B.C. health executive fired for refusing COVID-19 vaccine loses EI appealSydney commuters warned of ‘major reductions, cancellations’ on train networkBEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad's erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; and Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar, contributed to this report. Bassem Mroue And Zeina Karam, The Associated Presssg777 manila 。

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this week that more than 2,000 grants totaling $62 million were awarded by the New York State Council on the Arts, including to some local organizations and artists. According to a media release, the grants will support 1,497 nonprofit organizations and 509 individual artists, “increasing access to arts funding and recognizing the substantial economic and social impact of New York’s vital arts and culture sector.” With more than $21 million already awarded as multi-year grants, this funding round brings Fiscal Year 2025’s totals to $84 million in grants. “As the unparalleled leader of arts and culture, New York’s creativity and innovation inspires the world,” Hochul said in the release. “Our continued investment in our dynamic creative sector will further boost tourism, strengthen our local economies and continue New York’s success as a rich and vibrant place to live, work and visit.” NYSCA’s on-going efforts to ensure greater access to arts funding also resulted in a 20% increase in applications, with 70% of organization support grants awarded to institutions with budgets under $1 million across the state, the release stated. Recipients of four different FY 2025 grant categories were announced: Support for Organizations, Support for Artists, Targeted Opportunities, and Regrants and Services. Local organizations and artists who received awards are: • Arts & Rec Inc. of Stamford, received a $20,000 support for organizations grant. • Bright Hill Press of Treadwell, received a $25,000 support for organizations grant. • Chenango County Council of the Arts Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Chenango River Theatre Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival, Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Community Arts Network of Oneonta received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Cooperstown Chamber Music Festival Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Earlville Opera House, Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Fenimore Chamber Orchestra received a $15,000 support for organizations grant. • Foothills Performing Arts Center, Inc. received a $49,500 support for organizations grant. • Foundation for the Open Eye, Inc. received a $10,000 support for organizations grant. • Franklin Stock Company at Chapel Hall, Inc. received a $25,000 support for organizations grant. It also received a $10,000 support for artist award for playwright Kyle Bass for “The Civilities.” • Gilboa Historical Society, Inc. received a $15,000 support for organizations grant. • Glimmerglass Opera Theatre Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Hanford Mills Museum at East Meredith received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Iroquois Indian Museum received a $10,000 support for artist award for Margaret Jacobs: Ancestral Understanding: Kanien’kehá:ka Plant Knowledge in Steel. • Roxbury Arts Group Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. The organization is also Delaware County’s regrant facilitator and received $175,000 for that program. • West Kortright Centre, Inc. received a $49,500 support for organizations grant. NYSCA is also accepting applications for $80 Million in grants for the Capital Projects Fund until 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, the release stated. NYSCA’s Capital Projects Fund invests in capital facilities and expansion projects for cultural nonprofit organizations that promote accessibility, diverse programming, environmental sustainability and more. This funding helps preserve and create jobs that contribute to the growth of New York’s arts and tourism sectors. Visit the NYSCA website for additional details. Created by Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Hochul and the state Legislature, the council is an agency that is part of the executive branch. For more information on NYSCA, visit arts.ny.gov , and follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.

Insurgents reach gates of Syria’s capital, threatening to upend decades of Assad rule

Israeli airstrikes killed a hospital director at his home in northeastern Lebanon and six others, while at least five paramedics were killed by Israeli strikes in the country's south on Friday, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. The United Nations reported heavy clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon. Four Italian peacekeepers were lightly wounded when a rocket, likely fired by Hezbollah, hit their base, the U.N. said. A full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted in September after nearly a year of lower-intensity conflict. More than 3,640 people have been killed in Lebanon and 15,350 wounded, the majority following Israel’s escalation and ground invasion, the Health Ministry said Friday. In Gaza, Israeli strikes hit Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the northernmost part of the territory, wounding nine medical staff and damaging its generator and oxygen systems, the hospital director said Friday. More than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry said. It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250 . Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here’s the Latest: DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes hit Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the northernmost part of Gaza, wounding nine medical staff and damaging its generator and oxygen systems, its director said Friday. Hossam Abu Safiya said strikes before dawn Friday hit the entrance of the emergency unit as well as in the hospital courtyard. He said six staff were wounded, including two critically. Friday night, he said an armed drone hit the entrance again, wounding three staffers. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Abu Safiya said the strikes caused damage to the functioning of the generator and disrupted oxygen supplies. The hospital is currently treating 85 wounded, 14 children in the pediatric ward and four newborns in the neonatal unit, he said. During the past month, Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit several times, was put under siege and was raided by Israeli troops, who are waging a heavy offensive in the nearby Jabaliya refugee camp and towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya. The Israeli military says it detained Hamas fighters hiding in the hospital, a claim its staff denies. BEIRUT — An Israeli airstrike killed the director of a university hospital and six others at his home in northeastern Lebanon, state media said. The strike targeted Dr. Ali Allam’s house near Dar Al-Amal Hospital, the largest health center in Baalbek-Hermel province, which has provided vital health services amid Israel's campaign of airstrikes, the Health Ministry said. State-run media reported that the strike came without warning. The ministry described his death as a “great loss,” and provincial governor Bachir Khodr said in a post on X that, “Mr. Allam was one of the best citizens of Baalbek.” In two separate episodes on Friday, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed five paramedics with Hezbollah's medical arm, the Health Ministry said, describing it as “war crime.” The militant group provides extensive social services, including running schools and health clinics. In a report published Friday, the World Health Organization said nearly half of all attacks on health care in Lebanon since Oct. 7, 2023, have resulted in fatalities. “This is a higher percentage than in any active conflict today across the globe,” WHO said. In Lebanon, 226 health workers and patients were killed and 199 were injured between Oct. 7, 2023, and Nov. 18, 2024, the report said. The Health Ministry said Friday that 3,645 people have been killed in nearly 14 months of war between Hezbollah and Israel, while 15,356 were wounded, the majority following Israel’s escalation in late September. The death count includes 692 women and 231 children. UNITED NATIONS – Two rockets hit a headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, injuring four Italian peacekeepers, the United Nations says. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the rockets were likely launched by Hezbollah militants or by affiliated groups Friday, impacting a bunker and a logistics area in the southwest headquarters at Chamaa. One of the structures that was hit caught fire, and the blaze was swiftly put out by U.N. staff, he said. According to Italy’s Defense Ministry, some glass shattered due to the explosion, hitting the four soldiers. Dujarric said the four injured peacekeepers were receiving treatment at the medical facility of the mission, known as UNIFIL. “Thankfully, none of the injuries are life-threatening,” he said. Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called the attack on the UNIFIL base “intolerable.” He reiterated that the Italian contingent remains in southern Lebanon “to offer a window of opportunity for peace, and cannot become hostage to militia attacks.” Dujarric said Friday’s attack was the third on Chamaa in a week and came amid heavy shelling and ground skirmishes in the Chamaa and Naqoura areas in recent days. UNIFIL’s main headquarters is in Naqoura. Friday’s attack follows a rocket attack on a UNIFIL base east of the village of Ramyah on Tuesday that injured four peacekeepers from Ghana. Dujarric said UNIFIL strongly urges Hezbollah and its affiliates and Israel to avoid fighting near its positions, which are supposed to be protected. “We remind all parties that any attack against peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international law” and the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, he said. BEIRUT — Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs and the southern port city of Tyre on Friday, after the Israeli army issued several evacuation warnings saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites. The strikes in Beirut came dangerously close to central Beirut and Christian neighborhoods. One strike hit a building housing a gym and medical and beauty clinics, located just meters (yards) from a Lebanese army base. “What is there in the building to target? This attack they carried out on us in this building is a criminal and vile act,” resident Hassan Najdi told The Associated Press. “Because if their intention is targeting Hezbollah, this building has nothing to do with Hezbollah.” Najdi said he purchased an apartment in the building last year but had not yet moved in. He allowed a displaced family to move in and urgently asked them to evacuate after receiving the Israeli warning. The blasts sent plumes of smoke into the air and shattered glass in the vicinity. No casualties have been reported, but the strikes caused damage to nearby infrastructure and a key road connecting central Beirut to its southern suburbs. “We remain steadfast,” said Ali Daher, an employee at a mall facing the targeted building. “Everything that is lost can be replaced, and whatever is destroyed can be rebuilt in (no time).” In Tyre city, the Israeli military conducted multiple airstrikes after a series of warnings, claiming the targets belonged to Hezbollah’s Aziz unit, accusing it of firing projectiles into Israel. The Israeli military carried out other airstrikes across Lebanon, many without warnings, as heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah in villages along the Lebanon-Israel border intensified. ROME — Italy said Friday it plans to discuss the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court over the Israel-Hamas war when it hosts Group of Seven foreign ministers next week. Premier Giorgia Meloni insisted that one point remained clear for Italy: “There can be no equivalence between the responsibilities of the state of Israel and the terrorist organization of Hamas.” Italy is a founding member of the court and hosted the 1998 Rome conference that gave birth to it. But Meloni’s right-wing government has been a strong supporter of Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, while also providing humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. In a statement Friday, Meloni said Italy would study the reasonings behind the decision to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Italy respects the ICC and supports it. “But at the same time we are also convinced that the court must have a judicial role, and should not take up a political role.” Tajani will host G7 foreign ministers Monday and Tuesday outside Rome for the final meeting of the Italian G7 presidency. “As far as decisions are concerned, we will take them together with our allies,” Tajani said. During the G7 meetings, “we will talk about this with my allies there, and we will see what to do next.” Another member of the governing coalition, the outspoken Transport Minister Matteo Salvini was more defiant in supporting Israel. “If Netanyahu comes to Italy he will be welcomed,” Salvini was quoted by Italian media as saying. This item has been updated to correct that Salvini spoke of a potential Netanyahu visit to Italy, not Israel. ROME — Four Italian soldiers were slightly injured after two exploding rockets hit the United Nations' peacekeeping mission base on Friday in Chamaa in southern Lebanon, Italy's defense ministry said. Initial information suggested that two rockets hit a bunker and a room of the mission base, damaging the surrounding infrastructure, the ministry said. Shattered glass hit the four soldiers. The incident was the latest in which UN peacekeeping posts have been hit since Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon on Oct. 1, leaving a number of peacekeepers wounded. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called Friday's attack “intolerable.” He said he will try to speak to the new Israeli Defense Minister to ask him “to avoid using the UNIFIL bases as a shield.” Crosetto said the conditions of the four Italian soldiers “did not cause concern.” He reiterated that the Italian contingent remains in southern Lebanon “to offer a window of opportunity for peace and cannot become hostage to militia attacks.” Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni on Friday said she learned about the new attack with “deep indignation and concern.” Meloni reiterated that “such attacks are unacceptable,” renewing her appeal for the parties on the ground “to guarantee, at all times, the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and to collaborate to quickly identify those responsible.” GENEVA — The World Health Organization says nearly half of the attacks on health care in Lebanon have been deadly since the Middle East conflict erupted in October last year, the highest such rate anywhere in the world. The U.N. health agency says 65 out of 137, or 47%, of recorded “attacks on health care” in Lebanon over that time period have proven fatal to at least one person, and often many more. WHO’s running global tally counts attacks, whether deliberate or not, that affect places like hospitals, clinics, medical transport, and warehouses for medical supplies, as well as medics, doctors, nurses and the patients they treat. Nearly half of attacks on health care in Lebanon since last October and the majority of deaths occurred since an intensified Israeli military campaign began against Hezbollah militants in the country two months ago. The health agency said 226 health workers and patients have been killed and 199 injured in Lebanon between Oct. 7, 2023 and this Monday. JERUSALEM — Israel’s new defense minister said Friday that he would stop issuing warrants to arrest West Bank settlers or hold them without charge or trial — a largely symbolic move that rights groups said risks emboldening settler violence in the Israeli-occupied territory. Israel Katz called the arrest warrants “severe” and said issuing them was “inappropriate” as Palestinian militant attacks on settlers in the territory grow more frequent. He said settlers could be “brought to justice” in other ways. The move protects Israeli settlers from being held in “administrative detention,” a shadowy form of incarceration where people are held without charge or trial. Settlers are rarely arrested in the West Bank, where settler violence against Palestinians has spiraled since the outbreak of the war Oct. 7. Katz’s decision was celebrated by far-right coalition allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. National Security Minister and settler firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir applauded Katz and called the move a “correction of many years of mistreatment” and “justice for those who love the land.” Since Oct. 7, 2023, violence toward Palestinians by Israeli settlers has soared to new heights, displacing at least 19 entire Palestinian communities, according to Israeli rights group Peace Now. In that time, attacks by Palestinian militants on settlers and within Israel have also grown more common. An increasing number of Palestinians have been placed in administrative detention. Israel holds 3,443 administrative detainees in prison, according to data from the Israeli Prison Service, reported by rights group Hamoked. That figure stood around 1,200 just before the start of the war. The vast majority of them are Palestinian, with only a handful at any given time Israeli Jews, said Jessica Montell, the director of Hamoked. “All of these detentions without charge or trial are illegitimate, but to declare that this measure will only be used against Palestinians...is to explicitly entrench another form of ethnic discrimination,” said Montell. BERLIN — A German official has suggested that his country would be reluctant to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. The ICC’s warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant put Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, in an awkward position. The government said in a statement Friday that it is one of the ICC’s biggest supporters, but “at the same time, it is a consequence of German history that unique relations and a great responsibility connect us with Israel.” The government said it takes note of the arrest warrants and that “we will examine conscientiously the domestic steps.” It said that any further steps would only be an issue if a visit by Netanyahu or Gallant were “foreseeable.” Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit was pressed repeatedly at a regular news conference on whether it would be conceivable to arrest an Israeli prime minister. He replied: "It’s hard for me to imagine that we would carry out arrests in Germany on this basis.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday refused to comment on the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, saying that the court's rulings are “insignificant” for Russia, which doesn’t recognizes the court’s jurisdiction. The ICC last year issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and a number of other top Russian officials, accusing them of war crimes in Ukraine. The Kremlin has brushed off the warrants, saying that in Moscow’s eyes they’re “null and void.” Asked if the ICC warrants for Netanyahu and others can help resolve the tensions in the Middle East, Peskov said: “Well, in general, the actions of the ICC are unlikely to help anything. That’s the first thing. And secondly, we don’t see any point in commenting on this in any way, because for us these rulings are insignificant.” DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Large crowds of displaced people crammed themselves in front of a bakery in the Gaza Strip for the second day in a row, desperate to get their share of bread after bakeries closed for five days due to a flour shortage and the lack of aid. “I am a 61-year-old man. This is the third day that I have come to Zadna Bakery and I still cannot get bread ... I have children to feed,” said Majdi Yaghi, a displaced man from Gaza City. The price of a small bag of pita bread increased to $16 by Friday, a stark increase from about 80 cents last month. A bag of pasta now costs $4 and a small bag of sugar costs nearly $14. That has left many Palestinian families surviving on one meal a day and reliant on charitable kitchens to survive. In Khan Younis, women and children lined up at the al-Dalu charitable kitchen for bulgur, the only food available at the makeshift charity. One of the workers there, Anas al-Dalu, told the AP that they cook ten pots every day of either rice, beans, or bulgur. But that hardly fills the need for the thousands of people displaced in the area. “The charity here is in a difficult situation. It is a drop in the ocean, and there is no aid or charities. There is nothing," said Nour Kanani, a displaced man from Khan Younis. “It is a crisis in every sense of the word. There is no flour, no charities, and no food.” BEIRUT — Israeli troops fought fierce battles with Hezbollah fighters on Friday in different areas in south Lebanon, including a coastal town that is home to the headquarters of U.N. peacekeepers. A spokesperson for the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL told The Associated Press that they are monitoring “heavy clashes” in the coastal town of Naqoura and the village of Chamaa to the northeast. UNIFIL’s headquarters are located in Naqoura in Lebanon’s southern edge close to the border with Israel. “We are aware of heavy shelling in the vicinity of our bases,” UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said. Asked if the peacekeepers and staff at the headquarters are safe, Tenenti said: “Yes for the moment.” Several UNIFIL posts have been hit since Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon on Oct. 1, leaving a number of peacekeepers wounded.College Football Playoff field set: SMU’s in, Alabama’s out and there could be consequences

The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." Here's a look at some of the issues covered: Trump hems on whether trade penalties could raise prices Trump threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow," Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich." He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. "All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field," Trump said. Trump suggests retribution for his opponents while claiming no interest in vengeance He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. "Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee," Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, "No," and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. At another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. "I want her to do what she wants to do," he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, "I'm not looking to go back into the past." Swift action on immigration is coming Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. "I think you have to do it," he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end "birthright" citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — though such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and were shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, "I want to work something out," indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not "want to be breaking up families" of mixed legal status, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back." Trump commits to NATO, with conditions, and waffles on Putin and Ukraine Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he "absolutely" would remain in the alliance "if they pay their bills." Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies' commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated "fairly" on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin's invasion. "Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure," Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump called for an immediate cease-fire. Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged. "I haven't spoken to him recently," Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to "impede the negotiation." Trump says Powell is safe at the Fed, but not Wray at the FBI The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy, including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: "Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious" that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump's pick for FBI chief, then "he's going to be taking somebody's place, right? Somebody is the man that you're talking about." Trump is absolute about Social Security, not so much on abortion and health insurance Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. "We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient," he said. He added that "we're not raising ages or any of that stuff." He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would "probably" not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, "Well, I commit. I mean, are — things do — things change. I think they change." Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had "concepts" of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called "lousy health care." He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for "better health care for less money."Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say (copy)NoneHoroscope Today, December 30: Gemini to complete pending EMI's; know about other zodiac signs

NoneThe US believes journalist Austin Tice is alive after disappearing in Syria in 2012, Biden says

Michigan and Virginia Tech tip at 6:01 p.m. today in Fort Myers on FS1. Read the game preview, brace for some turnovers, and join the conversation on the message board before, during and after today’s action . Join UM Hoops today and be covered through the next season for just $32! Use the promo code DUSTY to unlock our content and join our community today! Join Today umhoops November 25, 2024 TV Teddy tonightCARSON, 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 whopping 18 goals in five games to win another crown. Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable charge through the playoffs ended one win shy of its 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. 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. 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 the 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. 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 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. 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. 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 club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández rebuilt itself this season with lesser-known young talents from around the world. The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and the Ghanaian Paintsil out of Belgium, and 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.

Defending champs UConn basketball falls to Memphis in Maui Invitational | Social reactionsTwo-time defending NCAA champion UConn basketball suffered its first season loss on Monday. Penny Hardaway and Memphis knocked off the No. 2 Huskies with a 99-97 overtime victory in the quarterfinal of The Maui Invitational at Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii. The Tigers led by as many as 13 at 87-74 with four minutes remaining but allowed a 20-7 run to send it to overtime. REQUIRED READING: Purdue bursts into top 10, Kansas still leads USA TODAY Sports men's basketball coaches poll Solo Ball hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 1.2 seconds left to send it to an extra period. However, Hassan Diarra missed a game-winning 3-pointer to give the Tigers the overtime to win. Memphis took the lead on four straight free throws by PJ Carter following a technical foul on UConn coach Dan Hurley and an over-the-back foul on Liam Neeley with 40 seconds remaining, which Hurley protested to pick up the technical. Here's how social media reacted to UConn basketball losing to Memphis in The Maui Invitational on Monday: Reactions to UConn men's basketball loss to Memphis

https m sg777 co How co-writing a book threatened the Carters' marriage

Better Passive Income Stock: Verizon vs. AT&T

North Korea, Russia defence treaty comes into force

Canadian negotiators are downplaying concerns about the impact the pending Trump administration will have on the state of the Columbia River Treaty modernization efforts between Canada and the United States. Both sides reached an "agreement in principle (AIP)" earlier this year amid efforts to update the decades-old flood control and power generation agreement between the two countries. However, as the U.S. White House transitions from Democratic president Joe Biden to Republican Donald Trump, concerns raised by the public about the immediate future of the treaty were front and centre during a held on Dec. 19. While in California during the U.S. election campaign in September, President-elect Donald Trump suggested a "very large faucet" in B.C. could help California's drought. Stephen Gluck, the lead federal negotiator with Global Affairs Canada, said the treaty's modernization efforts spanned back to the first Trump administration through the Biden administration and will continue no matter who is in power in the United States. "Obviously, there's profile and media attention to comments like that," Gluck said. "I will say though that the Columbia River Treaty is a treaty that has been for power and flood risk management and we have moved towards modernizing it for some other means, but essentially it is a regional and a contained treaty. We don't necessarily follow or look for those remarks and our team right now is focused on modernizing the treaty...as soon as we can." B.C. energy minister Adrian Dix, who was also in virtual attendance, concurred. "I think what we have to do, and what we have to continue to do, is do the work of defending Canadian interests, Columbia Basin interests, British Columbia interests, and not be distracted in that work by the political discussions of the time," Dix said. The info session also included representation from Columbia Basin MLAs, the Province of B.C. as well as Indigenous representatives from the Syilx Okanagan and Ktunaxa Nations. Originally ratified in 1964, the Columbia River Treaty was a water management agreement between the two countries that focused on downstream flood control management and power generation. The treaty facilitated the creation of three dams in B.C. — Mica, Duncan and Keenleyside — as well the Libby dam in Montana. However, when it was drafted, it was essentially done without any input from Indigenous Nations, as the resulting reservoirs flooded out Indigenous territory, affecting cultural, heritage and ecological values. Among the key elements of a modernized treaty is a focus on ecosystem function and re-framing the agreement to treating the Columbia River as a one-river system that flows over traditional Indigenous territory and a number of federal and state jurisdictions. That effort has been led by Indigenous governments in both countries. The Secwépemc, Syilx Okanagan and Ktunaxa Nations were invited to participate as official observers with the Canadian delegation in 2018, and led the focus on ecosystem function along with U.S.-based Indigenous governments. During the info session, Jay Johnson, the lead negotiator for the Syilx Okanagan Nation, reflected on the significance of Indigenous participation in the treaty modernization efforts. "This is a pretty profoundly important journey that we are on right now in that never in the history of the contemporary world have Indigenous communities had a voice directly at the table in international bilateral negotiations," Johnson said, "and both governments had the foresight and the understanding to include the three Nations and the Untied States to include the U.S. tribes in helping to shape and form and participate in the negotiations and that's a pretty important step in the journey of reconciliation." Major elements of the new AIP include increased domestic flexibility for the Canadian treaty dams, particularly for ecosystem and Indigenous values. Additionally, a new flood-risk management regime replaces the existing one, as the U.S. will now pay Canada $37.6 million (USD) indexed to inflation until 2044. Canada will receive an additional $16.6 million (USD) in recognition of other benefits that the U.S. receives due to Canada's operations of the three treaty dams. The Canadian Entitlement is the share of the power benefit by coordinating flows in the three Canadian reservoirs for incremental power generation above and beyond what's already generated in the U.S. However, for every million-acre feet that is used for Canadian flexibility, the Entitlement will be reduced by 6.5 per cent, as there is no corresponding power benefit to the U.S. Other elements of the modernized AIP include an Indigenous and Tribal advisory body, salmon reintroduction and ensuring flows for salmon and a transboundary Kootenay/Kootenai working group. Before the treaty is finalized, it must pass approvals processes federally in both Canada and the U.S., as well as in British Columbia.

More than 1,000 victims of the DKZ Technologies fraud gathered in Hyderabad on Thursday demanding fair investigation into the case. The victims discussed the concerns with their advocate Aashir Khan and also interacted with the media. This comes over 2.5 months after company’s managing director Ashfaq Rahil and his wife and company’s director Syeda Aisha Naz were arrested by the Central Crime Station (CCS) of Hyderabad. A case was booked against the firm on September 14, 2024 following a complaint from Dr. Abul Jaish of Mehdipatnam - in which he stated that he had invested ₹2.74 crore in August 2024. The complainant alleged that the company lured investors with promises of high returns on investments and stopped paying the same after an initial stint. “We are not satisfied with the investigation being carried out by the Hyderabad CCS. We request the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take up the investigation. Over 18,000 investors, including doctors and lawyers, from 3-4 Indian cities, and other countries, including Saudi Arabia and Canada, have reported losses between ₹500 crore and ₹700 crore. However, the amount recovered is a mere ₹5 crore,” said Mohd Shahbaz, one of the victims. The victims alleged that of the 38 accused who include popular YouTubers like Nabeel Afridi, Kirak Khala among others, only four were arrested so far and they were being “treated like VIPs”. As the company office shut down and the owners went incommunicado, hundreds of investors staged a protest and approached the Madhapur police in September. Published - December 27, 2024 12:25 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit

Braun's agenda: Tax relief, public safetyUniversal Pictures has officially announced details about Christopher Nolan ‘s next movie! Nolan will be directing an adaptation of Homer ‘s epic poem The Odyssey . Universal Pictures announced, “ Christopher Nolan ’s next film The Odyssey is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer ’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.” The Odyssey chronicles “the ten-year journey of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, back to his home after the fall of Troy,” according to GoodReads . Homer wrote it around the 8th or 7th century BC. Tom Holland , who is starring alongside many A-Listers, previously said he didn’t know what the movie was about. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t really know what it’s about,” Tom told The Dish podcast. “I’m super excited, but it’s been pretty quiet about the project. I met with [Nolan] and it was awesome. He kind of loosely pitched what it is, and I’m sure when he’s ready he’ll announce what it’s about” Browse through the slideshow to check out the cast list... Continue Here »The Apprentice star also argued that a lack of clarity from the Government on the ownership test is causing “significant uncertainty” for potential investors. This came as the House of Lords continued its scrutiny of the Football Governance Bill, which seeks to establish an independent regulator for the top five tiers of the men’s game. In the upper chamber, Baroness Brady said: “We are creating legislation which will profoundly affect 160 quite unique institutions, from Premier League clubs through to the National League community clubs, but it is important for everyone to understand that the consultation with these affected businesses by the current Government has been remarkably limited, almost unbelievably so. “Just seven Premier League clubs, I was one of them, was granted a brief half-hour meeting with the Secretary of State over the summer. “And following this cursory engagement, significant decisions were made that could fundamentally affect the future of English football, most notably with the inclusion of parachute payments within the backstop mechanism. “This is particularly concerning given that fundamental issues still remained unresolved, we still lack any clarity on Uefa’s position on state interference, for example, this clearly creates profound uncertainty for clubs competing in or aspiring to European competition, as well as our national teams.” “We don’t know what the ownership test will look like, this causes significant uncertainty for potential investors as to whether they are able to own a club,” she added. Lady Brady continued: “I have spoken to many of my colleagues across all of the football pyramid, we are all alarmed about and puzzled by the lack of discussion on the Bill with ministers. “Would the minister agree that we all want to get the detail of this Bill right? And can she see any downsides to providing meaningful opportunities to hear from all clubs across the football pyramid affected by the legislation?” Prior to this, Tory shadow sports minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay had tabled an amendment which he said would allow clubs to “make their views known on this legislation” by including specific competitions on the face of the Bill. Labour frontbencher Baroness Twycross told the upper chamber: “I don’t think the leagues are confused either on which leagues this legislation will apply to.” She added: “This power is both reasonable and the result of evidence-based consultation with all key stakeholders in the industry. “This power ensures that the competitions in scope can be amended in a timely manner and ensures the scope of the regime remains relevant.” The peer later said: “Over the past three years there have been countless opportunities for all affected and interested parties to make representations.” Lady Brady also raised concerns about the financial distribution backstop, which she said is “clearly designed as a mechanism to gain direct access to, and apportionate Premier League revenue, and no-one else’s”. “I might add the backstop will allow the IFR (Independent Football Regulator) to do this even if it was against the Premier League clubs’ will, or even without the clubs’ agreement, even if it was to have a detrimental effect on the clubs and the overall competition it removes revenue from,” she added. The backstop would allow the new IFR to intervene in the distribution of Premier League broadcast revenue down the leagues as a last resort. It could be triggered by the Premier League, English Football League (EFL) or National League to mediate the fair financial distribution of this revenue if they are not able to come to an agreement. Conservative peers later raised concerns over the cost implications to clubs of establishing the regulator, although they faced claims of “filibustering” – wasting time by making overlong speeches in a bid to delay progress. Watching opposition benches blatantly filibustering to destroy the Football Governance Bill is nothing short of sporting vandalism.Football is broken. Clubs are struggling. Now those seats have been lost, do they no longer care about likes of Reading or Southend? @FairGameUK — Niall Couper (@NiallCouper) December 4, 2024 Labour peer Lord Watson of Invergowrie questioned why Lord Parkinson was showing “confected outrage” at the Bill when the former culture minister would have been defending a similar proposal had the Tories remained in power. Lord Parkinson, in his reply, said: “We want to see this regulator established, we want to see it doing its work and doing so effectively, but we also see before us a Bill that is different because of the election that was called and the result that happened, and we’re interrogating particularly closely the changes that the Government have made to the Bill – of which there are many. “And we have more concerns on these benches than we did before the election from my colleagues behind me about the way we do it.” The Tory peer pointed to Labour frontbenchers fulfilling their duties to “properly scrutinise” then-government legislation when they were on the opposition benches. Lady Twycross, in an intervention, said: “While I agree that (Lord Parkinson) is correct that I would scrutinise legislation when I was sitting on those (opposition) benches, I have never sought to filibuster a Bill to which my party had committed, which my party had laid before Parliament, and intended to filibuster it to the point of getting us stuck in treacle.” Lord Parkinson replied: “That is not what we’re doing.” Niall Couper, chief executive of the campaign group Fair Game, wrote on social media site X: “Watching opposition benches blatantly filibustering to destroy the Football Governance Bill is nothing short of sporting vandalism.”

NBA's Christmas Day ratings skyrocket, even going up against NFL gamesSOUTHAMPTON, England (Reuters) - Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca enjoyed the sound of the travelling supporters chanting his name as his side romped to a 5-1 Premier League win at Southampton on Wednesday. Maresca's side were 4-1 up late in the game, when the away section sang his name as they celebrated Chelsea's impressive victory which moved them to second in the standings and the manager applauded the chants which made them even louder. "It was a very good feeling. You can see they are happy, that is our target, we work every day to keep them happy," Maresca told a press conference. "Tonight was a very good feeling. They can see Chelsea is back and this is an important thing." Maresca took over a Chelsea side who finished sixth last season under Mauricio Pochettino, and their impressive form has put them nine points ahead of where they were at this stage of the previous campaign. Chelsea are also excelling in Europe, top of the Conference League standings with four wins from four, and they are now unbeaten in five league games. "I think it's a good feeling, not only for the owners but for the players, club and the fans. A good feeling for all of us," Maresca said. "The results, for sure, help us a lot to calm down noise around the club." Maresca was able to make seven changes from the side which beat Aston Villa 3-0 at the weekend, with keeper Filip Jorgensen making his first Premier League appearance, although Maresca said that Robert Sanchez would return for the next game. Maresca was not entirely satisfied with the whole performance, however, especially after they allowed Southampton to equalise so soon after taking the lead. "I am very happy with the five we scored. I'm not happy with the first 20 minutes where we struggled," he said. "We prepared to press them man-to-man and we did not do that. After 15 or 20 minutes, we adjusted that and the game was much better." (Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Ed Osmond)

Euro edges higher, but off peaks after French no-confidence vote; US dollar flat

m sg777 live 。

OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. ( NASDAQ:ASO – Free Report ) by 16.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,421 shares of the company’s stock after selling 846 shares during the period. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors were worth $258,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 75.0% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 39,589 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,674,000 after buying an additional 16,970 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.9% in the second quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 162,406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,648,000 after acquiring an additional 10,416 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 17.6% during the second quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 808,250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,040,000 after purchasing an additional 121,115 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,000,000. Finally, Stephens Investment Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 21.3% in the 3rd quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 222,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,983,000 after purchasing an additional 39,134 shares during the last quarter. Academy Sports and Outdoors Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ ASO opened at $46.64 on Friday. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a twelve month low of $44.73 and a twelve month high of $75.73. The company has a market capitalization of $3.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.20, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.37. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $53.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $53.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 19th were issued a dividend of $0.11 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 19th. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.94%. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio is 6.79%. Insider Transactions at Academy Sports and Outdoors In related news, Director Jeffrey C. Tweedy sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.00, for a total value of $74,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 8,906 shares in the company, valued at approximately $552,172. The trade was a 11.87 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . 2.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. TD Cowen raised their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 11th. Truist Financial lowered shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $63.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Wednesday, September 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Academy Sports and Outdoors from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $76.00 to $53.00 in a report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, Evercore ISI downgraded Academy Sports and Outdoors from an “outperform” rating to an “in-line” rating and cut their target price for the company from $65.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.57. View Our Latest Report on Academy Sports and Outdoors About Academy Sports and Outdoors ( Free Report ) Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a sporting goods and outdoor recreational retailer in the United States. The company outdoor division comprises camping products, such as coolers and drinkware, and camping accessories and equipment,; fishing products, including marine equipment and fishing rods, reels, and baits and equipment; and hunting products, which includes firearms, ammunition, archery and archery equipment, camouflage apparel, waders, shooting accessories, gun safes, optics, airguns, and hunting equipment. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ASO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. ( NASDAQ:ASO – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Academy Sports and Outdoors Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Academy Sports and Outdoors and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Social science research on trans and gender diverse youth highlights importance of inclusive policies

Overall, the optics of adhesion phenomenon observed with the Apple Watch is a testament to the meticulous design and engineering that goes into creating a premium wearable device. The combination of curved OLED display, high-quality materials, oleophobic coating, and user-friendly interface all contribute to the unique and captivating experience of seeing the watch seemingly defy gravity and stick to glass surfaces.

Title: Pep Guardiola's Brother: "I Jokingly Told My Brother He Can Come Coach Girona If He Gets Bored"

Wall Street saw a rally on Thursday as the major indexes climbed, with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 reaching one-week highs. Salesforce's 3.1% rise, boosted by broker upgrades, played a pivotal role in the upturn. Nvidia shares edged up 0.5% following a strong earnings report, despite meeting mixed investor reactions. This propelled the Philadelphia Semiconductor index by 1.6%. In contrast, Alphabet fell 4.7%, influencing the communication sector's decline after the Justice Department's intervention regarding Google's monopoly concerns. Investors are now eyeing the Federal Reserve's upcoming decisions, particularly as some anticipate a rate cut. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions involving Ukraine and Russia pushed crude prices higher, benefiting the energy sector with an 0.8% gain. (With inputs from agencies.)The Times view on populist popularity: Reforming PoliticsOver the course of the season, Ayew has showcased his dribbling expertise in numerous matches, consistently outmaneuvering defenders and creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. His ability to maintain control of the ball while under pressure, combined with his speed and quick footwork, has made him a formidable force on the pitch.

The footage of Big Bear's outburst quickly went viral on social media, with viewers expressing a mix of shock and amusement at the bear's unexpected display of frustration. While some found humor in the situation, others raised concerns about the ethical implications of intrusive wildlife photography. Many argued that photographers have a responsibility to maintain a safe distance from wild animals and should prioritize the well-being of the creatures they are capturing on camera.

Chris Selley: Liberals reach a brand-new low on gun controlDubai, UAE, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The WikiEXPO Dubai 2024, hosted by WikiGlobal , successfully concluded on November 27, attracting wide attention from the global financial technology sector. The event was co-organized by WikiFX and the Australian Computer and Law Association (AUSCL), with strong support from the Mauritius Financial Services Institute (FSI) and the government of Liberland. Through an innovative hybrid model of online and offline participation, WikiEXPO Dubai 2024 achieved an impressive 1,267,886 online views and gathered 3500+ on-site participants, bringing together 550+ industry leaders and attracting close coverage from over 1300+ global media outlets. Focusing on Fintech Frontiers, Discussing Safe Trading Practices This expo centered around the theme “Seeing Diversity, Trading Safely,” attracting 3500+ industry decision-makers, innovators, and investors from around the globe. Key discussions included new forms of financial crime and cutting-edge practices in anti-money laundering, the financial derivatives market in the UAE, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the financial technology landscape in the UAE. The content covered a wide range of topics including financial regulatory compliance, anti-money laundering, forex, digital currency, blockchain, DeFi, Web3, RWA, artificial intelligence, ESG, climate risk, banking, and digital assets CBDC, providing attendees with a unique platform to gain insights into future trends in financial technology. Industry Leaders Gather to Discuss New Industry Trends The event featured several industry leaders and speakers, including Braden Perry from Kennehertz Perry, Dr. Mohamed Damak from S&P Global Ratings, Justin Sun from TRON, Naushad Khadun from FSI Mauritius, John Riggins from BTC Ltd., Reeve Collins from WeFi and Tether (EX), Kamran Khan from FinTech Professional, Hasnae Taleb from Minultiy Capital, Gustavo Antonio Montero from Carter Capital, Hafedh Ajmi from PwC Middle East, and Myriam Ben Sayeh from Mastercard. These respected guests shared their insights on hot topics such as financial regulatory compliance, anti-money laundering, and blockchain trends. Guests expressed that WikiEXPO Dubai 2024 provided them with a rare platform for exchange. Mr. Naushad Khadun noted that he learned about the perspectives of experts and investors from around the world regarding future investments and expectations for forex investment regulation. Dr. Mohamed Damak believed that the expo built a bridge for global financial investors, contributing to maintaining safety in financial trading and promoting robust development in financial technology. Mr. Braden Perry emphasized that the expo not only connected global financial investors but also established a safety barrier for forex trading. Top Forex Influencers Selection Announced, Leading Industry Trends Additionally, the expo revealed the results of the WikiEXPO 2024 Top Forex Influencers Selection, honoring the most popular 30 influencers in the forex sector. These industry leaders, recognized for their exceptional contributions and wide influence in the financial technology field, have earned the trust and recognition of over 1,000,000 global investors, making them some of the most prominent figures in the industry. In the context of diversified investment development trends, WikiGlobal launched several events focused on trading safety, bringing together renowned influencers and industry elites in the global investment community to share professional insights and experiences within the WikiFX Business community, helping investors better grasp market dynamics and investment opportunities. Since its launch, the WikiFX Community has garnered significant attention from industry professionals. The successful conclusion of WikiEXPO Dubai 2024 is not the end; the community will continue to host a variety of enriching online and offline activities, providing participants with more business opportunities and channels, creating a more open industry ecosystem, and jointly building a healthier and more trustworthy financial market environment. WikiEXPO: A Communication Platform in the Fintech Field WikiEXPO Dubai 2024 not only provided industry participants with a platform to gain deeper insights into future trends in financial technology but also facilitated exchanges and collaborations on cutting-edge technologies. Through this event, attendees could delve into the latest developments in financial technology and explore new opportunities for win-win cooperation. The successful hosting of this expo marks a significant milestone in the financial technology sector. In the future, WikiEXPO will continue to leverage its leading role in the Fintech field, providing more opportunities for exchange and cooperation for global industry participants, jointly promoting the robust development of the Fintech industry and enhancing the safety of the trading environment. About WikiEXPO WikiEXPO , established in 2019, is a fintech expo focused on trading environment safety. By creating a leading global fintech expo and integrating various industry resources, it promotes healthy competition and orderly development. It is a grand event that combines authoritative information, industry wisdom, networking, and business opportunities. To date, WikiEXPO has successfully hosted dozens of expos across more than ten countries.

In addition to its strategic focus on county towns, Lululemon has also leveraged digital marketing and e-commerce platforms to expand its reach and connect with consumers across China. By utilizing social media channels, influencer partnerships, and targeted advertising campaigns, Lululemon has been able to generate buzz and drive online sales, further fueling its growth in the Chinese market.WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the U.S. government believes missing American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years ago near the Syrian capital, is alive and that Washington is committed to bringing him home after . “We think we can get him back,” Biden told reporters at the White House, while acknowledging that “we have no direct evidence” of his status. “Assad should be held accountable.” Biden said officials must still identify exactly where Tice is after his disappearance in August 2012 at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus. “We’ve remained committed to returning him to his family,” he said. Tice, who is from Houston and whose work had been published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and other outlets. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men and saying, “Oh, Jesus.” He has not been heard from since. that it was holding him. The United States has no new evidence that Tice is alive, but continues to operate under the assumption he is alive, according to a U.S. official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. will continue to work to identify where he is and to try to bring him home. His mother, Debra, said at a news conference Friday in Washington that the family had information from a “significant source,” whom she did not identify, establishing that her son was alive. “He is being cared for and he is well — we do know that,” she said. The Tice family met this past week with officials at the State Department and the White House. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Debra Tice said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media Sunday. “We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!” Eric Tucker And Aamer Madhani, The Associated PressOverall, the real estate market is poised for new developments and trends in the coming year, with enhanced policy measures expected to play a key role in shaping the sector. From addressing housing affordability and promoting sustainable development to improving urban planning practices, policymakers are expected to introduce a range of new measures aimed at regulating and stimulating the real estate market. As we look forward to the year ahead, it will be interesting to see how these new policy measures unfold and the impact they will have on the real estate market as a whole.

Despite the mixed reactions and discussions surrounding the Blue Skin, one thing remains certain: its impact on the gaming community has been profound. From its stunning visual design to its thematic significance and gameplay enhancements, the Blue Skin has left a lasting impression on players and has become a symbol of creativity and innovation within the world of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.

sg777 fan BOARDWALKTECH REPORTS SECOND QUARTER FISCAL 2025 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Canada considering retaliatory tariffs on US items following Trump threat

Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki admits it’s a little weird having a photo of his former teammate and captain Shea Weber looking down at him now from the wall of the team’s locker rooms at the Bell Centre and at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard. Weber’s photo was put up in the locker rooms “It looks good up there and we’ll probably see Carey’s soon,” Suzuki said after the Canadiens practised Thursday morning in Brossard, noting that Carey Price will probably join Weber in the Hall of Fame next year when he becomes eligible for induction. “It’s pretty cool that you have guys that you played with and now you get to see them in the Hall of Fame, which is pretty special.” Suzuki and Weber were teammates for two seasons before the new Hall of Famer’s career came to an end because of injuries after the Canadiens advanced to the 2021 Stanley Cup final before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Suzuki looked up to Weber and now Weber is looking down on Suzuki in the locker room. What’s the best advice Weber gave Suzuki when they were teammates? “Just little things,” said Suzuki, “Probably the biggest thing was me sitting over here watching him every day, how he handles himself. It’s nothing that really he said. I got to learn a ton off him just watching him every day of how he handles things and interacts with people in the rink.” Suzuki and several of Weber’s old Canadiens teammates — including Price, Brendan Gallagher, Cole Caufield, Joel Armia, Jake Evans, Josh Anderson, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot, Paul Byron and Karl Alzner — made the trip to Toronto for his induction ceremony. Suzuki was also able to have dinner with Weber and Anderson last Friday in Montreal before the former Canadiens captain was honoured the next night at the Bell Centre. “It felt like he was still my teammate,” Suzuki said. “It was nice to hang out with him. I got to see him a little bit in Toronto at the ceremony, but not too much one-on-one time. So it was nice to have dinner with him.” During the dinner, Weber made it clear to Suzuki he could call him any time he wants if he needs to talk. Weber knows what it’s like to be a young captain since he was given that role with the Nashville Predators a month shy of his 25th birthday. He was captain of the Predators for six years and won the NHL’s Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2016, “I said don’t be afraid to call or reach out,” Weber said when he met with the media last Saturday at the Bell Centre. “No pressure. Don’t feel like you have to. But I’m just here to listen, even if you want to vent for a half hour, you can just spit things at me.” Weber remembers feeling awkward at first as a young captain when talking to an older teammate who might be 10 years older with three kids. But he grew into the role, just like Suzuki is doing now. He leads the Canadiens in scoring with 7-12-19 totals in 19 games. “Probably the biggest thing I do is try to lead by example,” Suzuki said. “Day-to-day, during the games, in practice, just set the tone for intensity in the way I play. That’s how I’ve always tried to play and I think that’s my best leadership quality.” Despite having a 7-10-2 record and sitting in last place in the Atlantic Division, the Canadiens were only three points out of a wild-card playoff spot following Wednesday’s games. They will be looking to extend their winning streak to three games when the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Bell Centre Saturday The Canadiens had only one three-game winning streak last season and it came in late March. “I think we’ve learned a lot about ourselves,” Suzuki said with the Canadiens about to reach the quarter-mark of the season. “Been through a lot together over kind of a short period of time. The low that we went through has helped us move forward and we’ve gotten better from it. I think we’re in a pretty good spot right now playing really good hockey and just want to keep that going. ... It’s exciting. There’s a lot of us in our division that are within two points of each other.” As the season moves on, Suzuki said he won’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call Weber if needed. “I’ll definitely take advantage of it,” he said about Weber’s offer. “He’s been through everything as a player and it’s definitely a really easy call to make and he’s always there for me.”

CSM: Unconvincing Long-Short ETF

Two announce bids to run for Santa Fe mayor in November 2025By MICHELLE L. PRICE and ROB GILLIES NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did National Politics | Trump taps SF legal firebrand to lead civil rights enforcement National Politics | How the FDA allows companies to add secret ingredients to our food National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect’s threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park.” Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn’t a trolling-free zone for Trump’s adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden’s spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump’s taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

$1 million per homer? $27,000 a point? $229 per second? Sports is loaded with money oddities If Juan Soto replicates his 2024 performance throughout his $765 million, 15-year deal with the Mets, he'll make roughly $1.2 million for every home run he hits. He's hardly the only superstar athlete earning outrageous sums for each of his accomplishments. Some NFL quarterbacks make more than $3 million per game. Stephen Curry could make roughly $161,000 per 3-pointer. This past regular season, Lionel Messi earned $229 for every second he was on the field with Inter Miami. Is the College Football Playoff bracket fair? Here are some tweaks that would have changed things The committee that chose the 12 contenders for college football’s national title was only worried about ranking the teams. Where those teams landed in the bracket was based on a formula created by conference commissioners. That jumbled up the pairings and made a strong case for tinkering in the future. Some possible tweaks, like reseeding after the first round or not giving conference champions automatic byes, would have resulted in a vastly different tournament this year, Belichick says he's had 'good conversations' with UNC chancellor amid Tar Heels' coaching search Former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick says he had “a couple of good conversations” with North Carolina Chancellor Lee Roberts amid his discussions about the Tar Heels’ head-coaching job. Belichick appeared on ESPN's “The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday. He said he had spent the 11 months since his departure from the Patriots taking a “longer look” at the college level. He said he had learned a lot and had “a couple of good conversations" with Roberts. UNC fired the program's all-time winningest coach in Mack Brown last month. Cowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against Texans ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The roof at the home of the Dallas Cowboys has opened without incident and will stay that way for a Monday night meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals. It will be the first game with the roof open at AT&T Stadium since Oct. 30, 2022. The roof was supposed to be open three weeks ago for Houston’s 34-10 victory on another Monday night. A large piece of metal and other debris fell roughly 300 feet to the field as the retractable roof was opening. The roof was then closed for that game. Tennessee grabs No. 1 in AP Top 25 after shakeup; No. 3 Iowa State has highest ranking since 1950s Tennessee is the new No. 1 in men's college basketball after a massive shakeup in the AP Top 25. The Vols are No. 1 for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Auburn remained No. 2 and No. 3 Iowa State has its highest ranking since 1956-57. Kentucky rounds out the top five. Tennessee is off to its best start since opening the 2000-01 season 9-0. Georgia QB Carson Beck's status for Sugar Bowl uncertain as he considers treatment options on elbow ATLANTA (AP) — Quarterback Carson Beck’s status for No. 2 Georgia’s Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal is uncertain after he suffered an elbow injury in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference championship game win over Texas. Georgia announced Monday there is no timetable on Beck’s return as he and his family explore treatment options. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Sunday the team was awaiting results of tests. The school did not announce details of the injury. Punter Brett Thorson will need season-ending surgery after injuring his non-kicking leg. Backup Gunner Stockton likely would start in the Sugar Bowl if Beck is unable to play. Another final-second victory puts the Chiefs in prime spot to secure AFC's No. 1 seed: Analysis A thunderous doink helped the Kansas City Chiefs gain some breathing room in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after the Buffalo Bills fell short despite Josh Allen’s spectacular performance. The fight for the top spot in the NFC stayed close as the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles kept pace with the Detroit Lions. Four weeks remain in the NFL regular season to determine the playoff picture. There’s a clear leader in the fight for the AFC’s bye. The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are 12-1 and in excellent position to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs after a 19-17 win with a last-second field goal over the Los Angeles Chargers. No. 19 Tennessee back in women's AP Top 25 after year out of poll; UCLA, UConn remain 1-2 Tennessee is back in the AP Top 25 at No. 19, ending the school’s longest drought in the 48-year history of the women’s basketball poll. The Lady Vols (7-0) had not been ranked since Nov. 27, 2023, a span of 22 polls. Since the rankings began in 1976, Tennessee has been in the Top 25 in 779 of 870 total weeks. UCLA, UConn and South Carolina remain the top three teams and Oklahoma has cracked the top 10. Georgia Tech and N.C. State entered the rankings while Illinois, Louisville and Alabama fell out. College football transfer portal opens as Oklahoma's Arnold, other top players look for a move The college football transfer portal has opened a day after the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field was released. The portal period closes on Dec. 28. Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold, Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi, Miami (Ohio) wide receiver Reggie Virgil and Ohio State QB Devin Brown were among the first players who entered the portal. The sophomore Arnold passed for 1,984 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and ran for 560 yards and four scores at Oklahoma. Mahdi led the nation with 2,169 all-purpose yards last season. Brown entered the transfer portal after three years as a backup. Saquon Barkley is chasing Eric Dickerson's NFL season rushing record. Can he do it? PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is closing in on the NFL season rushing record. Barkley set the Eagles' franchise record when he rushed for 124 yards and pushed his season total to 1,623 yards in a win against Carolina. Barkley also maintained his pace to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace and with one more game to play than Dickerson had, Barkley would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. Barkley is on pace for 2,122 yards, just 17 yards beyond Dickerson’s 2,105 total.Aston Villa 3-2 RB Leipzig (11 Dec, 2024) Game Analysis - ESPNCustomer Intelligence Platform Market Expected to Reach $14.8 Billion by 2031 | SAS Institute Inc. oracle Corporation, International Business Machines Corporation 11-27-2024 10:03 PM CET | IT, New Media & Software Press release from: DataM Intelligence 4 Market Research LLP Customer Intelligence Platform Market The Customer Intelligence Platform Market study by DataM Intelligence offer an in-depth analysis of the market, presenting insightful observations, statistics, historical data, and industry-validated market insights. The report delves into the competitive positioning of key companies, examining factors such as product offerings, pricing strategies, financial health, product portfolios, growth initiatives, and geographical reach. Download a Free sample PDF (Use Corporate email ID to Get Higher Priority) at: - https://datamintelligence.com/download-sample/customer-intelligence-platform-market What is the projected growth rate (CAGR) of the Global Customer Intelligence Platform market from 2024 to 2031, and what is the market value expected to change by 2031? The Global Customer Intelligence Platform Market reached US$ 2.0 Billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 14.8 Billion by 2031, growing with a CAGR of 29.1% during the forecast period 2024-2031. A Customer Intelligence Platform (CIP) is a technology solution that collects, analyzes, and integrates customer data from multiple sources to provide businesses with a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior, preferences, and needs. By leveraging data analytics, machine learning, and AI, a CIP helps businesses personalize marketing strategies, improve customer engagement, and drive customer-centric decision-making. These platforms aggregate data from various touchpoints, including websites, social media, email interactions, and sales transactions, enabling businesses to gain insights into customer journeys, segmentation, and lifetime value. Ultimately, a CIP enhances customer experiences, boosts retention, and optimizes business operations. Key Developments: ❁ On December 13, 2023, Proxima, a data intelligence software company launched an AI-powered consumer intelligence platform to better evaluate business health and performance. The consumer data intelligence platform from Proxima makes use of over 60 million distinct buyer personas and a huge data pool of first-party data from prominent media channels. List of the Key Players in the Customer Intelligence Platform Market: SAS Institute Inc. oracle Corporation, International Business Machines Corporation, Google LLC, SAP SE, Microsoft Corporation, Informatica Inc., Salesforce, Inc. and Adobe Inc. Research Process: Both primary and secondary data sources have been used in the global Customer Intelligence Platform Market research report. During the research process, a wide range of industry-affecting factors are examined, including governmental regulations, market conditions, competitive levels, historical data, market situation, technological advancements, upcoming developments, in related businesses, as well as market volatility, prospects, potential barriers, and challenges. Segment Covered in the Customer Intelligence Platform Market: By Component: Platform, Services By Deployment Mode: On-premise, Cloud By Enterprise Size: Large Enterprise, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise By Data Channel: Web and Email, Social Media, Mobile, Call Centers, In Store, Others By Application: Customer Data Collection and Management, Customer Segmentation and Targeting, Customer Experience Management, Customer Behavior Analytics, Omnichannel Marketing, Personalized Recommendation, Others By End-User: BFSI, IT and Telecom, Retail and E-commerce, Healthcare, Media and Entertainment, Travel and Tourism, Others Regional Breakout: The global Customer Intelligence Platform Market report focuses on six major regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Get Discounts on Premium Report:- https://www.datamintelligence.com/buy-now-page?report=customer-intelligence-platform-market Regional Analysis: The global Customer Intelligence Platform Market report focuses on six major regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. The report offers detailed insight into new product launches, new technology evolutions, innovative services, and ongoing R&D. The report discusses a qualitative and quantitative market analysis, including PEST analysis, SWOT analysis, and Porter's five force analysis. The Customer Intelligence Platform Market report also provides fundamental details such as raw material sources, distribution networks, methodologies, production capacities, industry supply chain, and product specifications. **The full version of the report includes an in-depth analysis of emerging players and startups, which will provide valuable insights into the evolving market landscape and key strategies being adopted** Chapter Outline: ⏩ Market Overview: It contains chapter wise data, as well as information about the research scope, major manufacturers covered, market segments, Customer Intelligence Platform market segments, study objectives, and years considered. ⏩ Market Landscape: The competition in the Global Customer Intelligence Platform Market is evaluated here in terms of value, turnover, revenues, and market share by organization, as well as market rate, competitive landscape, and recent developments, transaction, growth, sale, and market shares of top companies. ⏩ Companies Profiles: The global Customer Intelligence Platform market's leading players are studied based on sales, main products, gross profit margin, revenue, price, and growth production. ⏩ Market Outlook by Region: The report goes through gross margin, sales, income, supply, market share, CAGR, and market size by region in this segment. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America are among the regions and countries studied in depth in this study. ⏩ Market Segments: It contains the deep research study which interprets how different end-user/application/type segments contribute to the Customer Intelligence Platform Market. ⏩ Market Forecast: Production Side: In this part of the report, the authors have focused on production and production value forecast, key producers forecast, and production and production value forecast by type. ⏩ Research Findings: This section of the report showcases the findings and analysis of the report. ⏩ Conclusion: This portion of the report is the last section of the report where the conclusion of the research study is provided. Get Customization in the report as per your requirements:- https://datamintelligence.com/customize/customer-intelligence-platform-market Frequently Asked Questions ✹ What is the expected growth rate of the global market for the forecast period? ✹ What are the key driving factors that are responsible to shape the fate of the Customer Intelligence Platform market during the forecast period? ✹ What will be the overall size of the market during the analysis period? ✹ What are the prominent market trends which influence the development of the Customer Intelligence Platform market across various regions? ✹ Who are the key market players and the market strategies that have helped them to secure the leading position in the global market? ✹ What are the challenges and threats that are likely to act as a barrier to the growth of the Customer Intelligence Platform market? ✹ What are the major opportunities that the companies can get to attain success in the world? Contact Us - Company Name: DataM Intelligence Contact Person: Sai Kiran Email: Sai.k@datamintelligence.com Phone: +1 877 441 4866 Website: https://www.datamintelligence.com About Us - DataM Intelligence is a Market Research and Consulting firm that provides end-to-end business solutions to organizations from Research to Consulting. We, at DataM Intelligence, leverage our top trademark trends, insights and developments to emancipate swift and astute solutions to clients like you. We encompass a multitude of syndicate reports and customized reports with a robust methodology. Our research database features countless statistics and in-depth analyses across a wide range of 6300+ reports in 40+ domains creating business solutions for more than 200+ companies across 50+ countries; catering to the key business research needs that influence the growth trajectory of our vast clientele. This release was published on openPR.

Surgical equipment provided to midwives Dr Shah says that MNCH programme, in collaboration with JICA, has been operating in remote parts of KP, including Mansehra MANSEHRA: The Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) programme in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency on Sunday provided surgical equipment to qualified midwives to establish birth stations in remote parts of Mansehra and Torghar districts. “We are implementing a comprehensive strategy to set up birth stations in remote parts of the Hazara division to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates,” Dr Shah Faisal Khanzada, the district health officer, told a ceremony at the Community Midwifery School here. The surgical equipment was given away to 14 qualified midwives for birth stations in the both districts. “These midwives, who have previously undergone modern training courses in obstetrics, as well as pre-and post-natal care, will establish birth stations in remote areas of both the districts,” Dr Khanzada said. He said that the MNCH programme, in collaboration with JICA, has been operating in remote parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Mansehra, Battagram, and Torghar, where 24 such stations have already been established. Dr Tariq Shah, a representative of the international programme, said that Dr Khizra Hayat, provincial coordinator for MNCH in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has been focusing on addressing maternal and infant health issues, particularly in rural areas. The event was also attended by divisional social organiser for MNCH in Hazara, Hameed Turabi; district head Sayyar Khan and others. “This is why local educated girls are first trained in modern healthcare and obstetric practices and then deployed in their respective communities to provide essential healthcare and obstetric services to pregnant and lactating mothers,” said Turabi.Tennessee has returned to The Associated Press Top 25 at No. 19, ending the school’s longest drought in the 48-year history of the women’s basketball poll. The Lady Vols (7-0) had not been ranked since Nov. 27, 2023, a span of 22 polls. Since the rankings began in 1976, Tennessee has been in the Top 25 in 779 of 870 total weeks (89.5%). Tennessee is off to an undefeated start with a pressing style that includes fresh players constantly coming in. “The beauty of it is we earned it,” first-year coach Kim Caldwell said in a phone interview. “Not because the name is Tennessee. We didn’t start (ranked).” UCLA, UConn and South Carolina remained the top three teams in the poll released Monday. The Bruins received 24 first-place votes from the 32-member national media panel. UCLA beat Washington by 11 in its lone game last week. The Huskies garnered the other eight top votes after routing Louisville 85-52 in the Women’s Champions Classic. LSU and USC each moved up a spot after then-No. 4 Texas lost to Notre Dame 80-70 in overtime. The Longhorns fell to sixth and the Irish rose two spots to eighth. Maryland was seventh. Duke and Oklahoma rounded out the first 10, with the Sooners moving up a spot. Climbing Spartans: Michigan State moved up seven spots to No. 17 as the Spartans (9-0) are off to the best start in school history. They routed DePaul in their lone game last week and next face No. 21 Iowa on Sunday. It’s the team’s best ranking since the Spartans were 15th in 2019. Robyn Fralick’s squad bettered the previous best 8-0 starts in 2012-13 and 2020-21. Moving in and out: Georgia Tech (9-0) entered the poll for the first time since Feb. 28, 2022, coming in at No. 25 as the team is off to its best start since 1977-78. The Yellow Jackets host Louisiana-Monroe before visiting No. 14 North Carolina on Sunday. N.C. State also returned to the poll at No. 22 while Illinois, Alabama and Louisville fell out. The Cardinals have four losses this season, all to ranked teams (UCLA, UConn, Kentucky and Oklahoma). Conference breakdown: The Big Ten has eight teams in the poll this week, down one from the previous poll. The Southeastern Conference has seven with the ACC and Big 12 having five and four respectively. The Big East has one. Game of the week: No. 2 UConn at No. 8 Notre Dame, Thursday. The two former Big East rivals tip off in one of the most highly anticipated games of the season. Both teams have All-American stars in UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo. The Huskies are at full strength while the Irish are still working through some injuries.$1 million per homer? $27,000 a point? $229 per second? Sports is loaded with money oddities If Juan Soto replicates his 2024 performance throughout his $765 million, 15-year deal with the Mets, he'll make roughly $1.2 million for every home run he hits. He's hardly the only superstar athlete earning outrageous sums for each of his accomplishments. Some NFL quarterbacks make more than $3 million per game. Stephen Curry could make roughly $161,000 per 3-pointer. This past regular season, Lionel Messi earned $229 for every second he was on the field with Inter Miami. Is the College Football Playoff bracket fair? Here are some tweaks that would have changed things The committee that chose the 12 contenders for college football’s national title was only worried about ranking the teams. Where those teams landed in the bracket was based on a formula created by conference commissioners. That jumbled up the pairings and made a strong case for tinkering in the future. Some possible tweaks, like reseeding after the first round or not giving conference champions automatic byes, would have resulted in a vastly different tournament this year, Belichick says he's had 'good conversations' with UNC chancellor amid Tar Heels' coaching search Former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick says he had “a couple of good conversations” with North Carolina Chancellor Lee Roberts amid his discussions about the Tar Heels’ head-coaching job. Belichick appeared on ESPN's “The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday. He said he had spent the 11 months since his departure from the Patriots taking a “longer look” at the college level. He said he had learned a lot and had “a couple of good conversations" with Roberts. UNC fired the program's all-time winningest coach in Mack Brown last month. Cowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against Texans ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The roof at the home of the Dallas Cowboys has opened without incident and will stay that way for a Monday night meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals. It will be the first game with the roof open at AT&T Stadium since Oct. 30, 2022. The roof was supposed to be open three weeks ago for Houston’s 34-10 victory on another Monday night. A large piece of metal and other debris fell roughly 300 feet to the field as the retractable roof was opening. The roof was then closed for that game. Tennessee grabs No. 1 in AP Top 25 after shakeup; No. 3 Iowa State has highest ranking since 1950s Tennessee is the new No. 1 in men's college basketball after a massive shakeup in the AP Top 25. The Vols are No. 1 for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Auburn remained No. 2 and No. 3 Iowa State has its highest ranking since 1956-57. Kentucky rounds out the top five. Tennessee is off to its best start since opening the 2000-01 season 9-0. Georgia QB Carson Beck's status for Sugar Bowl uncertain as he considers treatment options on elbow ATLANTA (AP) — Quarterback Carson Beck’s status for No. 2 Georgia’s Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal is uncertain after he suffered an elbow injury in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference championship game win over Texas. Georgia announced Monday there is no timetable on Beck’s return as he and his family explore treatment options. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Sunday the team was awaiting results of tests. The school did not announce details of the injury. Punter Brett Thorson will need season-ending surgery after injuring his non-kicking leg. Backup Gunner Stockton likely would start in the Sugar Bowl if Beck is unable to play. Another final-second victory puts the Chiefs in prime spot to secure AFC's No. 1 seed: Analysis A thunderous doink helped the Kansas City Chiefs gain some breathing room in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after the Buffalo Bills fell short despite Josh Allen’s spectacular performance. The fight for the top spot in the NFC stayed close as the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles kept pace with the Detroit Lions. Four weeks remain in the NFL regular season to determine the playoff picture. There’s a clear leader in the fight for the AFC’s bye. The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are 12-1 and in excellent position to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs after a 19-17 win with a last-second field goal over the Los Angeles Chargers. No. 19 Tennessee back in women's AP Top 25 after year out of poll; UCLA, UConn remain 1-2 Tennessee is back in the AP Top 25 at No. 19, ending the school’s longest drought in the 48-year history of the women’s basketball poll. The Lady Vols (7-0) had not been ranked since Nov. 27, 2023, a span of 22 polls. Since the rankings began in 1976, Tennessee has been in the Top 25 in 779 of 870 total weeks. UCLA, UConn and South Carolina remain the top three teams and Oklahoma has cracked the top 10. Georgia Tech and N.C. State entered the rankings while Illinois, Louisville and Alabama fell out. College football transfer portal opens as Oklahoma's Arnold, other top players look for a move The college football transfer portal has opened a day after the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field was released. The portal period closes on Dec. 28. Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold, Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi, Miami (Ohio) wide receiver Reggie Virgil and Ohio State QB Devin Brown were among the first players who entered the portal. The sophomore Arnold passed for 1,984 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and ran for 560 yards and four scores at Oklahoma. Mahdi led the nation with 2,169 all-purpose yards last season. Brown entered the transfer portal after three years as a backup. Saquon Barkley is chasing Eric Dickerson's NFL season rushing record. Can he do it? PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is closing in on the NFL season rushing record. Barkley set the Eagles' franchise record when he rushed for 124 yards and pushed his season total to 1,623 yards in a win against Carolina. Barkley also maintained his pace to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace and with one more game to play than Dickerson had, Barkley would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. Barkley is on pace for 2,122 yards, just 17 yards beyond Dickerson’s 2,105 total.

NA panel discusses Pakistan's role in climate diplomacy, result of COP-29

Some Coalition MPs have cold feet on the social media ban. Dutton will stare them downThe incoming head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, blasted FBI Director Christopher Wray on Monday for what he called “failed” leadership of the law-enforcement agency and said it was time for Wray to leave. In a letter to Wray that repeated many of President-elect Donald Trump’s complaints about the FBI, Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the FBI search of Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago , which recovered missing classified documents and led to federal charges against the former president , as “invasive and unwarranted.” Grassley also faulted the FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election for targeting Trump after not similarly scrutinizing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and for failing to provide more information about alleged sexual misconduct at the agency. “These failures, are serious enough and their pattern widespread enough to have shattered my confidence in your leadership and the confidence and hope many others in Congress placed in you,” Grassley wrote in the 11-page letter. Trump appointed Wray, who has served seven years of a 10-year term. But Trump has been critical of Wray for years. After being reelected to the White House, Trump named Kash Patel, a former national security official, to succeed Wray as FBI director, implying that he plans to fire Wray. Grassley said Wray and Deputy Director Paul Abbate should each leave. “For the good of the country, it’s time for you and your deputy to move on to the next chapter in your lives,” Grassley wrote. The FBI issued a statement saying the agency has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to responding to congressional oversight. "Director Wray and Deputy Director Abbate have taken strong actions toward achieving accountability in the areas mentioned in the letter and remain committed to sharing information about the continuously evolving threat environment facing our nation and the extraordinary work of the FBI," the statement said. Grassley’s letter comes a month before he reclaims the chairmanship of the committee that oversees the FBI, due to Republicans' flipping control of the Senate in the recent election. Grassley would lead the potential confirmation hearing for Patel. Patel, who advised the director of the national intelligence and the defense secretary during Trump’s first term, is a polarizing choice to lead the FBI. Republican supporters such as House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said he will bring a needed overhaul to the agency. But Patel has threatened to investigate Trump’s political enemies and shut down FBI’s headquarters in Washington to decentralize workers across the country. Bill Barr, a former attorney general for Trump, wrote in his memoir Patel’s appointment as deputy director of the FBI would happen “over my dead body.” Trump refused to confirm on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he would fire Wray, whom he appointed seven years ago, but said Patel would take his place. Trump criticized Wray for the 2022 raid on Mar-a-Lago, when FBI agents seized thousands of documents including hundreds classified records. Trump was charged with unlawfully retaining national defense records after leaving the White House, but a judge dismissed those charges in July on the grounds that the investigation was run by a special counsel whose appointment was ruled invalid. “I can’t say I’m thrilled with him. He invaded my home. I’m suing the country over it,” Trump said about Wray. “I’m very unhappy with the things he’s done.” Trump also complained that Wray initially testified at a House hearing the former president might have been hit in the ear by shrapnel rather than a bullet during an assassination attempt in July in Butler, Pa. Wray clarified the next day that Trump was struck by a bullet. “Where’s the shrapnel coming from?” Trump asked facetiously. “Is it coming from heaven? I don’t think so.” Grassley echoed several of Trump’s complaints about the FBI. The Mar-a-Lago raid occurred 18 months after Trump left office. Agents found boxes of records stashed around the property in unsecured locations, including a restroom. But Grassley wrote that Trump was cooperating because he had returned 15 boxes of records voluntarily. “This raid occurred despite serious questions about the need for it,” Grassley said. Trump has long complained about the FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election before Wray took the agency’s helm. Grassley wrote the FBI failed to vet derogatory information to obtain a search warrant for a Trump campaign aide. Grassley called the lapse “some of the most egregious, Orwellian conduct I’ve witnessed” in nearly 50 years in Congress. An inspector general blasted the wiretapping program . Wray overhauled training and how warrants are obtained from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, but defended the need for the surveillance program . Grassley also slammed the FBI after a Justice Department review found 665 former FBI employees, including 45 members of the senior executive staff, retired or resigned from 2004 to 2020 after allegations of sexual misconduct and before final disciplinary records were issued. Grassley said the FBI failed to provide more information about the allegations despite public pledges to do so. “Contrary to the assurances you made to gain confirmation to your position, the FBI has shown outright disdain for congressional oversight during your tenure,” Grassley wrote. “You didn’t live up to your word.”

Cancun, Q.R. — The start of a new billion peso mega real estate project has been inaugurated in the city of Cancun. The Vía Cumbres single and multi-family housing development was inaugurated Tuesday night. Governor Mara Lezama announced the inauguration Wednesday. The 3,179 housing units are being constructed over 75 hectares at a cost of 1 billion pesos. With the presence of Moisés El-Mann and Eduardo Martínez Farráez, investment partners, the governor of Quintana Roo affirmed that these investments are synonymous with the confidence. “As a Quintana Roo resident, as the first female governor, I am very pleased that in our state private initiatives continue to invest in responsible projects that allow for the creation of conditions of social well-being and development for people, guaranteeing the sustainability of the economy and the environment,” she said during her Tuesday night speech. Eduardo Martínez González, the General Manager of Grupo Cumbres, said the development is located on Huayacán Avenue. It occupies an area of 75 hectares. The 3,179 housing units make up a subdivision with urbanized lots and underground services. A first stage housing project, Altai, will be inaugurated next year. Martínez González emphasized that this project is a demonstration that the private initiative and government can work together and united for transformation. Governor Lezama said they are working to achieve common goals together such as establishing management mechanisms for urban development, territorial planning and real estate action, guaranteeing legal certainty that translates into confidence for investments, generation of more sources of employment and raising the quality of life of families. The entire real estate project will be constructed by subdivisions over the next 10 years with the Altai subdivision being the first for completion next year. Martínez González says construction will generate 3,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs annually over the 10 years of the project.Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail by third judge as he awaits sex trafficking trial

NEW YORK (AP) — Free agent pitchers Luis Gabriel Moreno and Alejandro Crisostomo were suspended for 80 games each by Major League Baseball on Friday following positive tests for performance-enhancing substances under the minor league drug program. Moreno tested positive for Nandrolone, and Crisostomo tested positive for Boldenone and Nandrolone, the commissioner’s office said. A 26-year-old right-hander, Moreno was released by the New York Mets’ Class A Brooklyn Cyclones on Tuesday. He was 5-1 with a 5.33 ERA in 12 relief appearances this season for Brooklyn after spending 2016-23 in the San Francisco Giants organization. Crisostomo, a 24-year-old right-hander, was released by Minnesota on Aug. 24 after going 0-1 with a 7.13 ERA this year with the Florida Complex League Twins. He signed with Boston in 2017, spent 2018 in the Dominican Summer League with the Red Sox, then signed with Minnesota and spent 2023 with the Twins DSL team. Nineteen players have been suspended this year for positive drug tests, including eight under the minor league program and nine under the new program for minor league players assigned outside the United States and Canada. Two players have been suspended this year under the major league drug program. Noelvi Marté , a 22-year-old infielder who is the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospect, missed the first 80 games following a positive test for boldenone. Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martínez was suspended for 80 games on June 23 following a positive test for the performance-enhancing drug clomiphene, an announcement made two days after his major league debut . AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

TOMS River, N.J. (AP) — A U.S. senator has called for mysterious drones spotted flying over sensitive areas in New Jersey and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region to be “shot down, if necessary,” even as it remains unclear who owns them. “We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday as concerns about the drones spread across Capitol Hill. People in the New York region are also concerned that the drones may be sharing airspace with commercial airlines, he said, demanding more transparency from the Biden administration. The White House said Thursday that a review of the reported sightings shows that many of them are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in any restricted airspace. He said the U.S. Coast Guard has not uncovered any foreign involvement from coastal vessels. “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby said, echoing statements from the Pentagon and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. The drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security. The FBI has been investigating and has asked residents to share any videos, photos or other information about the drones. On Wednesday, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said they are not U.S. military drones. The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once. The worry stems partly from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was frustrated by the lack of transparency, saying it could help spread fear or misinformation. “We should know what’s going on over our skies,” he said Thursday. Fantasia, a Morris County Republican, was among several lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the sightings from the New York City area across New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia. It is unknown at this time whether the sightings are related. Two Republican Jersey Shore-area congressmen, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, say the military should shoot down the drones. Smith said a U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer briefed him on an incident over the weekend in which a dozen drones followed a motorized Coast Guard lifeboat “in close pursuit” near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pinneo on Wednesday told The Associated Press “that multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in the vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.” Associated Press reporters Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and reporter Darlene Superville and videojournalists Serkan Gurbuz and Nathan Ellgren in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

A judge blocked Kroger Co.’s $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons Cos., finding the takeover would lessen competition for U.S. grocery shoppers, in a ruling that marks a likely death knell for the deal. In a decision filed in Oregon federal court Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson found in favor of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The agency had argued that the proposed tie-up violates U.S. antitrust law and that a divestiture of hundreds of stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. wouldn’t do enough to replace the lost competition. “There is ample evidence that the divestiture is not sufficient in scale to adequately compete with the merged firm and is structured in a way that will significantly disadvantage C&S as a competitor,” Nelson wrote. “The deficiencies in the divestiture scope and structure create a risk that some or all of the divested stores will lose sales or close, as has happened in past C&S acquisitions.” Nelson’s decision is a major victory for the FTC and its outgoing Chair Lina Khan, who came under harsh criticism from conservatives and business groups for stepped-up antitrust enforcement under the Biden administration. “Today’s win protects competition in the grocery market, which will prevent prices from rising even more,” said FTC spokesperson Douglas Farrar. “This statement win makes it clear that strong, reality-based antitrust enforcement delivers real results for consumers, workers, and small businesses.” A C&S Wholesale spokeswoman said the company is disappointed by the court’s decision and that it looks forward to seeing how Kroger and Albertsons will determine the next steps of the proposed deal. Kroger and Albertsons didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Attorneys for the companies have said the acquisition would probably be called off if the judge ruled against the deal. Kroger shares jumped as much as 6.1% in New York trading on Tuesday, extending earlier gains. Albertsons slumped as much as 10%. The FTC’s case was the most consequential of three pending lawsuits that challenged the tie-up. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who was elected earlier this month to be the state’s next governor, sued to block the deal in state court and a judge is expected to issue his decision later Tuesday. Colorado’s attorney general also filed a separate lawsuit in state court that remains pending. Specific market Nelson agreed with the FTC that supermarkets constitute a specific market, countering the companies’ argument that the market extends to online retailers like Amazon.com Inc. “Supermarkets are distinct from other grocery retailers,” Nelson wrote. “Supermarkets offer a larger selection of fresh and non-perishable items, a one-stop shopping experience that appeals to a particular consumer’s preference to meet all their grocery needs in one location, and a customer service focus with deli, bakery, meat, and other specialized departments.” The ruling marks a disappointing end to a two-year odyssey by Kroger and Albertsons, which sought to become a bigger player with a more substantial national footprint to better compete against larger, non-unionized rivals including Walmart Inc. Kroger and Albertsons agreed to combine in October 2022 in what would have been the biggest U.S. grocery deal in history, bringing together more than 4,000 stores across 48 states and Washington, DC. Kroger will likely turn its focus back to improving and investing in its existing network of about 2,750 stores. Albertsons, on the other hand, could emerge again as a deal target, but is expected in the near term to invest in its roughly 2,270 stores and technology. The proposed deal has been a political hot potato, drawing pushback from elected officials, union groups and consumer advocacy firms. The companies vowed to spend $1 billion to cut prices, $1.3 billion to improve store conditions and $1 billion to raise worker wages and benefits following the deal. The FTC has increased antitrust enforcement under the Biden administration, though the results in court have been mixed. The FTC lost a challenge to Microsoft Corp.’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc. But more recently the antitrust agency won two other merger challenges against Illumina Inc. over its purchase of startup Grail and over Tapestry Inc.’s planned $8.5 billion acquisition of Capri Holdings Ltd. Arguments The companies and the agency fought their case in court for three weeks over the summer in Oregon, as grocery inflation came back into the political spotlight ahead of the U.S. presidential election. Grocery inflation hit a four-decade high in 2022 due to higher costs of labor, transportation and ingredients. Price increases have moderated and are expected to stay within historical ranges, though many American shoppers still say expensive groceries continue to squeeze their ability to spend. The FTC argued that the deal would harm consumers by eliminating competition on prices and quality, making the combined entity less likely to improve its services by offering flexible hours and pickup services. It said the grocers would have more leverage over workers, which would slow wage growth and worsen benefits, and that the proposed divestiture would be inadequate. The agency tried to depict Kroger and Albertsons as the most direct competitors. It said the deal would combine the two largest “traditional supermarkets” in a market that includes Walmart and Target, but does not include Amazon, Costco, Aldi and dollar stores. The companies argued that such a definition is “antiquated” and no longer describes how people shop and pointed to various changes they have made in response to newer threats. The grocers also said joining forces would help them increase market share and improve technology to compete with Amazon, Walmart and other companies. The case is Federal Trade Commission v. Kroger Co., 24-cv-00347, U.S. District Court, District of Oregon (Portland). (With assistance from Josh Sisco.) ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Front Row made the claim in a court filing and said it involved its proposed purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Front Row said the series would only approve it if Front Row and 23XI Racing dropped their court case. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Ryan Seacrest is only on his first season as the new host of Wheel of Fortune , but he is already skating on thin ice with some fans of the game show. Seacrest , 49, is taking some heat after an incident that occurred during the Tuesday, November 26 episode of Wheel . Oleh Voloshyn, a contestant who could have easily won, ended up losing the game, and some fans believe that it's all because of Seacrest's lack of experience. The debacle took place during the "Final Spin" puzzle in which the wheel landed on $5,000. This meant that the three-word "Event" puzzle would likely decide the winner of the game, as each consonant was worth $6,000. After a few guesses from each player, the puzzle read, "TOUR_NG 'A' '_ _ _ N_R_'." Instead of choosing another consonant and adding $6,000 to his $12,000, winning the game with $18,000, Oleh decided to solve the puzzle correctly as "TOURING A WINERY." This left Oleh with $14,000 total, which was $176 short of his opponent's $14,176 total. Fans of the game show took to social media to share their thoughts on Oleh's loss. "If I'm Oleh, I'm upset at myself for not realizing the situation... I'm also angry at Ryan for not doing something that Pat always made a point to do in this exact situation. It's not the host's job to point those types of things out but Pat [Sajak] always tried so now we expect it," wrote one user on Reddit , referring to the show's former host of over 40 years. A second user agreed and noted, "Pat would have reminded him to guess a letter before solving," implying that Seacrest lacks the former host's experience. "Didn't Pat used to say 'do you want to guess a letter first?'," asked a third Redditor while another added, "Ryan needs to start doing this." Despite receiving some grief from fans of late, many have been vocal about their support for the new host , one even praised him for his off-camera hosting abilities. Seacrest started his tenure as host of the beloved game show in September following Sajak's exit.

SAN DIEGO , Dec. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. announced that a lawsuit was filed for certain investors in DMC Global Inc. ( NASDAQ : BOOM) shares Investors who purchased more than $100,000 in shares of DMC Global Inc. (NASDAQ: BOOM) between May and November 2024 have certain options and there are short and strict deadlines running. Deadline: February 04, 2025 . Those DMC Global Inc. (NASDAQ: BOOM investors should contact the Shareholders Foundation at mail@shareholdersfoundation.com or call +1(858) 779 - 1554. On October 21, 2024 , DMC Global Inc. disclosed that it was "revising its guidance" for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 , stating that the Company's adjusted EBITDA is now expected to be approximately $5 million , down from prior guidance for $15 -18 million, and that the third quarter financial results "will include inventory and bad debt charges at DynaEnergetics totaling approximately $5 million , as well as lower fixed overhead absorption on reduced sales at both Arcadia and DynaEnergetics." The Company also revealed that the financial results will include an approximate $142 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge "associated with DMC's December 2021 acquisition of a controlling interest in Arcadia ." On November 4, 2024 , DMC Global Inc released its third-quarter financial results for the period ending September 30, 2024 . Among other results, the Company reported third quarter sales of $152.4 million , down 11% sequentially and year-over-year, as well as the previously disclosed non-cash goodwill impairment charge. Shares of DMC Global Inc. (NASDAQ: BOOM) declined from $15.98 per share on May 3, 2024 , to as low as $7.16 per share on November 21 , 2024. On December 06, 2024 , an investor in NASDAQ: BOOM shares filed a lawsuit against DMC Global Inc. The plaintiff alleges that between May 3, 2024 and November 4, 2024 , the defendants made materially false and misleading statements and failed to disclose the following adverse facts about DMC Global's business, operations, and prospects which were known to defendants or recklessly disregarded by them: (i) the goodwill associated with the company's principal business segment, Acadia Products, was overstated due to the adverse events and circumstances affecting that reporting segment; (ii) DMC Global's materially inadequate internal systems and processes were adversely affecting its operations; (iii) the company's inadequate systems and processes prevented it from ensuring reasonably accurate guidance and that its public disclosures were timely, accurate, and complete; (iv) as a result, defendants misrepresented DMC Global's operations and financial results; and/or (v) as a result, the company's public statements were materially false, misleading, or lacked a reasonable basis when made. Those who purchased shares of DMC Global Inc. (NASDAQ: BOOM) should contact the Shareholders Foundation, Inc. CONTACT: Shareholders Foundation, Inc. Michael Daniels +1 (858) 779-1554 mail@shareholdersfoundation.com 3111 Camino Del Rio North Suite 423 San Diego, CA 92108 The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is a professional portfolio legal monitoring and a settlement claim filing service, which does research related to shareholder issues and informs investors of securities class actions, settlements, judgments, and other legal related news to the stock/financial market. The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is not a law firm. Any referenced cases, investigations, and/or settlements are not filed/initiated/reached and/or are not related to Shareholders Foundation. The information is only provided as a public service. It is not intended as legal advice and should not be relied upon. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lawsuit-for-investors-who-lost-over-100-000-in-shares-of-dmc-global-inc-nasdaq-boom-between-may-and-nov-2024-announced-by-shareholders-foundation-302325435.html SOURCE Shareholders Foundation, Inc.A post shared on social media purportedly shows an image of a woman holding a sign with her daughter holding a pro-abortion sign. Verdict: False The photo has been edited. Fact Check: The Taliban in Afghanistan have banned women from attending institutions that offer medical education after their supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, ordered it Monday, The Human Rights Watch reported. Furthermore, women are banned from receiving medical care from male doctors in some provinces. A post shared on Facebook allegedly shows a woman standing with her daughter holding a pro-abortion sign that suggests she didn’t want her daughter. The two, wearing all purple, seem to be holding a sign that reads, “I want my daughter to have the right to abortion that I didn’t have.” The caption says, “Now you all have to see this too.” The claim is inaccurate. The image appears to have been altered. The image was featured in an article and dates back to a 2023 march in Mexico, according to La Casa De Todas Y Todos . The article shows the sign originally said, “Soy mamá de la niña que jamás vas a tocar.” This translates to “I am the mother of the girl you will never touch .” The event is a women’s rights march that takes place in the month of March each year in Mexico, according to Mexico News Daily . (RELATED: Was A Woman Arrested For Praying In Front Of An Abortion Clinic?) This is not the first time an edited sign circulated online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim Greta Thunberg held an anti-Semitic sign in a social media post.Rebel fighters, Homs countryside, Syria, December 7, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hasano Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) gesture in Deir al-Zor, after U.S.-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters captured Deir el-Zor, the government's main foothold in the vast desert, according to Syrian sources, in Syria December 7, 2024. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman A drone view shows inside Hama's military airport, after Syrian rebels battled government forces for control of the key city of Homs on Saturday and advanced towards the capital Damascus as front lines collapsed across the country, throwing President Bashar al-Assad's rule into the balance, in Hama, Syria December 7, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hasano A drone view of Al-Rastan bridge in Homs countryside, after Syrian rebels pressed their lightning advance on Saturday, saying they had seized most of the south, as government forces dug in to defend the key central city of Homs to try to save President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year rule, in Syria December 7, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hasano A drone view shows helicopter that belonged to forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad government at Hama's military airport, after Syrian rebels battled government forces for control of the key city of Homs on Saturday and advanced towards the capital Damascus as front lines collapsed across the country, throwing President Bashar al-Assad's rule into the balance, in Hama, Syria December 7, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hasano AMMAN/BEIRUT - Syrian rebels announced they gained full control over the key city of Homs early on Sunday after only a day of fighting, leaving President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year rule dangling by a thread as insurgents marched on the capital, Damascus. Thousands of Homs residents poured onto the streets after the army withdrew from the central city, dancing and chanting "Assad is gone, Homs is free" and "Long live Syria and down with Bashar al-Assad". Rebels fired into the air in celebration, and youths tore down posters of the Syrian president, whose territorial control has collapsed in a dizzying week-long retreat by the military. The fall of Homs gives the insurgents control over Syria's strategic heartland and a key highway crossroads, severing Damascus from the coastal region that is the stronghold of Assad's Alawite sect and where his Russian allies have a naval base and air base. Homs' capture is also a powerful symbol of the rebel movement's dramatic comeback in the 13-year-old conflict. Swathes of Homs were destroyed by gruelling siege warfare between the rebels and the army years ago. The fighting ground down the insurgents, who were forced out. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the main rebel leader, called the capture of Homs a historic moment and urged fighters not to harm "those who drop their arms". Rebels freed thousands of detainees from the city prison. Security forces left in haste after burning their documents. The battle for control of the country is likely to turn quickly to the capital. Residents of numerous Damascus districts turned out to protest Assad on Saturday evening, and security forces were either unwilling or unable to clamp down. Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghani said in a statement early Sunday that operations were ongoing to "completely liberate" the countryside around Damascus and rebel forces were looking toward the capital. In one suburb, a statue of Assad's father, the late President Hafez al-Assad, was toppled and torn apart. The Syrian army said it was reinforcing around Damascus, and state television reported on Saturday that Assad remained in the city. Outside the city, rebels swept across the entire southwest over 24 hours and established control. EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO ASSAD RULE The fall of Homs and threat to the capital pose an immediate existential danger to the Assad dynasty's five-decade reign over Syria and the continued influence there of its main regional backer, Iran. Foreign officials said the government may be on the verge of collapse. One U.S. official put the timeframe at five to 10 days, while another said Assad could be ousted within the coming week. The pace of events has stunned Arab capitals and raised fears of a new wave of regional instability. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Russia issued a joint statement saying the crisis was a dangerous development and calling for a political solution. But there was no indication they agreed on any concrete steps, with the situation inside Syria changing by the hour. Syria's civil war, which erupted in 2011 as an uprising against Assad's rule, dragged in big outside powers, created space for jihadist militants to plot attacks around the world and sent millions of refugees into neighbouring states. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the strongest rebel group, is the former al Qaeda affiliate in Syria regarded by the U.S. and others as a terrorist organisation, and many Syrians remain fearful it will impose draconian Islamist rule. Golani has tried to reassure minorities that he will not interfere with them and the international community that he opposes Islamist attacks abroad. In Aleppo, which the rebels captured a week ago, there have not been reports of reprisals. When asked on Saturday whether he believed Golani, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov replied, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". ALLIES' ROLE IN SUPPORTING ASSAD Assad long relied on allies to subdue the rebels. Russian warplanes conducted bombing while Iran sent allied forces including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iraqi militia to reinforce the Syrian military and storm insurgent strongholds. But Russia has been focused on the war in Ukraine since 2022 and Hezbollah has suffered big losses in its own gruelling war with Israel, significantly limiting its ability or that of Iran to bolster Assad. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said the U.S. should not be involved in the conflict and should "let it play out". Russia has a naval base and airbase in Syria that have not only been important for its support of Assad, but also for its ability to project influence in the Mediterranean and Africa. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowsg777 pay 。

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — Garry Clark scored 15 points as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beat Stephen F. Austin 67-48 on Saturday night. Clark had 12 rebounds for the Islanders (6-4, 1-1 Southland Conference). Owen Dease went 3 of 3 from the field to add 10 points. Jordan Roberts had 10 points and shot 4 for 9. Nana Antwi-Boasiako led the Lumberjacks (5-5, 0-2) in scoring, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Clayton Southwick added 10 points and two steals. Myles Jenkins had five points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

ATLANTA — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement that Carter's "tremendous faith was equaled by his sense of moral courage." "In his youth, few probably ever fathomed the lasting imprint this son of Plains, Georgia would leave on the world. He proved that good people, wanting nothing more than to do good, can excel in politics and life. And, as he leaves us, we are forever grateful," Murphy said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. 'Jimmy Who?' His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. 'A wonderful life' At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom LOOK: 79 of the Most 1970s Photos You've Ever Seen Step back into the wild, rebellious 1970s with 79 unforgettable photos that capture the era's bold fashions, entertainment and everyday life. Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

NoneThe United States on Saturday announced a new $988 million security assistance package for Ukraine as Washington races to provide aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump's November election victory has cast doubt on the future of American aid for Ukraine, providing a limited window for billions of dollars in already authorized assistance to be disbursed before he is sworn in next month. The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump met in Paris earlier Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said any resolution of the war with Russia should be a "just" settlement that includes "strong security guarantees for Ukraine." The meeting was of huge importance to Zelensky, given fears in Kyiv that Trump may urge Ukraine to make concessions to Moscow. The latest aid will be funded via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, under which military equipment is procured from the defense industry or partners rather than drawn from American stocks, meaning it will not immediately arrive on the battlefield. It follows a $725 million package announced on Monday that included a second tranche of landmines as well as anti-air and anti-armor weapons. The outgoing administration of President Joe Biden is working to get as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump -- who has repeatedly criticized US assistance for Kyiv and claimed he could secure a ceasefire within hours -- takes over. Trump's comments have triggered fears in Kyiv and Europe about the future of US aid, and Ukraine's ability to withstand Russian attacks in the absence of further American support. "Our job has been to try and put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Saturday. In the closing weeks of Biden's term, the goal is "a massive surge of assistance and to up the economic pressure on Russia," he said. More from this section US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday warned that failure to continue opposing Russia's actions would have dire consequences. "We can continue to stand up to the Kremlin. Or we can let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin have his way -- and condemn our children and grandchildren to live in a world of chaos and conflict," said Austin, who like Sullivan was speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California. "This administration has made its choice. And so has a bipartisan coalition in Congress. The next administration must make its own choice." The defense chief also emphasized the importance of US allies and partners in his remarks -- a contrast to Trump's go-it-alone "America first" world view. "Here is the stark military fact: our allies and partners are huge force multipliers," Austin said. "Ultimately, America is weaker when it stands alone. And America is smaller when it stands apart," he said. "There is no such thing as a safe retreat from today's interwoven world." The United States has spearheaded the push for international support for Ukraine, quickly forging a coalition to back Kyiv after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 and coordinating aid from dozens of countries. Ukraine's international supporters have since then provided tens of billions of dollars in weapons, ammunition, training and other security aid that has been key to helping Kyiv resist Russian forces. wd/mlm/acb

German President to visit Nigeria, engage with business reps, startup hubs, othersWhat one word would you use to describe the MINExpo International that is held in Las Vegas every four years? One word that springs to mind is “big.” It’s the world’s biggest mining show, a big event with big crowds of people in big halls looking at big mining equipment. Waiting in line to climb a Caterpillar truck at MINExpo International 2024. MINExpo International 2024 drew nearly 45,000 people to the Las Vegas Convention Center in late September to talk and see and learn about all that’s happening in mining today and the innovations that will be leading us into the future of mining. The day before the start of the big MINExpo International 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. In a conversation after the convention, Montana Mining Association Executive Director Matt Vincent, who made his first trip to the convention this year, said, “There’s more people at the conference than there is in probably both our towns combined,” referring to Butte, Montana, and Elko, Nevada. “I thought it was pretty overwhelming.” That’s another word you sometimes heard to describe the convention ... “overwhelming.” A panoramic view of the big show Mining the West magazine went to the Las Vegas Convention Center the day before the official start of MINExpo to walk around and do some exploration to try to get oriented. That was a good idea, because the first morning of MINExpo, trying to find the way to a scheduled meeting, it’s all a bit ... overwhelming. There were more than 2,000 exhibitors in the 1.4-million-square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center. There were three huge, sprawling halls, West, North and Central, each filled with hundreds of exhibitors. You wind your way amongst the booths, some fairly small, some elaborately designed showcases with a theater and an array of massive mining equipment towering overhead, sometimes with people lined up to climb to the top of a giant truck or try out an interactive remote operation display. Another hall to explore You wonder, “Where am I? Am I in the wrong hall? And if I’m in the wrong hall, how do I find my way out of here? How do I find my way to the hall where I’m supposed to be?” We all have navigation systems in our vehicles nowadays, so we’ve offloaded some of our brain’s navigation abilities. Which makes you ponder, “How am I now suddenly supposed to become an expert navigator and find my way while I wander around like a poor, lost orphan?” Starbucks was busy at MINExpo International 2024. With the way technology is advancing, I’m expecting that when the next MINExpo comes up four years from now, we’ll each have our own personal AI robot to coach us along, saying, “Right this way, sir. Don’t be overwhelmed. Would you like me to prepare an espresso and croissant for you to enjoy during our journey?” The Rockwell Automation booth We did find our way to the Rockwell Automation booth, without the help of a robot assistant. Michael Klein, Rockwell’s director of global process industry strategy & marketing, talked about the services and equipment his company has to offer, with their focus on operational excellence, sustainable operations, and mine to market integration. Klein then offered one word to help bring MINExpo into focus – a word other than “big” or “overwhelming” – one commonality that he said you will find as you go around and people talk to you about a lot of different ideas and equipment and innovations. “I’ll leave you with one word—and it’s data,” Klein said. With all the new technologies coming online, and as we move into increasing electrification and automation, all of this equipment is generating more and more data. “No one is saying I need more data,” Klein said. “What they’re all saying is, I have all the data—I don’t know what to do with it. They have gigabytes of data.” Michael Klein, Rockwell’s director of global process industry strategy & marketing, at the Rockwell Automation booth. He pointed out one of the pieces of equipment on display at the Rockwell booth. “This device here, it can put out gigabytes of data every single day. To move that data into the cloud costs money. Do I need to send every piece of data that this device puts out into the cloud, or can I aggregate it over a period of time and send it once? And is it summarized as an average amount of data? Or do I need every single tiny snapshot? “That’s what everybody in here is trying to figure out.” Klein pointed out the nearby Goodyear booth. “Tire management solutions – data. How long is the tire going to last? Can I keep running, or am I risking the tire having a problem and leaving that truck stranded, and then I’ve got to get a crew to go out and fix that tire, versus bringing it back to the maintenance shop? Mining the West editor Tim Burmeister meets the Michelin Man. “All of that stuff is what everybody’s trying to figure out, to be more productive and more sustainable. Everything in this show is around that—I can pretty much guarantee you, that’s the focus of it.” Klein said a big focus nowadays is on bringing together data from many different sources. Technologies like sensors and wireless connectivity have been around for a while, he said, but “it’s the integration of it that’s been the challenge.” “There are a lot of different manufacturers and companies that have their systems set up, and they don’t always work well together.” A Toro diesel-electric underground truck Now mines are starting to be able to bring all of the information from various sites and systems together into one collection of data. “This is where AI has helped, in being able to see what’s causal,” Klein said. “We see a problem, but what actually caused it? In the past, it was kind of a guess. You needed a lot of people that were experts in different areas of the business, and they had to sit there and go through the data and say, ‘I think it could be this, or it could be that, but we’re not really sure. “Today, the system itself helps with all of that, and we don’t have to have all of that expertise on the site like you used to. Mining operations management can be housed anywhere in the world.” Fabio Mielli, a Rockwell Automation market development manager, said that analyzing all this data involves not only bringing together data from different sources but also synchronizing data from different times. After various data comes in from the mine site, related data from the lab might show up hours later, but software can align all the time stamps to fit everything together and give you one single model of the mine. Klein said putting all the data together into one single model is a big help when companies compare the operational effectiveness of their mines in different locations. “So if one is doing really well at one part of the operation, and the other one is not, I can figure out, ‘Is it an equipment problem? Is it a training problem? What is the reason that there’s a difference between the two?’ “Then I can start to benchmark, this is best in class. Whatever we’re doing over here, we need to go do it at this other site, as well.” The Husky Observer robot at the Rockwell Automation booth was ready to head out on an expedition to gather data. There is a lot more to learn about at the Rockwell booth, as well, like augmented reality, and Rockwell’s Husky Observer robot, a yellow cart that’s a few feet tall, with big tires and big camera eyes, sitting in the middle of the Rockwell booth, looking like it’s ready to spring into action. Depending on the needs at the mine site, the Observer can be custom-outfitted with sensors including visual, infrared, vibration-detecting, and air-quality-monitoring equipment to gather data. One of the things the Observer can do is go underneath big equipment to do maintenance check-ups. “They can go in and know exactly where to look,” Klein said, “and it can detect visually if there’s a leak in the hydraulic line, and that tells maintenance to go fix it. So it keeps people from going underneath there, and keeps people safer, and you send the right people to go fix it at the right time.” The Komatsu area at MINExpo International 2024. The eye-catching race car is publicizing that Komatsu is the Principal Partner of the Williams Racing Formula 1 team. In September Komatsu announced the launch of the Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy, a global initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of engineering talent. Can the Observer make a latte and lead me to my next destination? Maybe next time, but for now we’re off to the Komatsu “booth,” one of the booths that is like an arena unto itself. The Komatsu and Caterpillar booths are next to each other, and fortunately they are fairly easy to find, because they have trucks on display that look as big as apartment buildings inside this exhibit hall. A Liebherr electric shovel Traveling around the Expo, visiting booths and talking with people, recurring themes come up that can be categorized into various files in the mental filing cabinet, including: the increasing need for minerals, the challenges facing mining and the development of new mines, new technologies to increase the efficiency and productivity of mining during a time when demand is growing and supply can be challenging, environmental protection, decarbonization, safety, electrification, automation, artificial intelligence, and the need for workforce development and training as the aging workforce retires, and as new technologies change the types of skills that are needed in the mining industry. The Shell & Whitmore Reliability Solutions booth And many of those issues tie in with data and the effective use of all that data. At the Komatsu display, after a movie and then a whirlwind tour to get an overview of all there is to see in this world of Komatsu, we sat down for lunch with Komatsu’s executive team, and they highlighted a lot of the major topics that came up all throughout MINExpo. Brian Fox, right, Komatsu’s senior vice president for mining strategy and innovation, talks about Komatsu’s mergers and acquisitions, alliances, and strategic partnerships. Peter Salditt, president and CEO of Komatsu Mining, started out talking about the challenges the mining industry is facing today. “First and foremost, we see there is a tremendous effort and will and interest in looking at sustainable mining, and in particular decreasing our carbon footprint in mining,” Salditt said. “Along with that, we see an increasingly challenging operating environment in mines, with ore rates declining, overburden ratios increasing, depths of orebodies increasing, and all the challenges that come along with that—geotechnical, heat ventilation for underground mines, and so forth. Hannah Lang, manager of digital solutions, talks at the MineSense Technologies booth. “Electrification and decarbonization is not only a sustainability activity in the context of these challenges, but also a method to cope with these challenges. “And we feel that we are particularly well placed to address electrification and address these challenges, as many of our products are already electrified and have been for a long time.” Talking about “our passion around people and workforce development,” Salditt commented that in a meeting the previous day he heard that Nevada Gold Mines still has 700 open positions that they have not been able to fill. “Workforce attraction and workforce development is a huge challenge for the industry, and our intention is certainly to be a player in addressing that,” Salditt said. “We have a tremendous amount of tools and activities around skills training, with training centers around the world, mobile training programs, STEM student initiatives to bring kids into the industry and into STEM professions, and then workforce development initiatives on all levels, internally for our employees, and also for our customers.” Salditt commented that Immersive Technologies is an important Komatsu brand. “This is a business that addresses workforce development and skill development on all equipment platforms,” Salditt said. “It’s a very interesting and I think inspiring part of the business, that you can also visit in a separate booth nearby the Komatsu booths.” Mining the West did visit the Immersive Technologies booth the next day and buckled up in a Mining Equipment Simulator to drive a truck through an underground mine, which was quite a bit of fun. There was also a surface Mining Equipment Simulator at the Immersive Technologies booth. During the Komatsu luncheon, Brian Fox, Komatsu’s senior vice president for mining strategy and innovation, talked about the company’s “pathway to automation.” “Our speed of development is increasing rapidly with advances in simulation, modeling, and AI and machine learning,” Fox said. Fox said that a 2350 loader on display in the Komastu booth was equipped with a next-generation camera and LIDAR-based object detection and classification system that Komatsu developed jointly with an automotive technology supplier. “We started that project four months ago, and the team didn’t actually touch the machine until was in the parking lot here,” Fox said. “And I would ask that you go take a look at that, and just see the mining technology starting to catch up to what’s happening in automotive. I’m pretty blown away by that. “I’m also blown away by our autonomous haulage system,” Fox said. “We’re now at about 780 trucks that have been commissioned worldwide, and our Komatsu customers have hauled more than ten billion metric tons of material over that time frame. And every day we add six million tons of material moved, which to me is phenomenal. “If you know the big mines, a mine like Escondida (an open pit copper mine in Chile which USGS says is the world’s largest source of copper) moves about one million tons a day. So we’re moving basically six Escondidas every single day with no operators on board.” During his presentation, Shingo Hori, executive officer of Komatsu’s mining division, said one of Komatsu’s exciting announcements at MINExpo was the launch of their modular ecosystem. “Essentially it’s a group of interconnected OEM-agnostic technologies that function together to integrate suppliers, customers and third parties to optimize service operations,” Hori said. “Furthermore, we are collaborating also with an expert in the field of data security to ensure that we provide a confidence to our customers of data security and also traceability, because we do understand how important and critical data is as we progress to the future of mining in the digital space.” At the start of the lunch, Caley Clinton, Komatsu’s director of global brand creative and communications, said she hoped everyone had fun during the tour of the Komatsu booth, and invited people to go back and explore the Komatsu displays some more. “By all means, spend the next three days there if you like,” Clinton said. The Caterpillar booth There was enough to see at the Komatsu booth that you probably could spend three days there. But you could also spend three days at the massive Caterpillar booth next door. But instead, we continued to journey through the big exhibit halls, gradually getting more oriented on how to navigate from place to place, visiting with people and learning more about lots of companies and the innovations they will be bringing to the future of mining. The Nevada Mining Association Happy Hour, hosted by Mobil The next night, after another big day, it was time to go to the Nevada Mining Association happy hour, hosted by Mobil Lubricants. Then it was time to travel down the Strip to a reception at the outdoor Beer Park upstairs at the Paris Hotel, hosted by P&C Recruiting, NewFields, and Cyanco. The Nevada Mining Association Happy Hour at Resorts World Las Vegas Which brings up some additional important words to describe MINExpo – “people” and “networking.” Those are central reasons why 45,000 people gathered at the massive MINExpo. Mining Minds podcast host Dino Brunson – who we visited with at both the NVMA and P&C parties – talked about MINExpo on the first Mining Minds podcast after the big event. “Vegas was awesome,” Brunson said. “Mining Minds got a lot of visibility. We had an opportunity to meet some of our fans that we don’t know. They just kind of pulled us off to the side, wanted some pictures.” Conway Fraser of Fraser Torosay, Derek Grover of the Mining Minds podcast, and Dan Davis of the Florida Canyon Mine, from left, at the MINExpo 2024 reception at the Beer Park at the Paris Hotel, hosted by P&C Recruiting, NewFields, and Cyanco. Brunson talked about some of the people he met and visited with at MINExpo, and mentioned the NVMA and P&C events “They did a great job. Fantastic networking opportunity there, as well.” “We just ran into so many people that it’s hard to fit all that into three days. You come home and you want to sleep for two. But it was super cool.” We’re almost rested up now—and soon it will be time to start getting ready for the next big, overwhelming, awesome MINExpo in 2028. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

World News | Abu Dhabi Police's Security Media Department to Participate in Global Media Congress 2024

No. 8 Kentucky flying high ahead of Western Kentucky meetingShililifa to be laid to rest on MondayA CONSTITUTIONAL BLUEPRINT

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a three-day trip to Russia on Sunday to witness the commissioning of a stealth warship into the Indian Navy and hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Andrey Belousov, on the expansion of bilateral cooperation in co-production of military hardware. The Russian-manufactured multi-role stealth guided missile frigate INS Tushil will be commissioned on Monday in the coastal city of Kaliningrad. The warship, billed as one of the most technologically advanced frigates globally, is expected to significantly bolster the Indian Navy’s operational capability in the Indian Ocean, a region that has witnessed increasing Chinese forays. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi will accompany Singh to the commissioning ceremony. Defence Minister Singh would pay an official visit to the Russian Federation from December 8-10, an official readout said on Saturday.It said Singh and Belousov would co-chair the 21st meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) in Moscow on December 10. The Defence Minister’s visit to Russia comes five months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Moscow and held summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the talks, both sides decided to further bolster two-way defence ties. Singh and Belousov would review the entire range of multi-faceted relations between the two countries in the field of defence, including military-to-military and industrial cooperation, the defence ministry said in the readout. “They will also exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest,” it said. People familiar with Singh’s visit said India-Russia cooperation in co-production of military hardware will figure prominently in the talks between the two defence ministers. “As part of the visit, the Defence Minister will also commission the Indian Navy’s latest multi-role stealth guided missile frigate ‘INS Tushil’ at Yantra Shipyard, Kaliningrad on December 9,” the ministry said. Singh would also pay tributes at ‘The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ in Moscow to honour the Soviet soldiers killed during the Second World War, it said. He is also scheduled to interact with the members of the Indian community in Moscow.

Behind a record surge in cocoa prices this year, a corner of financial markets that drives the cost of chocolate underwent a seismic shift: the hedge funds that oiled its workings headed for the exit. Confectionery prices, from candy bars to hot chocolate, are heavily influenced by futures contracts for cocoa beans. These financial instruments, traded in London and New York, allow cocoa buyers and sellers to determine a price for the commodity, forming a benchmark for sales across the world. In the middle of last year, hedge funds – a class of investors that use privately pooled money to make speculative bets – started pulling back from trading cocoa futures because price swings in the market were raising their cost of trading and making it harder to make profits. They accelerated their retreat in the first half of this year as cocoa prices hit a record in April, driven by supply issues in West Africa, according to Reuters calculations based on data from the U.S. Commodity Trading Futures Commission (CFTC), which oversees the New York market, and ICE Futures Europe, an exchange that compiles figures for trading in London. “This market became increasingly volatile,” said Razvan Remsing, director of investment solutions at Aspect Capital, a $9.3 billion London-based fund that uses coding and algorithms to find trades. “Our system’s response was to trim our positions.” Aspect slashed the exposure to cocoa in its Diversified Fund from nearly 5% of its net asset value in January to less than one percent after April, according to a presentation reviewed by Reuters. The departure of hedge funds and other speculators caused liquidity in the market to slump, making it harder to buy and sell, stoking volatility to record highs and fueling the price spike still further. Reuters spoke to a dozen fund executives, cocoa market brokers and traders who said the retreat – described here in detail for the first time — has left lasting strains on the market. That has resulted in greater gaps between the price at which cocoa can be bought and sold, and has prompted some industry players to seek alternative instruments, leaving a lasting impact on the sector. This month, the number of futures contracts held globally at the end of a given trading day – a key indicator of market health known as “open interest” – hit its lowest since at least 2014, the global figures show, a sign the futures market overall has shrunk significantly. Data prior to 2014 was not available. On Wednesday, New York cocoa futures prices topped their April peak. The futures market is a crucial cog in the cocoa industry, allowing producers and chocolate companies to hedge their exposure to swings in the price of beans. Futures dictate income for the farmers and low-income nations that produce the world’s cocoa – the majority of which comes from Ghana and Ivory Coast in West Africa. Hedge funds and speculators have become bigger players in commodity markets over the past two decades as the value of their overall assets has grown. But, as purely financial investors, they have no need to remain in the market at times of stress. The impact of hedge funds’ exit illustrates how reliant trading has become on these lightly regulated funds that increasingly shape financial markets. Reuters has reported this year on how hedge funds are piling into the euro zone’s $10 trillion government bond market, drawing regulatory scrutiny, and on their growing sway in European stock trading. Contacted by Reuters, the CFTC declined to comment. A representative for Britain’s regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, said that, in line with its market supervision practice, “we have been working with trading venues and participants to monitor the orderliness of the market.” Bernhard Tröster, an economist at the Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE) in Vienna, who last year co-authored a paper on the growing role of financial actors in commodities derivatives markets, said the withdrawal of hedge funds had helped fuel the crisis in cocoa markets. “When markets became so volatile this year, it was clear how hedge funds and other financial actors have become so important,” he said. SUPPLY ISSUES HIT PRICES Hedge funds and other speculators’ share of the market peaked at 36% in May 2023, the highest in at least a decade, after which their retreat began, the global data calculated by Reuters show. Then, at the start of this year, global cocoa prices soared after top producer Ivory Coast was hit by adverse weather and disease. Number two producer Ghana fared even worse, with smuggling, illegal gold mining on cocoa farms and sector mismanagement added to the mix. In early February, cocoa prices surpassed a previous record high set in 1977. Executives at five hedge funds told Reuters they began to withdraw as volatility grew and the cost of trading increased. When markets become too hot, exchanges require speculators to increase the amount of collateral they put down per futures contract, raising their costs. Lawrence Abrams, president of Absolute Return Capital Management in Chicago, said the cost of trading a single cocoa futures contract soared from $1,980 in January to $25,971 by June. High prices and volatility, combined with falling liquidity, began to affect “our system’s trading and risk management decisions,” Abrams said, whose fund sold out before prices peaked in April. He declined to detail how much his fund managed, citing regulatory reasons. Many hedge funds promise investors they will not exceed a certain amount of risk, meaning that if a certain market becomes too volatile they have to reduce their exposure. The difference between prices offered and sought for futures, the so-called “bid-ask spread”, soared following the hedge funds’ withdrawal. That has made trading harder: lower liquidity and wider spreads mean traders struggle to execute large trades without moving overall prices. “You need speculators,” said Vladimir Zientek, a trading associate at brokerage firm StoneX, referring to hedge funds, which are not among his clients. “Without speculators in the market, you lose a lot of liquidity, which allows for these very wide and erratic market swings.” By mid-April, New York contracts hit a then-record above $12,000, up three-fold from January, prompting hedge funds to sell down their positions. “Trends don’t last forever,” said Remsing at Aspect Capital. “Stay too long in size and you stand to give back all your gains.” Hedge funds’ share of the cocoa futures market dropped to 7% in late May, its lowest in at least a decade, the global data show. One European broker, who requested anonymity to discuss clients’ trades, said that panic in the market increased in March and April as liquidity drained away. Volatility in cocoa futures hit an all-time high in May, up five-fold from a year earlier, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). Daily average price swings that month neared $800, some 15 times the levels of a year earlier, according to a Reuters analysis of figures from market data provider PortaraCQG. RISKIER MARKETS For major trading houses that buy and sell cocoa beans – a group that includes Singapore’s Olam (OLAG.SI), Switzerland’s Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), and U.S.-based Cargill – the liquidity drain and associated price surge exacerbated the more than-$1 billion dollar hit they took on their futures positions. The losses came earlier this year after Ghana, following a disastrous harvest in the October 2023 to September 2024 season, delayed delivery on nearly half the beans the nation had pledged to sell, upsetting cocoa traders’ futures market strategies. These traders typically use futures to lock in prices achieved for cocoa beans, or to hedge against the risk of falling prices. But that strategy unraveled as Ghana delayed its deliveries. Traders were forced to liquidate, at steep losses, short positions for the month of expected delivery, and take new short positions. The market turmoil has prompted some trading houses and producers to seek alternatives to futures. Australian investment bank Macquarie, a big player in commodity markets, told Reuters it sold over-the-counter products to trading houses, processors and chocolate makers when cocoa volatility hit record levels this year, and demand remains high. One major agri-commodities trader is now using such bespoke contracts, according to a source who requested anonymity citing sensitive commercial relationships. They declined to comment on the magnitude of the business. Such products typically protect buyers against narrower price swings than is possible with futures, limiting their use, a European broker said, declining to be identified to freely discuss clients’ activity. ‘COCOA TOURISTS’ Some hedge funds have returned to the market. Along with other speculators that trade using investors’ cash, they accounted for 22% of futures trading this month, according to the global data. But buying and selling in the cocoa market’s altered landscape has become harder. Zientek, the trading associate at StoneX, said bid-ask spreads can now top 20 “ticks” – $200 per contract – compared to about 2-4 ticks before cocoa’s rally to record highs. “This makes larger orders tougher to execute without seeing an immediate distortion in the market,” he said. Daniel Mackenzie, managing director of Cocoa Hub, a UK-based company that sources and sells cocoa beans to artisan chocolate makers, said higher and more volatile prices were forcing small and medium-sized makers to decide between passing costs to clients or reducing product sizes. One chocolate maker he worked with has been shuttered and another sold, he said, without providing further details. As hedge funds exited, short-term investors such as day-traders – which buy and sell assets within a single trading day – have stayed in the market, the European broker and the broker at the agri-commodities bank said. The cohort that includes day-traders this month accounted for 5% of the market, about the same as the start of the year, the global data show. Day-traders cannot fulfill the liquidity-provision role traditionally played by hedge funds, the two brokers said. “I like to call them ‘cocoa tourists’ – they move in, hold a position for a day or two, then move out,” the European broker said. Watch the latest edition of BizTech below: Click here to follow the GhanaWeb Business WhatsApp channelCOPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — For a pair of lower-level downhill events, this sure had plenty of Olympic medal-capturing and World Cup-winning ski racers. The stage belonged to , the 40-year-old who took another step on her comeback trail Saturday with her first races in nearly six years. Vonn wasn't particularly speedy and finished in the middle of the pack day at Copper Mountain. Times and places weren't the mission, though, as much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit this season. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races that she had enough points to enter World Cup events. The timing couldn't be more perfect — the next stop on the women's circuit is Beaver Creek, Colorado, in a week. Vonn, who used to own a home in nearby Vail, hasn't committed to any sort of timetable for a World Cup return. “Today was a solid start and I had a blast being in start with my teammates again!” Vonn wrote . “While I’m sure people will speculate and say I’m not in top form because of the results, I disagree. This was training for me. I’m still testing equipment and getting back in the groove.” Her competition — a veritable who's who of high-profile ski racers — applauded her efforts. “I don't expect her to come back and win — just that she comes back and she has fun,” said Federica Brignone of Italy, a former overall World Cup champion and three-time Olympic medalist. “She's having fun, and she’s doing what she loves. That’s the best thing that she could do.” In the first race on a frigid morning, 1.44 seconds behind the winning time of 1 minute, 5.79 seconds posted by Mirjam Puchner of Austria. In her second race through the course later in the morning, Vonn was 1.53 seconds behind Cornelia Huetter of Austria, who finished in 1:05.99. Huetter is the reigning season-long World Cup downhill champion. “It’s really nice to compare with her again, and nice to have her (racing) again,” Huetter said. “For sure, for the skiing World Cup, we have a lot of more attention. It's generally good for all racers because everyone is looking.” Also in the field were Nadia Delago of Italy, who won a bronze medal in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and Puchner, the Olympic silver winner in super-G in Beijing. In addition, there was Marta Bassino of Italy, a winner of the super-G at the 2023 world championships, and two-time Olympic champion Michelle Gisin of Switzerland. “For me, it was really a training, but it was fun to have a World Cup race level right here,” Gisin said. “It was a crazy race.” Vonn remains a popular figure and took the time after each run to sign autographs for young fans along with posing for photos. When she left the sport, Vonn had 82 World Cup race victories, which stood as the record for a woman and within reach of the all-time Alpine record of 86 held by Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark. The women’s mark held by Vonn was surpassed in January 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin, who now has 99 wins — more than any Alpine ski racer in the history of the sport. Shiffrin is currently sidelined after a , last weekend. Vonn’s last major race was in February 2019, when she finished third in a downhill during the world championships in Sweden. The three-time Olympic medalist left the circuit still near the top of her game. But all the broken arms and legs, concussions and torn knee ligaments took too big a toll and sent her into retirement. She had a partial knee replacement last April and felt good enough to give racing another shot. “It's very impressive to see all the passion that Lindsey still has,” Gisin said. Also racing Saturday was 45-year-old Sarah Schleper, who once competed for the United States but now represents Mexico. Schleper was the next racer behind Vonn and they got a chance to share a moment between a pair of 40-somethings still racing. “I was like, ‘Give me some tips, Lindsey,’” Schleper said. “She’s like, ‘Oh, it’s a highway tuck, the whole thing.’ Then she’s like, ‘It’s just like the good old days.’" AP skiing:

South Korean President Yoon’s impeachment vote fails after ruling party boycotts it

Fox attorneys seek to dismiss shareholder lawsuit over reporting of vote rigging allegations in 2020

Online Auction Market to Grow by USD 3.08 Billion (2024-2028), Shift to Online Auctions Boosting Growth, AI Transforming Market Trends - Technavio

www sg777 com login As we approach the end of the year, banking institutions are gearing up to unleash a powerful financial offering in the automotive sector. With loan approval rates reaching an unprecedented 100%, customers are set to benefit from enhanced accessibility to vehicle financing. This strategic initiative not only fuels the automotive industry but also underscores the commitment of banks to support consumer needs during these challenging times.Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) have become increasingly popular investment vehicles for individuals looking to diversify their portfolios. With the rise of real estate prices and the growing demand for income-generating assets, non-real estate assets have become the "anchor" of value for real estate properties. However, the public REITs market's pricing mechanism is still in need of enhancement to accurately reflect the true value of the assets.O'Reilly Automotive Inc. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitors despite daily gains

As Liu Shaoang continues to defy the odds and push the boundaries of what is possible in the sport, his journey serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring power of perseverance and determination. His transformation from a former rival of the Chinese national team to a dark horse rising in the final lap of his career is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the limitless potential that lies within each of us.

What does it mean to police a community as diverse as Squamish? How can law enforcement better connect with Indigenous communities to build trust and respect? For Const. Kelly Dean of the Integrated First Nations Policing Unit (IFNU), these questions aren’t just theoretical—they’re at the heart of his everyday work. “In my role, it’s different,” Dean shared during an interview with The Squamish Chief. “I have a heart connection with the community. When something happens, it’s not just a call—I see how it impacts families. The community feels like my extended family.” Established in 2008, the Integrated First Nations Policing Unit (IFNU) serves the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, covering Squamish, North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. Based on the North Shore, IFNU is “focused on providing enhanced policing services that are culturally sensitive and responsive to the First Nations,” reads the website. IFNU collaborates with First Nations leadership and departments to address community concerns, provide investigative support, and ensure emergency responses align with the priorities outlined in the Integrated First Nations Policing Agreement. “We’re not frontline officers responding to every 911 call,” Dean said. “Our job is to connect general duty officers with the community in culturally appropriate ways.” According to a 2022 Statistics Canada report, one in five Indigenous individuals expressed a lack of confidence in the police, a much higher proportion than non-Indigenous populations. Another 2020/2021 Statistics Canada report also revealed that Indigenous people are incarcerated at a rate 8.4 times higher than non-Indigenous individuals. According to Dean, one way the IFNU fosters trust is through intentional, trauma-aware practices. “We don’t wear the RCMP’s yellow-striped pants or grey shirts,” Dean said. “Our vehicles don’t display the standard buffalo logo, which can be a trauma trigger. Instead, we use artwork by Squamish artist Rick Harry. These choices are intentional—to reduce trauma and build trust.” Dean’s traditional name, s7íl̓chi (pronounced eeth-chay), given to him in a ceremony in 2021, reflects this responsibility. Meaning “The Bowman,” it symbolizes a protector in the canoe. “It’s a lot of responsibility,” he said. “I don’t take for granted the amount of trust the community places in me, and I reciprocate that trust.” Dean’s role extends across almost 6,700 square kilometres, including reserve lands and unoccupied areas like fee-simple properties being returned to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). A ‘fee simple property’ is a real estate property that is owned outright, without limitations, and with the highest form of ownership. The growing popularity of the Squamish Valley for recreation has added new complexities to his work. “During COVID, there was a massive influx of people coming to the valley,” he said. “We’ve had to enforce Section 58 closures to prevent people from driving or camping in sensitive areas like riverbeds. These measures aim to protect salmon habitats and address declining fish stocks—issues that are deeply important to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation.” Increased recreation has also brought safety risks. “A few years ago, a wildfire started because someone was target shooting on Crown land,” Dean said. “Sparks from their rounds ignited a fire. Now, certain areas have signs prohibiting target shooting, though hunting is still permitted.” Dean acknowledged the challenges of managing such a vast territory alone. “It’s a lot for one person, and adding another officer to support the community would make a significant difference,” he said. For Dean, policing is about more than enforcement—it’s about connection. “I spend time with Elders, drum and sing, and even learn the language,” he said. “I’m a self-taught language learner, with guidance from mentors. It’s a challenge, but it’s so rewarding.” Dean also participates in community initiatives like youth camps and canoe journeys. He’s part of the Sema7maka canoe family and supports Tribal Journeys by ensuring safety on the water. “One of the best things I can do is support culture and language,” he said. “It’s fulfilling for me and helps grow understanding within the broader community.” Dean’s mixed ancestry—Danish, Scottish, and Blackfoot—gives him a personal perspective on Indigenous identity. “My grandmother married a non-Nation person, and her Indian status was revoked,” he said. “Status is 100% a colonial construct. Indigenous identity is about much more than a government-issued number.” Dean highlighted the complexities of the Indian Act, which can impact community members’ rights to hunting, fishing, and other cultural practices. “Conservation officers might determine someone’s rights based on their status number,” he said. “But you can have direct Sḵwx̱wú7mesh lineage and still not meet the government’s criteria for status. It’s a complicated and often unfair system.” Dean also works to address misconceptions about law enforcement, particularly those influenced by United States media. “In the U.S., every police show seems to involve a shootout,” he said. “That’s just not reflective of the Canadian perspective. Most officers I’ve worked with are compassionate people who genuinely want to help.” Dean emphasized the importance of highlighting the positive work being done by Indigenous officers across B.C. “Every year, I meet with around 160 Indigenous police officers to discuss these issues,” he said. “It’s important to share what’s working and support one another.” While the IFNU has made strides in fostering trust and cultural understanding, Dean sees room for growth. “We’re involved in initiatives that go beyond traditional policing to benefit the community,” he said. “But with the size of our territory and the volume of calls we handle, adding another officer would make a significant difference, especially for recreation-related issues.” “I don’t do anything performatively—it’s the opposite,” he said. “I’m passionate about showing that being a police officer doesn’t have to be authoritarian.” Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The Squamish Chief’s Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

Brazil's Supreme Court on Wednesday started examining four cases that turn on how far social media should be regulated, and what responsibilities platforms have in cracking down on illegal content. The judicial review comes a month after the same court forced Elon Musk's X platform to obey rulings aimed at battling online disinformation. That issue has taken on heat in recent days in Brazil, with federal police accusing far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro and allied officials of using social media disinformation as part of a 2022 "coup" plot against Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, then the country's president-elect. The alleged plot involved using online posts to undermine public trust in the electoral system to justify Bolsonaro holding onto the presidency after Lula defeated him at the polls. Bolsonaro says he is innocent. The Supreme Court's deliberations in the cases are not expected to be concluded until sometime next year. One key point it is looking at is whether social media platforms can be fined for illegal content posted by users. Another is whether the platforms should themselves be required to monitor and remove any illegal content without a prior court order to do so. The court's rulings will become precedents that will have to be applied generally to all social media platforms operating in Brazil. Brazil -- many of whose 216 million inhabitants are heavy users of WhatsApp and Facebook -- does not have legislation in that area. Global social media networks, however, already have to abide by laws in the EU against illegal online content, under the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA), which could guide them in terms of Brazilian compliance. One of the Brazilian Supreme Court's judges, Alexandre de Moraes, in August ordered Musk's X be blocked across the country for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation. On October 9, the platform was allowed to resume activities after paying around $5 million in fines and deactivating the accounts of several Bolsonaro supporters accused of spreading disinformation and online hate speech. The court's presiding judge, Luis Roberto Barroso, told AFP that "digital platforms... open paths to disinformation, hate, deliberate lies and conspiracy theories." He added: "In the whole democratic world there are debates about protecting free speech without permitting everyone to fall into a pit of incivility." He pointed to the European Union's DSA as a form of regulation "that seeks a point of ideal equilibrium". Brazil, in his opinion, should carve out its own regulation "with a minimum of government intervention where it comes to freedom of thought, while preventing increased criminality and inciting violence." ffb/rmb/stNoneThe response from Taiwan and its allies to China's latest show of force has been swift and unequivocal. Taiwan's President has condemned the PLA's actions as a blatant violation of Taiwan's sovereignty and has called on the international community to stand with Taiwan against Chinese aggression. The United States, a key ally of Taiwan, has also voiced its support for the island nation and has pledged to strengthen its military presence in the region.

District Speech & Language Therapy Announces Report on Speech Therapy for Developmental DelaysThe heartwarming story of Mrs. Wang's ordeal spread quickly through social media, attracting an outpouring of support and praise for the kind-hearted street vendors who had come to her aid. Many hailed them as unsung heroes, embodying the spirit of compassion and community that binds us all together.

Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire to end nearly 14 months of fighting JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli warplanes meanwhile carried out the most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah before the ceasefire is set to take hold at 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. What both sides are saying about the ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah A ceasefire deal that could end more than a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group won backing from Israeli leaders. The truce that is set to take effect early Wednesday raised hopes and renewed difficult questions in a region gripped by conflict. Hezbollah leaders also signaled tentative backing for the U.S.-brokered deal, which offers both sides an off-ramp from hostilities But the deal does little directly to resolve the much deadlier war that has raged in Gaza since Hamas militants attacked southern Israel last October. Trump vows tariffs over immigration. What the numbers say about border crossings, drugs and crime. WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is threatening tariffs on Mexico and Canada as he seeks to portray them as responsible for illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Over its tenure, the Biden administration has struggled with growing numbers of migrants arriving at the southern border. But this year, the number of people crossing the border without documents has actually been falling. That's due in part to stricter enforcement by Mexican authorities as well as asylum restrictions announced earlier this year by the Biden administration. When it comes to fentanyl smuggling, much of the deadly supply comes from Mexico though statistics show more than 86% of those sentenced for fentanyl trafficking crimes in the 12 months ending September 2023 were U.S. citizens. AP finds that a Pentagon-funded study on extremism in the military relied on old data Early this year, Pete Hegseth told a Fox News audience a new, Pentagon-funded study proved that the number of military service members and veterans involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection did not indicate a wider problem in the armed forces. Hegseth, Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Defense, wasn’t alone. The Wall Street Journal’s opinion page highlighted the same report as evidence that extremists in military communities were “phantoms” created by a “false media narrative.” The X account for Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee posted that the study showed the focus on extremism in the military was a “witch hunt.” But The Associated Press has found that the study relied on old data, misleading analyses and ignored evidence that pointed to the opposite conclusion. How Trump's bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith move to abandon two federal cases accusing Trump of endangering American democracy and national security does away with the most serious legal threats Trump was facing as he returns to the White House. It was the culmination of a monthslong defense effort to delay the proceedings at every step and use the criminal allegations to Trump's political advantage, putting the final word in the hands of voters instead of jurors. The move just weeks after Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris underscores the immense personal stake Trump had in the campaign in which he turned his legal woes into a political rallying cry. Walmart's DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump's election victory NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Brazil’s Bolsonaro planned and participated in a 2022 coup plot, unsealed police report says SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was fully aware of and actively participated in a coup plot to remain in office after his defeat in the 2022 election, according to a Federal Police report that has been unsealed. Brazil’s Federal Police last Thursday formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup. They sent their 884-page report to the Supreme Court, which lifted the seal. Bolsonaro called a meeting in December 2022, during which he presented a draft decree to the commanders of the three divisions of the armed forces, that would have declared the vote fraudulent, to justify a possible military intervention. Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of obese Americans would be eligible to have popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning. The proposal, which would not be finalized until after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, could cost taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade. It would give millions of people access to weekly injectables that have helped people shed pounds so quickly that some people have labeled them miracle drugs. New rule allows HIV-positive organ transplants People with HIV who need a kidney or liver transplant will be able to receive an organ from a donor with HIV. That's according to a new rule announced Tuesday by U.S. health officials. Previously, such transplants could be done only as part of research studies. The new rule takes effect Wednesday. It's expected to shorten the wait for organs for all, regardless of HIV status, by increasing the pool of available organs. The practice is supported by a decade of research, during which 500 transplants of kidneys and livers from HIV-positive donors have been done in the U.S. Surveillance tech advances by Biden could aid in Trump's promised crackdown on immigration President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision.

PLYMOUTH, Mich. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Loc Performance ("Loc") is pleased to announce significant capital investments at its Lapeer, Michigan facility, following recently won defense contracts for missile system structures. These pivotal contracts position Loc as a key supplier for several missile programs that are expected to be in production for multiple years going forward. The manufacturing of missile structures began low-rate initial production at Lapeer's plant in 2024, with expansion planned at Loc's Lansing plant in 2025. This strategic move not only enhances our operational capabilities but also strengthens our competitive edge in the market. "As we continue to elevate our skills and technology, we see an exciting opportunity for growth in both Loc's commercial and defense sectors," said Wayne Dula , Director of Business Development, Loc Performance. "Missile structures represent a key area for expansion within our defense market strategy." To meet the demands for these large-scale missile structures, Loc is actively investing in high-precision 4-axis and 5-axis CNC Machining Centers, with two new machines already installed and operational. Additionally, Loc is enhancing its manufacturing support by installing large-capacity and highly accurate coordinate measuring machines, ensuring the highest standards of quality and precision. These developments will create new job opportunities for skilled CNC multi-axis machinists at both Loc's Lansing and Lapeer locations. Additionally, Loc plans to expand its skilled manufacturing and quality engineering teams to support this growth. Loc Performance is committed to advancing its capabilities and contributing to the defense industry, reinforcing its position as a leader in innovative manufacturing solutions. About Loc Performance Loc Performance, headquartered in Plymouth, MI , provides track systems, mechanical systems, armor products, fabricated structures, and rubberized products for military, agricultural, and construction applications. With proven capabilities in product design and development through production, Loc offers comprehensive solutions and exceptional customer service to produce the highest quality products at competitive pricing. Loc has over 1,750,000 square feet of manufacturing space with facilities in Plymouth , Lansing , and Lapeer, Michigan , and St. Marys, Ohio with more than 1000 total employees. Learn more at www.locperformance.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/loc-performance-announces-major-capital-investments-to-support-defense-contracts-302316856.html SOURCE Loc Performance Products © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

None

Here’s why Donald’s Trump's ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ plan may not be able to fix gas prices and inflation( MENAFN - Daily News Egypt) IMKAN Misr has announced a strategic partnership with MQR, a leader in flexible workspace solutions, to create innovative office spaces at Alburouj Business Park in New Heliopolis, East Cairo. Ahmed Aref, CEO of IMKAN Misr, emphasized that this collaboration will redefine the services offered within the residential project, which features state-of-the-art infrastructure designed to meet the latest technological standards. Alburouj, which includes Alburouj Business Park-New Heliopolis' first fully integrated commercial district-positions itself as a comprehensive development that seamlessly blends residential, educational, administrative, and commercial spaces within a well-connected community. Spanning over 5 million square meters, Alburouj is strategically located near the International Medical Center and the New Administrative Capital. With 80% of the area dedicated to green spaces, Alburouj offers a peaceful environment for both residents and businesses. Muhammed Nagi, CEO of WRK+, the parent brand of MQR, highlighted that this partnership not only addresses the growing demand for flexible office solutions but also aims to attract a diverse range of professionals, fostering valuable business collaborations. MQR will occupy approximately 1,465 square meters within Alburouj Business Park, which covers a total area of 100,000 square meters. The park includes nine buildings, each with five floors, purposefully designed to cater to modern business needs. A suite of services-including administrative, legal, and financial support-will help ensure seamless project management and operational efficiency for businesses in one of Cairo's most dynamic business hubs. Currently home to over 1,200 families, Alburouj is expanding rapidly, reinforcing its reputation as a model for integrated urban development. With its premium offerings and strategic collaborations, Alburouj is set to redefine the balance between modern living and professional aspirations in East Cairo. MENAFN15122024000153011029ID1108995652 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.7-777 。

Tulsa fires coach Kevin Wilson a day after blowout loss to South Florida

Top 5 Auto Stocks Fueling Retail Investor Buzz In 2024Watch Wicked Movie’s ‘What Is This Feeling?’ Performance by Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo By has released a , showing off and ‘s performance of “What Is This Feeling?” from the recently released movie. What happens in the Wicked video? The new video shows off the performance of “What Is This Feeling?” in its entirety. The song itself is about Galinda (Grande) and Elphaba (Erivo) rooming together at Shiz University, and their initial disdain for one another as they get to know each other. Check out the song below: The movies are directed by Jon M. Chu from a screenplay written by the musical’s book writer Winnie Holzman. It is based on Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel and the Tony-winning stage musical. The ensemble cast is led by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who play Galinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp in the film, respectively. The rest of the cast includes Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, Peter Dinklage as Doctor Dillamond, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Ethan Slater as Boq, and more. “The film tells the untold story of the witches of Oz: Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power; and Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart,” reads the official synopsis. “The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.” Wicked: Part One is out now in theaters. The sequel, , is currently set for November 21, 2025. Anthony Nash has been writing about games and the gaming industry for nearly a decade. When he’s not writing about games, he’s usually playing them. You can find him on Twitter talking about games or sports at @_anthonynash. Share article

China prohibited the United States from purchasing these minerals. We all care about it. Another instance of an unhealthy codependent relationship where it is difficult, if not impossible, to leave is this one. ET Year-end Special Reads Corporate Kalesh: Top family disputes of India Inc in 2024 The world of business lost these eminent people in 2024 Fast, faster, fastest: How 2024 put more speed into your shopping In this instance, the abrupt announcement that China would no longer export essential elements, such as gallium, germanium, antimony, and other extremely hard materials, to the United States is causing the country to struggle, as quoted in a report by Desert News. They are products with two uses. Many of them are employed in the production of cutting-edge superconductors as well as in military applications like military explosives and armoured piercing rounds. Although Utah is home to the world's first mine to harvest gallium and germanium, Washington County's Apex Mine was in intermittent operation from 1884 to 1962 before reopening and currently sitting idle. Also Read China pampers Elon Musk's mother Maye; will Xi Jinping use her to arm-twist Donald Trump? Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrows Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program None of these prohibited materials are mined in Utah, according to the Utah Geological Survey. Actually, the biggest supplier of these essential components is still China. Currently, China supplies 54% of the United States' needs for germanium, a crucial element in fibre optics and infrared technology. Since 1987, gallium, which is used in semiconductors, has not been mined in the United States. Why is there a ban? The Biden-Harris administration has expanded its technology curbs to China by prohibiting certain types of chips and machinery and adding 140 Chinese companies to a restricted trade list. The move is a routine action to update existing curbs and close loopholes. The Institute for Energy Research says this is the third such action against China, including an attempt to prevent it from catching up to the US in developing advanced chips for military equipment and artificial intelligence. The Economic Fallout of China's Export Ban China's new export ban on antimony has led to a significant drop in the US exports of germanium and gallium, with only a week's worth remaining. The price of antimony trioxide has more than doubled since August, reaching over $39,000 per metric ton. This has put a strain on the US and European militaries, as everyone needs antimony for armaments. The fallout could have a multibillion-dollar impact on the US economy, with the U.S. Geological Survey estimating that if China blocked all exports of gallium alone, the U.S. gross domestic product could decline by up to $8.2 billion. FAQs Why is China's mineral export ban significant to the United States? China's ban on minerals such as gallium and germanium threatens U.S. industries that rely on these materials, particularly semiconductor manufacturing and defence technology, resulting in shortages and higher costs. How does the United States address the mineral shortage? To reduce reliance on foreign mineral supplies, the United States is looking into domestic mining projects and alternative extraction methods, such as repurposing old coal mines and developing new sites in states like Idaho. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

Remember back when Windows 11 first came out and Microsoft gave everyone a free pass to upgrade? On the surface, it was a generous move; in actuality, it was a ploy to lure us away from Windows 10. Obviously, if Microsoft was giving something away, it was going to come with a catch. In this case, it’s all the ads that are being added to Windows 11, going above and beyond what we’ve seen in previous versions. Fortunately, we can disable those ads... for now, at least. If you’re fed up with all the ads and recommendations throughout Windows 11, there are plenty of ways to push back. Here are the settings you need to turn off to ditch Windows’ worst ads. Shut down Start menu ads Jon Martindale / IDG The Start menu has been fertile ground for Microsoft’s “Recommended” apps since Windows 10, and it’s alive and well in the latest builds of Windows 11. Fortunately, it’s straightforward to turn off. Navigate to , then look for the option titled “Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more” and toggle it to . Ditch Windows notification ads Jon Martindale / IDG I’m not a fan of notifications. I have enough trouble concentrating on tasks day to day without pop-ups and alerts distracting me — and the last thing I need are ads disguised as important notifications. Let’s turn those off, shall we? And while we’re at it, let’s remove those pesky full-screen “Finish setting up” prompts, too. Navigate to . Scroll down to the bottom where you’ll find . Click to expand those options, then uncheck the boxes for “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows,” “Suggest ways to get the most out of Windows and finish setting up this device,” and “Show the Windows welcome experience after updates and when signed in to show what’s new and suggested.” Phew, what a mouthful. Stop suggested ads in Settings Jon Martindale / IDG Fed up with Microsoft’s “suggestions” for Copilot and other features in the Settings app? You can turn those off, too. Navigate to , then toggle the option for “Show me suggested content in the Settings app” to . Remove File Explorer ads Jon Martindale / IDG OneDrive may not be one of our , but it’s . The problem is, being bombarded with ads for it can be a huge turn-off — and if you’re like me, you’re probably sick of those ads in File Explorer. Here’s how to switch those off. Open File Explorer and select the three-dot menu in the actions toolbar. Select followed by the tab. Scroll down to near the bottom of the list and look for “Show sync provider notifications.” Make sure it’s unchecked, then select . Eliminate widget feed ads Jon Martindale / IDG If you make use of Windows’ widgets, you know all too well that they often try to push you towards breaking stories, stock updates, and other content that may be irrelevant to you. To disable those, you can either turn off specific feeds or disable widgets entirely. To remove an individual widget feed, select the widget icon at the bottom-left of your screen, then select the cog icon at the top-right of the widget window. Select and switch the feed(s) to . To remove widgets entirely, right-click on your taskbar and select . Then, toggle “Widgets” to . Disable manufacturer bloatware ads Joel Lee / IDG If you bought your PC or laptop from a major manufacturer like Dell, Lenovo, or HP, there’s a good chance it came preloaded with unsolicited apps (“bloatware”) you don’t want or need. If you don’t want to uninstall them altogether, you can at least cut down on notification spam. Navigate to and look through the list of apps until you find any named after your PC’s manufacturer. Disable those ads by toggling those notifications to . Sometimes they give their apps names that are less obviously identifying. If you spot any suspicious or unusual apps, do a quick Google search on them to see if they’re worth disabling. Block lock-screen and background ads Jon Martindale / IDG The Windows Spotlight feature dynamically changes your background and lock screen images to . But Microsoft has occasionally shown ads for various games with it, and the related tips can be a little ad-like at times, too. Unfortunately, the only way to stop that for now is to turn off Windows Spotlight. If you’d rather resort to static images that you change yourself, here’s what you can do: Navigate to . Then, next to , use the drop-down menu to select anything other than Windows Spotlight. Also, navigate to . Then, next to , use the drop-down menu to choose any option that isn’t Windows Spotlight. Hide the highlight ads in Windows search Jon Martindale / IDG Ah, Windows search, how I love and loathe thee. You’re good at finding apps as long as I type them out correctly, but I don’t need you to show me ads and suggested shopping content. Let’s turn that off. Navigate to . Scroll down until you find “Show search highlights” and toggle it . No more personalized ads Jon Martindale / IDG While all the above settings will prevent Microsoft from serving you as many ads within Windows itself, they won’t stop the operating system from collecting your data to serve you personalized ads in the future. You can put a stop to that now so that even if an ad does somehow get through, it won’t be highly targeted to you and your activity. Disable Windows device usage tracking by navigating to and toggling all the options there. You can also disable further gathering of diagnostic data by navigating to and toggling all the options there to as well. Jon Martindale is a voracious writer and technology fanboy who loves nothing more than digging into the specs of the latest graphics cards, processors, and displays. He's passionate about everything PC, but also enjoys experimenting with AIs, and covering new standing desks that can help avoid his worst posture habits.

Ex-NRL Boss Todd Greenberg Appointed New Cricket Australia CEOMoU to harness India’s digital solutions

register sg777 login The potential for customer orders to exceed the 3nm process node signifies a turning point not only for TSMC but for the entire semiconductor ecosystem. As companies increasingly rely on TSMC to meet their evolving technological needs, the demand for cutting-edge semiconductor solutions is only expected to rise. This presents TSMC with a unique opportunity to further solidify its position as a dominant force in the industry and pave the way for even more groundbreaking innovations in the future.Born in a small town in Hungary, Liu Shaoang's introduction to short track speed skating was a fateful encounter that would change the course of his life. His natural talent and relentless determination quickly propelled him into the spotlight, catching the attention of the international skating community. As he honed his skills and built a reputation as a formidable competitor, Liu Shaoang found himself pitted against the powerhouse Chinese short track team, who were dominant in the sport at the time.

Fortnite players 'tricked' into unwanted purchases are starting to get refunds

Jamieson Greer: The New Architect of America's Trade Future

Santa Colin Cowherd hands out Christmas presents to several NFL teams this holiday season, including the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers. Three players in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 41-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday weren’t on the field to see the clock hit triple zeroes as the team in Kelly green wrapped up an NFC East title. Eagles safety Sydney Brown and Cowboys cornerback Troy Pride Jr. and wide receiver Jalen Brooks were all ejected from the game after a Philadelphia punt with 2:32 left in the game. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Philadelphia Eagles safety Sydney Brown (21) is held back after a fight in the tunnel against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images) A fight breaks out at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images) As the three players were in the end zone, Brooks and Brown started the skirmish. Then Pride got involved. Brown dragged Pride into the tunnel and tackled him down. It took a moment or two to get things under control. NFL officials threw flags on the play and each of the three players involved was sent to the showers early. Brown had one tackle in the game. Sunday’s game was the 10th time he’s appeared this season. RAIDERS STAR TIGHT END BROCK BOWERS BREAKS MULTIPLE ROOKIE RECORDS VS SAINTS Pride is in his first season with the Cowboys . It was the first time he saw action for Dallas. Brooks has split time between the offense and special teams. He has 11 catches on 29 targets for 165 yards and a touchdown this season. The Eagles finished off their NFC East rival minutes later. Kenny Pickett was 10-of-15 with 143 passing yards and a touchdown pass, but he left the game with a rib injury. Tanner McKee came into the game and threw two touchdown passes. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, right, is congratulated by offensive tackle Jordan Mailata after Barkley rushed for a long run to put him over 2,000 yards for the season. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Eagles running back Saquon Barkley eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards in a single season with his 167-yard game on 31 carries. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Eagles moved to 13-3 on the season and the Cowboys fell to 7-9. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

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

‘Unacceptable’: Mexico, Canada reply to Donald Trump’s tariff pledgeLooking ahead, foreign capital remains optimistic about the prospects of Chinese assets. Industry experts predict that by the year 2025, the MSCI China Index is poised to experience a considerable uptrend, with gains potentially reaching around 5%. This bullish outlook reflects the growing confidence in China's economic resilience and its ability to weather global uncertainties.

Algorized Named to Fast Company's Fourth Annual List of the Next Big Things in TechNoneSaints hope to ride the Rizzi factor back to relevance after their bye weekFederal officials announced Tuesday that they are permanently increasing the amount of time immigrants and asylum seekers have to renew their work permits by granting longer extension periods in an effort to increase stability for businesses and employees. A new rule from the Department of Homeland Security makes permanent a temporary rule that was first put in place in 2022 in response to processing delays. The rule increases the automatic extension period for work permits from up to 180 days to 540 days for eligible noncitizens who file timely renewal requests. “Since January 2021, the American economy has created more than 16 million jobs, and the Department of Homeland Security is committed to helping businesses fill them,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in a written statement . “Increasing the automatic extension period for certain employment authorization documents will help eliminate red tape that burdens employers, ensure hundreds of thousands of individuals eligible for employment can continue to contribute to our communities, and further strengthen our nation’s robust economy.” The department said the new rule came in response to feedback from businesses that were seeking greater certainty for the employers and their employees. It also comes after Sen. Angus King, Rep. Chellie Pingree and Gov. Janet Mills wrote to the department last week asking for the 540-day extension period to be made permanent. In a joint written statement Tuesday, King, Pingree and Mills thanked the department and the Biden administration for making the change. “This is great news – not only for new Mainers and their families, but also for the many businesses that rely on this skilled workforce and for the communities they help enrich,” they said. Members of Maine’s congressional delegation and the governor have in recent years emphasized the need to reform the work permit process in response to an influx of asylum seekers who have often relied on the state and local communities for help with housing and basic needs while they are unable to legally work. And they said Tuesday there is still more work to do. “We remain committed to working with the administration and our colleagues in Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reforms that reflect our values, strengthen our economy, and meet the needs of Maine’s communities,” King, Pingree and Mills said. Current regulations require asylum seekers to wait 150 days after filing an asylum application before applying for work authorization, which can be granted no sooner than 180 days after filing the asylum claim, though the process can often take much longer. Work permits need to be renewed every five years. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency of the department, has been working for years to reduce work permit processing times. From 2022 to 2023, USCIS reduced its backlog for work permits from 6.8 months worth of pending cases to 4.6, though it was still short of its goal of processing work permits on a three-month cycle, according to data from the agency . The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, a New York-based nonprofit, cheered the new rule Tuesday, saying it will help hundreds of thousands of immigrants – asylum seekers, refugees, green card applicants and others – who were at risk of falling out of the workforce because of processing delays. “With this final rule, DHS has ensured that (our) members and other immigrants will not fall out of the workforce because of work permit processing backlogs,” said Conchita Cruz, co-executive director for the project, in a written statement. Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous

Breast Pumps Market Poised for Significant Growth: Projected to Expand at 8.5% CAGR, Reaching New Heights by 2028Treating toothache can be costly and varies greatly in price, with different institutions charging anywhere from $300 to $5000. The significant difference in treatment options has sparked a lot of attention and debate among patients seeking relief from dental pain.In conclusion, Exa is not just a search engine – it's a game-changer that transforms internet searches into a personalized database of curated resources. By empowering users to take control of their information needs and seamlessly organize, collaborate, and discover new content, Exa revolutionizes the way we interact with the vast expanse of information available online. Say goodbye to chaos and hello to order with Exa – your personal database for the digital age.

Saints hope to ride the Rizzi factor back to relevance after their bye week

Watch Snoop Dogg take over American football event in ArizonaMoreover, the team's tactical approach and style of play also play a significant role in their struggle to score goals from open play. Arsenal's emphasis on possession-based football and intricate passing sequences can sometimes lead to a lack of directness and incisiveness in the final third. While maintaining possession and dictating the tempo of the game are important aspects of modern football, it is equally crucial to have the ability to penetrate opposition defenses with speed, creativity, and clinical finishing.

As the season unfolds, Atlanta United fans can expect to see thrilling matches, intense rivalries, and moments of brilliance from their favorite team. With Di Maria leading the charge on the field and the entire team working towards a common goal, the prospects of another successful season for Atlanta United look promising.

The arrest of Johnson marks a significant breakthrough in the investigation and brings a sense of closure to the victim's family and colleagues. The swift action taken by law enforcement in apprehending the suspect demonstrates their commitment to bringing the perpetrator to justice and ensuring accountability for such heinous crimes.