producer David McCaw lost his Wellington Town Hall swipe card in 2003 when his car was broken into, and somehow it ended up in Antarctica . Scientists found it in 2016, but progress from there was glacial - get it? Snow joke. Military horses break free, rampage through London It's time to play real life or Blackadder ? Not only was this real life , it happened again just a couple of months later . An American journalist read her own obituary online, and soon discovered the strange world of obit pirates RNZ partner ABC News explains : "Anonymous internet fraudsters use search engine optimisation (SEO) to identify people looking up the name of someone who has recently died." So just normal sickening internet stuff then. Carry on. May Mystery Roman artefact sparks wild speculation Found during a dig in the place where Walt Disney's ancestors hailed from , the 12-sided object was likened to a dog treat dispenser, a spaghetti measure and even a measuring gauge for slingshot. Expect it to appear in the next Indiana Jones film. June Photo box mystery: 'Massive' collection of family snaps found in sewing machine case The photos covered a century, up to the early 2000s, with the only clue being the name 'McDonald', which didn't really narrow it down . July Vegan cafe turns to meat to stay afloat No, a mostly vegan café in Auckland did not literally turn to meat - but started selling "ethical" meat to pay the bills . "I think if we didn't do this, we wouldn't survive," the owner said, immediately nailing the vibe of a true red-blooded meat-eater. Woman calls police after mistaking 'realistic' sex doll for body "When it was on its back, it had everything... it was very realistic," Taranaki woman Alice Cowdrey told RNZ , not worried that going on the record would forever tie her name in search engines to the phrase "headless sex doll". Mystery milk bottles confound Alexandra residents A contender for best opening line of the year goes to reporter Soumya Bhamidipati: "As Alexandra residents wake to another cold morning, a silent figure slips into the mist. They leave no trace - except for another bottle of flavoured milk dumped at a local petrol station." And a contender for quote of the year too from fuel stop operator Poppy Prendergast: "Look, I hate to say it but I think it's got to be a man. I've never met any woman that drinks that much flavoured milk." The mystery only deepened when CCTV footage was obtained . August Nothing funny happened in August. September Aussie breakdancer Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn ranked world No. 1 When Paris was awarded the 2024 games back in 2017, no one could have predicted the breakout star would be an Australian who could not dance, especially as she was competing in a dance competition. Despite getting a zero score at the Games , 'Raygun' somehow ended up the sport's top-ranked competitor . Have you seen a blue ute with a bright pink door in Wellington? Karen O'Leary wants it back Not sure this counts as weird news, but it's certainly a weird headline if - like me - you weren't immediately aware who Karen O'Leary was. New 'ghost shark' discovered in New Zealand waters No, you can't touch it . Seriously, they live more than 2500m below the surface of the ocean. Spacehead. Mystery flower rearrangement at Upper Hutt cemetery outrages families It's never a good sign when real life imitates a Curb Your Enthusiasm plotline, but this is 2024. Government to launch AI chatbot called Gov-GPT Having solved every other problem, in September the government launched its own AI chatbot - the announcement arriving with an AI-created image of Judith Collins as an astronaut. I swear this is true. October Donald Trump rally turns into bizarre dance-a-thon We all know this list could have just been a Trump campaign diary, but sticking to just one incident, it had to be the "GREAT EVENING" (his words) in October which saw him gyrate on stage to the Village People and Guns n' Roses instead of doing whatever it is US presidential candidates are supposed to do. We can mock, and Kamala Harris certainly got stuck in, but he did end up winning. Covfefe. Pranksters rename New Zealand schools on Google Maps Nelson College for Girls was dubbed Yoza highschool (I have no idea what this means), while Rathkeale College in Masterton was renamed the Huak Tuah College of rizzcraft and sigmatry (unfortunately - sigh - I do know what those mean). Quasi leaving Wellington after five years perched on city's art gallery The job market has gotten so bad in the capital, there's no longer any place for a gigantic terrifying hand-man . Decision to remove Luxon artwork from Trade Me 'weird' - artist Kiwi artist Josh Drummond painted a rather terrifying portrait of Christopher Luxon for charity, which was removed from sale on Trade Me for being "material of a suggestive nature and/or graphic iconography". Drummond was not impressed . "The original idea was to have Luxon's head popping out from a wall of flesh, which was the meaning a lot of people got from that King Charles portrait ... I found that the photo reference I used for Luxon wasn't working with that wall of flesh idea so I was like: 'Oh I'll make it more of a tunnel.'" Christopher Luxon responds to attention on Wellington apartment sale Well-off businessman sells property to make a tidy, possibly tax-free profit? Not really a headline. But when that man is the prime minister and immediately afterwards boasts that he's wealthy ? What I say to you is... yikes. At least he might get an award - of sorts - out of it . November Aotearoa has multiple clouds so unique they have names Unique names aren't really New Zealand's forte, so when it was discovered we'd put more effort into naming clouds than our main islands' colonial names, of course it made headlines . Stowaway seal makes surprise visit to offshore gas platform A Department of Conservation expert said it topped her list of bizarre places where seals have turned up . Her only other example was one that got through a cat door, so yes, she was probably right. Gang member charged after walking into police station wearing Mongrel Mob hat Well, that was a freebie . Russia fines Google $20,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 The first time RNZ ran this story , it literally broke the homepage. Police vehicle crashes into limo carrying Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis Ram-raids were down over 2024 , but ram-raids by police officers on ministers of the Crown were up infinity percent . School ditches traditional bell for AC/DC and Muppets Locals signed a petition calling it "noise pollution" , perhaps entirely unaware one of AC/DC's biggest songs states definitively that it is not . Plan to relocate Westport To paraphrase an earlier paragraph, it's never a good sign when real-life imitates The Simpsons (President Trump, anyone?). In November a draft master plan proposed relocating the entire South Island town of Westport a bit to the southwest - in the long-term, not "next month", master planning project lead Paul Zaanen helpfully noted. 'Close to McDonald's': Auckland real estate agent lures buyers with cheesy sell In November, our friends at Stuff reported a real estate agent using a property's proximity to McDonald's as a selling point . He talked up its distance in terms of how long it would take to walk there however, perhaps losing those eyeballs just as quickly. December New Zealand man wins Spanish Scrabble championships despite not speaking Spanish If this headline sounds familiar , it's because you've read it before - except last time it was French . But don't get despondent if you suck at Scrabble, because Mattel this year released a non-competitive version just for you - yes, you with the letters K, W, Y, J, I, B and O. Woman arrested with 10kg of meth wrapped as Christmas presents at Auckland Airport With another one of his mules captured, authorities in December got a step closer to bringing down Santa . Rawiri Waititi says Luxon may be 'drop-nuts' if he doesn't attend Waitangi Day No further comment. British political stoush over sandwiches In an interview Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch suggested sandwiches were not real food and lunch was "for wimps" . In response, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said sandwiches were a "great British institution", particularly cheese toasties. Since this is RNZ I did the research (well, I read the Google search AI summary) and it seems both sandwiches and cheese toasties are indeed British. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday .

AAP govt claims of pollution control in city failed: Vijender GuptaIs ‘Glicked’ the new ‘Barbenheimer’? ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ collide in theatersLuigi Mangione, the hero? The disturbing reaction to healthcare CEO’s killing

Share this Story : MacDougall: Ottawa, the crown jewel of the 51st state? Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links Opinion Columnists MacDougall: Ottawa, the crown jewel of the 51st state? If Canada ever were swallowed by the U.S., at least Ottawa would compare well to Albany, Phoenix and Tallahassee. And just think of the transit funds we could access. Author of the article: Andrew MacDougall Published Dec 12, 2024 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 3 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. This screenshot from Donald Trump's Truth Social account shows the president-elect standing beside a Canadian flag. Is that Ottawa just behind the mountain? THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Article content Sometimes the key to a successful life is choosing the right frame for your current circumstance. Article content Article content Too slow or weak to keep up with the competition in a sprint? Go for a longer distance. Not the brightest student? Aim to be valedictorian at summer school. Not as fancy or interesting a capital as Paris, London, Washington D.C., Rome or Tokyo? Become a U.S. state capital and compete against Montgomery, Ala. instead! Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account Email Address Continue or View more offers If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, online access is included in your subscription. Activate your Online Access Now Article content Will Ottawa become the new Phoenix? Or Denver? Well, if incoming president Donald Trump has his way, we just might. Trump is starting to fall in love with his own joke about Canada becoming the 51st state. And we all know what happens when that happens. Yes, the fine people of Ottawa could well be next in line to have bundles of paper towels hurled at them by the Leader of the Free World after the next ice storm paralyzes our streets. “It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada,” Trump posted to his platform Truth Social. “I look forward to seeing the Governor again soon so that we may continue our in depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all!” he added. And you know what? Thinking for a minute, I kind of ... like Ottawa’s chances in a race with Albany or Springfield. They are certainly better odds than winning a best-capital competition with our G7 brethren. Trump didn’t quite say it, but a subtext of his message was to “Make Ottawa Great Again.” The Parliament Buildings might be creaking and undergoing a major (and expensive) facelift, but they still compare well to the state capitols in places like Albany, Phoenix and Tallahassee. We might not have a Louvre, or a Smithsonian, or a British Museum, but our Canadian War Museum would absolutely slay the Texas Military Forces Museum in Austin. We don’t have a Michelin-star restaurant, but neither does Juneau, Alaska. (I was going to suggest Boise, Idaho, but it turns out they do have a Michelin-starred restaurant. Sigh.) Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Which isn’t to say joining the Governors Association would be smooth sailing. For one, places like St. John’s, Quebec City and Regina would be in possession of some very beautiful but redundant office space. Their voices would undoubtedly diminish in the great Canadian consolidation. But Montreal and Vancouver aren’t capitals now and they already compete against other major global cities, so they wouldn’t even notice (or care) if their status were to slightly change. The upside of joining the American family, on the other hand, could be enormous, at least for Ottawa. The 613 might have a toy train system that always breaks down and stations that smell like sewage, but access to funds from the U.S. Federal Transit Administration could be just the tonic the beleaguered LRT needs to cement itself as a legitimate transit option. And our population heft at the governors’ table would ensure that Sean Duffy, the incoming head of the U.S. Department of Transportation, would need to keep us sweet. Likewise his counterparts at the Department of Defense, as we would be the front line of the defence against any Russkie invasion. It’s time to think big, people. Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content OK, fine. Canada isn’t going to become the 51st state and Ottawa isn’t about to join the ranks of Frankfort, Ky. But sometimes the absurdity of circumstance can provoke a useful shift of perspective. Why should it take Trump cracking wise about Canada becoming a state for us to start talking about smashing our many interprovincial barriers to trade? Why isn’t Ottawa a more serious global capital, with all of the accoutrements of serious state capitals? Why don’t we try to punch above our weight in a world that’s looking for more than a weak prime minister moaning about how Kamala Harris lost the election? If we don’t want to be the butt of a joke, a good first start is to stop acting like one. Andrew MacDougall is a London-based communications consultant and ex-director of communications to former prime minister Stephen Harper. Recommended from Editorial MacDougall: The loss of the CBC would hit Ottawa harder than most cities MacDougall: Even the city of Ottawa may not be safe for the Liberals Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : MacDougall: Ottawa, the crown jewel of the 51st state? Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. Create an Account Sign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. 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T.Johnson 10-30 0-2 21, Bratcher 5-15 0-0 10, Corrigan 0-1 0-0 0, Newman 5-15 9-12 19, Joppy 0-1 0-0 0, Crews 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 20-66 9-14 50. Story continues below video Davis 4-9 0-0 9, Henry 3-4 4-6 10, Atwell 6-14 4-4 21, Giles 4-10 0-0 12, Polite 4-7 2-2 12, Ahemed 3-5 0-0 7, Breath 3-6 2-5 8, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Reath 5-6 0-0 10, Saizonou 2-7 2-2 7, Kauzonas 3-4 0-0 6, Webb 0-0 0-0 0, Bailey 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 38-74 14-19 105. Halftime_UNC-Greensboro 56-26. 3-Point Goals_Va.-Lynchburg 1-12 (T.Johnson 1-5, Corrigan 0-1, Crews 0-1, Joppy 0-1, Newman 0-1, Bratcher 0-3), UNC-Greensboro 15-38 (Atwell 5-10, Giles 4-9, Polite 2-5, Bailey 1-2, Ahemed 1-3, Davis 1-4, Saizonou 1-4, Reath 0-1). Rebounds_Va.-Lynchburg 24 (T.Johnson 10), UNC-Greensboro 52 (Davis, Henry, Reath 7). Assists_Va.-Lynchburg 4 (Bratcher 3), UNC-Greensboro 29 (Polite 7). Total Fouls_Va.-Lynchburg 15, UNC-Greensboro 11. A_462 (23,500).MELBOURNE, Australia , Nov. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Global fashion giant SHEIN will bring the ultimate Giftorium experience to life, right in time for the festive season. The SHEIN Giftorium will arrive at Oz Comic-Con Melbourne Xmas Edition for an unmissable experience December 7-8th . On offer will be a vibrant collection of beauty, fashion, home & living products – free and redeemable through participation in various games available at the activation – alongside experiences that will showcase SHEIN’s one-stop-shop range of on-trend and affordable products perfect for Holiday gifting. Oz Comic-Con is Australia’s premier pop culture event gathering fans of comics, movies, TV, anime, gaming, and more. A celebration of all things geek culture featuring exciting panels, cosplay competitions, and exclusive meet-and-greets with stars from the world of film, TV, and gaming. Oz Comic-Con Melbourne Xmas attendees can immerse themselves in a range of SHEIN gifting essentials; Jewellery & Accessories, Home & Living, Office & School Supplies, Toys & Games, and Beauty & Health throughout the SHEIN Giftorium. As well as SHEGLAM being a hero moment. “ Our SHEIN Giftorium experience at Oz Comic-Con will provide attendees the unique experience of selecting their favourite items and festive gifts, whether for themselves or loved ones, through engaging and interactive experiences ,” said a SHEIN Spokesperson. “ Our aim is to connect face-to-face with consumers, with no sales functions taking place at the event itself, the goal is to engage directly with attendees and showcase our range of ultimate Christmas gifting. “ But the experience doesn’t end there – on display will be a select range of key items as a part of the Giftoirum event, however, online is where all our Australian customers can look to dive into the full range available across SHEIN for festive gifting. “ Our customers will find everything under the sun related to fashion and lifestyle, all at cost-effective prices. With an easy shopping process including free returns, customers can shop efficiently from anywhere, ” said a SHEIN spokesperson . With unstoppable style and unbeatable fits, the SHEIN Giftorum experience continues online with a wide product range spanning fashion & beauty, home & lifestyle, accessories, kids, toys & games, electronics & tech accessories, office & school supplies – and so much more. The extensive range ensures that Aussies can find something special for everyone on the list, making holiday shopping a breeze. Embrace the convenience and variety SHEIN offers and make this Christmas memorable with gifts that delight and inspire. SHEIN Giftorium at Oz Comic-Con Melbourne Xmas Edition December 7-8 , Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre: ozcomiccon.com/melbourne-xmas-edition/ * Shop SHEIN for Holiday gift guide ideas: https://au.shein.com/ View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/shein-is-launching-the-ultimate-giftorium-experience-just-in-time-for-the-festive-season-302317926.html SOURCE SHEINIntuit earnings beat by $0.14, revenue topped estimates

NoneShoppers seeking updates on their online purchases are receiving fake shipping notifications — something that is heightened during the busy shipping season during the holidays. The endless texts and phishing emails alert shoppers to a delivery issue requiring immediate attention. Scripps News Baltimore Reporter Mallory Sofastaii spoke with multiple customers at the post office, who told her they have received these scam texts. Scammers just need one person to fall for it. “They’re desperately hoping that you will act so quickly that you will give them whatever they want so that they can steal money from you,” said Karen Morgan, executive council member and lead fraud volunteer with AARP Maryland. RELATED STORY | This phishing scam uses text messages pretending to be USPS with a delivery AARP is warning shoppers about these scam texts seeking personal information such as date of birth, Social Security Number, or account logins. And they received a report of someone paying a $0.99 re-delivery fee and later realizing they'd been charged $400. “Do not act quickly on any of these notifications. Stop a minute to recall, did you actually order something? Have you actually sent something? And by the way, if it's the post office, FedEx or UPS, don't they already have your address? Why do they need you to give it to them again?” Morgan suggested. USPS will never send a text or email without the customer first requesting tracking information and they do not charge for these services. “I have registered with the post office to receive emails,” said online shopper Ana Cruz, who uses USPS Informed Delivery , a free service to keep track of mail and packages that are scheduled to be delivered. Howard Shand said he doesn’t do a lot of online shopping. “I go direct to a store, so I don't really have that problem. You know, I shop early,” he added. And he said he's extra vigilant for a reason. “I've been scammed before, so, you know, it makes you more alert,” Shand said. “Just be careful. Pay attention and don't let down your guard easily.” It's important not to click on any links in these messages. Even if you don't enter your information, malware could be downloaded onto your device. And some of the links will take you to a fake login page designed to steal your password and then lock you out of your real account or to hack into other financial accounts. Click here to see the other 12 Scams of Christmas. This story was originally published by Mallory Sofastaii at Scripps News Baltimore .CHEYENNE — Cheyenne’s fourth annual Nativity Blessing at the state Capitol drew its largest crowd yet Thursday, attended by state and local elected officials, a couple of religious leaders and members of the public. Gov. Mark Gordon, who has spoken at all three previous Nativity Blessings, was unable to attend this year due to a scheduling conflict. However, other public officials, including Secretary of State Chuck Gray, Cheyenne Republican lawmaker Rep. Daniel Singh and local pastor Nathan Winters offered their remarks for the roughly 30 people who sat in the Capitol rotunda. A towering Christmas tree decorated with handmade ornaments dominates the center of the room, with glittering wrapped presents sitting at its base. A wooden Nativity scene was placed in front of the tree, facing the Capitol’s main front doors, and seats were provided for guests near the entrance. The Cathedral of St. Mary’s Children’s Choir performed a few select pieces and, at the end of the event, led the audience in a rendition of “Silent Night.” This year, there was a theme of unity and hope that was inspired by the growing political divide in this country, said event organizer Steven Malia. “After all these elections, I mean, there’s just a lot of division and a lot of tension,” Malia told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “If we can have healing and cooperation and work together, maybe we can have a more peaceful union.” Politics mixed in with the meaning of Christmas as speakers reflected on the lack of cooperation among certain politicians. One repeated message was for people to not look to the government for hope, but rather God and Jesus Christ. In his message during the ceremony, Gray said society focuses too much on the “fake power” of government, such as the Roman empire. “Look at the obsession around the ‘Gladiator’ films. I mean, we got ‘Gladiator II’ out, and there’s so much focus on it,” Gray said. “But that’s fake power.” He said the “fake power of government” is what prevents people from reaching their full potential as citizens. As the new 68th Legislature gets ready to convene in a month for the 2025 general session, he said lawmakers will face their own obstacles. But they should all remember that Jesus is the truth, Gray said. “We ask for his blessing to keep us where the light is, to bless the work in this wonderful historic building, and that it will be a beacon of your true power,” Gray said. The Rev. Seth Hostetler of the Cathedral of St. Mary said hope is fundamental to society — it equips people to pursue good when times are hard. Christmas is remembering to live with hope and to seek it in God — not in elected leaders or grand technology, he said. “The problem we face now, even among Christians, is the growing fascination with our own power. ‘God helps those who help themselves’ is not in the Bible,” Hostetler said. As society progresses with majestic buildings, advanced technologies and choosing politicians to lead the way, “we start looking to ourselves for hope,” he said. It’s important to remember this Christmas season where blessings truly come from: Jesus. “How many of us during the election season spend more time watching the news than reading our Bibles? How many of us have talked more about politicians than about Jesus Christ?” Hostetler said. Former First Baptist Church of Thermopolis Pastor Nathan Winters recalled that Jesus was born to a “blue-collar couple ... on the edges of an empire known for its cruelty.” In a world of suffering and strife, he reminded members of the public to look toward heaven. “Remember the star of Bethlehem, something larger than us all,” Winters said. “Today ... we celebrate a Christmas tree pointing our way toward home, a place where we’ll all be well if we trust in Christ.” Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.

Former National Chairman of the now opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Barnabas Gemade has admonished people of the state to encourage and pray for Governor Hyacinth Alia to enable him to achieve his vision for the state and govern for two terms. Senator who represented Benue North East at the Senate spoke at the reception and conferment of Chieftaincy title as “Akinde U Mbavaa” on the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Media Publicity and Strategic Communication, Mr Solomon Iorpev at Tse-Agberagba in Konshisha Local Government. Senator Gemade said the governor has been selfless in providing purposeful leadership beyond the imagination of the people and should be allowed to serve the state as governor for two terms. Senator Gemade who was the father of the occasion, assured Mr. Iorpev that he would continue to stand by him to serve the Governor effectively and encouraged him to remain resolute in his assignment. In a remark, Permanent Secretary of Government House Administration Mr Bartholomew Ageraga advised the young people to respect elders and desist from insulting leaders on the social media space. On his part, General Superintendent Full Gospel Rival Crusade Incorporated Nigeria Reverend Tom Igyah said God planted his people in places to achieve his mission and advised Mr Iorpev to live by his purpose. In a remark, the governor’s media aide said the thanksgiving was to express his appreciation for God’s blessings to his family and his elevation by Governor Hyacinth Alia who has given priority to the development of the state as evident in rapid progress made. Mr Iorpev also appealed to the Benue people to vote for Governor Alia for the second term to sustain the good works he has started.COLLEGE STATION, Texas — It’s the game that fans of the Aggies and Longhorns have had circled on their calendars since news of the rivalry revival was revealed. The Texas Longhorns will travel to College Station for a Saturday primetime showdown with the Texas A&M Aggies. The two teams will face each other on a football field for the first time since 2011. The rivalry resumes on Saturday, November 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game isn’t big just because it pits these two longtime rivals against each other again. It’s also big in the national championship picture. The winner of the Texas-Texas A&M game will move on to the SEC championship game against Georgia. The winner of that game is guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff. For the Aggies, beating Texas and then Georgia is pretty much the only way they’ll be able to play for a national title. The Horns old the edge on this one, winning 76 times to the Aggies 37 wins. Five times, the game ended in a tie. RELATED: Texas vs. Texas A&M history: A look at the century-old rivalry coming back for first time in over 10 years Texas A&M’s running game vs. the Texas run defense. The Aggies rank 17th in the country by averaging 208.4 yards rushing and the Longhorns rank 13th against the run by holding teams to just 104 yards rushing. They had their best performance of the year last week against the Kentucky Wildcats, holding them to just 21 yards rushing on 30 attempts. Texas A&M has had at least 200 yards rushing in six games this season. Texas: TE Gunnar Helm has been the steady drumbeat of the Texas offense. After totaling just 19 catches the previous three seasons, his 42 receptions for 544 yards this year lead the team in both categories. Soft hands, size and agility in a 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame make him a difficult matchup for any defense. Texas A&M: QB Marcel Reed threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns, both season highs, in the loss to Auburn last week. The dual-threat quarterback, who was a backup to start the season, has thrown for 1,426 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions and added 441 yards rushing with six TDs. RELATED: Texas-Texas A&M rivalry ticket prices set records for college, NFL football Texas has won 10 consecutive games on an opponent’s home field. The Aggies have won five in a row at home since a season-opening loss to Notre Dame ... Texas has 12 sacks from 10 players over the last two games, and has allowed just four passing touchdowns this season ... Texas coach Steve Sarkisian joins Darrell Royal and Mack Brown as the only Longhorns coaches with consecutive 10-win seasons. ... Longhorns kicker Bert Auburn is 9 of 13 this season and is just 4 of 8 from beyond 40 yards. Aggies kicker Randy Bond's 19 field goals rank ninth in the country ... The Aggies rank second in the country with a 95.6% conversion rate in the red zone. They have scored on 43 of 45 trips with 33 touchdowns. The Associated Press contributed to this report.For more than fifty years, Voice Of America has been one of this country's most powerful media assets, operating under its chartered mandate to "present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions" as well as the "policies of the United States clearly and effectively." With broadcasts in dozens of languages reaching millions worldwide, VOA is not simply a vector for global American influence but a significant journalistic institution in its own right. On December 11, President-elect Donald Trump opened a new chapter in VOA's history, naming failed Arizona Republican gubernatorial and senate candidate Kari Lake as his pick to lead the storied network. Lake, a hardline immigration hawk who spent years denying both her own electoral loss as well as Trump's 2020 defeat, will "ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media," Trump said on Truth Social. citing Lake's qualifications as a "beloved News Anchor in Arizona, which supported me by record margins, for over 20 years." From local journalist to 'fierce critic of the industry' Lake's evolution from donating to former President Barack Obama's campaign to a MAGA stalwart was "gradual" NBC News said. She is a "true believer, fueled by the allure of a growing social media following, a kinship with Trump's brashness and her frustration with the 'political correctness' she had to abide by for years as a local news anchor." Lake ended her nearly three decades as a Phoenix area broadcaster after posting a "series of controversial statements on social media," including Covid-19 misinformation, The Associated Press said. Lake's 2022 gubernatorial campaign "often leaned more on her vitriol toward news outlets and reporters" than attacks on her Democratic opponent, Katie Hobbs, The New York Times said. Lake had "habitually attacked reporters" during the race, Media Matters for America said, at one point calling them "the right hand of the devil." 'Hoping that the guardrails will hold' Lake's nomination has reignited lingering concerns from Trump's first term over how his administration will treat a broadcast institution initially founded to counter foreign propaganda while maintaining the institution's vaulted " firewall " to protect against political influence. During his first week in office in 2017, the relationship between Trump and VOA raised alarms among media critics after the network posted (and eventually deleted) tweets that "seemed to validate — or, at least, did not question — false statements White House press secretary Sean Spicer made about crowd size and media coverage," The Washington Post said. Trump also "clashed" with the network over its China and coronavirus reporting during his last year in office, said Politico , after which several VOA officials "resigned from their posts," Axios said. Michael Pack, CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media which oversaw VOA during Trump's first term, "drew bipartisan criticism" from lawmakers over his tenure, which included "requirements to publish editorial material favorable to the Trump administration," Roll Call said. "We're hoping that the guardrails will hold,” said one VOA employee to CNN after the news that Trump selected Lake to lead the organization. "Many of us are very disturbed," another employee said to the network. Trump has yet to announce who he intends to nominate as the next Global Media head, who, along with the bipartisan International Broadcasting Advisory Board, has the power to approve VOA's new director. Still, by naming Lake, Trump has signaled that his administration again "intends to assert its influence over the Voice of America," Roll Call said.

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CHICAGO — It looked like the Vikings had put the game away for good on Sunday afternoon at Solider Field when a chip-shot field goal attempt from kicker Parker Romo sailed through the uprights in the final minutes. ADVERTISEMENT That made it 27-16 in favor of the Vikings with the Chicago Bears needing a miracle. They got it. After a big kick return put the Bears in very good field position, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams led an impressive drive, throwing a touchdown pass to receiver Keenan Allen to cut the deficit to 27-24. A blunder by the Vikings on the onside kick allowed the Bears to recover, then kicker Cairo Santos nailed a 48-yard field goal as time expired to tie the game at 27-27 and send it into overtime. In the extra session, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold took over for the Vikings. He went 6 for 6 passing on the final drive, setting up Romo for a game-winning field goal that helped the Vikings escape with a 30-27 win. The game looked like it was going to be a hot start for the Vikings after running back Aaron Jones got loose for a 41-yard gain. He was stripped of the ball at the goal line a couple of plays later, however, marking another missed opportunity for the Vikings in the red zone. ADVERTISEMENT That cracked the door open for the Bears, and the mobility of their rookie quarterback took centerstage. On a particular play, Williams avoided pressure from Andrew Van Ginkel off the edge, rolled to his right, then dropped a dime to D’Andre Swift along the sideline. That put the Bears in position to score, and running back Roschon Johnson found the into the end zone shortly thereafter to make it 7-0. In need of a response, the Vikings got it almost immediately when Darnold dropped back and unleashed a deep pass to receiver Jordan Addison. It was an incredible catch from Addison as he hauled it in while being dragged down from behind. On the very next play, Addison finished the drive, catching a touchdown pass in traffic to help the Vikings to tie the game at 7-7. The vibes shifted in favor of the Vikings on the following possession. ADVERTISEMENT It looked like the Bears had picked up a big gain when receiver Keenan Allen caught a ball along the sideline. After a challenge flag thrown by head coach Kevin O’Connell, however, the officials ruled that Allen did not get both feet in bounds. On the very next play defensive tackle Jerry Tillery blocked a field goal, and the Vikings kept the Bears off the board. That paved the way for the Vikings to take control as star receiver Justin Jefferson drew a 35-yard defensive pass interference penalty that put the ball in the red zone. A couple of plays later, Darnold found receiver Jalen Nailor for a touchdown to make it 14-7 in favor of the Vikings. After a punt by the Vikings, the Bears got a field goal Santos to cut the deficit to 14-10 at halftime. ADVERTISEMENT With an opportunity to take control coming out of halftime, Darnold found Addison with a perfect ball near the sideline that went for 69-yard gain. Unfortunately for the Vikings, they stalled out in the red zone, setting for a field goal from kicker Parker Romo to stretch the lead to 17-10. The biggest swing of the game came when receiver DeAndre Carter muffed a punt for the Bears, and edge rusher Bo Richter recovered the fumble for the Vikings. Not long after that, Jones atoned for his fumble with a touchdown to make it 24-10. After the Bears got a touchdown to cut the deficit to 24-16, it seemed like the Vikings put the game away with a field goal to restore the lead to 27-16. Not so fast. ADVERTISEMENT After an impressive drive by Williams helped cut the deficit to 27-24, the Bears recovered the onside kick. That set the stage for Santos to nail a 48-yard field goal to tie the score at 27-27 and send the game into overtime. In the extra session, the Vikings stepped up on defense by forcing a punt, then stepped up on offense with Darnold leading an impressive drive of his own. That set the stage for Romo and he nailed a 29-yard field goal to give the Vikings the win. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .No. 5 UCLA women stun No. 1 South Carolina 77-62, snap Gamecocks' 43-game win streak

Shoppers seeking updates on their online purchases are receiving fake shipping notifications — something that is heightened during the busy shipping season during the holidays. The endless texts and phishing emails alert shoppers to a delivery issue requiring immediate attention. Scripps News Baltimore Reporter Mallory Sofastaii spoke with multiple customers at the post office, who told her they have received these scam texts. Scammers just need one person to fall for it. “They’re desperately hoping that you will act so quickly that you will give them whatever they want so that they can steal money from you,” said Karen Morgan, executive council member and lead fraud volunteer with AARP Maryland. RELATED STORY | This phishing scam uses text messages pretending to be USPS with a delivery AARP is warning shoppers about these scam texts seeking personal information such as date of birth, Social Security Number, or account logins. And they received a report of someone paying a $0.99 re-delivery fee and later realizing they'd been charged $400. “Do not act quickly on any of these notifications. Stop a minute to recall, did you actually order something? Have you actually sent something? And by the way, if it's the post office, FedEx or UPS, don't they already have your address? Why do they need you to give it to them again?” Morgan suggested. USPS will never send a text or email without the customer first requesting tracking information and they do not charge for these services. “I have registered with the post office to receive emails,” said online shopper Ana Cruz, who uses USPS Informed Delivery , a free service to keep track of mail and packages that are scheduled to be delivered. Howard Shand said he doesn’t do a lot of online shopping. “I go direct to a store, so I don't really have that problem. You know, I shop early,” he added. And he said he's extra vigilant for a reason. “I've been scammed before, so, you know, it makes you more alert,” Shand said. “Just be careful. Pay attention and don't let down your guard easily.” It's important not to click on any links in these messages. Even if you don't enter your information, malware could be downloaded onto your device. And some of the links will take you to a fake login page designed to steal your password and then lock you out of your real account or to hack into other financial accounts. Click here to see the other 12 Scams of Christmas. This story was originally published by Mallory Sofastaii at Scripps News Baltimore .President-elect Donald Trump has stirred controversy this week with his pledge to impose new tariffs on imports from the United States' top trading partners: Canada, China, and Mexico. Earlier this week, Trump announced plans to implement a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada, alongside a 10% tariff on Chinese products. This marks Trump's first major tariff promise since his election, signaling a tough approach to trade with these countries. He stated that, upon taking office, he would sign executive orders to impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico and Canada, maintaining that the tariffs would remain in place until the flow of illegal immigration and fentanyl into the U.S. was stopped. "This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!" Trump wrote. Canada: The biggest surprise Trump’s hard-line stance on China, which conservatives view as a threat to U.S. economic and national security, comes as no surprise. Similarly, his criticism of Mexico is rooted in long-standing concerns over immigration and border security. But what’s less expected is the inclusion of Canada, the U.S.'s northern neighbor, in this tariff plan. While it’s possible that these tariff threats are part of a broader negotiation strategy, there has been a notable uptick in border apprehensions in recent months. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, arrests at the U.S.-Canada border surged from 10,021in the 12-month period ending September 2023, to 23,721 in the following year. Immigration has been one of Trump’s signature issues since his 2016 campaign, and his tough stance on border security continues to resonate with his political base. In response to Trump's remarks, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the concerns within his own country, emphasizing the ongoing strong ties between the U.S. and Canada. “We talked about how the intense and effective connections between our two countries flow back and forth,” Trudeau said, noting that both nations could collaborate on addressing shared challenges. If these tariffs are enacted, the impact could be significant. Canada exports about 77% of its goods to the U.S., according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade, meaning that such measures could have far-reaching economic consequences for both countries. Elon Musk on Trump’s tariff crackdown Reacting to a post that discusses Trump's latest tariff plan, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to X and said, “Price of Fentanyl will rise sharply.”CEO killer suspect: golden boy who soured on US health system

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win real money casino West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose found himself embroiled in a new controversy after photographs of him unveiling his statue emerged on social media. The Governor has launched elaborate celebrations to mark two years in office. As the photograph went viral, the Raj Bhawan Media Cell issued a statement saying that the statue was presented to the Governor and he did not unveil it. “In some media reports it has come out that HG (Honourable Governor) has ‘unveiled his own statue’ at Raj Bhavan on 23.11.2024. The fact is as follows: Many artists submit their artistic creations to HG. Many painters made HG’s portraits and presented to him. Similarly, a creative sculptor had created a sculpture of HG and presented to HG. This has unfortunately been described as ‘unveiling his own statue’,” the Raj Bhawan posted on social media. The development, however, sparked criticism in political circles with the ruling Trinamool Congress and Left parties criticising the Governor. Trinamool spokesperson Jayprakash Majumder described the act as “megalomania”. “Governor C.V. Anand Bose has inaugurated his own statue, which is something unheard of. He did it because he wanted some kind of publicity. But the point is, what is the next step? Will he garland his own statue? It’s a sign of a megalomania,” Mr. Majumdar said. CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said that the act of the Governor was “disgraceful and unfortunate”. Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy said it was a “matter of shame”. This is not the first time that the Governor has found himself at the centre of a controversy. During the Lok Sabha election, Mr. Bose was accused by the Trinamool of running a “parallel electioneering system”. Earlier this year, a female employee of Raj Bhawan had accused the Governor of “sexual harassment” and had lodged a complaint with the Kolkata Police. Since the Governor enjoys constitutional protection with respect to criminal charges, the matter could not be taken up by the police. The Governor and the Chief Minister have also been at loggerheads with the former approaching the Calcutta High Court alleging defamation by the Chief Minister. Published - November 24, 2024 09:22 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit West BengalExpert Archaeologists from Spain have achieved a stunning breakthrough , raising a 2,600-year-old Phoenician shipwreck from waters near Murcia after nearly two decades of preparation. Discovered in 1994 off the southeastern coast, the vessel, dubbed Mazarron II, dates back to the 7th century B.C.E. and is considered one of the most intact Phoenician-era shipwrecks ever found. Carlos de Juan, the excavation project’s director, called the find “a very important contribution” to the study of ancient naval construction. Vasco da Gama's legendary shipwreck possibly identified near Kenya's coat Fears bomb-laden 'Doomsday WW2 shipwreck' could unleash poison gas in Thames “Little is known about Phoenician naval construction, even now,” de Juan said, adding that the ship’s design blends recognizable Mediterranean elements with “distinctive and mysterious” features. The Mazarron II is the second ship uncovered near the coastal town of Mazarron. Its predecessor, Mazarron I, was recovered in 1995 and is now displayed at Spain’s National Museum of Underwater Archaeology after years of conservation work. The recent operation involved a 14-person team working over seven weeks to recover the fragile wreck . Divers carefully retrieved wooden fragments piece by piece, transporting them to a laboratory at the Museum of Underwater Archaeology for further study. DON'T MISS: Haunting final photo of Titan sub on ocean floor released [RELEASED] Former OceanGate worker says Titan sub tragedy ‘could have been prevented’ [INSIGHT] Fears for dozens of missing tourists including two Americans as diving ship sink [LATEST] De Juan emphasized the significance of the find, explaining that Phoenicians, an ancient civilization based in modern-day Lebanon , Syria , and Israel , were prolific traders whose cultural legacy includes the development of the alphabet. However, much of their history, particularly their naval technology, remains a mystery. The shipwreck’s preservation and analysis are expected to take years, but researchers are optimistic it will reveal invaluable insights into Phoenician craftsmanship and culture.

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 3:36 p.m. ESTJoe Burrow's home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro-athlete home invasionANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (AP) — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's home was broken into during Monday Night Football in the latest home invasion of a pro athlete in the U.S., authorities said Tuesday. No one was injured in the break-in, but the home was ransacked, according to a report provided by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. Deputies weren't immediately able to determine what items were stolen. A person who is employed by Burrow arrived at the Anderson Township home Monday night to find a shattered bedroom window and the home in disarray. The person called their mother, and then 911 was contacted, according to the report. Deputies reached out to neighbors in an attempt to piece together surveillance footage. “Our investigators are exploring every avenue,” public information officer Kyla Woods said. The homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were broken into in October. In the NBA , Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis had his home broken into Nov. 2 and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr.'s home was burglarized on Sept. 15 while he was at a Minnesota Vikings game. Portis had offered a $40,000 reward for information. Both the NFL and NBA issued security alerts to players after those break-ins, urging them to take additional precautions to secure their homes. In league memos previously obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL said homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” And 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.” Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets, including attempted home deliveries and posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in the neighborhood, according to officials. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

SNOWFLAKE students stuck their oar in after a university rowing club ranked members’ abilities by comparing them to willies. One struggler was dubbed “Mr Floppy”, while the top performer was named “Morning Wood”. Oxford Brookes University launched an investigation into its boat club after complaints over the use of comic names. Rowers were placed into categories which were also given names such as “The Semis” and “Rock Hard”. Woke students were even more furious after discovering rowers’ names had a column with recommendations, including calls to “toughen up”. One message on the sheet read: “Watching you row is like watching paint dry.” Another had the suggestion: “Put the pies down.” After the willy-related names and the messages were revealed, a leaked WhatsApp group chat showed a senior member of the coaching staff called for the mole to own up. But an Oxford Brookes spokesman said: “The material that has been circulated online has appalled us. “We are taking the concerns that have been raised about coaching practices at Oxford Brookes University Boat Club extremely seriously, and we are working with British Rowing to investigate and address those concerns. “We are writing to members of the boat club to provide support and encourage them to come forward and report any concerns they may have to the university.” British Rowing said: “British Rowing is aware of concerns being raised about coaching practices at Oxford Brookes University Boat Club. “We’re working with the club and university to understand and address the concerns. “Creating a safe and respectful environment for everyone in the rowing community is our priority.” The club is renowned for producing Olympic gold medal-winning rowers and world champions.

Ranked teams will be on Monday’s college basketball schedule for 10 games, including the Duke Blue Devils taking on the Kansas State Wildcats. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.Bring Strive Masiyiwa To Head Zim Govt DOGE

Sabres get power-play goals from Zucker and Thompson in 4-2 win over the BluesALL it took was three words: “Howay the lads!” for Britain to fall in love with President Jimmy Carter. He was in Newcastle when he won over a crowd of 20,000 with the Toon Army’s most famous chant. 7 Britain fell in love with President Jimmy Carter Credit: Getty - Contributor 7 The longest-living US leader ever has died aged 100 Credit: Getty - Contributor 7 The late President with his wife and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Credit: Rex But it took the rest of the world many more years to appreciate the greatness of the longest-living US leader ever, who has died aged 100. In the wake of the Watergate scandal which saw Republican President Richard Nixon resign from office in disgrace, Carter the Democrat candidate was expected to narrowly win against Tricky Dicky’s replacement former Vice President Gerald Ford. But in an attempt to portray himself as a Washington outsider and man of the people Carter gave an interview to soft-porn magazine, Playboy, where he admitted that he had “committed adultery in his heart many times.” Carter’s reference to sex became all anyone could talk about. READ MORE WORLD NEWS SHARK HORROR Tourist killed and another injured in deadly shark attack at Red Sea resort CRASH MYSTERY Minute-by-minute breakdown of SK plane crash from ‘bird strike’ to fireball The interview shifted the entire dynamic of the election — and helped get the Republicans back on track. Many evangelical Christians in Carter’s southern heartland turned against him. Despite the setback, Carter won the 1976 election to become 39 th United States President at the age of 52. In his inaugural address the following January he told the American people: “Your strength can compensate for my weakness, and your wisdom can help to minimize my mistakes. Most read in The Sun ALL ROVER IT Barry Robson appointed manager of SPFL club - 11 months after Aberdeen axe HELL'S BELLS Hogmanay storm chaos as event AXED & travellers warned as snow to hit Scotland baby joy Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan announce she's pregnant with first baby FLIGHTMARE Moment Ryanair passengers cheer as yob is hauled off flight to Scotland by cops But his one term in the White House was notorious for fiascos ranging from a self-inflicted 444-day hostage crisis to an incident when he managed to get attacked in a pond by a swimming rabbit. It was seen as not only humiliating for the former peanut farmer, but for the entire United States. However, after losing office, he redefined what it meant to be an ex-President, becoming one of history’s great peacemakers. In fact the Nobel Peace Prize winner became one of the finest presidents in American history — after he left the White House. James Earl Carter Jr was born on October 1, 1924, in the one-street town of Plains, Georgia , in America’s Deep South. He grew up on his father’s peanut farm and worked on it from the time he was able to carry buckets of water. Jimmy set his sights on a career with the US Navy, in order to receive free college education to study engineering. And it was while at the Naval Academy that he fell in love with a former neighbour, Rosalynn, his sister’s best friend. They married on July 7, 1946, when he was 21 and she was 18, and they were together for the next 77 years until Rosalynn’s death last November, age 96. Marking their 75th wedding anniversary in 2021, Carter said: “I love her more now than I did to begin with — which is saying a lot, because I loved her a lot.” He vowed to stay alive so that Rosalynn would never have to live alone. Carter was relishing being part of the Navy’s brand-new nuclear submarine program in New York when his father died in 1953 changing the whole course of his life The 28-year-old felt duty-bound to quit the Navy and return to Plains with Rosalynn and their three sons to take over the family business. As a leading member of the evangelical Baptist Church, he quickly became a pillar of the community — until a ruling by the Supreme Court changed everything. Most spectacularly, he began trying to revive the Middle East peace process — and succeeded In 1954, judges declared racial segregation of schools unconstitutional and the South went into uproar. In Plains a White Citizens’ Council was set up and Carter was the only white man in town who refused to join. There was a boycott of the peanut business, and banishment from the country club. The attendant at the petrol station even refused to fill his car. But Jimmy Carter had not gone into politics — politics had come to him. The following year he joined the county’s school board and gradually became more outspoken on race . Then in 1962 he ran for Georgia’s state senate as a Democrat. After his senate stint, in 1970 he became Governor, declaring in his inaugural speech: “The time of racial discrimination is over.” 7 Jimmy Carter vowed to stay alive so that Rosalynn would never have to live alone Credit: Rex 7 Carter was sworn in as President on January 20, 1977 Credit: AP:Associated Press 7 Jimmy Carter pictured at the funeral service of his wife, Rosalynn Carter, on November 29, 2023 Credit: Getty By late 1974 he had become known for compassion and competency, in a United States despairing over crooked ex-President Richard Nixon and the Vietnam War. Still, he did not seem the White House type. Years later Carter recalled: “When I told my mother I was running for president, she said, ‘President of what?’” And when he announced his candidacy for the 1976 election, the reaction was: “Jimmy who?” With the reputation of Washington insiders at an all-time low, the outsider captured the public imagination It turned out to be a gift. With the reputation of Washington insiders at an all-time low, the outsider captured the public imagination. He was sworn as President on January 20, 1977, and things started well. One of his first acts was to declare an amnesty for Vietnam War draft evaders. He also installed solar panels on the White House and established the United States’ first federal Department of Education. Most spectacularly, he began trying to revive the Middle East peace process — and succeeded. Patient negotiations led to a secret summit in September 1978 between the leaders of warring Israel and Egypt at Camp David, the presidential retreat. It was meant to last three days and ended up taking 12. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli PM Menachem Begin started out refusing to even be in the same room. By the end, they were watching movies together and had the framework for a treaty that ended the war. It remains the only meaningful peace in the Middle East. But Carter’s standing tended to be higher abroad than at home. Especially in Newcastle. The President had come to London for a summit in May 1977, and Labour PM Jim Callaghan asked if there was any where he would like to visit. Carter said he would love to see Laugharne in Carmarthenshire, where his favourite poet Dylan Thomas had lived. But wily Callaghan confided that choosing Tyneside instead would be helpful in shoring up Labour support. Air Force One headed north. On the drive to the city centre, Carter noticed a newspaper poster reading “Howay Jimmy”, and another one referring to “the lads”. He asked what all this meant and got a history of Newcastle United’s call to arms. By the time he took to the stage outside the Civic Centre, he had decided on his opening words. The Sun reported that the President’s “Howay the lads!” was greeted with “the sort of roar you get for a five-goal win at Newcastle’s St James’ Park”. Carter would later say: “The expected friendly and polite welcome became a love fest. “This was one of the high points of my first year as president.” That UK visit also had an unlikely impact at Westminster Abbey. Because he could not get to Laugharne, Carter visited the Abbey to see Dylan Thomas’s memorial in Poets’ Corner. But when the President asked an archdeacon to point out the stone, he was told: “We couldn’t have Dylan Thomas commemorated here — you know he was a drunkard.” Carter replied: “Well look, there’s Lord Byron who was gay. There’s Edgar Allan Poe, who was a drug addict.” Still fuming, back home he wrote a letter outlining the poet’s case. In 1982 a memorial was finally unveiled. But in the US, inflation and a petrol shortage were uppermost in voters’ minds. Carter appeared weak, summed up in September 1979, when he collapsed gasping for air into the arms of minders half-way through a six-mile jog. But worse was to come in October that year when in a misguided humanitarian gesture, Carter invited the embattled Shah of Iran to have cancer treatment in the US. Iranians who had been trying to overthrow the royal’s rule and establish a republic were enraged. On November 4, 1979 students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran, taking those inside hostage. Fifty-two Americans would be held for the next 444 days. Carter’s inability to win their release scuppered his reputation for negotiation. A rescue mission also failed, and Carter refused popular calls to simply bomb Tehran. He was awarded 2002’s Nobel Peace Prize – the only US President to ever get the honour after leaving office All this unfolded in the run-up to the November 1980 election, with macho Republican challenger Ronald Reagan branding Carter a “wimp”. The President lost to Reagan in a landslide. Minutes after the new President was sworn in, the hostages in Iran were released. Meanwhile Carter and Rosalynn, along with 13-year-old daughter Amy, moved back to the bungalow in Plains that the family had built in 1961. The political outcast announced that he would not take jobs on corporate boards or pile up money on the lecture circuit. Instead, he went back to teaching Sunday school, and quietly set about changing the world. In 1986 he announced his life goal was to help eradicate Guinea worm disease, which was striking 3.5million people in Africa each year. In 2021, that was down to 14 cases. It is on track to being only the second human disease in history to be eradicated after smallpox. Then in 1994, when it seemed war was about to erupt between North and South Korea , President Bill Clinton remembered Carter’s magical touch with the Middle East. Carter flew in to meet with leader Kim Il Sung, and got on so well they ended up hugging. The intervention helped to seal a nuclear disarmament agreement that lasted nearly a decade. He was awarded 2002’s Nobel Peace Prize – the only US President to ever get the honour after leaving office. Despite his age he carried on building homes for the poor – often working on them himself but the Secret Service banned him from going on the roof because he was at risk of assassination by snipers. And at home in their two-bedroom bungalow, he and Rosalynn read a chapter of the Bible to each other each night, as they had done for more than 40 years. During the day the couple rode around on three-wheeled scooter the former president said "gives you a workout all the way from your ankles up to your shoulders" — for up to 2.5 miles a day. Read more on the Scottish Sun GHOST TOWN Former Scots shopping hotspot 'decaying' as multimillion pound revamp ‘failing’ VAX HORROR Striken Scots 'gaslit' by health bosses after complications from Covid vaccine In accordance with his wishes, President Carter will be buried in front of his smallholding worth £150,000 – less than the value of the Secret Service car that always parked outside for his protection. He explained: “Plains is where our hearts have always been.” 7 Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter and their children during the 1980 Democratic National Convention in New York City Credit: Getty - Contributor RABBIT INCIDENT JIMMY CARTER did not always have the best luck — but it was never worse than one day in April 1979 when he went out fishing on a boat and got attacked by a swimming rabbit. News reports quoted a witness as saying the animal was “hissing menacingly, its teeth flashing and nostrils flared, and making straight for the President.” The Washington Post’s front-page headline was “Rabbit attacks President”. The Associated Press went with “Carter Fights ‘Killer Rabbit’ with Paddle on Fishing Trip”. Carter later insisted that what actually happened that day on a pond in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, was that “a rabbit was being chased by hounds and he jumped in the water and swam towards my boat. When he got almost there, I splashed some water with a paddle and the rabbit turned.” But his press secretary Jody Powell always swore that the animal was “enraged” and “perhaps beserk” and “intent upon climbing into the presidential boat”. He ((OK, he)) said it was also far larger than normal rabbits so the President was frightened, with good reason. Cartoons and novelty songs followed, and political enemies who wanted to paint Carter as ridiculous and hapless had a field day. For the rest of his time in office, Carter avoided being photographed with the Easter Bunny.Micron Q1 Earnings Preview: Analyst Estimates, Why Company Is 'Well Positioned Heading Into 2025'

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Despite evidence of effectiveness, harm reduction measures have remained controversial and highly contested in many African countries, fueling the menace of substance abuse on the continent. The Founder/Executive Director, Global Initiative on Substance Abuse (GISA), Dr. Martin Agwogie, who disclosed this during his presentation at the fourth Harm Reduction Exchange, in Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday, attributed the challenge to government, faith based and social-cultural barriers. In the presentation titled, ‘Harm Reduction in Africa: Evolution, Concept, Principles, Practices, Barriers and Way Forward’, Agwogie said prejudices and stigma associated with drug use both from the public and practitioners have hindered the provision of adequate care, creating problems for both the patients and the harm reduction services. He said: “The restrictive policies of drug consumption rooms often place users in the situation of having to use the drug alone or in public spaces. Funding constraints are also not unconnected with public perception of harm reduction. In many countries in Africa, neither methadone nor buprenorphine for OST are on the Essential Medicines List (EML) largely due to negative perception/misconception and in some cases political reasons and myths. “There is also a similar negative perception/misconception about NRT. Funding for harm reduction has also significantly reduced as HIV to which it is tied has reduced. In many settings, the primary focus of treatment interventions still remains abstinence.” Agwogie, who described harm reduction as part of coordinated efforts to minimise the harms associated with drug use, said over 100 countries have now adopted at least one form of harm reduction or the other. On his part, Samuel Hanu from Harm Reduction Alliance, Ghana, who said there has been a slight increase in the availability of harm reduction services since the Global State of Harm Reduction report in 2022, noted that substantial regional differences still exist. He added that the stigmatisation and criminalisation of people who use drugs remain significant issues, noting that this impedes access to existing harm reduction services, which undermine the political and financial support needed to implement and expand these services. While speaking on the role of scientific evidence in shaping policy and regulation for tobacco harm reduction, Mr. Uche Olatunji, who lamented that eight million smoking-related deaths are record worldwide yearly, said while millions are spent on tobacco control efforts, the number of smokers is the same as it was over 10 years ago. He noted that over the past few decades, a wealth of scientific evidence has highlighted the risks associated with traditional cigarette products, while also paving new ways for harm reduction strategies. Olatunji stressed that as the market continues to evolve with the introduction of innovative nicotine delivery systems, additional research is essential, as well as regulations and policies to address possible challenges. He further said one of the main goals of public health research is to inform health-related policies. “Despite the evidence in favour of Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) using safer nicotine products – such as vaping devices, snus, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products, the World Health Organisation remains opposed to these approaches in their regulation guidelines. Scientific evidence, like the highly respected and independent organisation – Cochrane, has consistently shown that switching to less harmful alternatives can dramatically reduce the risks associated with smoking,” Olatunji said.The Yomiuri Shimbun 6:00 JST, November 25, 2024 * * “AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity ... Therefore, we call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.” These lines are excerpted from an open letter issued in March last year by the U.S. nonprofit organization Future of Life Institute (FLI) in the heat of ChatGPT sweeping the world. The letter warns of a risk that humans will lose control of AI if its development continues as it is, and calls for pausing the development of powerful AI systems. The letter was supported and signed by such prominent figures as entrepreneur Elon Musk and historian Yuval Noah Harari among many others. The signatory list also includes the names of Japanese researchers. Keio University Prof. Satoshi Kurihara, the president of the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, said: “The hasty release of AI into the world will cause confusion. AI developers and users should stop for a moment and think about the various issues involved.” University of Tokyo Prof. Emeritus Yoshihiko Nakamura, a robot researcher, said: “Conversations with AI may have a major impact on human intellectual activity. I think we all need to think about this.” Leaders in various fields were increasingly concerned about rapidly spreading generative AI. However, the movement quickly petered out. OpenAI, Microsoft Corp., and Google LLC all released new AIs and related services one after another. The development race intensified with an expectation of the huge market of the future, and the stock market was abuzz with the generative AI boom. “In the midst of the huge movement of capital, the open letter was powerless,” Nakamura said. Just four months after the letter’s release, Musk announced the formation of a new company, xAI, effectively throwing his signature into a dust bin. “Businesses can’t stop development as they’re up against rivals. Humans are creatures that can’t stop themselves after all,” Kurihara said, expressing his complex feelings about the development race. AI developers themselves have expressed a sense of crisis over the idea that their excessive haste to release new services has resulted in neglect of safety measures. At OpenAI, which became one of the world’s largest startups with the explosive spread of its ChatGPT, key executives left one after another, apparently rebelling against the company’s shift to a focus on profit. “Over the past years, safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products,” Jan Leike, who was in charge of OpenAI’s safety measures, wrote in a post criticizing its management team on X (formerly Twitter) when he left the company in May. “OpenAI must become a safety-first AGI [artificial general intelligence] company.” University of Toronto Prof. Emeritus and AI scientist Geoffrey Hinton criticized OpenAI at a press conference held on Oct. 8 when he won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics. “Over time, it turned out that [OpenAI Chief Executive Officer] Sam Altman was much less concerned with safety than with profits. And I think that’s unfortunate,” he said. On Oct. 2, OpenAI announced that it had raised $6.6 billion (about ¥1 trillion) in new funding, a sign of further acceleration of generative AI development. It has also been reported that the company would be reorganized from its current nonprofit-oriented structure to a more profit-oriented one. In the face of business logic, the company’s founding mission to ensure “AGI benefits all of humanity” appears to be wavering. The FLI’s open letter was endorsed by over 33,000 signatories. FLI’s Communications Director Ben Cumming is deeply concerned about the development race by AI corporations such as big tech firms. “Intense competitive pressures will force them [AI corporations] to cut corners safety-wise, and it is the public that will pay the price,” Cumming said.

Ludhiana: The BJP has intensified its ward-level campaigns. Despite receiving 495 applications from hopeful candidates for 95 wards, uncertainty looms over whether the polls will proceed based on old or new ward delimitations. The BJP failed to secure a single seat in the recent four byelections. District BJP president Rajnesh Dhiman expressed confidence in the party’s readiness, saying: “Public support will depend on the face value of our candidates, and we’ll select them carefully.” A ticket hopeful also acknowledged the challenges and advised focusing on core civic issues. IPL 2025 mega auction IPL Auction 2025: Who got whom IPL 2025 Auction: Updated Full Team Squads Adding to the uncertainty is a pending court decision on the legality of new ward delimitations. Senior advocate Harish Rai Dhanda of the SAD filed a petition challenging the updated boundaries, arguing that delimitation should occur only with double-digit percentage growth in populatiton, with an expansion in the number of wards. The court has reserved its judgment, and Dhanda remains optimistic that the elections will proceed under the 2017 delimitations. We also published the following articles recently Delimitation: Draft of new wards in local bodies published Kerala's local bodies are set for a major restructuring with the publication of a draft delimitation adding 1,510 new wards. The changes, based on the 2011 census and utilizing digital mapping technology, aim to reflect the current population distribution. The public can submit objections and suggestions until December 30th, after which the delimitation commission will finalize the ward boundaries. Delimitation of ward: Election wing receives three plaints so far Following the release of the draft notification on ward delimitation in Kochi's local self-governments, only three formal complaints have been lodged with the district collectorate. Despite some residents expressing concerns via email, they have been urged to submit their grievances officially. Delimitation exercise in north-eastern states cant be deferred indefinitely: SC The Supreme Court has questioned the Indian government's delay in redrawing electoral maps for Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland. The court emphasized that the Constitution mandates this process after each census, expressing concern over the indefinite postponement. While acknowledging the unrest in Manipur, the court pressed for explanations regarding the other two states.

AAP alleges conspiracy to ‘burn Arvind Kejriwal alive’, BJP retorts with ‘drama’ charge