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As the AI market prepares for a surge in 2025, IBM is emerging as an unexpected standout. Despite a recent stock price increase of 37% this year, or 44% when dividends are factored in, IBM remains an undervalued gem in the tech space. At first glance, IBM’s recent performance may seem underwhelming. Their sales grew by a modest 2% year-over-year in the third quarter, with earnings per share getting a slight uplift due to a lower tax burden. But a deeper look reveals a compelling narrative masked by cyclical market factors and strategic long-term planning. The infrastructure segment showed a 7% decline, primarily driven by a lull in IBM Z mainframe sales. This cycle, however, is expected to turn with the 2025 launch of AI-augmented System Z mainframes, which will feature IBM-developed AI chips. IBM’s strength lies in its strategic focus on long-term AI contracts rather than immediate sales spikes. Launched in 2023, IBM’s generative AI platform, watsonx, has already secured over $3 billion in multi-year contracts. This steady accumulation indicates a tipping point, as IBM is set to transform these agreements into significant revenue streams. Looking forward to 2025, CEO Arvind Krishna anticipates a notable growth in IBM’s portfolio, hinting subtly at a record-breaking performance. With IBM’s stock priced relatively low compared to other AI giants, the company offers a lucrative investment opportunity. As IBM continues to secure long-term contracts and gears up for a new mainframe cycle, savvy investors might find a golden opportunity in Big Blue. Why IBM Could Be the Next Big Player in AI by 2025 In the burgeoning landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), IBM is positioned as a frontrunner to watch closely, especially as the market is poised for a substantial boom in 2025. Amidst its evolving strategies, IBM presents intriguing developments that may place it ahead of its competitors in the AI domain. Capitalizing on Long-Term AI Contracts One of IBM’s most promising strategies is its focus on securing long-term AI contracts rather than prioritizing short-term gains. The introduction of the generative AI platform, watsonx, in 2023 is a cornerstone of this approach. This platform has already garnered over $3 billion in multi-year agreements, reflecting trust and anticipation from clients in IBM’s capabilities. These contracts are not merely symbolic but are poised to mature into robust revenue streams as they are fulfilled over time. Innovative AI Augmentation in Infrastructure The anticipated launch of AI-augmented System Z mainframes in 2025 is another strategic move by IBM that merits attention. These new mainframes will incorporate IBM-developed AI chips, promising enhancements in performance and capabilities that are aligned with cutting-edge AI technologies. This innovation is expected to invigorate IBM’s infrastructure sales, which saw a dip partly due to the existing mainframe sales cycle slowdown. Strategic Market Positioning and Future Insights While IBM’s current market performance shows modest sales growth, its underlying strategic positioning reveals a future of potential. CEO Arvind Krishna’s vision for 2025 suggests the possibility of record-breaking achievements for IBM’s portfolio. With the company’s shares currently undervalued in comparison to other AI titans, IBM presents a unique investment opportunity that could yield high returns as its strategic plans come to fruition. Market Analysis and Predictions Industry analysts predict that IBM’s foresight and calculated initiatives in AI might serve as key differentiators in the tech market. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, IBM’s integration of AI within its products and services is predicted to drive substantial growth, making it a firm to watch closely in the coming years. Conclusion In conclusion, amid the accelerating AI market, IBM’s strategic initiatives, including its focus on long-term contracts and innovation in AI-augmented infrastructure, solidify its potential as a leading force. Investors seeking a promising opportunity in the tech sector should closely monitor IBM as it strides towards what could be a breakthrough period in 2025. As the AI wave progresses, IBM stands out as a company combining visionary leadership with actionable strategies.The best snowboard bindings to raise your game on the slopes

How the 15-minute city idea became a misinformation-fuelled fight that's rattling GTA councilsThe Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) risks being socially and politically outpaced by Muslim fundamentalist outfits if its State leadership continues its current dalliance with the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and the Jamaat-e-Islami, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. Inaugurating the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] area committee office in Kozhikode, Mr. Vijayan said the current IUML State president Sadikali Shihab Thangal was responsible for the party’s “fundamentalist drift” and the former was not above political criticism. ‘A heavy price paid’ He said the Congress had paid a heavy political price for tacitly encouraging the Sangh Parivar to further the latter’s vicious and communally divisive agenda to destroy the very idea and fabric of secularism in India. Mr. Vijayan said the Congress actively encouraged Hindu majoritarian political build-up that culminated in the Babri Masjid’s demolition in 1992, despite cautionary red flags raised by secular parties. “The then Congress Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, allowed the Sangh Parivar mob to pull down the masjid by remaining incommunicado even though chaos unfolded. Decades later, Congress’s top leaders endorsed the construction of the Ram Temple over the mosque’s ruins by sending silver bricks and donations,” Mr. Vijayan said. “Congress suffered badly and but has still learned nothing. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ascended to power in Congress strongholds in north and central India. Soft Hindutva blurred the line between the Congress and the BJP,” Mr. Vijayan said. He said ministerial berths mattered more to the IUML’s leadership than the party’s founding reformist ideals. “IUML clung to power with Congress in Kerala in 1992 for a handful of its leaders to remain in the Congress government. Comparably, the IUML is now actively courting fundamentalist outfits for a few votes to shore up its increasingly shaky base in north Kerala. The IUML is forsaking its traditional secular democratic ideals for the elusive electoral dividend to its peril,” Mr. Vijayan said. Against Jamaat Mr. Vijayan said the Jamaat-e-Islami, which forsook democracy for its stated ideal of establishing an Islamic caliphate in India, fielded a candidate against the CPI(M)‘s Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections at the BJP’s instance. He pointed out that the SDPI leadership spoke in a “terrorist language” when he criticised the IUML leadership for aligning with Muslim fundamentalist organisations against the LDF in Kerala. Mr. Vijayan said the bypoll results belied the Congress-BJP-IUML claim that the LDF government was the target of intense anti-incumbency anger. He said the LDF retained its Chelakkara Assembly seat with a resounding majority and improved its vote share in the Palakkad bypoll despite heavy anti-government campaigning by Muslim fundamentalist and Sangh Parivar forces for the UDF. Published - November 24, 2024 09:40 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit

Economists at two Southern California universities see new reasons to worry ahead, namely policies from the nation’s next president. They warn in new forecasts released this week that the economy may stumble in 2025 because of controversial policies promised by President-elect Donald Trump. Economist James Doti, president emeritus at Chapman University, said the economy “still appears to be strong,” even though a long period of declining inflation could reverse course under Trump. A year ago, Doti’s reading of the tea leaves showed “very slow growth” and no recession in 2024. Today, he’s sticking to a similar tale of “slow growth” that now extends through 2025. New to the mix is “some upward pressure” on inflation due to proposed tariffs and mass deportations Trump has vowed to launch after his inauguration in January. Economist Jerry Nickelsburg at UCLA agreed with Doti’s analysis. “The underlying fundamentals of the economy are strong. They have been for some time, which is why we did not say that we were going to have a recession in 2023 or 2022,” said the director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast. “Now, that doesn’t mean that geopolitical events or different policies from Washington that are not in our forecast couldn’t generate a recession. It’s just not in the data right now.” Both economists said Trump is inheriting a strong economy that will grow more slowly than previously forecast while it adjusts to new national economic policies. Cloudy times The clarity of post-presidential election forecasts at Chapman and UCLA are clouded by Trump’s plans to implement several economic policies promised during his 2024 campaign. Among the most controversial policies are new or increased tariffs on the nation’s largest trading partners – including Canada, China and Mexico. Policies also include mass deportations, tax cuts and deregulation. Doti believes Trump’s vow to deport of 500,000 to 1 million undocumented immigrants and 10%-25% tariffs on imported goods could push inflation closer to 3% than the Fed’s desired 2% level. How these policies manifest is not necessarily clear, considering practical, legal and political constraints on implementation, according to Nickelsburg. The UCLA professor of economics said this month’s forecast was one of the most difficult ones he’s ever written, with the exception of a recession prediction four years ago as the COVID-19 pandemic began. “When we did our March forecast in 2020, we had no idea how the pandemic was going to play out, and so there was a great deal of uncertainty then as well as now,” he said. “Economic policy in Washington is changing in a pretty fundamental way, so that increases uncertainty until we get some clarity as to what policies are going to be implemented.” Meanwhile, UCLA predicts a slowdown in interest rate cuts as the federal government grapples with those new policies. Nickelsburg sees the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by 25 basis points at its board of governors meeting Dec. 18. He expects a pause on cuts until 2026 when the economy has absorbed the impacts of tariffs. The Fed could end up with interest rates hovering between 4% and 4.25% in 2026, he said. Doti has a different take, saying the Fed won’t cut rates in December and will instead take a wait-and-see approach. He expects the central bank will make only two, 25 basis-point cuts in 2025. “The reason we don’t think there’ll be a cut in rates next week is because we still have high inflation (2.7% for the year ended in November 2024), and it’s above the Fed’s target range of 2%, and GDP growth is at 2.8%, and job growth has still been very strong,” Doti said. “Given the Fed’s cautious approach, it’ll hold back on making further cuts.” Growth in gross domestic product, used to measure the nation’s economic health, is expected to fall to 1.4% by the end of 2025 from 2.8% in the 2024’s third quarter, he said. Tough housing market Both economists said the state of housing in California is showing financial strain. On the construction front, residential permits in California are forecast to rise by 12.9% in 2025, despite continuing high mortgage rates, Doti said. He argued that high mortgage rates may indirectly spur new construction. “There is a paucity of resale homes on the market because homeowners don’t want to sell and lose their sweetheart locked-in mortgages,” he said. “That has led to a sharp drop in resale home sales. The dearth of resale homes on the market is buttressing demand for new homes, often available for sale at heavily subsidized financing rates.” Nickelsburg said normalization is slowly returning to the California housing market, but potential construction cost increases due to tariffs and labor shortages could slow that process. “Builders should be responding with new development given existing homes sales are at depression levels,” said Nickelsburg. Tightening job market Both forecasts raised concerns about the jobs picture. Doti sees economic growth in California hampered by population losses, which he blames on the state’s regulatory and tax burdens, which have led people and businesses to leave for cheaper states like Florida and Texas. California’s job growth is forecast to rise 4.6% to 18.2 million in 2025, up from 17.4 million in 2019, but trailing U.S. job growth of 5.9% over the same period. The flight of people from the state also has lowered retail sales tax revenue, prompting some cities to raise sales tax rates in order to replenish budgets left with financial gaps. Data from Chapman showed fewer people are shopping, which translates to less tax revenue for cities. For the year-period that ended June 30, 2024, retail sales fell 4% in Orange County, 2.3% in Los Angeles County, 1.2% in the Inland Empire and 0.8% in San Diego County. For Nickelsburg, the big unknown on jobs will be the mass deportation and tariff policies of the incoming president, and their impact on a wide of industries including agriculture, construction, leisure and hospitality, retail trade and transportation and warehousing industries. Taken together, the deportations and tariffs will raise the prices for many goods and services, and potentially cause product shortages and higher labor costs as jobs go unfilled, he argued. “The uncertainty regarding the future path of unemployment is more elevated than usual because the impact of mass deportations on unemployment is not well understood due to limited empirical research on the subject,” according to Nickelsburg.

Panthers Benching Bryce Young Has Led to His Resurgence

The German government pledged Sunday to fully investigate whether there were security lapses before the Christmas market car-ramming attack that killed five people and injured over 200. Political pressure has built on the question of potential missed warnings about Saudi suspect Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old psychiatrist who had made online deaths threats and previously had trouble with the law. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and the heads of Germany's domestic and foreign intelligence services are due to answer questions at parliamentary committee hearings on December 30, a senior lawmaker told AFP. Faeser vowed Sunday that "no stone will be left unturned" in shedding light on what information had been available to security services ahead of last Friday's bloody attack in the eastern city of Magdeburg. She stressed that the attacker did "not fit any previous pattern" because "he acted like an Islamist terrorist although ideologically he was clearly an enemy of Islam". Abdulmohsen has in the past called himself a "Saudi atheist" who helped women flee Gulf countries and charged Germany was doing too little to help them. In online posts, he also strongly criticised Germany for allowing in too many Muslim refugees and backed far-right conspiracy theories about the "Islamisation" of Europe. In one post, he wrote: "Is there a path to justice in Germany without blowing up a German embassy or randomly slaughtering German citizens?... If anyone knows it, please let me know." News magazine Der Spiegel, citing security sources, said the Saudi secret service had warned Germany's spy agency BND a year ago about a tweet in which Abdulmohsen threatened Germany would pay a "price" for how it treated Saudi refugees. Die Welt daily reported, also citing security sources, that German state and federal police had carried out a "risk assessment" on Abdulmohsen last year but concluded that he posed "no specific danger". The city of Magdeburg has been in deep mourning over the mass carnage on Friday evening, when an SUV smashed through a crowd at its Christmas market, killing four women and a nine-year-old child and injuring 205 people. Surgeons at overwhelmed hospitals have worked around the clock, and one health worker told local media of "blood on the floor everywhere, people screaming, lots of painkillers being administered". Scholz on Saturday condemned the "terrible, insane" attack and made a call for national unity, at a time Germany is headed for early elections on February 23. But as German media dug into Abdulmohsen's past, and investigators gave away little, criticism rained down from opposition parties. Conservative CDU lawmaker Alexander Throm charged that "many citizens feel... that the Scholz government has completely failed in terms of internal security". He demanded greater police powers to monitor and analyse data from social media platforms, telecommunications and surveillance cameras with facial recognition technology. The far-right AfD called for a special session of parliament, and the head of the far-left BSW party, Sahra Wagenknecht, demanded that Faeser explain "why so many tips and warnings were ignored beforehand". Mass-circulation daily Bild asked: "Why did our police and intelligence services do nothing, even though they had the Saudi on their radar?... And why were the tips from Saudi Arabia apparently ignored?" It charged that "German authorities usually only find out about attack plans in time when foreign services warn them" and called for sweeping reforms after the election for a complete "turnaround in internal security". Senior MP Dirk Wiese of Scholz's Social Democrats said the December 30 hearings will summon the heads of the BND, the domestic intelligence service BfV and the Office for Migration and Refugees. Media meanwhile reported more details on Abdulmohsen, who had worked at a clinic that treats offenders with substance addiction problems, but had been on sick leave since late October. Der Spiegel reported that in 2013 a court fined him for "disturbing the public peace by threatening to commit crimes" after he had darkly referenced the deadly attack on the Boston marathon. The chairwoman of the group Central Council of Ex-Muslims, Mina Ahadi, said Abdulmohsen "is no stranger to us, because he has been terrorising us for years". She labelled him "a psychopath who adheres to ultra-right conspiracy ideologies" and said he "doesn't just hate Muslims, but everyone who doesn't share his hatred." bur/fz/gvA melee broke out at midfield of Ohio Stadium after Michigan upset No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday. After the Wolverines' fourth straight win in the series, players converged at the block "O" to plant its flag. The Ohio State players were in the south end zone singing their alma mater in front of the student section. When the Buckeyes saw the Wolverines' flag, they rushed toward the 50-yard line. Social media posts showed Michigan offensive lineman Raheem Anderson carrying the flag on a long pole to midfield, where the Wolverines were met by dozens of Ohio State players and fights broke out. Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer was seen ripping the flag off the pole and taking the flag as he scuffled with several people trying to recover the flag. A statement from the Ohio State Police Department read: "Following the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation. During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. OSUPD is the lead agency for games and will continue to investigate." Michigan running back Kalel Mullings on FOX said: "For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game. It's bad for the sport, bad for college football. At the end of the day, some people got to learn how to lose, man. "You can't be fighting and stuff just because you lost the game. We had 60 minutes and four quarters to do all that fighting. Now people want to talk and fight. That's wrong. It's bad for the game. Classless, in my opinion. People got to be better." Once order was restored, officers cordoned the 50-yard line, using bicycles as barriers. Ohio State coach Ryan Day in his postgame press conference said he wasn't sure what happened. "I don't know all the details of it. But I know that these guys are looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren't going to let that happen," he said. "I'll find out exactly what happened, but this is our field and certainly we're embarrassed at the fact we lost the game, but there's some prideful guys on our team that weren't just going to let that happen." The Big Ten has not yet released a statement on the incident. --Field Level Media

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Friday said he spotted “dozens” of drones over his home Thursday night as questions mount over unexplained drone activity. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., on Thursday accused the Pentagon of being “incredibly stupid” with its handling of recent drone sightings in his home state. The Biden administration’s Department of Defense on Wednesday denied the congressman’s claim that an Iranian “mothership” is involved in recent unexplained drone sightings. Hogan joined those calling for answers in a lengthy post shared via X in which he described his own brush with the mysterious drones. “Last night, beginning at around 9:45 p.m., I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland (25 miles from our nation’s capital),” he wrote. “I observed the activity for approximately 45 minutes.” Attached was a video showing several lights floating through a night sky. Hogan continued, describing growing public concern and frustration over the sightings. The government, he said, should use its technology to determine the origin of the drones. “We are being told that neither the White House, the military, the FBI, nor Homeland Security have any idea what they are, where they came from, or who has launched or is controlling them—and that they pose no threat,” he wrote. “That response is entirely unacceptable,” Hogan added. “I join with the growing bipartisan chorus of leaders demanding that the federal government immediately address this issue. The American people deserve answers and action now.” Reacting to the post was former Colorado state Rep. Rob Witwer, R-District 25. “For those who have forgotten or never knew about it, there were significant drone sightings in Colorado just before the pandemic,” he wrote. New York Post journalist Steven Greenstreet suggested, however, the lights in the video match the constellation Orion. Flight data around the time Hogan claimed to have filmed the video, he added, shows three planes flying near his location. New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-21st District, on Monday called for a “limited state of emergency” to ban all drones until the public receives answers about the drone sightings. Have a news tip? Contact Jackson Walker at jacwalker@sbgtv.com or at x.com/jlwalker. Content from The National Desk is provided by Sinclair, the parent company of FOX45 News.( MENAFN - Asia Times) This article first appeared on Pacific Forum and is republished with permission. Read the original here. The incoming trump administration will face a difficult global geopolitical environment, with the ongoing wars in Europe and the conflict in the Middle East. Looming over the already tense global dynamic is the all-encompassing challenge of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The United States' policy“pivot” to Indo-Pacific, which several modern-day American presidents have pursued but none managed to achieve, still remains relevant and consequential to preserving the global order that American power underpins. If the imbalance is not addressed by the next commander-in-chief, the consequences may yet be even more disastrous. Thus, the new Trump Administration will have to make difficult decisions about the short-term allocation of US military resources among various theaters, while prioritizing the long-term and all-encompassing China Challenge . The full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the heinous October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas against Israel and the cycle of violence it engendered since have turned America's weary eyes back to Europe and the Middle East. So much for US National Security Advisor's Jake Sullivan's confident affirmation a mere week before the 10/7 attacks that“the Middle East is quieter that it has been for decades.” In the meantime, the Indo-Pacific has become a more urgent priority, not a lesser one. After the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te in Taiwan in May, the PRC launched massive live-fire drills in retaliation for the Taiwanese people's democratic choice. The PRC launched these drills again after President Lai's Taiwan's National Day Address. Beijing hasn't limited its malign activities at intimidating Taiwan. In fact, Xi Jinping is on a warpath against the West and its allies. The PRC has significantly ramped up its support for Russia's war in Ukraine, causing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to label it as a“decisive enabler” of Russia's aggression during its last annual summit in Washington. The PRC routinely and unceremoniously threatens Filipino military and civilian vessels in the Philippines' own internationally-recognized territorial waters. The Philippines is a formal US military ally through a longstanding Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) that also applies to the“contested” islands in the South China Sea where these incidents are occurring. On a lesser scale, the PRC is continuing to do the same with Japan, another formal US treaty ally. One more spark, and the US can find itself in an unpredictable cycle of major power conflict. Then there is the urgent threat of a resurgent Pyongyang, emboldened by overt Russian support and likely with the PRC's quiet acquiescence. The news that Kim Jong Un is now supplying troops , along with other materiel, to aid in Russia's war in Ukraine, should come as no surprise. Russia needs more manpower to achieve a strategic breakthrough in Ukraine. Because of the brutal nature of the regime in Pyongyang, Kim Jong Un considers human beings as dispensable as artillery shells. Russia is now thus a key to the regime's long-term survival. This is a win-win for both sides – and only underscores that the Ukraine war is now a global conflict, with massive repercussions for Asia's security. So with this brave new world in mind, US policymakers must now ponder: who is to blame and what is to be done? The simplest answers are that the war in Ukraine is the logical outome of Vladimir Putin's neoimperial ambitions, while the recent spike in violence in the Middle East is the fault of the usual suspects: Hamas, Hezbollah, and their affiliates, all backed by the mullahs in Tehran, a regime whose long-standing public goal is the destruction of the state of Israel (“Little Satan”) and the United States (“Great Satan”). These are longstanding existential concerns that the United States cannot afford to ignore , regardless of what's happening in the Indo-Pacific. It is even more pressing because Tehran and its proxies are openly targeting not just close US allies like Israel, but US soldiers and civilians, often with deadly consequences . The more complicated answer is that it is also a crisis of our own doing. The United States is no longer willing to project power as effectively as it once has, which has emboldened our adversaries. In 2013, US“red lines” in Syria were effectively ignored without any consequence, leaving a vacuum for Russia to explore and intervene in 2015, thus saving the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad. In 2014, the US and Europe collectively shrugged their shoulders when Vladimir Putin annexed by force Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and invaded parts of the Donbas region. In August 2021, the United States ignominiously departed from Afghanistan, leaving in its wake a trail of broken promises to Afghan society and strategic opportunities for our adversaries to explore. In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has by now reverberated in every part of the globe and created a new Beijing-Moscow-Tehran-Pyongyang axis of autocracies . The 10/7 attacks against Israel effectively drew the world's attention (and more importantly, US resources) away from its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Russia effectively exploited. This permissive environment did not occur in a vacuum. The strain of US military commitments in the preceding decades, combined with a populist turn in US politics, undoubtedly played a role in our current geopolitical predicaments. But ultimately, the lack of US resolve to decisively deter our adversaries is what likely emboldened Putin to invade Ukraine, for Hamas to launch its attacks on 10/7, for Iran to openly target Israel, and ultimately, for additional US military assets to be deployed in the Middle East, rather than the Indo-Pacific. And as a new administration takes office, these reverberative effects should only demonstrate the need for more assertive US global leadership, not a retrenchment of our commitments. The short-term answer is that US resources are finite and they need to be quickly and effectively deployed to where the immediate threat to American lives is greatest. The Middle East – a volatile multi-domain theater with acute threats to key US interests and directly to the US military – is where some of those highly prized US kinetic assets are needed today, and so that is where they go. And if tomorrow Putin launches an attack against a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the United States may quickly find itself in a hot war on the European continent for the first time in 80 years. The longer answer is the more complex one and involves the primary determinants of US strength, or what we used to call“the arsenal of democracy.” If the United States wants a real“pivot” to the Indo-Pacific, we need to urgently re-build our industrial defense base, which atrophied after the“peace dividend” of the Cold War. Importantly, we need to do so in close coordination with our allies, which the recently-announced Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR) envisions. We also have domestic initiatives, such as the authorities provided under the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act, which have regrettably been underutilized . Most importantly, the United States must prioritize efforts to comprehensively improve the domestic and global elements of US power, which are key to US long-term global strength, whether it is in the Middle East, Europe or the Indo-Pacific. Igor Khrestin(... ) is the Bradford M. Freeman managing director for Global Policy at the George W. Bush Institute. Thank you for registering! An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. MENAFN30112024000159011032ID1108942173 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.

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown, Juanyeh Thomas returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown and the Dallas Cowboys pulled out a 34-26 victory Sunday that extended the Washington Commanders’ skid to three games. Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt following a low snap. Thomas then took the kick back 43 yards as the Cowboys (4-7) ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Part of that was the play of backup Cooper Rush, who threw for 247 yards and two TDs in his third start in place of starter Dak Prescott. Part was also the defense forcing two turnovers, as Chauncey Golston ripped the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.’s hands for what was called an interception of Daniels in the second quarter, and Donovan Wilson stripped John Bates midway through the fourth. KaVonte Turpin provided the fireworks with a spinning, 99-yard kickoff return TD seconds after Daniels found Zach Ertz in the end zone and scored on a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three with 3:02 left. In the final three minutes alone, the Commanders (7-5) scored 10 points and allowed Thomas’ TD. All that after the score was 10-9 through three quarters before madness ensued. CHIEFS 30, PANTHERS 27 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns , Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired and Kansas City beat Carolina to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season. Noah Gray caught two TD passes as the Chiefs (10-1) bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes. DeAndre Hopkins also had a touchdown catch for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, who scored on their first five possessions. Bryce Young finished 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (3-8), who had their two-game winning streak snapped. David Moore had six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Trailing 27-19, Young completed a fourth-down pass to Adam Thielen to move the chains, then went deep for the veteran receiver, who drew a pass-interference penalty on Chamarri Conner. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard. LIONS 24, COLTS 6 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two scores and David Montgomery added a third touchdown run, leading Detroit to a victory over Indianapolis. Gibbs finished with 21 carries for 90 yards as the Lions (10-1) extended their league-high winning streak to nine straight. Detroit has its been 11-game record since the franchise’s inaugural season in 1934. Jared Goff continued his sensational season, too, completing 26 of 36 throws for 269 yards. The Colts (5-7) lost their second straight home game and for the fourth time in their past five games. Anthony Richardson was 11 of 28 with 172 yards while rushing 10 times for 61 yards. While Indy managed to hold the NFL’s highest-scoring offense largely in check Sunday, it was doomed by its inability to finish drives with touchdowns. BUCCANEERS 30, GIANTS 7 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Baker Mayfield catapulted into the end zone on a spectacular 10-yard scramble for one of Tampa Bay’s four rushing touchdowns, and the Buccaneers beat the Giants and new starting quarterback Tommy DeVito, snapping a four-game losing streak and extending New York’s skid to six. The Giants’ decisions this week to bench and then release quarterback Daniel Jones did nothing to help the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense. DeVito threw for 189 yards, mostly in the second half with New York well on its way to its sixth straight loss at home, where it is winless. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers dominated in every phase in a near-perfect perfect performance that featured TD runs of 1 yard by Sean Tucker, 6 yards by Bucky Irving and 1 yard by Rachaad White. After recent losses to the Ravens, 49ers and Chiefs, Tampa Bay (5-6) moved within one game of idle Atlanta in the NFC South. Tampa Bay scored on five of its on first six possessions to open a 30-0 lead, and none was more exciting than Mayfield’s TD run with 12 seconds left in the first half. On a second-and-goal from the 10, he avoided pressure and went for the end zone. He was hit by Cor’Dale Flott low and Dru Phillips high around the 2-yard line, and he was airborne when he crossed the goal line. The ball came loose when he hit the turf but he jumped up and flexed — seemingly mocking DeVito’s go-to celebration — as the Bucs took a 23-0 lead. DOLPHINS 34, PATRIOTS 15 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to running back De’Von Achane, and Miami routed New England. The Dolphins (5-6) have a thin margin for error the rest of the season but have kept themselves afloat with a three-game winning streak. With their win at New England (3-9) in Week 5, the Dolphins have swept their division rivals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Tagovailoa, who moved to 7-0 in his career against New England, entered the game with a league-high 73.4% completion rate and went 29 for 40. Backup Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa with about 11 minutes left in what was already a blowout, but a bad handoff on his first play resulted in a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and returned 63 yards for a touchdown. It cut New England’s deficit to 31-15, and Tagovailoa returned the next drive. TITANS 32, TEXANS 27 HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a win over the Texans. Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 91⁄2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. Titans coach Brian Callahan held both hands in the air and smiled after watching the miss that allowed his team to win on a day it had three turnovers. The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked C.J. Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. VIKINGS 30, BEARS 27, OT CHICAGO (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo’s game-ending 29-yard field goal , and Minnesota outlasted Chicago after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation. Darnold threw two touchdown passes, Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North. Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (4-7), who lost their fifth straight. Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears weren’t finished. Deandre Carter made up for a muffed punt that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A 2-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining. The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball. Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired.An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalitionGus Malzahn is leaving UCF to become Florida State's offensive coordinator, AP source says

What you need to know about volunteering after retirementConservative MP Jonathan Williamson says he'll get the ball rolling early in the New Year on no-confidence vote that could bring down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in a little more than a month. Williamson says in a social media post he will put forward his non-confidence motion at a public accounts committee meeting on Jan. 7. He says the committee can debate it and then kick the motion over to the House of Commons to deal with when it returns on Jan. 27. That could be voted on as early as Jan. 30, and could bring an immediate election if it passes. Three non-confidence motions brought by the Tories failed in the fall. However NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh now says he is ready to bring down the government in such a vote, following Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's surprise resignation from cabinet. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. MORE POLITICS NEWS Bloc Quebecois as official Opposition? Leader says Canadians 'don't have to fear us' Ministers Joly, LeBlanc travel to Florida to meet with Trump's team Trudeau could stay or go. Either way, Canadians should brace for a spring election India alleges widespread trafficking of international students through Canada to U.S. Nova Scotia premier tones down rhetoric toward Ottawa in end of year interview Canada condemns China's steps against Canadian institutions over Uyghurs, Tibet What Canada can learn from Trump's 2024 presidential campaign What is flagpoling? A new ban on the practice is starting to take effect IN DEPTH Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power. 'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties. 'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it. Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports. 'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday. Opinion opinion | Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election? opinion | Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus. opinion | Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place. opinion | Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point. opinion | Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing. CTVNews.ca Top Stories Conservatives call for no-confidence vote by late January Conservative MP Jonathan Williamson says he'll get the ball rolling early in the New Year on no-confidence vote that could bring down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in a little more than a month. DEVELOPING | Ukrainian drone attack was underway before Azerbaijani plane crashed, Russian aviation chief says Russia's aviation chief said Friday that a Ukrainian drone attack was underway in the Russian region that an airliner was destined for before it diverted and crashed earlier this week. Another stowaway is caught on a Delta flight this holiday season – raising major concerns about airport safety Yet another stowaway managed to board a major airline’s plane – renewing serious questions and concerns about airport safety during the busiest travel season of the year. What Canada can learn from Trump's 2024 presidential campaign Donald Trump smiled wide in front of cheering supporters after millions of Americans went to the polls, choosing the divisive Republican leader as the next president of the United States in an astonishing comeback that signalled an American turn to isolationism, protectionism and tariffs. LeBlanc, Joly to meet with incoming Trump administration officials in Florida Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly are in Florida to meet with officials from president-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration. Northern Ont. police shoot man carrying a shotgun on Hwy. 11/17 The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating after a police office near Thunder Bay, Ont., shot and wounded a man who fired on a police cruiser with a shotgun. Bloc Quebecois as official Opposition? Leader says Canadians 'don't have to fear us' Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says he's staying modest about the prospect of his party forming official Opposition in the next federal election, though it would be a 'spectacular' result. 9-year-old girl dead in Calgary Boxing Day crash A nine-year-old girl has died in hospital after the vehicle she was in was struck by a driver in a stolen vehicle fleeing from police. B.C woman awarded nearly $750K in court case against contractor A B.C. woman has been awarded nearly $750,000 in damages in a dispute with a contractor who strung her along for a year and a half and failed to complete a renovation, according to a recent court decision. Canada Raised in Sask. after his family fled Hungary, this man spent decades spying on communists for the RCMP As a Communist Party member in Calgary in the early 1940s, Frank Hadesbeck performed clerical work at the party office, printed leaflets and sold books. 'Now's the time': As Canada ramps up housing, advocates urge more accessible builds Amid a housing crisis that has Canadian policymakers and developers scrambling to bolster supply, those living with disability are urging leaders to enshrine accessibility into more newly built homes than the country has historically seen. Ship remains stalled on St-Lawrence River north of Montreal A ship that lost power on the St. Lawrence River on Christmas Eve, remains stationary north of Montreal. Northern Ont. police shoot man carrying a shotgun on Hwy. 11/17 The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating after a police office near Thunder Bay, Ont., shot and wounded a man who fired on a police cruiser with a shotgun. 9-year-old girl dead in Calgary Boxing Day crash A nine-year-old girl has died in hospital after the vehicle she was in was struck by a driver in a stolen vehicle fleeing from police. Laval police searching for missing teen girl, family fears for her safety Laval police (SPL) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 15-year-old girl, who was last seen on Christmas Eve. World South Korea's opposition-controlled National Assembly votes to impeach acting President Han South Korea's opposition-controlled National Assembly voted Friday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo despite vehement protests by governing party lawmakers. Israeli troops burn north Gaza hospital after forcibly removing staff and patients, officials say Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in the northernmost part of Gaza on Friday, forcing many of the staff and patients out of the facility, the territory's health ministry said. DEVELOPING | Ukrainian drone attack was underway before Azerbaijani plane crashed, Russian aviation chief says Russia's aviation chief said Friday that a Ukrainian drone attack was underway in the Russian region that an airliner was destined for before it diverted and crashed earlier this week. Another stowaway is caught on a Delta flight this holiday season – raising major concerns about airport safety Yet another stowaway managed to board a major airline’s plane – renewing serious questions and concerns about airport safety during the busiest travel season of the year. Christmas Eve stowaway caught on Delta airplane at Seattle airport A stowaway was caught trying to nab a ride on a Delta Air Lines plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Christmas Eve. China probes personal disputes after mass killings. Many fear further infringement on freedoms China's leader Xi Jinping wants the recent spree of mass killings that shocked the country not to happen again and has ordered local governments to prevent future 'extreme cases.' Politics Bloc Quebecois as official Opposition? Leader says Canadians 'don't have to fear us' Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says he's staying modest about the prospect of his party forming official Opposition in the next federal election, though it would be a 'spectacular' result. Ministers Joly, LeBlanc travel to Florida to meet with Trump's team Two members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet will be in Palm Beach, Fla., Friday to meet with members of Donald Trump's team. Trudeau could stay or go. Either way, Canadians should brace for a spring election Canada appears to be barrelling toward a spring election now that the NDP is vowing to vote down the government early next year -- whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stays on or not. Health Virus in Louisiana bird flu patient shows mutations that could increase transmissibility to humans, CDC analysis finds A genetic analysis of samples from the patient in Louisiana recently hospitalized with the country’s first severe case of H5N1 bird flu show the virus likely mutated in the patient to become potentially more transmissible to humans. Cat food that caused bird-flu death of Oregon pet was distributed in B.C.: officials Pet food contaminated with bird flu – which killed a house cat in Oregon – was distributed and sold in British Columbia, according to officials south of the border. These are Dr. Theresa Tam's top health concerns for Canada in 2025 As we enter 2025, Dr. Theresa Tam has her eye on H5N1 bird flu, an emerging virus that had its first human case in Canada this year. Sci-Tech NASA spacecraft 'safe' after closest-ever approach to Sun NASA said on Friday that its Parker Solar Probe was 'safe' and operating normally after successfully completing the closest-ever approach to the Sun by any human-made object. Historical mysteries solved by science in 2024 This year, scientists were able to pull back the curtain on mysteries surrounding figures across history, both known and unknown, to reveal more about their unique stories. AI is a game changer for students with disabilities. Schools are still learning to harness it Getting the latest technology into the hands of students with disabilities is a priority for the U.S. Education Department, which has told schools they must consider whether students need tools like text-to-speech and alternative communication devices. Entertainment Judge says woman accusing Jay-Z, Sean 'Diddy' Combs of raping her at age 13 can proceed anonymously An Alabama woman who says she was raped by Jay-Z and Sean 'Diddy' Combs when she was 13 can proceed anonymously, for now, in her lawsuit against the rap moguls, a judge ruled Thursday. Bad Bunny announces a new album, 'Debi Tirar Mas Fotos' Happy holidays from Bad Bunny, who announced Thursday he will release a new album Jan. 5. Teen actor Hudson Meek, who appeared in 'Baby Driver,' dies after falling from moving vehicle Hudson Meek, the 16-year-old actor who appeared in 'Baby Driver,' died last week after falling from a moving vehicle in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, according to CNN affiliate WVTM. Business Loblaw, parent company George Weston enter automatic share buyback plans Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have both entered into automatic share purchase plans with brokers. Unwanted gift card in your stocking? Don't let it go to waste Gift cards can be a quick and easy present for those who don't know what to buy and offer the recipient a chance to pick out something nice for themselves, but sometimes they can still miss the mark. B.C woman awarded nearly $750K in court case against contractor A B.C. woman has been awarded nearly $750,000 in damages in a dispute with a contractor who strung her along for a year and a half and failed to complete a renovation, according to a recent court decision. Lifestyle Another U.S. jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal? Remember this moment because it probably won't last: A U.S. lottery jackpot is projected to soar above $1 billion, and that's still a big deal. Spending the holiday season alone this year? How to make the most of it Spending the holidays alone can feel lonely or empty, but it doesn't have to be that way. Working Well: Returning to the office can disrupt life. Here are some tips to navigate the changes Heading into 2025, thousands of workers face an unsettling reality: after years of working from the comfort of home, they must return to the office full-time for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic or look for new work. Sports Father of Raiders star Malcolm Koonce fights to erase 1983 conviction DA says was tainted by police Years before Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce was born, his father spent time in prison for an armed robbery conviction. Teenage phenom Gavin McKenna scores, Canada tops Finland 4-0 in world junior opener Teenage sensation Gavin McKenna scored late in the first period and Carter George made 31 saves for the shutout as Canada picked up a 4-0 victory over Finland in the host country's opener at the world junior hockey championship Thursday. Swimmer Summer McIntosh voted The Canadian Press female athlete of the year for 2024 During the month before her 18th birthday, Summer McIntosh became the first Canadian to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games, winter or summer, with a silver medal thrown in for good measure. Autos Suzuki Motor former boss who turned the minicar maker into a global player dies at 94 Osamu Suzuki, the charismatic former boss of Suzuki Motor Corp. who helped turn the Japanese mini-vehicle maker into a globally competitive company, has died, the company said Friday. He was 94. More drivers opt for personalized plates in Sask. — and behind every one there's a story You may have noticed a few more vanity plates on Saskatchewan roads in recent years, and every one of them comes with a personal story. Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger that would form the world's third-largest automaker by sales, as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. Local Spotlight Ho! Ho! HOLY that's cold! Montreal boogie boarder in Santa suit hits St. Lawrence waters Montreal body surfer Carlos Hebert-Plante boogie boards all year round, and donned a Santa Claus suit to hit the water on Christmas Day in -14 degree Celsius weather. Teen cancer patient pays forward Make-A-Wish donation to local fire department A 16-year-old cancer patient from Hemmingford, Que. decided to donate his Make-A-Wish Foundation gift to the local fire department rather than use it himself. B.C. friends nab 'unbelievable' $1M lotto win just before Christmas Two friends from B.C's lower mainland are feeling particularly merry this December, after a single lottery ticket purchased from a small kiosk landed them instant millionaire status. 'Can I taste it?': Rare $55,000 bottle of spirits for sale in Moncton, N.B. A rare bottle of Scotch whisky is for sale in downtown Moncton, N.B., with a price tag reading $55,000. No need to dream, White Christmas all but assured in the Maritimes An early nor'easter followed by a low-pressure system moving into the region all but ensure a Maritime White Christmas 'I'm still thinking pinch me': lost puppy reunited with family after five years After almost five years of searching and never giving up hope, the Tuffin family received the best Christmas gift they could have hoped for: being reunited with their long-lost puppy. Big splash: Halifax mermaid waves goodbye after 16 years Halifax's Raina the Mermaid is closing her business after 16 years in the Maritimes. Willistead Manor celebrates the Christmas season in style, with only two weekends left to visit From the Great Hall to the staircase and landings, to the conservatory – hundreds of people have toured the Willistead Manor this December. Music maker, 88, creates unique horn section, with moose antler bass guitar and cello Eighty-eight-year-old Lorne Collie has been making musical instruments for more than three decades, creations that dazzle for their unique materials as much as their sound. Vancouver 5 hospitalized after crash in Mission Lougheed Highway was closed for about six hours in Mission, B.C., after a car crash Thursday morning that sent five people to hospital. What Canada can learn from Trump's 2024 presidential campaign Donald Trump smiled wide in front of cheering supporters after millions of Americans went to the polls, choosing the divisive Republican leader as the next president of the United States in an astonishing comeback that signalled an American turn to isolationism, protectionism and tariffs. B.C woman awarded nearly $750K in court case against contractor A B.C. woman has been awarded nearly $750,000 in damages in a dispute with a contractor who strung her along for a year and a half and failed to complete a renovation, according to a recent court decision. Toronto Man arrested after alleged choking and armed robbery in downtown Toronto Police have arrested a man after an alleged assault and robbery in downtown Toronto on Christmas Eve. 2 officers sent to the hospital following crash involving Toronto police SUV, car Two Toronto officers have been taken to the hospital following a collision between their SUV and another vehicle in the city’s downtown core. 2 suspects sought after allegedly stealing bank cards from seniors in Durham Region Police in Durham Region are looking for two suspects in connection with bank card thefts that targeted elderly victims. Calgary 9-year-old girl dead in Calgary Boxing Day crash A nine-year-old girl has died in hospital after the vehicle she was in was struck by a driver in a stolen vehicle fleeing from police. Calgary police investigate two separate stabbings Calgary police say two people are in hospital after they were assaulted in two separate incidents on Friday morning. Boxing Day draws deal-seekers, but maybe fewer than in times past Calgarians hoping to save some money—or get that last gift they missed out on for Christmas—headed to the store for Boxing Day. Ottawa Police identify victim of Christmas Day homicide in Hintonburg, charge suspect The Ottawa Police Service says the victim who had been killed on Christmas Day in Hintonburg has been identified. Teenage phenom Gavin McKenna scores, Canada tops Finland 4-0 in world junior opener Teenage sensation Gavin McKenna scored late in the first period and Carter George made 31 saves for the shutout as Canada picked up a 4-0 victory over Finland in the host country's opener at the world junior hockey championship Thursday. What's open and closed in Ottawa over the holidays CTVNewsOttawa.ca takes a look at what's open and closed over the Christmas and New Year's holidays this year. Montreal Should Quebecers consider earthquake home insurance? Experts weigh in You may not notice the rumbling and the shaking, but hundreds of earthquakes hit eastern Canada every year. WEATHER | Freezing rain coming to Montreal, smog warning remains in effect As the smog warning continues in Montreal, Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a special weather statement, warning that freezing rain may be on the way as the weather warms. Woman in hospital after stabbing in downtown Montreal hotel room A 30-year-old woman is in hospital after a stabbing in a hotel room in downtown Montreal. Edmonton new | Premier Smith proud of Alberta's 'major transformation' of health care in 2024 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says transforming the province's health-care system defined her government in 2024. 'Failure is not an option': Fire-torn Jasper entering new year with hope and anxiety Anxiety over temporary living situations and what may be a long and slow rebuild process has many Jasper residents and municipal leaders feeling unsettled heading into 2025. 'She's very good at politics': Analyst says Alberta's 2024 bills designed for Smith leadership success For one political expert, 2024 was all about the base in Alberta. Atlantic Halifax police investigate sudden death in Dartmouth Halifax Regional Police is investigating a sudden death in Dartmouth, N.S. Christmas Day fire causes heavy damage to building in Saint John, N.B. A fire caused a power outage for around 900 residents of Saint John, N.B., Wednesday afternoon. Teenage phenom Gavin McKenna scores, Canada tops Finland 4-0 in world junior opener Teenage sensation Gavin McKenna scored late in the first period and Carter George made 31 saves for the shutout as Canada picked up a 4-0 victory over Finland in the host country's opener at the world junior hockey championship Thursday. Winnipeg Manitoba government questioned over push for rate freeze on electricity Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says a rate freeze on electricity in 2025 is achievable, despite another forecasted financial loss at Crown-owned Manitoba Hydro. 16-year-old boy found with machete: Police A 16-year-old boy is in custody after police said they found him with a machete. India alleges widespread trafficking of international students through Canada to U.S. Indian law enforcement agencies say they are investigating alleged links between dozens of colleges in Canada and two 'entities' in Mumbai accused of illegally ferrying students across the Canada-United States border. Regina Travel not recommended for parts of Saskatchewan under risk of freezing rain Travel advisories are in effect for parts of south and central Saskatchewan on Friday, with icy roadways and the risk of freezing rain making for dangerous driving conditions. Yorkton RCMP seek tips to locate unlawfully-at-large inmate Yorkton RCMP is seeking tips from the public to locate an inmate after staff noticed he was not present at the Whitespruce Provincial Training Centre. Pedestrian collision sends man to hospital with life-threatening injuries One man has been sent to hospital with life-threatening injuries after he was struck by a vehicle in the early hours of Wednesday in Regina. Kitchener Fire rips through former Peter Hay Knife Company building in Cambridge Emergency responders were called to a fire in Cambridge on Thursday as flames ripped through the building that formerly belonged to the Peter Hay Knife Company. Sawed-off shotgun and three knives seized during Cambridge arrest Two people from Thunder Bay are facing drug trafficking and weapons charges after they were arrested in Cambridge. Teenage phenom Gavin McKenna scores, Canada tops Finland 4-0 in world junior opener Teenage sensation Gavin McKenna scored late in the first period and Carter George made 31 saves for the shutout as Canada picked up a 4-0 victory over Finland in the host country's opener at the world junior hockey championship Thursday. Saskatoon Travel not recommended for parts of Saskatchewan under risk of freezing rain Travel advisories are in effect for parts of south and central Saskatchewan on Friday, with icy roadways and the risk of freezing rain making for dangerous driving conditions. Raised in Sask. after his family fled Hungary, this man spent decades spying on communists for the RCMP As a Communist Party member in Calgary in the early 1940s, Frank Hadesbeck performed clerical work at the party office, printed leaflets and sold books. IN PICTURES: CTV Saskatoon viewers send us their holiday photos A living gallery of viewer-submitted photos from the holiday season. Share your pictures with us at SaskatoonNews@bellmedia.ca Northern Ontario Northern Ont. police shoot man carrying a shotgun on Hwy. 11/17 The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating after a police office near Thunder Bay, Ont., shot and wounded a man who fired on a police cruiser with a shotgun. Erratic driving leads to discovery of $28K in drugs, $15K in cash, Sudbury police say Bad driving in the Flour Mill area of Greater Sudbury led police to find a cache of drugs believed to be 280 grams of cocaine, as well as magic mushrooms. Collision closes Hwy. 11 in New Liskeard A collision has closed Highway 11 in both directions Friday morning between Golf Course Drive in New Liskeard and Highway 66 in Kenogami. London Sarnia police respond to Christmas Day stabbing, robbery The Sarnia Police Service (SPS) had an early morning call on Christmas Day, as reports were received of an injured man following a stabbing. How do I get rid of my Christmas tree? It’s the time of year where getting rid of your Christmas tree and other holiday waste is top of mind. The City of London is advising just how you can go about that. SIU investigating after arrested suspect hospitalized The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating a recent incident, leading to the arrested individual being put in hospital. Barrie Police in Barrie searching for missing man Police in Barrie are searching for an individual who was reported missing on Thursday. 2 Scrooges busted for Christmas thefts Two men were arrested after a string of thefts in Collingwood over Christmas. Free GO Transit to Toronto on New Year's Eve GO Transit is offering free rides to Barrie's Toronto-bound revellers on New Year's Eve. Windsor Hockey for Hospice tournament returns for 28th year The Hockey for Hospice tournament is returning to Windsor-Essex, spanning over three days. Teenage phenom Gavin McKenna scores, Canada tops Finland 4-0 in world junior opener Teenage sensation Gavin McKenna scored late in the first period and Carter George made 31 saves for the shutout as Canada picked up a 4-0 victory over Finland in the host country's opener at the world junior hockey championship Thursday. These are Dr. Theresa Tam's top health concerns for Canada in 2025 As we enter 2025, Dr. Theresa Tam has her eye on H5N1 bird flu, an emerging virus that had its first human case in Canada this year. Vancouver Island Year-end interview: John Rustad on B.C. Conservatives' remarkable 2024 It's been quite the year for B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad – his party soaring from less than two per cent of the popular vote and no seats in the 2020 election to nearly winning this year’s election. B.C woman awarded nearly $750K in court case against contractor A B.C. woman has been awarded nearly $750,000 in damages in a dispute with a contractor who strung her along for a year and a half and failed to complete a renovation, according to a recent court decision. Avalanche risk 'extreme' for parts of B.C. coast The avalanche danger rating for mountains on B.C.’s South Coast was “extreme” on Boxing Day, according to Canada’s non-profit forecaster. Kelowna B.C woman awarded nearly $750K in court case against contractor A B.C. woman has been awarded nearly $750,000 in damages in a dispute with a contractor who strung her along for a year and a half and failed to complete a renovation, according to a recent court decision. Forfeited Hells Angels clubhouse in Kelowna, B.C., sold to the city A former Hells Angels clubhouse that was seized by the British Columbia government in 2023 after years of fighting in court has been sold to the City of Kelowna. Death of woman found in Kelowna's Waterfront Park in June deemed 'non-criminal in nature': RCMP Police in Kelowna say a death they began investigating back in June has now been confirmed as "non-criminal in nature." Lethbridge Lake Louise ice climber takes a scary fall, then carries on climbing ice The sport of ice climbing is becoming more and more popular, but one man is lucky to be alive after a serious fall in Alberta’s back country. Safety tips for holiday home cooks: Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services If you’re planning to cook over the holidays, Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services is reminding everyone to do it safely. Here’s which bins your Christmas wrapping, ribbons and leftovers should go into With piles of presents unwrapped Wednesday, Environment Lethbridge is reminding everyone to dispose of all that waste properly. Sault Ste. Marie Northern Ont. police shoot man carrying a shotgun on Hwy. 11/17 The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating after a police office near Thunder Bay, Ont., shot and wounded a man who fired on a police cruiser with a shotgun. Average home sale prices in the Sault set new record last month Homes sales edged upward in many markets in northern Ontario last month, including Sault Ste. Marie, where average sale prices set a new record. Sault shopper caught with stolen credit cards A Sault man’s illegal shopping spree came to an abrupt end over the weekend. N.L. Her son needed help with addiction. Instead, he's spending Christmas in N.L. jail. As Gwen Perry prepares for a Christmas without contact from her son, who is locked inside a notorious St. John's, N.L., jail, she wants people to understand that many inmates need help, not incarceration. A massive, menacing Steller's sea eagle is dazzling birders in a Newfoundland park A national park in Newfoundland has made the unusual move of opening in the winter so people can catch a glimpse of its rare and menacing new guest. Newfoundland woman washed sick patients' hair every Saturday for more than 20 years A retired nurse and teacher in Newfoundland was honoured this week for her volunteer work, which included more than two decades washing the hair of bedridden hospital patients. Stay Connected

A late-game rally derailed by a missed field goal and Cowboys stun Commanders 34-26

The US Navy is to transform three, white elephant, stealth destroyers by fitting them with first-of-their-kind shipborne hypersonic weapons. The USS Zumwalt is at a Mississippi shipyard where workers have installed missile tubes that replace twin turrets from a gun system that was never activated because it was too expensive. Once the system is complete, the Zumwalt will provide a platform for conducting fast, precision strikes from greater distances, adding to the usefulness of the warship. “It was a costly blunder. But the Navy could take victory from the jaws of defeat here, and get some utility out of (the ships) by making them into a hypersonic platform,” said Bryan Clark, a defence analyst at the Hudson Institute. The US has had several types of hypersonic weapons in development for the past two decades, but recent tests by both Russia and China have added pressure to the US military to hasten their production. Hypersonic weapons travel beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound, with added manoeuvrability making them harder to shoot down. Last year, The Washington Post newspaper reported that among the documents leaked by former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was a defence department briefing that confirmed China had recently tested an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon called the DF-27. While the Pentagon had previously acknowledged the weapon’s development, it had not recognised its testing. One of the US programmes in development and planned for the Zumwalt is the Conventional Prompt Strike. It would launch like a ballistic missile and then release a hypersonic glide vehicle that would travel at speeds seven to eight times faster than the speed of sound before hitting the target. The weapon system is being developed jointly by the Navy and Army. Each of the three Zumwalt-class destroyers would be equipped with four missile tubes, each with three of the missiles for a total of 12 hypersonic weapons per ship. In choosing the Zumwalt, the Navy is attempting to add to the usefulness of a 7.5 billion US dollars (£5.9 billion) warship that is considered by critics to be an expensive mistake despite serving as a test platform for multiple innovations. The Zumwalt was envisioned as providing land-attack capability with an advanced gun system with rocket-assisted projectiles to open the way for Marines to charge ashore. But the system featuring 155mm guns hidden in stealthy turrets was cancelled because each of the rocket-assisted projectiles cost up to one million dollars (£790,000). Despite the stain on their reputation, the three Zumwalt-class destroyers: Zumwalt, Michael Monsoor and Lyndon B Johnson; remain the Navy’s most advanced surface warships in terms of new technologies. Those innovations include electric propulsion, an angular shape to minimise radar signature, an unconventional wave-piercing hull, automated fire and damage control and a composite deckhouse that hides radar and other sensors. The US is accelerating development because hypersonics have been identified as vital to US national security with “survivable and lethal capabilities”, said James Weber, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies. “Fielding new capabilities that are based on hypersonic technologies is a priority for the defence department to sustain and strengthen our integrated deterrence, and to build enduring advantages,” he said.Economists at two Southern California universities see new reasons to worry ahead, namely policies from the nation’s next president. They warn in new forecasts released this week that the economy may stumble in 2025 because of controversial policies promised by President-elect Donald Trump. Economist James Doti, president emeritus at Chapman University, said the economy “still appears to be strong,” even though a long period of declining inflation could reverse course under Trump. A year ago, Doti’s reading of the tea leaves showed “very slow growth” and no recession in 2024. Today, he’s sticking to a similar tale of “slow growth” that now extends through 2025. New to the mix is “some upward pressure” on inflation due to proposed tariffs and mass deportations Trump has vowed to launch after his inauguration in January. Economist Jerry Nickelsburg at UCLA agreed with Doti’s analysis. “The underlying fundamentals of the economy are strong. They have been for some time, which is why we did not say that we were going to have a recession in 2023 or 2022,” said the director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast. “Now, that doesn’t mean that geopolitical events or different policies from Washington that are not in our forecast couldn’t generate a recession. It’s just not in the data right now.” Both economists said Trump is inheriting a strong economy that will grow more slowly than previously forecast while it adjusts to new national economic policies. Cloudy times The clarity of post-presidential election forecasts at Chapman and UCLA are clouded by Trump’s plans to implement several economic policies promised during his 2024 campaign. Among the most controversial policies are new or increased tariffs on the nation’s largest trading partners – including Canada, China and Mexico. Policies also include mass deportations, tax cuts and deregulation. Doti believes Trump’s vow to deport of 500,000 to 1 million undocumented immigrants and 10%-25% tariffs on imported goods could push inflation closer to 3% than the Fed’s desired 2% level. How these policies manifest is not necessarily clear, considering practical, legal and political constraints on implementation, according to Nickelsburg. The UCLA professor of economics said this month’s forecast was one of the most difficult ones he’s ever written, with the exception of a recession prediction four years ago as the COVID-19 pandemic began. “When we did our March forecast in 2020, we had no idea how the pandemic was going to play out, and so there was a great deal of uncertainty then as well as now,” he said. “Economic policy in Washington is changing in a pretty fundamental way, so that increases uncertainty until we get some clarity as to what policies are going to be implemented.” Meanwhile, UCLA predicts a slowdown in interest rate cuts as the federal government grapples with those new policies. Nickelsburg sees the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by 25 basis points at its board of governors meeting Dec. 18. He expects a pause on cuts until 2026 when the economy has absorbed the impacts of tariffs. The Fed could end up with interest rates hovering between 4% and 4.25% in 2026, he said. Doti has a different take, saying the Fed won’t cut rates in December and will instead take a wait-and-see approach. He expects the central bank will make only two, 25 basis-point cuts in 2025. “The reason we don’t think there’ll be a cut in rates next week is because we still have high inflation (2.7% for the year ended in November 2024), and it’s above the Fed’s target range of 2%, and GDP growth is at 2.8%, and job growth has still been very strong,” Doti said. “Given the Fed’s cautious approach, it’ll hold back on making further cuts.” Growth in gross domestic product, used to measure the nation’s economic health, is expected to fall to 1.4% by the end of 2025 from 2.8% in the 2024’s third quarter, he said. Tough housing market Both economists said the state of housing in California is showing financial strain. On the construction front, residential permits in California are forecast to rise by 12.9% in 2025, despite continuing high mortgage rates, Doti said. He argued that high mortgage rates may indirectly spur new construction. “There is a paucity of resale homes on the market because homeowners don’t want to sell and lose their sweetheart locked-in mortgages,” he said. “That has led to a sharp drop in resale home sales. The dearth of resale homes on the market is buttressing demand for new homes, often available for sale at heavily subsidized financing rates.” Nickelsburg said normalization is slowly returning to the California housing market, but potential construction cost increases due to tariffs and labor shortages could slow that process. “Builders should be responding with new development given existing homes sales are at depression levels,” said Nickelsburg. Tightening job market Both forecasts raised concerns about the jobs picture. Doti sees economic growth in California hampered by population losses, which he blames on the state’s regulatory and tax burdens, which have led people and businesses to leave for cheaper states like Florida and Texas. California’s job growth is forecast to rise 4.6% to 18.2 million in 2025, up from 17.4 million in 2019, but trailing U.S. job growth of 5.9% over the same period. The flight of people from the state also has lowered retail sales tax revenue, prompting some cities to raise sales tax rates in order to replenish budgets left with financial gaps. Data from Chapman showed fewer people are shopping, which translates to less tax revenue for cities. For the year-period that ended June 30, 2024, retail sales fell 4% in Orange County, 2.3% in Los Angeles County, 1.2% in the Inland Empire and 0.8% in San Diego County. For Nickelsburg, the big unknown on jobs will be the mass deportation and tariff policies of the incoming president, and their impact on a wide of industries including agriculture, construction, leisure and hospitality, retail trade and transportation and warehousing industries. Taken together, the deportations and tariffs will raise the prices for many goods and services, and potentially cause product shortages and higher labor costs as jobs go unfilled, he argued. “The uncertainty regarding the future path of unemployment is more elevated than usual because the impact of mass deportations on unemployment is not well understood due to limited empirical research on the subject,” according to Nickelsburg.

Elon Musk applauds India’s elections — after doubting the very system behind it; here's what he had to say

Phnom Penh, Nov 24 (IANS): Cambodia highly values peace as it is a "cornerstone" of the kingdom's national resilience and rejuvenation, Prime Minister Hun Manet said here on Sunday. In his opening speech of the 11th Plenary Session of the Global Parliament for Tolerance and Peace in the capital Phnom Penh, Manet said peace is the foundation on which all else is built. "Without peace, there can be no development, no prosperity, no future. Without peace, there are no human rights and no developments as such," he said. "Peace has allowed us to invest in our peoples, our institutions, and our future," he added, Xinhua news agency reported. The Cambodian leader said under his administration, he has launched a comprehensive framework for growth, employment, equity, efficiency, and sustainability, entitled the Pentagonal Strategy Phase 1. He added that this strategy focuses on five key priorities, namely people, road, water, electricity, and technology. "Through this strategy, we aim to protect and strengthen our hard-earned peace by creating opportunities for all citizens and supporting communities to strive together," he said. "We are on track to effectively graduating from the least developed country status in 2029."

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Justice Shoats had 18 points in Siena's 66-53 victory against Canisius on Sunday. Shoats shot 6 of 15 from the field, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 6 from the free-throw line for the Saints (5-5, 1-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Brendan Coyle scored 17 points and added nine rebounds. Major Freeman had 14 points and shot 5 for 9 (2 for 6 from 3-point range) and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Paul McMillan IV led the Golden Griffins (0-10, 0-2) in scoring, finishing with 22 points and four assists. Jasman Sangha added 11 points and two steals for Canisius. Tana Kopa finished with six points. The Golden Griffins have lost 11 consecutive games, dating to a 72-56 defeat at the hands of Quinnipiac in the 2024 MAAC Tournament. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .First 12-team CFP set: Oregon seeded No. 1, SMU edges Alabama for final spotEskay Mining Corp. ( CVE:ESK – Get Free Report ) shares fell 5.6% on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$0.17 and last traded at C$0.17. 145,222 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 112% from the average session volume of 68,565 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.18. Eskay Mining Trading Down 5.6 % The company has a market capitalization of C$31.25 million, a P/E ratio of -4.25 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 47.69, a current ratio of 8.03 and a quick ratio of 1.73. The business’s 50-day moving average price is C$0.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$0.21. Eskay Mining Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Eskay Mining Corp., a natural resource company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties, and precious and base metal deposits in British Columbia, Canada. It holds 100% interests in the ESKAY-Corey property located in northwestern British Columbia. The company was formerly known as Kenrich-Eskay Mining Corp. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Eskay Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eskay Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .A fugitive gains fame in New Orleans eluding dart guns and nets

Steelers' Mike Tomlin Gives Joey Porter Jr. A Savage Message After Rough Outing Against The Bengals1 2 Chandrapur: The district is bracing for an outsider as its guardian minister after being denied representation in the recent cabinet expansion of the Maharashtra govt. Despite having five BJP MLAs among its six constituencies, the district failed to secure a ministerial berth, breaking a 15-year streak of local representation in the state cabinet. With no MLA from the district making it to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's new cabinet, speculation is rife about the likely candidates for the guardian minister post. Political experts and local leaders are welcoming the possibility of either chief minister Devendra Fadnavis or BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule taking up the role. "Given Fadnavis's roots in Chandrapur and his past performance as Gadchiroli's guardian minister, he is well-suited to lead the district's development," said a senior political analyst. However, source said Fadnavis inclined towards taking up the role of guardian minister of Gadchiroli. Chandrapur's strategic importance, especially its proximity to Gadchiroli, has been underscored by significant industrial development initiatives. MoUs worth Rs75,000 crores for mineral-based industries have been signed, promising large-scale employment opportunities. Observers believe this makes Fadnavis a natural fit for the role of guardian minister, ensuring effective implementation of these projects. Bawankule, another strong contender, is seen as an administrative heavyweight and a trusted figure within the BJP. Being rich in Wildlife and forest resources, forest minister Ganesh Naik could also be offered the responsibility of guardian minister of Chandrapur. Kirti Kumar Bhangadiya, a three-time BJP MLA from Chimur, and Kishor Jorgewar, another BJP MLA, were among those vying for a ministerial position. "Bhangadiya's close ties with senior BJP leaders like Shobhatai Fadnavis and CM Fadnavis did not yield results this time," said a political expert. Similarly, Jorgewar, who has been a key player in state politics for over two years, was expecting a berth as a representative of the Scheduled Castes. This marks the first time since 2008 that Chandrapur will have a guardian minister from outside the district. The last two decades saw local leaders like Shobhatai Fadnavis, Sanjay Deotale, Vijay Wadettiwar, and Sudhir Mungantiwar holding the post. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword .Silex Systems Limited ( OTCMKTS:SILXY – Get Free Report ) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,600 shares, a decline of 33.3% from the November 30th total of 3,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.6 days. Silex Systems Stock Performance Shares of Silex Systems stock opened at C$15.48 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is C$17.84 and its 200 day moving average is C$16.18. Silex Systems has a one year low of C$11.40 and a one year high of C$22.45. Silex Systems Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Silex Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Silex Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

vowed to deport “all” illegal , with violent criminals as only his first priority, in an interview with NBC’s which aired on Sunday. The president-elect gave his clearest outline yet for his proposed mass deportation plan in the interview, telling moderator Kristen Welker that “you have to do it. It’s a very tough thing to do” when asked directly if he would “deport everyone who is here illegally over the next four years?”. But he would also target birthright — the 14th amendment, which guarantees the right of citizenship to any person born in the United States or its territory around the world. “[W]e're going to have to get it changed,” Trump said of the 14th amendment. “We'll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it.” “We’re starting with the criminals, and we got to do it. And then we’re starting with others, and we’re going to see how it goes,” he added. Of the word “others”, he clarified: “Others are other people outside of criminals.” He quickly pivoted in the interview to a more comfortable talking point: claiming that would be allowed to continue, while the US government would work to prevent criminals being among those entering the country. “We don’t want people who are in for murder,” Trump said. “They’re walking down the streets, they’re walking next to you and your family.” He claimed that “estimates” said that thousands of convicted murderers were walking US streets, having come to the country illegally. Actual data from the Department of Homeland Security indicates that the total number of US Border Patrol interactions with noncitizens convicted of homicide or manslaughter is typically . But Trump’s ambitious goal to deport all noncitizens living in the US without legal means would put a drastically larger number of targets on the backs of people living all around the country. An estimated 11 million undocumented (”illegal”) immigrants are thought to live across the United States, according to the most recent figures from 2022. An operation to deport that many people in just four years — or even eight, if a Republican president were to continue Trump’s work in 2028 — would be a staggering undertaking that would have rippling effects in communities in every state. It would also require a massive expansion of existing DHS infrastructure, which at present is not equipped to process or deport anywhere close to the number of people Trump hopes to go after. Trump himself has said that he believes the real number of undocumented noncitizens living in the US to be between 15-20 million people, which is subsequently his actual target for the mass deportation plan. Democrats, who once pushed forcefully for immigration reform that would allow immigrants living in the US illegally to pursue a pathway to full citizenship, have largely backed away from those efforts. Kamala Harris’s campaign attacked Trump for torpedoing a bill that would have allowed the president to shut down the asylum system altogether during the 2024 presidential election. The incoming president has picked hardliner Tom Homan as his “border czar” while also putting Stephen Miller, the architect of his first-term family separation border enforcement measures, in charge of advising him on national security issues at the White House.

Fox News senior national correspondent Aishah Hasnie and senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram join 'Special Report with Bret Baier' to preview President-elect Trump's second term and uncertainty around House speaker fate. Opinion columnists for The Hill called on Congress to invoke the 14th Amendment disqualification to block President-elect Donald Trump from taking office next month. In a column published Thursday , Evan A. Davis and David M. Schulte argued that the 14th amendment enables Congress to object to the electoral votes since they consider Trump, in their words, "an oath-breaking insurrectionist." TRUMP RETURN: WASHINGTON PREPARES FOR A SECOND TERM Article 3 of the 14th Amendment bars former officeholders who "engaged in insurrection" or has "given aid or comfort to the enemies" from holding public office again. The restriction can be removed by a two-thirds vote in each House. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump looks on during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 22, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images) Citing this disqualification, Davis, a former editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review and Schulte, former editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal, claimed that Trump is ineligible to be president. The pair called on Congress to take action when they meet in a joint session to formally count the electoral votes next week. "Disqualification is based on insurrection against the Constitution and not the government. The evidence of Donald Trump’s engaging in such insurrection is overwhelming," they argued. "The matter has been decided in three separate forums, two of which were fully contested with the active participation of Trump’s counsel." The authors cited Trump's second impeachment trial, the Jan. 6 Capitol attack probe by Congress and the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling to disqualify the former and incoming president from appearing on the state's ballots in 2024 as reasons for his ineligibility. "On Jan. 13, 2021, then-President Trump was impeached for ‘incitement of insurrection’...inciting insurrection encompasses ‘engaging in insurrection’ against the Constitution ‘or giving aid and comfort to the enemies thereof,’ the grounds for disqualification specified in Section 3," they claimed. "The inescapable conclusion of this evidence is that Trump engaged in insurrection against the Constitution." The Colorado state ruling to kick Trump off the ballot on the basis of the 14th amendment disqualification, which was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, found that there was "clear and convincing evidence that President Trump engaged in insurrection as those terms are used in Section Three," Davis and Schulte wrote. President-elect Trump at AmericaFest in Arizona. (Rick Scuteri) But the decision was appealed and the Supreme Court ruled in Trump's favor , concluding that "states have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency." Still, Davis and Schulte griped that the "court did not address the finding that Trump had engaged in insurrection," insisting that the Supreme Court's decision in this case does not preclude Congress from rejecting electoral votes when they convene on January 6. ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE MOVES TRUMP ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS OFFICIALLY BECOMING PRESIDENT "Counting the Electoral College votes is a matter uniquely assigned to Congress by the Constitution. Under well-settled law this fact deprives the Supreme Court of a voice in the matter, because the rejection of the vote on constitutionally specified grounds is a nonreviewable political question," they claimed. The columnists urged Congress to reject the electoral vote using the Electoral Count Act, which allows for an objection only if "the electors from a state were not lawfully certified or if the vote of one or more electors was not 'regularly given.'" "A vote for a candidate disqualified by the Constitution is plainly in accordance with the normal use of words ‘not regularly given,'" they claimed. "Disqualification for engaging in insurrection is no different from disqualification based on other constitutional requirements such as age, citizenship from birth and 14 years’ residency in the United States." An objection under the Count Act requires a petition signed by 20 percent of the members of each House. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The dome of the U.S. Capitol building is seen from a perch in Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital) "If the objection is sustained by majority vote in each house, the vote is not counted and the number of votes required to be elected is reduced by the number of disqualified votes. If all votes for Trump were not counted, Kamala Harris would be elected president," they wrote. "The unlikelihood of congressional Republicans doing anything that might elect Harris as president is obvious," they concluded. "But Democrats need to take a stand against Electoral College votes for a person disqualified by the Constitution from holding office unless and until this disability is removed. No less is required by their oath to support and defend the Constitution." The column garnered swift and fierce backlash online, with critics accusing the authors of "endorsing insurrection." "Oh, look. Democrats want to steal the election and invalidate the will of the American people.Threat to Democracy," Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote on X. "You people are sick," Eric Trump replied. " Sounds like @thehill is endorsing insurrection. Yes, try blocking the inauguration of a President who won the popular vote and the electoral college. Let’s see how that goes for y’all," anti-woke activist Robby Starbuck said. This article constitutes a conspiracy to overturn the 2024 election," Senior Counsel at the Article III Project, Will Chamberlain, posted. Political comedian Tim Young weighed in, "@thehill In fantasy land, democrats at The Hill think they can stop Trump from taking office." Kevin and Keith Hodge, known as the Hodgetwins, responded, "This is a real insurrection against the will of the people." "This sounds very insurrection-y," journalist Ian Miles Cheong agreed. "Warrants were served on people who said far less than this about Biden in 2021," conservative commentator John Cardillo posted . "This is the kind of nonsense Democrats must reject Trump won in a fair democratic process," former presidential candidate John Delaney wrote . "Democrats should be either working with him when it is in the best interest of the nation or their constituents or standing firm when it's not. Americans don't want pure obstructionists." Yael Halon is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to yael.halon@fox.com .

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts may sit out a potential NFC East clincher against Dallas because of the lingering effects of a concussion . The Eagles could also just rest Hurts to play it safe -- even if he’s medically cleared ahead of Sunday’s game -- and protect their franchise QB from additional injury over the final two games. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni kept quiet this week on which QB will start Sunday, in large part, of course, because of the head injury suffered by Hurts in last week’s loss to Washington that forced him into the concussion protocol . The issue was complicated by backup Kenny Pickett’s rib injury suffered in relief of Hurts in his first real game competition in nearly a year. Tanner McKee, the third-string QB, could move into a backup role — or maybe even get the start against the Cowboys. Philadelphia's starting quarterback situation has surged past Saquon Barkley's chase at Eric Dickerson's season rushing record as the most intriguing talking point in the final two games. The Eagles (12-3) appear certain to win the division title — they're two games ahead of Washington (10-5) — and a No. 2 seed in the conference no matter the quarterback headed into the playoffs. Even with an unsettled QB spot, the Eagles are are still 71⁄2-point home favorites to beat division rival Dallas, per BetMGM Sportsbook. Sirianni appreciated that quarterback depth has been a strength for the Eagles. “We feel good about that room,” he said. So why risk Hurts against the Cowboys? There's little reason to make Hurts play only a week after absorbing a pair of blows to the head and the extra week off — maybe two if the finale against the Giants is truly meaningless — could add to his recovery time ahead of a home playoff game. The Eagles were burned in a similar situation last season when Hurts and star wide receiver A.J. Brown were both injured in the final game against the Giants with little at stake. With both players hampered by unnecessary injuries, the Eagles were dumped the next week by Tampa Bay in the NFC wild-card playoff game. The Eagles have options if Hurts is inactive. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards in relief, throwing a touchdown pass to Brown and an interception. Pickett, a first-round pick out of Pitt in 2022, went 14-10 as a starter for the Steelers before he was traded to the Eagles in the offseason. McKee was the Eagles’ 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford. The 6-foot-6, 231-pound quarterback has yet to take a snap in a regular-season game. He's mostly used in practice on the scout team or in developmental periods — at best, he'll stay late after practice to get some reps in with the top receivers. “Every week, every opportunity, it's knowing it could be my shot, my chance,” McKee said. He could finally get that shot against Dallas. With the Cowboys out of playoff contention, the questions persist for coach Mike McCarthy about bypassing Cooper Rush for a look at Trey Lance before both QBs hit free agency. McCarthy’s answer hasn’t wavered: Rush gives Dallas the best chance to win. Rush is 4-3 since Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring tear after going 5-1 over two previous stints as an injury replacement. That’s 9-4 total. Half the losses came in both of Rush’s starts against Eagles – the last of five games filling in during the 2022 season and the first game this season. “The mindset is to win,” McCarthy said. “We’re going to Philadelphia to win the game.” Barkley leads the NFL with 1,838 yards rushing for the season through 15 games. He still needs two big outings in the final games of the season against Dallas and the New York Giants to top Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. Barkley is 268 yards away from passing Dickerson for the season mark and 162 shy from becoming the ninth player in NFL history with 2,000 yards rushing in a season. He ran for only 66 yards in the first game this season against Dallas. Dallas ranks 28th in the NFL in rushing defense, surrendering 135.9 yards per contest. Philadelphia, behind Barkley’s stellar play, tops the league at 187.9 yards per game on the ground. The Eagles have already have set a team record for yards rushing in a season with 2,818, and they are within four rushing touchdowns of tying the club’s single-season mark of 32, set in 2022. Barkley needs four more rushing touchdowns to tie LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record, set in 2011 and just 33 yards from scrimmage to break McCoy’s mark of 2,146 set in 2013. Star Dallas edge rusher Micah Parsons needs half a sack to reach double digits in each of his first four seasons despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain, the first injury absence of his career. The 2021 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year would be the fifth player to reach 10 sacks in each of his first four seasons. The other four — Claude Humphrey, Reggie White, Derrick Thomas and Dwight Freeney - are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed from Arlington, Texas. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke's Cooper Flagg knows what's coming from older and stronger defenders. So too does Auburn coach Bruce Pearl when it comes to the pressure facing his frontcourt star, Johni Broome. On Wednesday night, the two preseason Associated Press All-Americans headlined a heavyweight matchup worthy of March, though from very different positions: Flagg as the 17-year-old touted freshman mentioned as a possible No. 1 overall NBA draft pick long before showing up on campus, Broome as the 22-year-old fifth-year senior who started his career at a mid-major. Yet they're each shouldering the burden of top billing on a team with national title aspirations, all on display as the ninth-ranked Blue Devils beat the second-ranked Tigers 84-78 in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg finished with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds with four assists, three steals and two blocks. The 6-10 240-pound Broome had 20 points, 12 rebounds and three assists before fouling out late. They didn't match up directly, but remained the gravitational force at the center of everything — from offensive plans to collapsing defenses — all the same. For Flagg, it was sign of big-game growth after late stumbles in losses to Kentucky and Kansas, along with handling the physical play of the Tigers. "That's something I'm going to start to see more and more," Flagg said. "It's definitely going to be a game plan for the other team, just to try and be physical with me. I think that's something that I've been dealing with since I was in sixth, seventh grade. People look at me and think they can just out-tough me, be more physical with me, and it would take me out the game. "But I've just got to keep playing through it, keep learning how to use that against them and just keep getting better." He did that against the veteran-laden Tigers, scoring 16 points and drawing seven fouls while getting to the line nine times after halftime. He felt several of those, too, such as Chaney Johnson's off-ball bump that knocked him to the hardwood midway through the second half and left him wincing. "I told him all week: 'They're going at you the whole time,'" junior teammate Tyrese Proctor said. "They had a couple of dirty plays. I just told him to keep his head composed and poised and just trust himself." Flagg pushed through regardless and showed some of his smooth moves, particularly in the second half. A dribble drive into the lane for a fallaway jumper over 6-11 big man Dylan Cardwell; pouncing on a defensive switch to drive and easily score over 6-4 guard Denver Jones; a spinning drop-step score in the paint while being fouled, leaving Pearl staring at officials and pointing to the Tigers' end of the court about an earlier no-call. Flagg also had no turnovers in his 37 minutes, a reversal after losing late turnovers in the losses to the Wildcats and Jayhawks. "To be able to coach him, he never fights you," Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. "He just never fights you. In a game, you can get on him. In practice he's always wanting to get better and in every aspect of his game. "I've always felt like Cooper's a one-time guy. He needs to experience something one time to get adjusted." As for Broome, he was coming off a dominating run through the Maui Invitational that made him the AP men's college basketball national player of the week Tuesday. Auburn also jumped two spots in Monday's latest AP Top 25, erasing nearly all of top-ranked Kansas' previous margin on the No. 2-ranked team. And that made the Tigers just the second top-2 nonconference team to play in Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1965 and first since top-ranked Michigan's "Fab Five" lost here December 1992 — exactly 32 years ago Thursday. Broome, who played his first two college seasons at Morehead State, offered matchup concerns with his ability to handle the ball on the perimeter, alter shots and attack the glass. And he was unbothered by the hostility of Duke's famously rambunctious "Cameron Crazies" fans, staring at them through much of pregame warmups with a grin and even laughing multiple times. He didn't shoot well early (2 for 9 in the first half) but started thriving in the pick-and-roll after halftime with Duke's defense stretched by Auburn's 3-point shooters. He nearly had a double-double in the second half (15 points, nine rebounds), including when he finished at the rim through Mason Gillis' foul and knocked Gillis to the ground — then gave him a lengthy stare as he stood over him. Broome led the Tigers until fouling out with 15 seconds left with Blue Devils fans starting to chant "Our house! Our house!" to mark another home win in their famed arena. He never flinched, even in the face of Auburn's first loss. "I think he's handled (the pressure) really well," Pearl said. "One of the reasons our team has played well so far this year is Johni's been a tremendously consistent player. Clearly a (national) player of the year candidate. If our team continues to win, he's our best player. ... He's able to do it on both ends, and he's able to do it inside and out." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Google is criticizing what it called a “radical” proposal to remedy government antitrust claims. The tech giant made the argument in a blog post Thursday (Nov. 21), one day after the U.S. Department of Justice called for Google to divest its Chrome browser to answer a ruling that the company has a search market monopoly. “DOJ had a chance to propose remedies related to the issue in this case: search distribution agreements with Apple , Mozilla , smartphone OEMs and wireless carriers,” the post said. “Instead, DOJ chose to push a radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership. DOJ’s wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the court’s decision. It would break a range of Google products — even beyond Search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives.” In a court filing Wednesday (Nov. 20), the government said forcing Google to sell Chrome would make for a more equitable search engine market. Selling, the filing said, “will permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet.” Google argued in the blog post that the proposal would undermine the quality of its products and bring about “government micromanagement of Google Search” by appointing a “Technical Committee.” “As just one example, DOJ’s proposal would literally require us to install not one but two separate choice screens before you could access Google Search on a Pixel phone you bought,” the post said. “And the design of those choice screens would have to be approved by the Technical Committee. And that’s just a small part of it. We wish we were making this up.” A federal court ruled in August that Google has a monopoly on the search market, following a 2020 antitrust suit by the DOJ. The department said in October it was weighing a breakup of Google’s businesses that could include splitting off its Chrome, Play or Android units. In an Oct. 8 court filing , the DOJ floated limits to default agreements and “other revenue-sharing arrangements related to search and search-related products,” which would cover Google’s multibillion-dollar search arrangements with Apple and Samsung .Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. scores again as Jaguars beat Titans 20-13 for rare series sweep

Trump's Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It's a shift seen in his labor pickMawson Infrastructure Group (OTCMKTS:WIZP) Trading Down 4.8% – Should You Sell?TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) — Eleven clandestine graves with the bodies of 15 men were located in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, where a dispute between the Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación drug cartels is taking place, local authorities said Sunday. Chiapas Gov. Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar said on his social media channels that the findings came as the result of a raid in the city of La Concordia, near Mexico ‘s border with Guatemala . He said four people connected to the case had been arrested with weapons and drugs. The state prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the raid took place in two different properties. The first site had three bodies in three graves and in the second, eight graves with 12 bodies. “It is worth mentioning that for these operations technological tools such as drones and geo-radars were used, in addition to aerial overflight, ground search, field forensics, back-excavation and drills,” it said. Chiapas Prosecutor General Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca said last week that another clandestine grave with charred bodies was found in Emiliano Zapata, neighboring La Concordia, but did not give more details because of the poor state of the bodies for identification. The dispute over drug routes, migrant trafficking and weapons has left more than 10,000 people displaced in recent years, including Mexicans fleeing to Guatemala, according to reports from humanitarian organizations.

Sergel is heading towards generating Tk 1,000 crore in annual sales as over Tk 900 crore worth of the gastrological medicine was sold in the first nine months of this year, according to information technology company IMS Health. This is one of the largest selling products in the country. Md Halimuzzaman, CEO of Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Ltd, said he was proud of this single brand of the company reaching such high sales, although it had not reached Tk 1,000 crore yet. Since the customer base is high, the sales growth now appears low compared to previous years but there is potential for further growth, he said. The second and third-highest selling medicine brands are also from the same gastrological generic. Sales of Maxpro and Pantonix have reached Tk 486 crore and Tk 376 crore respectively. In the pharmaceuticals market, the market share of gastrologic products is the highest and Sergel has earned the highest market share over the years for its acceptance among doctors and patients, said Halimuzzaman. Among the 10 top-selling drug brands, five are gastrological medicines. Sergel holds a 2.67 percent market share, with sales worth Tk 918 crore in the nine-month period. Maxpro holds a 1.41 percent market share and the market share of Pantonix is 1.10 percent, the data showed. Apart from Sergel, some other brands have become popular over the years, said Halimuzzaman. The fourth-highest selling drug in the nine months period was Napa, with sales reaching Tk 338 crore. Sales of Cef-3, Monas, Exium, Seclo and Bizoran are also above Tk 200 crore. Almost all the drug companies have their own brands of these drugs, which bear the same molecular formula, but some gained popularity on gaining people's confidence. And this confidence passes from person to person, he said. There are 31 generic drugs that sell for over Tk 100 crore. The data showed that sales of 79 generic medicine were above Tk 50 crore. The data indicates that although the sales of individual brands of products of some companies may not be high, but the brand value of the companies themselves ensures high sales of all their medicines. Jubayer Alam, company secretary of Renata PLC, said most people over 18 years of age take gastrological medicine as there is no discipline when it comes to food intake and habits. Due to this, many people suffer from ailments affecting the digestive system, he said. Demand is growing for rosuvastatin drugs, which lowers cholesterol, as many people are dying of heart attacks, he added. Even in developed countries, demand for such medicine is growing, so it also may see a good growth in the country, he added. "We are really happy that we can serve a huge number of patients to overcome ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux disease and hyperacidity related problems with Maxpro," Alam said. "All Maxpro formulations are manufactured in USFDA, UKMHRA and Anvisa approved facilities so that patients get the best esomeprazole of the country," he added. Sergel is heading towards generating Tk 1,000 crore in annual sales as over Tk 900 crore worth of the gastrological medicine was sold in the first nine months of this year, according to information technology company IMS Health. This is one of the largest selling products in the country. Md Halimuzzaman, CEO of Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Ltd, said he was proud of this single brand of the company reaching such high sales, although it had not reached Tk 1,000 crore yet. Since the customer base is high, the sales growth now appears low compared to previous years but there is potential for further growth, he said. The second and third-highest selling medicine brands are also from the same gastrological generic. Sales of Maxpro and Pantonix have reached Tk 486 crore and Tk 376 crore respectively. In the pharmaceuticals market, the market share of gastrologic products is the highest and Sergel has earned the highest market share over the years for its acceptance among doctors and patients, said Halimuzzaman. Among the 10 top-selling drug brands, five are gastrological medicines. Sergel holds a 2.67 percent market share, with sales worth Tk 918 crore in the nine-month period. Maxpro holds a 1.41 percent market share and the market share of Pantonix is 1.10 percent, the data showed. Apart from Sergel, some other brands have become popular over the years, said Halimuzzaman. The fourth-highest selling drug in the nine months period was Napa, with sales reaching Tk 338 crore. Sales of Cef-3, Monas, Exium, Seclo and Bizoran are also above Tk 200 crore. Almost all the drug companies have their own brands of these drugs, which bear the same molecular formula, but some gained popularity on gaining people's confidence. And this confidence passes from person to person, he said. There are 31 generic drugs that sell for over Tk 100 crore. The data showed that sales of 79 generic medicine were above Tk 50 crore. The data indicates that although the sales of individual brands of products of some companies may not be high, but the brand value of the companies themselves ensures high sales of all their medicines. Jubayer Alam, company secretary of Renata PLC, said most people over 18 years of age take gastrological medicine as there is no discipline when it comes to food intake and habits. Due to this, many people suffer from ailments affecting the digestive system, he said. Demand is growing for rosuvastatin drugs, which lowers cholesterol, as many people are dying of heart attacks, he added. Even in developed countries, demand for such medicine is growing, so it also may see a good growth in the country, he added. "We are really happy that we can serve a huge number of patients to overcome ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux disease and hyperacidity related problems with Maxpro," Alam said. "All Maxpro formulations are manufactured in USFDA, UKMHRA and Anvisa approved facilities so that patients get the best esomeprazole of the country," he added.

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:31 p.m. ESTNever a better time to partner with Canada

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Social Security tackles overpayment ‘injustices,’ but problems remainSamsung is expected to replace its flagship phone, the Galaxy S24 Ultra in the new year. Which means that savvy shoppers who want a great price on a new phone will know that this is the optimum time to buy. And now, Best Buy and Amazon have keen prices. The deals highlighted within this post were independently selected by the Contributor and do not contain affiliate links. Amazon had already slashed $300 off the price of the S24 Ultra, though as Forbes fellow contributor Janhoi McGregor pointed out , with the right phone to trade in at Samsung you could end up with a better price still. However, Best Buy has just suddenly launched a Doorbuster sale which takes $350 off the price of the S24 Ultra with 256GB storage, taking the total down to $949.99. This price is for the Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow and Titanium Gray finishes. This is part of Best Buy’s holiday flash sale, but it only lasts for 48 hours. Amazon has matched this price, so you can snag any of the four colors for the same 27% discount, $949.99. Amazon is offering delivery between Jan. 4 and 8, or with fastest delivery between Dec. 28 and Dec. 31. Either way, as you’ll notice, that means delivery after Christmas. How about Samsung itself? Those previous price cuts which could be combined with trade-ins to yield extraordinary value are no longer available and the phone has leapt back to its regular $1,299. That said, trade-in prices are still there: up to $800 for the Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G or $559 with an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. Other phones earn trade-in values, but often much less. A Google Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 8 Pro or even the first-gen Pixel Fold all attract the same trade-in deal: $300. Right now, you’re better off going to Amazon or Best Buy, if you can buy before the special sales are over. Meanwhile, the price and capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are unknown. There could be a snappy new design or swathe of key features—but there won’t be any price discounts likely for months at least.

Trump floats taking control of Panama Canal, GreenlandSCOTTSDALE, AZ — A report by the state’s worker-safety agency details more information about a Scottsdale police detective who died on the job earlier this year. On the evening of June 13th , Detective Ryan So was part of a search warrant and arrest operation returning to their facility after serving a warrant. His team was unloading equipment from a vehicle when he picked up a backpack from the vehicle. The rifle inside was in a folded position when it fell out of the bag. The rifle butt hit the pavement and the weapon discharged, according to a report released Thursday by the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH). He later died at the hospital. Video in the player above includes previous coverage of So's death. ADOSH did not issue any worker safety violations, saying the employer was not aware of the rifle’s condition. The weapon that discharged was not So’s weapon, said ADOSH Director Brian Hudson on Thursday during a public meeting where the report was reviewed. “Apparently there was a round in the chamber,” he said. ABC15 is committed to finding the answers you need and holding those accountable. Submit your news tip to Investigators@abc15.com He acknowledged there may be internal policies within the Scottsdale Police Department related to gun storage and ammunition that are outside the jurisdiction of the state’s worker safety agency. The detective’s sister, Haerena So, attended the meeting and, through tears, questioned why something so negligent was allowed to happen. “Ryan’s death is not his fault. Ryan’s death was not caused by him.” She said his family is reeling from “this terrible, horrible tragedy” and they have no closure. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner has ruled So’s death accidental, saying he died of a gunshot wound to the neck. The 38-year-old was a nine-year veteran of the Scottsdale Police Department. He left behind a wife and three children. So was born in Scottsdale and attended the University of Arizona. His pastor at Valley Life Church, Brian Bowman, described him as a devoted father and a beloved church member. “Ryan loved Jesus with all his heart, and it showed in the way he cared for the people in our church,” Bowman told ABC15 in June. “He was a leader. People looked up to him and admired him.” Another outside agency – the Mesa Police Department – is conducting an investigation into So’s death per protocol. Scottsdale Police said in a statement to AB15 the report is being reviewed for redactions. It did not have an estimated date for release. Email ABC15 Investigator Anne Ryman at anne.ryman@abc15.com , call her at 602-685-6345 , or connect on X, formerly known as Twitter , and Facebook . Latest ABC15 investigations: Preston Lord suspect's motion to have case sent back to grand jury denied Ashley Holden The new technology used to find seniors who wander away Anne Ryman Deaf man beaten by Phoenix police files $3.5 million claim Dave Biscobing Maricopa County set to approve massive settlement for in-custody death Dave BiscobingChristian McCaffrey's season is likely over. Though Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday left the door open to the San Francisco 49ers' star running back returning if they overcome the odds to make the playoffs, for last season's Offensive Player of the Year the focus is now on next year. After being placed on injured reserve following a PCL injury suffered in last Sunday's defeat to the Buffalo Bills, McCaffrey conceded as such. In a post on Instagram, McCaffrey accepted that, having missed the first eight games of the year with bilateral Achilles tendinitis before seeing what was left of his campaign cut short in the Buffalo snow, the 2024 season was simply not meant to be for him. But in doing so he pledged to respond in style in 2025. A post shared by Christian McCaffrey (@christianmccaffrey) His post read: "Football is the greatest game on the planet to me. I love that you can find out exactly who you are without ever saying a word. "It lifts you up and breaks you down and it can happen fast. It’s humbling in the best ways. You can do everything right and still fail. Thats life and that’s football. It’s a constant test of wills and those who just keep going tend to reap the benefits of their perseverance. "This wasn’t my year, and sometimes when it rains, it pours. You can feel sorry for yourself and listen to the birds, or you can hold the line. I’m grateful for the support of everyone in my corner and promise I’ll work smarter and harder than ever to come back better from this. I love my teammates, I love the 9ers, and I love football. God doesn’t miss. Onward." San Francisco backed McCaffrey, who will be 29 when next season starts, to avoid the cliff many running backs hit as they approach their 30s. The Niners are expecting him to continue to thrive as he had done consistently since his 2022 trade from the Carolina Panthers prior to this injury-hit year. Having put their financial faith in him, the 49ers need McCaffrey to make good on his promise to come back stronger. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.Renewed sectarian clashes kill 32 in Pakistan’s northwest

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Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes fight following the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes fight following the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Barbara J. Perenic-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images A melee broke out at midfield of Ohio Stadium after Michigan upset No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday. After the Wolverines' fourth straight win in the series, players converged at the block "O" to plant its flag. The Ohio State players were in the south end zone singing their alma mater in front of the student section. When the Buckeyes saw the Wolverines' flag, they rushed toward the 50-yard line. Social media posts showed Michigan offensive lineman Raheem Anderson carrying the flag on a long pole to midfield, where the Wolverines were met by dozens of Ohio State players and fights broke out. Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer was seen ripping the flag off the pole and taking the flag as he scuffled with several people trying to recover the flag. A statement from the Ohio State Police Department read: "Following the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation. During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. OSUPD is the lead agency for games and will continue to investigate." Michigan running back Kalel Mullings on FOX said: "For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game. It's bad for the sport, bad for college football. At the end of the day, some people got to learn how to lose, man. "You can't be fighting and stuff just because you lost the game. We had 60 minutes and four quarters to do all that fighting. Now people want to talk and fight. That's wrong. It's bad for the game. Classless, in my opinion. People got to be better." Once order was restored, officers cordoned the 50-yard line, using bicycles as barriers. Ohio State coach Ryan Day in his postgame press conference said he wasn't sure what happened. "I don't know all the details of it. But I know that these guys are looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren't going to let that happen," he said. "I'll find out exactly what happened, but this is our field and certainly we're embarrassed at the fact we lost the game, but there's some prideful guys on our team that weren't just going to let that happen." The Big Ten has not yet released a statement on the incident. --Field Level Media REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now747 baccarat 。

Meet the Gophers' top-rated recruit Emmanuel KarmoOttawa Senators (10-11-1, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (13-8-3, in the Pacific Division) Los Angeles; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Kings -123, Senators +102; over/under is 6 BOTTOM LINE: The Ottawa Senators visit the Los Angeles Kings after Adam Gaudette's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators' 4-3 win. Los Angeles has a 13-8-3 record overall and a 7-2-1 record in home games. The Kings have conceded 65 goals while scoring 71 for a +6 scoring differential. Ottawa is 10-11-1 overall and 4-6-0 on the road. The Senators have allowed 71 goals while scoring 70 for a -1 scoring differential. Saturday's game is the second time these teams meet this season. The Senators won the last meeting 8-7 in overtime. Gaudette scored two goals in the win. TOP PERFORMERS: Anze Kopitar has seven goals and 20 assists for the Kings. Adrian Kempe has six goals and five assists over the past 10 games. Brady Tkachuk has 11 goals and 12 assists for the Senators. Gaudette has scored five goals over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 5-5-0, averaging 2.4 goals, 4.6 assists, 3.5 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game. Senators: 4-5-1, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.9 assists, 4.1 penalties and 9.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game. INJURIES: Kings: None listed. Senators: None listed. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Trae Young, Hawks hoping to win big in Vegas at the NBA Cup semifinalsWashington Commanders release 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel ForbesMONDAY'S HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Ellwood City Lincoln boys basketball team tops Sto-Rox

Asia’s gasoline margins continued to climb on Wednesday, as 300,000 barrels of the benchmark grade of octane exchanged hands at the closing window. The margins rose to $9.57 per barrel over Brent crude, from $9.02 on Tuesday. In naphtha, the margins were flat amid weaker regional demand. The margins dipped by $1.13 to $91.28 per metric ton over Brent crude. Light distillate stocks, including naphtha and gasoline, at the Fujairah commercial hub rose by 416,000 barrels to 6.949 million barrels in the week ending Dec. 2, S&P Global Commodity Insights data showed. U.S. gasoline inventories rose by 2.85 million barrels, and distillate stocks rose by 2.45 million barrels in the week ending Dec. 6, market sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Oil prices climbed 1% on Wednesday as market participants anticipated a rise in demand from top importer China following Beijing’s latest plans to boost economic growth. O/R Four gasoline deals and no naphtha trade. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Haridas; Editing by Eileen Soreng)Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump’s most contentious picksProsecutors in Santa Clara County have charged six former Apple employees for allegedly exploiting the tech giant's gift-matching program for charitable donations. According to the District Attorney's Office, the workers were charged with multiple felonies, including grand theft, conspiracy to commit felony grand theft, perjury and tax fraud in connection with the scheme, which took place between 2018 and 2021. The employees also face an aggravated white-collar crime enhancement due to the sums involved. The suspects have been identified as 37-year-old Siu Kei (Alex) Kwan of Castro Valley, 34-year-old Yathei (Hayson) Yuen of San Jose, 35-year-old Yat C (Sunny) Ng of Milpitas, 38-year-old Wentao (Victor) Li of Hayward, 39-year-old Lichao Ni of Sunnyvale, and 31-year-old Zheng Chang of Union City. "This case underscores our unwavering commitment to rigorously prosecuting individuals who defraud the tech community and misuse vital charitable programs and state resources," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement . "We commend Apple for coming forward and actively collaborating with our Office to uncover this elaborate fraud." According to prosecutors, Kwan was the alleged ringleader of the operation, directing the other five suspects to donate to two charities: the "American Chinese International Cultural Exchange (ACICE)" and "Hop4Kids." Kwan was the CEO of Hop4Kids and the accountant for ACICE. Prosecutors said the employees would make donations through a third-party platform called Benevity. Apple would provide a 100% or 200% match and Benevity would disperse the funds to the charities. Kwan allegedly reimbursed the employees and kept the matching funds for himself. He also allegedly prepared fraudulent tax returns. The employees are also accused of falsely claiming the donations as tax deductions. Prosecutors said the suspects extracted about $152,000 from Apple's gift-matching program and overreported around $100,000 in charitable contributions as tax deductions in their returns. According to Rosen's office, arrest warrants have been issued for all six suspects. Arraignment dates have not been set. If convicted, the suspects face possible jail time and could be forced to pay restitution, fines and fees.

Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Clear Secure, Inc. ( NYSE:YOU – Free Report ) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 20,767 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $688,000. A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of YOU. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its position in Clear Secure by 56.5% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,954,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,271,000 after purchasing an additional 1,066,400 shares in the last quarter. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC lifted its stake in Clear Secure by 303.6% in the 2nd quarter. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC now owns 1,199,649 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,445,000 after purchasing an additional 902,436 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Clear Secure by 278.3% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,099,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,563,000 after purchasing an additional 808,515 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Clear Secure by 56.3% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,103,578 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,358,000 after purchasing an additional 757,528 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Clear Secure by 402.2% in the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 885,325 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,564,000 after purchasing an additional 709,020 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.80% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have weighed in on YOU shares. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Clear Secure from $34.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $26.00 price target (up previously from $24.00) on shares of Clear Secure in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Clear Secure from $24.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Clear Secure from $27.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of Clear Secure in a research report on Friday, November 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $32.67. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Alclear Investments Ii, Llc sold 227,021 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.05, for a total transaction of $7,049,002.05. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Also, CAO Dennis W. Liu sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.05, for a total transaction of $46,575.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,211 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $223,901.55. This trade represents a 17.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 901,500 shares of company stock valued at $29,055,829 over the last quarter. 37.85% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Clear Secure Trading Down 0.9 % YOU stock opened at $25.87 on Friday. Clear Secure, Inc. has a 12 month low of $16.05 and a 12 month high of $38.88. The stock has a market cap of $3.61 billion, a PE ratio of 30.08 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $31.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.70. Clear Secure ( NYSE:YOU – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $198.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $194.62 million. Clear Secure had a return on equity of 48.28% and a net margin of 10.93%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.20 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Clear Secure, Inc. will post 0.98 EPS for the current year. Clear Secure Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 10th will be issued a $0.125 dividend. This is a positive change from Clear Secure’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 10th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.93%. Clear Secure’s payout ratio is presently 46.51%. Clear Secure Company Profile ( Free Report ) Clear Secure, Inc operates a secure identity platform under the CLEAR brand name primarily in the United States. Its secure identity platform is a multi-layered infrastructure consisting of front-end, including enrollment, verification, and linking, as well as back-end. The company also offers CLEAR Plus, a consumer aviation subscription service, which enables access to predictable entry lanes in airport security checkpoints, as well as access to broader network; and CLEAR mobile app, which is used to enroll new members and improve the experience for existing members. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding YOU? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Clear Secure, Inc. ( NYSE:YOU – Free Report ). 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S&P Dow Jones Indices Announces Dow Jones Sustainability Indices 2024 Review ResultsTCU leading scorer Frankie Collins will miss rest of season after breaking left foot

NEW YORK and AMSTERDAM , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), the world's leading index provider, today announced the results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) rebalancing and reconstitution. The DJSI are float-adjusted market capitalization weighted indices that measure the performance of companies selected using environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. The DJSI, including the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), were launched in 1999 as the pioneering series of global sustainability benchmarks available in the market. The index family is comprised of global, regional and country benchmarks. As a result of this year's review, the following top three largest companies based on free-float market capitalization have been added to and deleted from the DJSI World. All changes are effective on Monday, December 23, 2024 . Additions: Airbus SE, Schlumberger Ltd, BAE Systems Plc Deletions: Alphabet Inc 1 , UnitedHealth Group Inc, ASML Holding NV 2 The full results and list of DJSI constituents will be available as of Monday, December 23 2024 , at https://www.spglobal.com/esg/csa/djsi-annual-review S&P Dow Jones Indices will be renaming a number of its sustainability and ESG-related indices (see Index Announcement ). As part of this update, the family of Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) will be renamed Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices. The changes will become effective on Monday, February 10, 2025 . The S&P Global CSA Scores will continue to be a key factor in selecting constituents for the DJSI when they are renamed Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices in February 2025 . For more information about the DJSI methodology, please visit: www.spglobal.com/spdji . ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets. S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit: www.spglobal.com/spdji . 1 Still member of DJSI World Enlarged and DJSI North America 2 Still member of DJSI World Enlarged S&P DJI MEDIA CONTACTS: spdji.comms@spglobal.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sp-dow-jones-indices-announces-dow-jones-sustainability-indices-2024-review-results-302331745.html SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices

S&P Dow Jones Indices Announces Dow Jones Sustainability Indices 2024 Review ResultsHONG KONG: Manmohan Singh was the face of India’s transformation. As finance minister in the early 1990s, and from 2004 as its prime minister for a decade, his reforms loosened excessive state controls, opened up the economy, pulled millions out of poverty and made the West accept the nuclear-armed nation as an ally. Or at least, that’s how his legacy will be remembered globally. But to my generation of Indians, Singh, who died at 92 on Thursday (Dec 26) night in a New Delhi hospital, was above everything else the embodiment of hope. He instilled in us a strong belief that a market economy would work. Not just for a tiny elite in New Delhi and Mumbai, but for a majority scattered across smaller towns and villages, battling against overwhelming odds of economic and educational poverty and social discrimination. A TOP TECHNOCRAT His own story gave us confidence. A 15-year-old Sikh refugee boy in newly independent India, whose family had fled from Pakistan during the subcontinent’s 1947 partition, he went on to study economics at Oxford and Cambridge and built an impressive career as a top technocrat. Singh and his colleagues were able to convince us that in a post-socialist, market-led economy, we, too, would be free to chase our dreams. With education and hard work, our lives, too, would be vastly better than our parents’; upward mobility would no longer be an exclusive preserve of the privileged. Through the 1990s, the reform project stayed on track even as governments changed. But the promise started to fray during Singh’s second term as prime minister. The unwieldy Congress-led coalition government he ran from 2009 was besieged, from one side, by crony capitalists gorging on debt from state-owned banks only to siphon off money into their Swiss bank accounts. From the other side, it was under attack by a political opposition that blamed Singh’s indecisive leadership for rampant corruption, high inflation, slowing growth and a falling rupee. “I do not believe that I have been a weak prime minister,” Singh said in one of his last press conferences, just a few months before the Hindu right-wing leader Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party swept the 2014 election. “I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media or for that matter the opposition in parliament.” That prediction didn’t take too long to get tested. In November 2016, Prime Minister Modi banned 86 per cent of India’s currency overnight. Singh, who described the move as “organised loot and legalised plunder” said it would crush economic growth. He was right. INDIA AT A CRITICAL TIME With his death, India has been deprived of sage counsel at a time when growth is once again anaemic, policymaking has become whimsical, many industries are facing extreme concentration of economic power, the middle class is feeling weighed down by taxation, and the poor are being excluded from government programmes in the name of plugging leakages. Religious strife is on the rise, and politicians of all hues are bribing voters to capture power where they can, without sparing a thought for how best to use national resources for development. After 10 years in the top job, Modi’s personality cult is weakening, but to his supporters, the belief in a prosperous India has become an uncritical act of faith. That wasn’t the effect Singh intended when, in his first budget speech in 1991, he channelled Victor Hugo: “No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come,” he said. “The emergence of India as a major economic power in the world happens to be one such idea.” HEADED ONCE AGAIN TOWARD PROTECTIONISM Well, India is now the world’s fifth-largest economy, on track to becoming the third biggest in a few years. But that’s largely a statistical artifact: A product of extremely unequal growth that’s making a tiny section of 1.4 billion people very rich. On average, it’s still a lower-middle-income nation with per capita income of US$2,500 last year, nowhere near South Korea’s US$35,000. Korea, which used to be as poor as India in the 1960s, inspired Singh’s vision. He couldn’t replicate the “miracle on the Han” in his lifetime. But a bigger worry is that New Delhi, lurching once again toward protectionist trade policies, is no longer even on the path to that goal. And that will be a shame, if by choosing to replace rational analysis with empty slogans, and genuine reforms with nationalistic chest-thumping, the country lets down the memory of its quiet internationalist.Plexus Corp director Karen Rapp sells $81,430 in stock

Former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis has ruled out running for the presidency of Greece, following a proposal by former PM Antonis Samaras. Speaking at a book presentation in Patra, Karamanlis stated, “While the offer honors me, I must clarify that the matter neither concerns nor interests me.” Karamanlis indirectly addressed the recent expulsion of Samaras from the ruling party, emphasizing that strong criticism should not be demonized or met with disciplinary measures, as these only hinder national unity. Karamanlis condemned Turkey for raising “arbitrary and unfounded” claims regarding sovereignty and the demilitarization of islands, asserting that such issues are firmly grounded in international law. He called on Greece to decisively confront Turkey’s aggression and revisionism, maintaining clear positions on the sole dispute between the two countries: the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf. Turning to Greece’s economic crisis, Karamanlis criticized the austerity measures imposed during the bailout era, calling the policies punitive and ineffective. He highlighted the devastating impact on Greece, noting, “We lost 30% of our national income and nearly 50% of our standard of living.” Karamanlis also criticized the European Union for failing to address economic disparities effectively. “Faced with a major challenge, European leadership chose a shortsighted and miserly approach. Instead of resource transfers from the wealthy North to the struggling South or debt mutualization through Eurobonds, ideologies of blame and distortion were deployed against entire nations,” he said. The former PM blamed Germany’s dominant influence for steering the EU away from its founding principles, eroding citizens’ faith in the European vision.

NEW YORK and AMSTERDAM , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), the world's leading index provider, today announced the results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) rebalancing and reconstitution. The DJSI are float-adjusted market capitalization weighted indices that measure the performance of companies selected using environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. The DJSI, including the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), were launched in 1999 as the pioneering series of global sustainability benchmarks available in the market. The index family is comprised of global, regional and country benchmarks. As a result of this year's review, the following top three largest companies based on free-float market capitalization have been added to and deleted from the DJSI World. All changes are effective on Monday, December 23, 2024 . Additions: Airbus SE, Schlumberger Ltd, BAE Systems Plc Deletions: Alphabet Inc 1 , UnitedHealth Group Inc, ASML Holding NV 2 The full results and list of DJSI constituents will be available as of Monday, December 23 2024 , at https://www.spglobal.com/esg/csa/djsi-annual-review S&P Dow Jones Indices will be renaming a number of its sustainability and ESG-related indices (see Index Announcement ). As part of this update, the family of Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) will be renamed Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices. The changes will become effective on Monday, February 10, 2025 . The S&P Global CSA Scores will continue to be a key factor in selecting constituents for the DJSI when they are renamed Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices in February 2025 . For more information about the DJSI methodology, please visit: www.spglobal.com/spdji . ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets. S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit: www.spglobal.com/spdji . 1 Still member of DJSI World Enlarged and DJSI North America 2 Still member of DJSI World Enlarged S&P DJI MEDIA CONTACTS: spdji.comms@spglobal.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sp-dow-jones-indices-announces-dow-jones-sustainability-indices-2024-review-results-302331745.html SOURCE S&P Dow Jones IndicesShankland warns Hearts team-mates to face the truth over the club's survival battle... and insists the league table does not lie

Musk’s efficiency commission is already overreachingElectric Metals Announces First Tranche Closing and Extension of Private PlacementA “redditor” said AT&T charged him more than $6,000 in a single day after a mixup with his pay plan, . The user, , said he’d been a customer with AT&T for more than a decade and usually bought unlimited plans, which normally cost him about $250 – $266. So when he learned his Dec. 15 bill was $6,223.60, he figured there must have been a mistake. But when he spoke on the phone with , the customer service representative insisted the bill was only $205, not the astronomical figure the user suggested. Usual-Guava-8899 then visited the corporate store in Dallas, Texas, hoping for a solution. The issue had to do with the user’s having recently switched to , AT&T’s nationwide network designed for , which the user reportedly said he was. When his account shifted over to FirstNet, AT&T inadvertently placed him on a pay-per-use plan for a single day. On that day he used 3,097 megabytes of data and was charged accordingly. The issue hadn’t been fully resolved quite yet, however. A store associate told him he’d have to wait for a resolution from the company president’s office. So, the wait began, during which the user posted numerous updates. “I was told the office of the president sent it back to the store to take care of. Not sure if this is good or bad but a store manager is working on it from what I hear,” Usual-Guava-8899 wrote on Dec. 16. Another update followed. “I was contacted by AT&T help here on . They told me I should hear from somebody in 24 hours. I will keep everyone updated,” he wrote. “Also wanted to clarify i have not traveled internationally or been on a cruise during this pay period. Thank you,” he added. On Dec. 17 he posted yet another announcement about the troublesome mishap. “resolution update!! I just got off the phone with the office of the president. The gentleman I spoke with was excellent and told me they have credited my account and I should see a 0 balance in 24-48 hours,” he wrote. “Thank you to everyone who showed an interest in this. I am convinced without the Reddit community I would still not have a resolution.” The issue was ultimately resolved and Usual-Guava-8899 gave one final update about the conundrum. “For those following the issue has 100% been resolved. My balance now shows 0,” he wrote. “AT&T also extended me a good will credit which was very much appreciated. Hats off to the office of the president as they provided amazing service and got the issue resolved asap once they got involved.” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. .

Washington Commanders release 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel ForbesSouth Korean president declares martial law, then backs down amid calls for his impeachmentOttawa Senators (10-11-1, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (13-8-3, in the Pacific Division) Los Angeles; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Kings -123, Senators +102; over/under is 6 BOTTOM LINE: The Ottawa Senators visit the Los Angeles Kings after Adam Gaudette’s two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators’ 4-3 win. Los Angeles has a 13-8-3 record overall and a 7-2-1 record in home games. The Kings have conceded 65 goals while scoring 71 for a +6 scoring differential. Ottawa is 10-11-1 overall and 4-6-0 on the road. The Senators have allowed 71 goals while scoring 70 for a -1 scoring differential. Saturday’s game is the second time these teams meet this season. The Senators won the last meeting 8-7 in overtime. Gaudette scored two goals in the win. TOP PERFORMERS: Anze Kopitar has seven goals and 20 assists for the Kings. Adrian Kempe has six goals and five assists over the past 10 games. Brady Tkachuk has 11 goals and 12 assists for the Senators. Gaudette has scored five goals over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 5-5-0, averaging 2.4 goals, 4.6 assists, 3.5 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game. Senators: 4-5-1, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.9 assists, 4.1 penalties and 9.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game. INJURIES: Kings: None listed. Senators: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Wade Taylor IV racked up 19 points that included eight in the final 3:22 of the game as No. 22 Texas A&M outlasted Texas Tech 72-67 on Sunday afternoon in the USLBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. Texas A&M (8-2) led by as many as 11 points in the first half and by three at halftime before the Red Raiders surged to the front early in the second half. Down 52-49, the Aggies produced an 11-0 surge capped by a jumper by Zhuric Phelps to take a 60-52 advantage with 5:02 to play The Aggies' margin was just two points when Taylor went hard to the hole on back-to-back possessions for layups that pushed the lead to 64-58. A 3-pointer by Tech's Chance McMillian cut lead to three but Taylor, Henry Coleman III and Solomon Washington converted free throws over the final 27 seconds to provide the deciding points for A&M. Jace Carter added 16 points and Phelps had 12 for the Aggies, who have won four straight games. McMillian's 23 points were a game high, while Kevin Overton added 17 and Darrion Williams had 11 for Texas Tech (7-2), which had a three-game winning streak snapped. The Aggies ruled the game's first five minutes, blitzing to a 13-2 lead thanks to eight early points from Taylor and a stifling defense that forced Tech into four turnovers. The Red Raiders responded with an 8-2 run capped by a jumper by Federiko Federiko to close the gap to five points at the 10:57 mark. Texas Tech continued to battle back, clawing to within 26-24 with 5:16 left in the first half thanks to a 9-0 run. Texas A&M boosted the margin to as many as six points after Manny Obaseki hit a layup with 2:23 remaining before McMillian canned a pair of free throws with 41 seconds to play to pull to within 34-31 at the break. Overton led all scorers with 14 points before halftime while Carter paced the Aggies with 13. The Red Raiders pulled even on Federiko's jumper 46 seconds into the second half, went in front on a jumper by Elijah Hawkins with 18:22 to play and pushed their advantage to five points on another Hawkins jumper at the 16:30 mark of the half. The Aggies swung back, tying the contest at 49 when Washington sank a 3-pointer with 10:48 left, setting the stage for the furious finish. --Field Level Mediabaccarat 540 price 。

Power planners have found nuclear energy does not stack up for Australia even after considering new parameters, with large-scale solar and big batteries still the lowest-cost option. Login or signup to continue reading In the draft generation cost update released on Monday, scientists and energy officials warn taxpayers will need deep pockets and a lead time of at least 15 years to develop nuclear energy generation. For the seventh straight year, renewables were the lowest-cost of any new-build electricity-generating technology. After a global energy crisis and equipment supply crunch several years ago, large-scale solar and lithium battery storage have weathered the inflationary period the best of all technologies. The cost of batteries recorded the largest annual reduction, with capital costs down by one-fifth. Rooftop solar costs are also coming down. The draft GenCost 2024-25 Report comes as the coalition pushes for an end to Australia's nuclear ban and promises to have reactors online in as soon as 10 years if elected in 2025. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, eyeing sites in seven regional centres, has pledged to release the coalition's nuclear costings "this week". But nuclear energy generation would be 1.5 to two times more expensive than large-scale solar, according to the analysis released by the national science agency CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator. A one-gigawatt nuclear plant has a price tag of roughly $9 billion, but the bill would double to $18 billion as the first of its kind. Operators would also need to establish new connection points to safely supply the national electricity grid, experts warn. Advocates have demanded greater recognition of the potential cost advantages of nuclear's long operating life compared to solar panels and wind turbines, but CSIRO chief energy economist and GenCost lead author Paul Graham said he found none. "Similar cost savings can be achieved with shorter-lived technologies including renewables, even when accounting for the need to build them twice," Mr Graham said. Nuclear's capacity factor - referring to how much of a year a reactor could operate at full tilt - remains unaltered at 53-89 per cent based on verifiable data and consideration of Australia's unique electricity generation needs. Nor would the often-touted United Arab Emirates example of a relatively quick 12-year nuclear construction time-frame be achievable here, the report found, because Australians require consultation. An increase in gas generation costs in the update included a premium for hydrogen readiness that was not included in previous data. All new gas turbine projects, including Kurri Kurri in NSW, are expected to include the capability for hydrogen blending and eventual conversion to hydrogen firing when supply becomes more readily available. The draft report is open for feedback until February 11, with a final version due in the second quarter of 2025. Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!

BridgingApps® and Sentara Health Plans Creating Transition Tool for Children and Youth with ...Affirm: Re-Evaluating The Stock Amidst Top Execution And Overheated Market

WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump 's team still hasn't signed agreements that are required to formally begin the transition process to the White House — meaning the government can't provide security clearances and briefings to incoming administration officials and the FBI can't screen his rush of picks for the Cabinet and other key posts . The importance of strenuous federal background screenings — and the fact that Trump's team has not been subjecting the president-elect's selections to such vetting — was evident Thursday, when former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew as Trump's pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on whether he could be confirmed by the Senate. Recommended Videos The continued delay on agreeing to start the formal transition process may eventually force senators to vote on Trump’s choices without the benefit of the usual background checks. That process is designed to uncover personal problems, criminal histories and other potential red flags that would raise questions about a nominee’s suitability for key jobs. Beyond the top personnel picks that Trump already has announced, good governance activists and other experts on the transition process have warned for weeks that refusing to sign the transition documents will make it impossible for potentially hundreds of Trump national security appointees to get clearances. And that means the new administration won't be fully prepared to govern when Trump takes power on Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, 2025. Here's a look at where things stand and what effect the delay might have: What hasn't the Trump team signed and why? At issue are memorandums of understanding under which the incoming administration agrees to work with the outgoing one while also submitting requests for name and background checks. The FBI then commits to flagging to the White House any adverse information uncovered during the process. Congressionally mandated ethics disclosures and donor contribution limits are required as part of the agreements needed to begin the transition process. A reluctance to comply with those has been a factor in the Trump team's hesitance to sign them, according to a person familiar with the process who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. Is it too late? No. There's still time for the agreements to be signed. A Justice Department spokesperson said discussions were ongoing with the Trump transition team, which did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday. But transition spokesman Brian Hughes said earlier this month that the team’s “lawyers continue to constructively engage with" lawyers and officials from President Joe Biden 's outgoing administration and promised updates “once a decision is made.” In the meantime, Trump's team has relied on internal campaign aides, allied groups and outside law firms to support its personnel effort. Trump for years has regarded FBI leadership with suspicion — in part because of the Russian election interference investigation that shadowed his first term, and more recently because of FBI investigations into his hoarding of classified documents and his efforts to undo the results of the 2020 election that led to his indictment last year. What effect is this having? During a normal transition period, the new administration uses the time before taking office to begin working to fill 4,000 government positions with political appointees, or people who are specifically tapped for their jobs by Trump’s team. That includes everyone from the secretary of state and other heads of Cabinet departments to those selected to serve part-time on boards and commissions. Around 1,200 of those presidential appointments require Senate confirmation — which should be easier with the Senate shifting to Republican control in January. Trump has moved at record-setting speed to announce his key picks , and Senate GOP leaders say they plan to launch confirmation hearings as soon as the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3 — potentially allowing them to begin voting on nominees as soon as Inauguration Day. But lawmakers also are complaining about what they see as insufficient screening of the picks they’re being asked to consider. Some Senate Republicans have expressed concern about alleged wrongdoing by some Trump selections and two Democratic House members — Don Beyer of Virginia and Ted Lieu of California — introduced a proposal seeking to codify the FBI’s role in the background check process for political appointees of the president. And, while Gaetz is no longer an issue, he's not the only Trump pick with an eyebrow-raising background. The president-elect's nominee to be defense secretary, former Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women’s event in Monterey, California, but was not charged after a police investigation. A police report released Thursday contains graphic details of the sexual assault allegations. The selection of former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence has alarmed some U.S. intelligence analysts. They point to her past criticism of Ukraine, comments supportive of Russia and meetings with Syrian President Bashar Assad, a close ally of Russia and Iran. What effect will this have? Incoming members of Trump's administration aren't getting briefings and other information from their outgoing Biden administration counterparts that can help them better prepare for their new jobs. And Trump appointees with positions involving a security clearance won't be able to begin work without a required background check. Once the president-elect takes office, however, he could simply order that officials be given a security clearance, as he was reported to have done for son-in-law Jared Kushner during his first term. Whether the delay thus far will have any longer-term effects is impossible to yet know. The delayed process may not matter much given that Trump has already served as president and has a much better understanding of how to run an administration than he did in 2016, when he won his first term. But there is precedent for problems. The 9/11 Commission suggested that the disputed election of 2000 — which delayed the start of the transition between outgoing President Bill Clinton and incoming President George W. Bush until December — raised questions about national security gaps from one administration to the other that may have contributed to the U.S. being underprepared for the Sept. 11 attacks the following year. The “36-day delay cut in half the normal transition period,” which constituted a “loss of time that hampered the new administration in identifying, recruiting, clearing and obtaining Senate confirmation of key appointees” the commission's report stated in 2004. ___UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York

Trending News Today Live Updates on December 29, 2024 : Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Christmas decision: Why they opted for a quiet celebration in CaliforniaTexas will look to win its fourth straight game and carry a measure of momentum into its inaugural season as a member of the Southeastern Conference when it hosts Northwestern State on Sunday afternoon in Austin, Texas. It's the final tune-up before the SEC gauntlet for the Longhorns (10-2), who roll into Sunday's game with 10 days of rest and after a 98-62 win over New Orleans on Dec. 19. Justin Pope led Texas with a career-high 42 points, the most for a member of the Longhorns since Reggie Freeman had 43 against Fresno State in 1996. Arthur Kaluma added 15 points and Chendall Weaver scored 12 for Texas, which played without star freshman guard Tre Johnson for the second straight game. Johnson has been listed as day-to-day for a return but would be a likely participant to get at least some playing time before the Longhorns' SEC opener at No. 13 Texas A&M on Jan. 4. Texas coach Rodney Terry is looking for focus on the defensive end from his team as it heads into league play. "We want to be playing Texas basketball defensively," Terry said. "We try to protect the paint, we try to keep the guys off the glass, (and be) physical (with our) block outs. Then try to get out and play to a strength of ours. We're a fast team but you've got to be able to get stops to be able to do that and play in transition." Northwestern State (5-6, 2-0 Southland Conference) heads to Austin after an 89-79 win at home over Southern-New Orleans on Dec. 20. Addison Patterson turned in a career performance in the win with 33 points, 10 rebounds and four assists as the Demons won for the third time in four games. The Demons have played four teams from power conferences -- Texas Tech, Oklahoma, LSU and, most recently, Cal on Dec. 14 -- and have lost by at least 16 points in each game. "Our guys are always ready to play," Demons coach Rick Cabrera said. "We had a really good Christmas break to decompress and recuperate. They are just ready and willing to play anyone regardless of conference. Texas is extremely talented, and we are looking forward to competing with one of the top programs in the country." The contest against Texas is the final non-conference game for Northwestern State, which returns to Southland Conference play at home against Nicholls on Jan. 4. The Longhorns have won all five previous games with Northwestern State, most recently a 105-57 victory at home in November 2017. --Field Level Media

Police say searchers don’t expect to find woman in Pennsylvania sinkhole alive UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — The search for a woman who is believed to have fallen into a sinkhole in western Pennsylvania has become a recovery effort after two treacherous days of digging through mud and rock produced no signs of life. Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said during a news conference Wednesday that authorities no longer believe they will find 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard alive, but that the search for her remains continues. Limani says crews have seen "no signs of any form of life or anything.” Pollard was last seen alive Monday evening when she went out looking for her cat in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. WWE is seeking a bigger stage and Netflix, pushing for more live events, is providing it WWE will perform on a stage next month that could be vastly larger than its current home on cable television when it makes its “Raw” debut on Netflix. The sports entertainment company is moving to a platform with about 283 million subscribers worldwide as it departs its current home on the USA Network, which averaged 688,000 viewers in prime-time last year, according to the Nielsen company. For Netflix, onboarding the WWE is part of strategic move to air more live events on the heels of a hugely successful fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul that was viewed by more than 60 million people. Michigan court upholds light sentence for woman who killed dad in dispute over ride DETROIT (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals has declined to overturn a light jail sentence for a young woman who killed her father by burning him with a dangerous powder. Prosecutors said Megan Imirowicz was upset when her father couldn’t drive her to a hair appointment before her 18th birthday party. Imirowicz was sentenced to only a year in jail in 2023. She actually spent more than a year in custody because she was locked up before trial and while awaiting her punishment in suburban Detroit. Sumo wrestlers bring 1,500 years of tradition to London as the sport has an international moment LONDON (AP) — London’s Royal Albert Hall is preparing to host a different kind of spectacle: Sumo wrestling. Wrestlers put on an exhibition of heavyweight grappling to promote a tournament scheduled for next October. It marks only the second time an elite five-day tournament will be held outside Japan. The first was held in 1991 at the same venue. Organizers are hoping to whip up the kind of excitement that was generated three decades ago, when the deeply ritualistic sport attracted sell-out crowds and a national television audience. The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fans NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end after the popstar performed more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years. Since launching the tour in 2023, Swift has shattered sales and attendance records. It's even created such an economic boom that the Federal Reserve took note. But for many who attended the concerts, and the millions more who eagerly watched on their screens, the tour also became a beacon of joy. It's become a chance not only to appreciate Swift’s expansive music career, but also celebrate the yearslong journey fans have taken with her. Jury revisits key videos in NYC subway chokehold death trial NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors have asked to review police and bystander video at the heart of the New York City chokehold manslaughter case against Daniel Penny. The request came during a second day of deliberations Wednesday. The anonymous jury also asked to rehear part of a city medical examiner’s testimony. The request included testimony about her decision to issue a death certificate without getting toxicology test results for Jordan Neely. He was the agitated subway rider whom Penny held him around the neck for roughly six minutes. Penny has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Prosecutors say he recklessly killed Neely. Penny's defense maintains he was justified in acting to protect fellow subway riders from Neely. Relatives hunt for the missing after Guinea stadium crush amid fears official death toll is too low CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Kambaly Kouroumah was searching a local morgue for his teenage brother, Adama, who died after chaos erupted at a soccer game in southern Guinea’s Nzerekore city. Adama, 15, was among 56 people that officials said were killed in Sunday's crush, although rights groups reported a death toll nearly three times higher. Local media, rights groups and witnesses say security forces used tear gas to respond after fans began to throw stones to protest a referee's decision during the soccer game that was organized in honor of Guinea's junta leader, Col. Mamadi Doumbouya. Many of the dead were crushed as they tried to escape through the stadium gates, videos showed. Power shortages in Ecuador are melting away the future of a small town’s ice-cream industry SALCEDO, Ecuador (AP) — Ice-cream production in this quiet Ecuadorian town began in the mid-20th century in a convent for Franciscan nuns. The nuns sold their creamy popsicles in town to gather funds for the poor. But the people of Salcedo saw a business opportunity and began experimenting with new flavors and techniques, establishing a thriving popsicle industry that has made their small town famous among ice-cream lovers. But now, the South American nation is struggling with a relentless wave of power cuts that threaten the future of Salcedo’s ice-cream industry, melting away its dreams of a more prosperous future. Senegalese artisans in the spotlight as they exhibit for the first time at a prestigious art event DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — For the artistic and cultural elites of the West African nation of Senegal, the monthlong Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Arts is a celebratory moment. But it wasn’t until this year that the local artisans in the Soumbedioune crafts market, just off the Corniche and at the doorstep on the Medina working-class neighborhood, realized what the Biennale was. Craftsmanship is deeply rooted in the country’s culture, but its role has declined in recent years. As living costs rise, many Senegalese opt for cheaper, Chinese-imported products. And those that can afford it buy Western clothes and furniture to mark their social status. Eminem's mother Debbie Nelson, whose rocky relationship fueled the rapper's lyrics, dies at age 69 Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem whose rocky relationship with her son was known widely through his song lyrics, has died. She was 69. Eminem’s longtime representative Dennis Dennehy confirmed Nelson’s death in an email on Tuesday. He did not provide a cause of death, although Nelson had battled lung cancer. Nelson’s fraught relationship with her son, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III, has been no secret since the Detroit rapper became a star. Nelson brought and settled two defamation lawsuits over Eminem’s statements about her in magazines and on radio talk shows. In her 2008 book, “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem,” she attempted to set the record straight.

Amazon Offering Kindle Unlimited For Just 99p in the UKFor survivors of strokes, the device implanted in her chest could be a game changer in recovery.

Harvey settles FOIA lawsuit after denying police body-worn footage request related to arrestNEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.

NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.Justice T. Vinod Kumar of Telangana High Court permitted a 17-year-old student to attend classes and appear for examinations at Nawab Shah Alam Khan College of Engineering and Technology, despite alleged illegal rejection of his admission under the TS-Polycet 2023 spot admission category. The judge took on file a writ plea filed by the father of the student, who challenged the rejection of his admission to the Diploma in Polytechnic course for the academic year 2023-24. The petitioner argued that despite he being eligible, the rejection by the convenor, TS-Polycet admissions, was arbitrary. The petitioner sought a directive to ratify and approve his admission under the spot admission category, declaring it valid for all purposes. Earlier, in similar matter, the judge ordered the respondents, including the higher education department and the State Board of Technical Education, to allow the petitioner to attend classes, receive hall tickets, and participate in examinations. The judge clarified that students admitted from outside Telangana would proceed at their own risk and would not be entitled to claim any equities. The judge ordered notices to Nawab Shah Alam Khan College of Engineering and Technology and posted the matter for further hearing in three weeks. Justice G. Radha Rani granted regular bail to an accused allegedly involved in selling ganja. The judge was dealing with a bail petition filed by Laddu Singh Balbeer Singh Chita, a mechanic. The case of the prosecution was that, on the prohibition and excise department, Dhoolpet, raided the house premises of two accused and found 22.922 kgs of dry ganja. Upon inquiry, the two accused confessed that they were involved in stocking of ganja at the instance of the petitioner. Basing on the confession of the co-accused, the petitioner was arrested and produced on PT warrant. The petitioner contended that he was no way connected with the alleged offences and was in judicial custody in a different crime. The petitioner stated that he had no knowledge about the present offence and drew attention of the judge to the settled principal of law which provides that extra-judicial confession is a weak piece of evidence. The additional public prosecutor opposed bail, contending that the petitioner was a prime accused who stocked the ganja. The APP argued that the petitioner was implicating the other accused. The judge observed that except the confession of the co-accused, there was no other admissible evidence collected by the investigating officer against the petitioner. Therefore, the judge deemed that it was a fit case for grant of conditional bail. The Telangana High Court will hear a writ plea filed by the owner of a lodge seized by the Macherial revenue divisional officer cum sub-divisional magistrate (RDO) for allegedly carrying out anti-social activities. Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy was dealing a writ plea filed by Enugu Narayana, challenging the actions of the RDO in issuing proceedings and passing a seizing order against Venkateshwara Super Deluxe Lodge of the petitioner, situated at Mancherial. It was the case of the petitioner that the seizure of petitioner’s premises was without issuing notice and following the due process of law. The petitioner also alleged that no opportunity to make an explanation as per the provisions of the Immoral Traffic Act Prevention Act was given. The judge directed counsel representing state to obtain instructions.

Zelensky wants 'enduring' peace, Trump will 'probably' reduce Ukraine aidThe head of Canada's diplomatic service briefed international envoys on foreign interference last month as the intense focus on the issue across the country created confusion among some diplomats about where their work might cross the line from influence into meddling. David Morrison, the deputy minister of Global Affairs Canada, told The Canadian Press in an interview that there is a difference between interference and influence — the latter being the job of a diplomat. "The public inquiry and the coverage of it may have created some uncertainty," he said. "Diplomats had legitimate questions as to where we draw the line in Canada, and we tried to be very clear on that." The Liberals called a commission of inquiry into foreign interference last year following media reports and pressure from opposition parties. A final report is due by the end of January. Trudeau government grants extension to public inquiry into foreign interference Foreign interference hearing closes with partisan jabs and policy points Trudeau tells inquiry some Conservative parliamentarians are involved in foreign interference An interim report released in May said foreign meddling by China, India, Russia or other countries did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections. Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue said it was possible — but not certain — that outcomes in a small number of ridings were affected by interference. In his interview on Tuesday, Morrison stressed that "Canadians can have absolute confidence in the integrity of our last two general elections." During his testimony at the inquiry in October, Morrison mentioned he planned to brief diplomats about the matter. He held that briefing on Nov. 21. Federal government plans to warn foreign ambassadors not to interfere in next election Ottawa considering lower threshold for issuing alerts on foreign interference, inquiry hears Ahead of each of the last three federal elections, Global Affairs Canada sent what's called a diplomatic circular, essentially a formal notice to all accredited diplomatic missions, stating that Ottawa expects them not to endorse or finance any political parties or groups. At the Nov. 21 briefing, Morrison told foreign diplomats that they can publicly endorse or oppose a Canadian government policy, but they can't spread disinformation to discredit a particular party or "undermine public confidence" in Canadian democracy. A slideshow shared at the briefing notes that concerns about interference since 2021 "are broader than only elections" and the "strained geopolitical context heightens vulnerabilities" for Canada, with its many diaspora communities. The slideshow encourages "overt engagement" with Canadians and officials, such as hosting events or taking a position on Canada's national priorities. But it says that "clandestine influence" such as influencing a nomination race or running an online disinformation campaign is out of bounds, as is "clandestine, deceptive or threatening behaviour." Also wrong would be "obfuscating foreign-state involvement in activities," funding candidates directly or through in-kind contributions, and "deception meant to manipulate individuals in Canada." WATCH | At Issue: Trudeau goes after Poilievre on foreign interference At Issue | Trudeau goes after Poilievre on foreign interference 2 months ago Duration 24:04 At Issue this week: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accuses Conservative Leader Pierre Polievre of playing partisan games with foreign interference as diplomatic issues with India intensify. Growing unrest in Liberal caucus. And is another cabinet shuffle coming? Larisa Galadza, who helps run the department's democratic resilience bureau, told foreign diplomats that heightened public awareness of interference means it's important to avoid even the perception of crossing the line. Her speaking notes, which Morrison provided, say that Canada is "increasing our efforts to set expectations." "This briefing is an indication of how seriously we are taking this issue," Galadza's notes said. She noted that "seeking to control or unduly influence members of a diaspora community" is unacceptable, and that immigrants have the right to be vocally critical of their homeland. Her notes say diplomats can lobby an MP but cannot "convey threats or offer rewards in exchange for their support." And all of these activities, she noted, are just as unacceptable if done through proxies. Morrison said such communication is necessary, as the international agreements governing the roles of diplomats apply everywhere but aren't consistently understood. "There's a wide range of opinions as to what is influence and what is interference," he said, noting some countries see the limit of what's acceptable as measures beyond what Canadians would tolerate. "In some national contexts, interference is taken to mean monkeying around with ballot boxes," he said. Morrison said the session started by "acknowledging that the definitions were not agreed, but that this was our home turf, and we wanted to make certain everyone understood the rules" in Canada. "We made it very clear that, having now given fair warning, if accredited diplomats engage in the kinds of behaviour that we described as being outside of the lines, they could expect to hear from us." India calls allegations of foreign interference in Canada's elections 'baseless' India, Pakistan attempted to interfere in Canada's elections: CSIS Global Affairs does not monitor the behaviour of foreign diplomats in Canada, but the department's regional teams are in frequent contact with diplomatic missions and security officials alert the department whenever they find troubling activity. Morrison said his department uses a range of approaches to ensure foreign states understand Canada's perspective on acceptable activity. While a formal summons gets media attention, the department can also call in an ambassador to meet with someone ranking from Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly down to a junior desk officer, based on how serious the situation is. Global Affairs Canada can expel diplomats or close embassies abroad, but it can also try making its point in an informal chat at a cocktail reception. "The essence of diplomacy is to be constantly communicating and that happens classically in diplomatic circles at social events and dinners," Morrison said. In February, senior diplomat Weldon Epp testified to Parliament that the Justice Department and the RCMP have undertaken workshops with the Indian government, "to explain what our standards legally would be" for extraditing people to India for terrorism charges. "How India defines extremism or even terrorism does not always compute in our legal system," Weldon Epp told MPs at the time. Looking ahead to the next federal election, Morrison said he's most concerned about emboldened hostile states using artificial intelligence in their attacks. He particularly worries about deepfakes, which are spoof videos and images that can dupe people into thinking politicians said or did things they didn't. "The foreign interference that we have seen is continuing to evolve," he said. "Our defences against it will need to continue to evolve as well."

Cyber Monday 2024: Date, start time, best early deals and more from this year's online salesI like the idea of becoming a stock market millionaire. But my approach to aim for a million is focussed on keeping things simple rather than complicated. So I am not trying to hunt down some tiny company few people have heard of hoping it turns out to be the next big thing. Instead, I am building a portfolio based around well-known blue-chip shares – and not that many of them! Getting serious about investment Before digging into the details of such an approach, though, it is worth mentioning that trying to aim for a million needs commitment, both in terms of time and money. This is not some scheme whereby I miraculously hope to turn just a few quid into a seven-figure sum. Rather, I methodically invest over the long term, continuing to put more money in and letting the money I have already invested get to work. The amount depends on one’s own financial circumstances, but here I foresee putting £1k per month (£12k each year) into my . Hitting the million Doing that and compounding my ISA value at 10% annually means I could realistically aim for a million after 24 years. As a , I am comfortable with that. But what if I managed a compound annual growth rate of 20%, not 10%? Then, still making the same monthly contribution of £1,000, I ought to hit my target in just . Zooming in on quality shares at good value prices Both 10% and 20% are quite tough targets to achieve over the long run, when taking the bad years with the smooth ones. Still, I think they are possible. How could I aim for 20% not 10%? I aim to invest in some of the same shares, just a smaller selection of them. Concentrating on a few great shares means spreading my portfolio less thinly (though still keeping diversified), meaning the strong performance of some shares would have greater overall impact on my returns. Putting the theory into practice now That sounds simple enough. The devil in the detail, though, is trying to spot such high performers. As an example, let me discuss one share that has achieved that target over the past five years. During that period, ( ) has increased by 146% in value. On top of that, it is a regular dividend payer. How might I have known five years ago that the company had brilliant potential? At that stage, it already had a proven business model and strong track record: even well-established companies can produce strong performance. It had a large target market of customers wiling to spend substantial sums on gaming paraphernalia. Crucially, Games Workshop had a competitive advantage. Its proprietary fantasy universes and characters helped build customer loyalty, giving it pricing power. The company faces risks such as a weak economy, which might make gamers less keen to keep buying new characters. That could hurt profits. At the current share price, the valuation is too rich for me and I have no plans to buy the share now. But it does offer lessons about the sort of characteristics I am looking for when choosing shares as I aim for a million.Renewable energy trounces nuclear on generation costsThere is more NBA Cup action taking place on Friday, Nov. 22 and among the eight games taking place, there is one involving the New Orleans Pelicans welcoming the Golden State Warriors to Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes . Fans looking to watch this NBA game can do so for free by using FuboTV and DirecTV Stream, which both offer a free trial or with SlingTV, which doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available . The Pelicans are 1-1 in NBA Cup games so far and only 4-11 overall. However, three of those wins have come at home, including their win over the Denver Nuggets last week in an NBA Cup matchup. The Warriors are 11-3 on the season and 2-0 and at the top of the group for the NBA Cup. Who: Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans When: Friday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. EST Where: Smoothie King Center in New Orleans Stream: FuboTV (free trial) ; Sling ; DirecTV Stream (free trial) Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide , where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts. More College Football What is FuboTV? FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME . From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers a free trial, and $20 off the first month for new costumers. What is DirecTV Stream? DirecTV Stream offers practically everything DirecTV provides, except for a remote and a streaming device to connect to your television. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including MAX , Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz. What is SlingTV? SlingTV offers a variety of live programing ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancelation. RELATED CONTENT: Analysis: Some NBA teams know it’s time to shake out of early-season slides — or else By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer MIAMI (AP) — Postgame interviews in the NBA typically start about 10 minutes after the final buzzer. Coaches usually speak first, followed by a few players. When a team wins, most people are in a great mood. When a team loses, not so much. That’s the normal routine. Things are not normal for Philadelphia right now. Philadelphia lost in Miami on Monday night, the 76ers wasting an early 19-point lead and falling 106-89. The game ended at 9:51 p.m. It took more than an hour for coach Nick Nurse to emerge for his postgame media session. The reason — a team meeting, because the 76ers had a lot to talk about after falling to 2-11 on the season. “Sorry for the delay,” Nurse said to the half-dozen or so reporters who waited out his arrival. He took questions like normal, then the locker room opened and a few players talked as well. There’s a lot of the season left. The first quarter of the 82-game marathon isn’t even over. It’s not time to start panicking. But some teams, quite frankly, know it’s time for things to get better — Philly atop that list. Since the NBA went to the current 16-team playoff format in 1984, there have been only four teams with losing records after 15 games that made it to the NBA Finals: San Antonio in 1998-99, Detroit in 2004-05, Boston in 2021-22 and Miami in 2022-23. They were all 7-8. That’s bad news for Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Miami — three teams that just haven’t hit anything close to their best stride yet. Injuries are a huge part of that; Khris Middleton hasn’t played yet for Milwaukee, Joel Embiid played Monday night for only the third time this season for the 76ers, and the Heat got Jimmy Butler back after more than a week Monday but were without Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez Jr. But the Heat are 6-7, the Bucks are 5-9 and 76ers are 2-11. And that’s not anywhere near what those clubs expected coming into the year, injuries or no. “There’s urgency there, for sure,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “If you look at in both conferences, there’s urgency throughout the conferences. And I think there’s parity. It brings out great competition. It brings out all these different emotions. You win a game, you feel like everything is great. You lose a game, you feel like the world is coming down. That’s what competition does, particularly when you’re jostling so competitively in the standings where there’s a lot of teams bunched up.” Philadelphia hasn’t scored 100 points in three of its last four games, hasn’t even reached 90 points in either of its last two games. And here’s a weird stat: the 76ers are 2-0 in overtime games this season, 0-11 in games that end after 48 minutes. “Listen, it’s obviously difficult, right? Don’t like the losing, that’s for sure,” Nurse said. “I mean, it doesn’t matter. The games are coming and we’ve got to figure some things out. We’ve got to play better. Got to get our guys on the floor. There’s a lot of things going on. But we’ve got to go out and play and somehow sustain. A lot of these games, there’s lots of very good moments for long, long stretches.” Cleveland and Boston have obviously separated themselves atop the Eastern Conference; the 15-0 Cavaliers visit the 11-3 Celtics in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night. From there, the rest of the East — from Orlando at 9-6 to Philly in a group at 2-11 — are separated by just six games, with about a million games left to play. Nobody is out of it, certainly not a 76ers team that has Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and an NBA champion point guard in Kyle Lowry. “I mean, 2-11 is pretty bad, of course,” Philly’s Jared McCain said. “But it’s still the beginning of the season. Least minutes played as a team together, so I say it all the time: Give us grace. We’ve got to get better.” To be fair, there was nothing that seemed to be shattered in the 76ers' locker room when the team meeting finally ended. No broken whiteboards, no signs of trouble, and many players were cracking jokes. “We had a meeting? I didn’t know,” Embiid said, which was his way of letting reporters know that he wasn’t going to spill the tea on anything that got said behind closed doors. He did concede, however, that he might need to be more aggressive going forward. The 76ers are figuring out how to make all the pieces fit, but Embiid knows they can’t keep going down this path. “We’ve got that record,” Embiid said, “and something needs to be done about it.” The Associated Press contributed to this article

baccarat app Senate passes investments, securities bill for third readingOrganto Announces Resignation of Director'Landlord kicked my family out 5 days before Christmas and served my child the eviction notice'I was still idling in my Thanksgiving vacation vibes as I boarded my flight back to Washington D.C. on Monday and was jolted back into the climate conversation seated just behind a clean tech founder. And that’s how it’s been this week: bumping into energy and climate people from across the country at nearly every turn. With the 2024 election and firmly in the rearview mirror, climate policy discussions have hit a feverpitch in the U.S. capital as companies, advocates, and officials try to figure out the new rules of the road. And there are no easy answers. First and foremost is the future of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), President Joe Biden’s landmark climate spending bill. I’ve written about the , so I won’t repeat too much here, but in short I’ve argued that political dynamics have made it unlikely that the law would be repealed in full even if parts of it are scaled back. In Washington, conversations about what parts might be targeted—the preferred wording is “with a scalpel”—have now gotten specific. And everyone is looking to read the tea leaves. On multiple occasions this week, I have found myself in conversations analyzing the precise wording in an August from 18 Republican members of Congress who pushed back at attempts to repeal the law. The conventional wisdom is that tax credits for electric vehicles are vulnerable while incentives to help Republican favored technologies like carbon capture and storage are likely safe. But the truth is that no one really knows what dynamic will play out between President-elect Donald Trump and a Congress with slim Republican control. On Capitol Hill this week, lobbyists and corporate executives pounded the pavement to make their case about what they hope will remain. The future of government programs like the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, which lends money to companies advancing clean technologies, is also a key question. The office, known as LPO, hosted a long-planned gathering of clean technology companies in Washington this week called Deploy24 as a has ensued among Republicans about whether to target the program. Republicans often say the LPO represents a misuse of federal tax dollars—even as those loans generate a return for the federal government while aiding the U.S. private sector. On Thursday, , who runs LPO, said that companies expect the office to continue giving out loans. “We're operating the loan programs office as an institution,” he said at a breakfast with reporters on the sidelines of Deploy24. And then there are the policies that may not seem directly related to climate, but nonetheless have the potential to shape the U.S. decarbonization story. Perhaps no such policy area is more important than . If Trump implements the full set of tariffs and trade barriers as promised, it would rattle the global economy—including disrupting the supply chains necessary for clean technologies and decarbonization both in the U.S. and around the world. Even amid all this uncertainty, a sense of optimism remains. For years, companies have said they support climate policy but rank it low as a lobbying priority. While corporate policy positions are crafted around the bottomline, it is nonetheless remarkable to see companies now lobbying on behalf of what is fundamentally climate policy. The question is to what extent—and to whom—policymakers listen

After institutions for people with disabilities close, graves are at risk of being forgottenNFL ends investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns QB Deshaun WatsonGuest Opinion: Separating science and the humanities is hurting us

The gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. Here's the latest: Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer may have fled the city on a bus, New York City police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. “We have reason to believe that the person in question has left New York City,” Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Gunman’s steps after killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO give police new clues The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer made sure to wear a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence in view of the nation’s biggest city and its network of security cameras that have aided authorities piecing together his movements and his identity. A law enforcement official said Friday that new surveillance footage shows the suspect riding the subway and visiting establishments in Manhattan and provided more clues about his actions in the days before he ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . The gunman’s whereabouts and identity remain unknown Friday, as did the reason for Wednesday’s killing. New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack . ▶ Read more about the search for the gunman For many companies, investor meetings are seen as a risk In many companies, investor meetings like the one UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was walking to when he was fatally shot are viewed as very risky because details on the location and who will be speaking are highly publicized. “It gives people an opportunity to arrive well in advance and take a look at the room, take a look at how people would probably come and go out of a location,” said Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, which is based in the greater Seattle area. Some firms respond by beefing up security. For example, tech companies routinely require everyone attending a major event, such as Apple’s annual unveiling of the next iPhone or a shareholder meeting, to go through airport-style security checkpoints before entering. Others forgo in-person meetings with shareholders. ▶ Read more about how companies protect their leaders Police have obtained other surveillance images of the person wanted for questioning Those images include New York’s subway system, a law enforcement official said. In establishments where the person was captured on camera, he always appeared to pay with cash, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. — Mike Balsamo Another health insurer taking precautions after the shooting Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm that serves 1.5 million customers in 12 states, said it’s temporarily closing all six locations. The firm has offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota, and employs about 3,000 people. Employees will work from home, Medica spokesman Greg Bury said in an email Friday. “The safety of Medica employees is our top priority and we have increased security both for all of our employees,” a statement from Medica said. “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.” Bury also said biographical information on the company’s executives was taken down from its website as a precaution. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. says its Investor Day will now be virtual The insurer cited the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in its announcement about the Dec. 12 event. “All of us at Centene are deeply saddened by Brian Thompson’s death and want to express our support for all of those affected. Health insurance is a big industry and a small community; many members of the CenTeam crossed paths with Brian during their careers,” Centene CEO Sarah M. London said in a news release. “He was a person with a deep sense of empathy and clear passion for improving access to care. Our hearts are with his family and his colleagues during this difficult time.” Centene Corp. has grown in recent years to become the largest insurer in Medicaid, the state- and federally funded program that covers care for people with low incomes. Insurers manage Medicaid coverage for states, and Centene has more than 13 million people enrolled in that coverage. UnitedHealth Group says it’s focused on supporting Brian Thompson’s family The insurance company also said it’s focused on ensuring the safety of employees and assisting investigators. “While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place,” the company said. NY Mayor Eric Adams provided no new information on investigation’s progress during interviews But he said Friday that he’s confident police will arrest the shooter. “We are on the right road to apprehend him and bring him to justice,” Adams said on TV station WPIX. Hours after the shooting, UnitedHealthcare removed photographs of its executives from its website Later, it removed their names and biographies entirely. Investigators believe the suspect may have traveled to NY last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, a law enforcement official said. Investigators were also trying to obtain additional information from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza through which the shooter fled. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. Experts say today’s political, economic and technological climate is only going to make the job of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them even more difficult, experts say. Some organizations have a protective intelligence group that uses digital tools such as machine learning or artificial intelligence to comb through online comments to detect threats not only on social media platforms such as X but also on the dark web, says Komendat. They look for what’s being said about the company, its employees and its leadership to uncover risks. ▶ Read more about the steps companies take to protect their leadership Police test DNA and fingerprints on discarded bottle as they hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items were being tested by the city’s medical examiner. The Associated PressTom Phillips, Hamilton Pullman Hotel and Te Kūiti baby death: The big stories of June 2024

Amid widespread protests in Kenya this summer over a controversial finance bill, the country's Communications Authority announced it did not intend to shut down internet access. The next day, however, Kenya experienced a countrywide loss in internet connectivity. The main internet service providers said the outage on June 25 was caused by an issue with undersea cables. But the incident caught the attention of digital rights groups, who said the timing of the outage "strongly suggests" an intentional action. Various governments have used such shutdowns to maintain control, these groups say. Many governments justify the shutdowns as moves to promote public order and safety, Nompilo Simanje, Africa advocacy and partnerships lead at the International Press Institute, told VOA. "The key reasons really are to restrict communication, restrict free expression, restrict online mobilization, restrict online freedom of assembly and association, and also restrict access to information," she said. Access 'could be about life and death' Digital watchdogs have documented several cases across the African continent in recent months where access to the internet or social media was blocked or cut off at crucial moments. It isn't always clear if the cases are the result of a direct order, but the timing often suggests it is, analysts say. Within the past year, digital rights group Access Now has documented shutdowns in Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Mauritius and Equatorial Guinea. Nearly all take place alongside events such as protests or elections. But these shutdowns can be harmful to the country's residents, Felicia Anthonio, campaign manager at Access Now, told VOA. "It not only disrupts the flow of information, it also makes it impossible for people to access information in a timely manner," Anthonio said. "When we are talking about crisis situations, information can be like a lifeline, and so, disrupting access could be about life and death in conflict situations." Governments that restrict internet access in one instance are likely to do so again, Anthonio said. Before the June incident in Kenya, access to the messaging app Telegram was blocked in November 2023 during national examinations. At the time, the move was presented as a way to prevent cheating during exams. Access to Telegram was stifled again last month during national examinations, which lasted over three weeks and extended into the week after examinations finished, according to James Wamathai, advocacy director for the Bloggers Association of Kenya. "It was really a huge inconvenience," Wamathai, who lives in the capital, Nairobi, told VOA. Local media reported that Kenya's Communications Authority had ordered the block to prevent cheating. Many people were unable to contact friends or relatives who lived in countries that had banned WhatsApp. Kenyans do not have a lot of experience with internet shutdowns, Wamathai told VOA, and many residents do not know how to install workarounds like virtual private networks or VPNs. The current government under President William Ruto is the first to enact such restrictions, he said. Kenya is a part of the Freedom Online Coalition, a group of 42 countries that advocate for online freedom around the world. Anthonio said it is "depressing and sad" to see a member of the coalition engage in such practices. The Kenyan Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Anthonio said democratic and repressive regimes alike have enforced restrictions similar to those experienced in Kenya. "It's really hard to tell what the motivation is, aside from the fact that the government just wants to exert control to show that they are in authority and can restrict people's rights when they please," Anthonio said. Mauritius for example, planned to impose an internet shutdown for 10 days ahead of its November election. Authorities said the block was an effort to control illegal publications that may "threaten national security and public safety," Anthonio said. She added that this rationale is just "jargon" that governments use to justify shutdowns. The shutdown in Mauritius came as a direct order from the government. After protests from media and opposition parties, the ban was lifted after 24 hours. The ban was troubling to rights groups. Simanje of IPI said Mauritius "has generally had a very good track record of internet access, online safety and promotion of digital rights." Periodic outages Other African countries have experienced shutdowns on several occasions. In Tanzania, Access Now has documented several internet and social media outages or blocks. Access to the social media platform X was blocked in late August, around the same time that online activists began a campaign highlighting murders, kidnappings and disappearances within the country. This suggested the block was an official order, Access Now reported at the time. Tanzania's embassy in Washington refutes that claim. "We would like to assure you that this information is false," a spokesperson told VOA via email. In July and August, the island of Annobon in Equatorial Guinea experienced a total internet shutdown, leaving its residents "completely cut off from the world," according to Access Now. This came as a response to protests against the deterioration of the country's environment due to mining activities, Anthonio said. Similarly in late October, Mozambique experienced internet connectivity problems after national election results were announced. These shutdowns took place in the middle of violent protests against the reelection of the party in power, which left at least 11 people dead, according to a report by Al Jazeera. The Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and Mauritius embassies in Washington did not respond to VOA's requests for comment.Arsenal make Mikel Arteta proud after smashing Sporting Lisbon

Charles attended the show at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the first time as patron of the Royal Variety charity, following in the footsteps of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. In a statement from Buckingham Palace, he said: “The charity’s crucial work in assisting those who have fallen ill, had an accident or hit hard times is as essential now as it ever has been. “I would like to thank all of those who have worked so hard to stage this year’s production and wish everyone a very enjoyable evening.” The performance saw political comic Forde reference the unfounded claims Mr Trump repeated during his presidential debate against Democrat candidate Kamala Harris earlier this year, that illegal immigrants from Haiti were eating locals’ pets in the small Ohio city of Springfield. Forde exclaimed in the president-elect’s voice: “They’re eating the cats, they’re eating the dogs!” He then turned to address Charles from the stage, saying in Mr Trump’s voice: “Your Majesty King Charles, you’re named after a spaniel – be very careful, they’ll eat you alive.” The King was seen laughing in response to the joke from the royal box. Charles appeared at the event without the Queen, who insisted the “show must go on” after pulling out of attending the performance on Friday evening as doctors advised that she should prioritise rest. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Following a recent chest infection, the Queen continues to experience some lingering post-viral symptoms, as a result of which doctors have advised that, after a busy week of engagements, Her Majesty should prioritise sufficient rest. “With great regret, she has therefore withdrawn from attendance at tonight’s Royal Variety Performance. His Majesty will attend as planned.” A royal source said the Queen was “naturally disappointed to miss the evening’s entertainments and sends her sincere apologies to all those involved, but is a great believer that ‘the show must go on'”. “She hopes to be back to full strength and regular public duties very soon,” the source added. The Royal Variety Performance will air on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player in December. Money raised from the show will go to help people from the world of entertainment in need of care and assistance, with the Royal Variety Charity launching an initiative to help those with mental health issues this year.

SWAMPSCOTT - It was supposed to be a positive development to support veterans and bring affordable housing in Swampscott. But now, it's turned into a contentious debate leaving the future of the Veterans of Foreign Wars building in limbo. For 30 years it's been a gathering place for the men and women who've defended our country. Now veterans are defending the VFW Post 1240 building. "It's safe space, kind of hate that term, but it is a safe space," said Vietnam Veteran and VFW Quartermaster Dave Emerton. Affordable housing development Veterans say about two years ago, the town voted to buy property next to the VFW with the intent of building a new VFW inside an affordable housing development, giving preference to veterans. But now veterans say the town select board is considering a new plan that would force the VFW to move off its current property to the former ReachArts building and not be in the new development. "It's really not well suited, there would have to be a lot of renovations done," said Emerton. "Our concern is once we get there, we'll stay there, and they won't build a new VFW building." The move is upsetting for Robert Langford who's worked there for seven years. "It's actually disgusting to me that they're willing to evict veterans out of their social club for a structure that they don't even know what the parameters are," said Langford. Select board member David Grishman supports the veterans, saying he doesn't agree with the back and forth. "This is not OK, and this is not normal," said Grishman. He admits most of the discussions should have happened with the public's input, not in executive session. "I think we all need to take a deep breath; we need to relax, we need to reconvene, and we need to come together and put our heads together and really focus on what's best for the town and what's the best for the veterans," said Grishman. Special town meeting That's why Wednesday night, veterans are going to the town meeting, hoping to stop the select board from making any decisions until there's more public discussion. Katie Arrington will join them; she collected 200 signatures to file a citizen's complaint for a special meeting to be held within 45 days. "We elected them to have a voice for us to work for the town and residents of Swampscott and they need to make sure that we are being a part of that conversation," said Arrington. The town chair said the town meeting voted to use two parcels of land that would bring 40 units of new, affordable housing for veterans and two parcels of land are needed to help with the size of the project, including where the VFW now sits. "We really don't know where we stand right now," said Emerton. The meeting is Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Swampscott High School. Tammy Mutasa joined WBZ-TV as a multi-skilled journalist in January 2023.Denver (9-6) at Cincinnati (7-8) Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST, NFL Network BetMGM NFL Odds: Bengals by 3. Against the spread: Broncos 11-4, Bengals 9-6. Series record: Broncos lead 22-11. Last meeting: Bengals beat Broncos 15-10 on Dec. 19, 2021, at Denver. Last week: Chargers beat Broncos 34-27; Bengals beat Browns 24-6. Broncos offense: overall (22), rush (19), pass (22), scoring (10). Broncos defense: overall (9), rush (5), pass (18), scoring (4). Bengals offense: overall (10), rush (29), pass (1), scoring (6). Bengals defense: overall (28), rush (21), pass (26), scoring (28). Turnover differential: Broncos plus-6, Bengals: plus-4. Broncos player to watch CB Riley Moss. The second-year pro is returning from a sprained MCL that sidelined him for a month. Denver’s defense wasn’t the same without Moss, who has 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception in his first season as a starter opposite Patrick Surtain. With him back, the Broncos could return to their favored man coverage after their zone coverage was exploited by the Browns, Colts and Chargers. Bengals player to watch QB Joe Burrow is having perhaps the best season of his career. He passed for 252 yards and three TDs last week against the Browns and is among the NFL leaders in most passing categories. Burrow has thrown at least three TD passes in each of his past seven games. Key matchup Bengals passing game against the Broncos secondary. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for 14 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns against the Browns last Sunday. After Week 16, Chase led the NFL leaders in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The Broncos passing defense is ranked eighth in the NFL. Surtain has allowed 234 receiving yards this season, the fewest allowed by a cornerback in a season through 16 games since at least 2018. Key injuries The Broncos are as healthy as they've been all season. The only player who was limited at practice this week was RB Jaleel McLaughlin (thigh), but he was a full participant by Wednesday. Bengals: DE Sam Hubbard (knee) and DT Sheldon Rankins (illness) are out for Saturday. WR Tee Higgins (ankle/knee), DT Amarius Mims (ankle) and S Geno Stone (illness) are questionable. TE Tanner Hudson (knee) is doubtful. Series notes The teams have traded wins in their past four meetings since 2016. ... The Broncos' longest win streak was eight from 1983 to 1998. ... The Bengals have managed to win two in a row in the series just twice in 1971 and '72; and 1975 and '76. The largest margin of victory was a 45-14 win by Denver in 1991. Stats and stuff Denver QB Bo Nix is three touchdown throws shy of becoming the fifth rookie in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns his rookie season. The others: Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield and Justin Herbert. ... WR Courtland Sutton needs 72 yards to reach 1,000 for just the second time in his career (2019). ... The Broncos have scored 166 points in their past five games, their most in a five-game span since 2014. ... Zach Allen's 26 quarterback hits are the most by an interior defensive lineman in the NFL this season. His 67 QB pressures are the second most by an interior DL, behind only the Chiefs' Chris Jones (74). ... Nik Bonitto has sacks in 10 games so far, two shy of the Broncos record held by Von Miller. ... Brandon Jones is the first Broncos safety since Hall of Famer Steve Atwater in 1995 to have 100 or more tackles and three or more interceptions in a season. ... Cincinnati's defense forced three turnovers and had five sacks in the win over Cleveland last week. ... Burrow was sacked four times by the Browns, but also passed for three touchdowns. ... Cincinnati has won its past three games to improve to 7-8 on the season and can get to .500 in the final home game of the season. ... All of the Bengals' seven wins have come against teams with losing records. ... Seven of Cincinnati's eight losses have been by one score. ... Bengals K Cade York is 4 of 5 on field goals since being promoted from the practice squad to replace the injured Evan McPherson. York was drafted by the Browns in 2022 ... Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson has 13 1/2 sacks. Fantasy tip Bengals RB Chase Brown is poised for a breakout. Brown has 91 rushing yards in the win over Cleveland last week and 97 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee the previous week. The second-year player is averaging 4.4 yards per carry. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

34 eminent citizens urge govt to ensure media safetyFreelance photographer arrested on Capitol riot charges

Daniels and the Commanders host Penix and the Falcons in prime time with playoff chances at stakeIsrael is carrying out its most intense wave of strikes on Lebanon's capital Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the 13-month war with Hezbollah, apparently signaling it aims to pummel the country in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech Tuesday evening saying he would ask his ministers to adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Less than an hour later, Israeli jets targeted a building in a bustling commercial area of Beirut and Israel's military issued new evacuation warnings, sending residents fleeing into the streets. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel, triggering air raid sirens across the country’s north. The ceasefire deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, in support of the Palestinian militant group. That has set off more than a year of fighting escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon and an Israeli ground invasion of the country’s south. It’s not clear how the ceasefire will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, where more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in the 13-month war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. ——— Here's the Latest: WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump’s designate to be national security adviser, credited Trump’s victory with helping bring the parties together toward a ceasefire in Lebanon. “Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” he said in a post on X on Tuesday. “His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated. I’m glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East.” He added: “But let’s be clear: The Iran Regime is the root cause of the chaos & terror that has been unleashed across the region. We will not tolerate the status quo of their support for terrorism.” BEIRUT — Israeli jets targeted a building in a bustling commercial area of Beirut for the first time since the start of the 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel. The strike on Hamra is around 400 meters (yards) from the country’s central bank. A separate strike hit the Mar Elias neighborhood in the country’s capital Tuesday. There was no immediate word on casualties from either strike, part of the biggest wave of attacks on the capital since the war started. Residents in central Beirut were seen fleeing after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for four targets in the city. Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on at least 30 targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including two strikes in the Jnah neighborhood near the Kuwaiti Embassy. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 13 people were injured in the strikes on the southern suburbs. BEIRUT — Hezbollah has said it accepts the ceasefire proposal with Israel, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Among the issues that may remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his Cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people. The Israeli military also issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal. In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire to Cabinet ministers later on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Netanyahu said the vote was expected later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal does not affect Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s state media said Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 10 people in Baalbek province the country’s east. At least three people were killed in the southern city of Tyre when Israel bombed a Palestinian refugee camp, said Mohammed Bikai, a representative of the Fatah group in the area. He said several more people were missing and at least three children were among the wounded. He said the sites struck inside the camp were “completely civilian places” and included a kitchen that was being used to cook food for displaced people. JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israeli protesters took to a major highway in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to call for the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as the country awaited news of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Protesters chanted “We are all hostages,” and “Deal now!” waving signs with faces of some of the roughly 100 hostages believed to be still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are thought to be dead. Most of the other hostages Hamas captured in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack were released during a ceasefire last year. The prospect of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon has raised desperation among the relatives of captives still held in Gaza, who once hoped that the release of hostages from Gaza would be included. Instead of a comprehensive deal, the ceasefire on the table is instead narrowly confined to Lebanon. Dozens of Israelis were also demonstrating against the expected cease-fire, gathering outside Israel’s military headquarters in central Tel Aviv. One of the protesters, Yair Ansbacher, says the deal is merely a return to the failed 2006 U.N. resolution that was meant to uproot Hezbollah from the area. “Of course that didn’t happen,” he says. “This agreement is not worth the paper it is written on.” FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world’s industrialized countries said Tuesday they strongly supported an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and insisted that Israel comply with international law in its ongoing military operations in the region. At the end of their two-day summit, the ministers didn’t refer directly to the International Criminal Court and its recent arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over crimes against humanity . Italy had put the ICC warrants on the official meeting agenda, even though the G7 was split on the issue. The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, isn’t a signatory to the court and has called the warrants “outrageous.” However, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said all the other G7 countries were signatories and therefore obliged to respect the warrants. In the end, the final statement adopted by the ministers said Israel, in exercising its right to defend itself, “must fully comply with its obligations under international law in all circumstances, including international humanitarian law.” And it said all G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – “reiterate our commitment to international humanitarian law and will comply with our respective obligations.” It stressed that “there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel.” The ICC warrants say there's reason to believe Netanyahu used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny. BEIRUT — An Israeli strike on Tuesday levelled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded in Beirut, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. It was not immediately clear if anyone in particular was targeted, though Israel says its airstrikes target Hezbollah officials and assets. The Israeli military spokesman issued a flurry of evacuation warnings for many areas, including areas in Beirut that have not been targeted throughout the war, like the capital’s commercial Hamra district, where many people displaced by the war have been staying. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks in Lebanon during the final hours before a ceasefire is reached, sparked panic and sent residents fleeing in their cars to safer areas. In areas close to Hamra, families including women and children were seen running away toward the Mediterranean Sea’s beaches carrying their belongings. Traffic was completely gridlocked as people tried to get away, honking their car horns as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. The Israeli military also issued warnings for 20 more buildings in Beirut’s suburbs to evacuate before they too were struck — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah in the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. TEL AVIV, Israel — The independent civilian commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel has found Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly responsible for the failures leading up to the attack, alongside former defense ministers, the army chief and the heads of the security services. The civil commission presented its findings today after a four-month probe in which it heard some 120 witnesses. It was set up by relatives of victims of the Hamas attack, in response to the absence of any state probe. The commission determined that the Israeli government, its army and security services “failed in their primary mission of protecting the citizens of Israel.” It said Netanyahu was responsible for ignoring “repeated warnings” ahead of Oct. 7, 2023 for what it described as his appeasing approach over the years toward Hamas, and for “undermining all decision-making centers, including the cabinet and the National Security Council, in a way that prevented any serious discussion” on security issues. The commission further determined that the military and defense leaders bear blame for ignoring warnings from within the army, and for reducing the army’s presence along the Gaza border while relying excessively on technological means. On the day of the Hamas attack, the report says, the army’s response was both slow and lacking. The civil commission called for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack. Netanyahu has opposed launching a state commission of inquiry, arguing that such an investigation should begin only once the war is over. JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military says its ground troops have reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River — a focal point of the emerging ceasefire. In a statement Tuesday, the army said it had reached the Wadi Slouqi area in southern Lebanon and clashed with Hezbollah forces. Under a proposed ceasefire, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border. The military says the clashes with Hezbollah took place on the eastern end of the Litani, just a few kilometers (miles) from the border. It is one of the deepest places Israeli forces have reached in a nearly two-month ground operation. The military says soldiers destroyed rocket launchers and missiles and engaged in “close-quarters combat” with Hezbollah forces. The announcement came hours before Israel’s security Cabinet is expected to approve a ceasefire that would end nearly 14 months of fighting. BEIRUT — Israeli jets Tuesday struck at least six buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including one that slammed near the country’s only airport. Large plumes of smoke could be seen around the airport near the Mediterranean coast, which has continued to function despite its location beside the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah’s operations are based. The strikes come hours before Israel’s cabinet was scheduled to meet to discuss a proposal to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The proposal calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. There were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday’s airstrikes. FIUGGI, Italy — EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. (edited)

Daily Update Latest News Latest Audio Latest Free YouTube Video This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newslette r This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue Friday Update – Garrett and I will be doing our weekly news in review show today. Bryan and I have our weekend show coming up with a lot of stuff taking place including SmackDown, NXT, AEW Continental Classic tournament and the finals of the New Japan Tag League tournament on Sunday. – The new issue of the Wrestling Observer is up on the site today: – The New Japan tag team tournament finals are Sunday in Kumamoto with Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Sanada & Gabe Kidd. While the show is Sunday in Japan, it starts at 1 a.m. Eastern Saturday night, basically just as the UFC show will be ending, and 10 p.m. Pacific. It’s the last major show before the Tokyo Dome so expect a number of angles. They did shoot an angle earlier today where Kenoh came to the show in Sendai and challenged KENTA to a match on 1/1 at Budokan Hall for NOAH. – What happened in the tag tournament is that with Henare injured, that gave Naito & Takahashi a forfeit win to go 5-2. Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano beat Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste to go to 5-2. Then Evil & Ren Nartia beat Hiroshi Tanahashi & Jado to go 5-2. So it ended up in a three team match where Naito pinned Boltin to reach the finals. – With Henare out with a serious knee injury, Henare & Great O-Khan are vacating IWGP tag titles and their 1/5 match with The Young Bucks at the Tokyo Dome is off. It would be easy to say the winners of the tournament final Sunday should be for the titles but they have not said that. – SmackDown tonight from Minneapolis has the following lineup announced: – We’re looking for reports from tonight’s SmackDown show in Minneapolis with the dark matches and anything off television, results, finishes, etc. to dave@wrestlingobserver.com. They had 7,000 tickets out as of earlier today. – Our only weekend poll will be for NXT Deadline which is at 7 p.m. Eastern tomorrow from Minneapolis. With all the talk of AEW’s crowds not being good, and they aren’t, sales for both this show and a show in Lowell, MA are very weak and the New Japan shows are weak as well. Lost in all the AEW is dying is that aside from main roster WWE, everything is way down across the board other than TNA has drawn bigger crowds but Bound for Glory on PPV was down from Slammiversary. – Bronson Reed is expected to undergo surgery for his ankle injury from Survivor Series. – UFC 309 takes place tomorrow. The NXT show should end before the UFC PPV starts. It’s from Las Vegas and while no big main event, it’s a deep show. ESPN+ at 6 p.m. Eastern ESPN2, FX and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. Eastern PPV at 10 p.m. – The Fighters Only World MMA awards took place last night in Las Vegas. Some key winners: – WWE 2k24 was nominated for Best Sports/Racing game by The Game Awards. – MLW built a ton of its show last night in New York around Eric Bischoff and they are planning on bringing him back. Bischoff forced Mistico to put his mask up against Trevor Lee (who did not have his hair to put up) based on the idea Bischoff wanted to get people like Rey Mysterio, Psicosis and Juventud Guerrera unmasked in WCW decades ago. Mistico of course did not lose the match. He also fired Alex Kane in storyline to set up a future angle. – MLW is now doing best match bonuses like UFC does and WCW did at one point. Mistico vs. Trevor Lee got it for last night’s show. If you think about it, best match bonuses make far more sense in pro wrestling than in a combat sport. The goal in pro wrestling is to have a great match. The goal in a combat sport is to win as fast as possible while taking the least damage as possible. – Pete Davidson from SNL was at last night’s MLW show. – Tonight’s Arena Mexico has a little bit of everything. There’s a singles match with women with Viva Van vs. Skadi as a lightning bout. There’s a legends bout with Atlantis & Octagon & Panterita del Ring facing Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr., who are great at carrying limited guys. Panterita is the father of Mascara Dorada. There’s a grudge match between two of the top stars as newly turned rudo Volador Jr. faces Templario. And you have the usual trios match with Mistico on top, this week Mistico & Flip Gordon & Dorada vs. Hechicero & Rocky Romero & Villano III Jr. This comes off that great Gordon vs Villano III Jr. match. – AEW has filed to trademark the terms Maximum Carnage, Maximum Mayhem and Maximum Combat. – Kirk White’s Big Time Wrestling on 12/13 in Newark, CA at the Pavilion is headlined by Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Vinnie Massaro, Fred Rosser vs. Aaron Solo plus Alan Angels vs. Jack Cartwheel.

With Trump on the way, advocates look to states to pick up medical debt fightCYNICS said 2024’s television could only get worse after it started with ITV’s landmark drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office. But you know the funny thing? They were absolutely right. Two weeks after the brilliant Toby Jones series finished, Love Island All Stars was filling the same slot and a pattern had been established for this rollercoaster TV year. For every Clarkson’s Farm, there was a Dating Naked. For every ­Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams, an Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends. And for every Sharron Davies, who spoke out about the obscenity of ­biological men beating up women at the Olympics, there were half a dozen Clare Baldings at the BBC who stared at their feet and said nothing. In between times, Gladiators made a triumphant return, Phillip Schofield gave self-pity a bad name on Cast Away, Chris McCausland saved Strictly, the art of the sitcom died with the end of Curb Your Enthusiasm and the BBC’s obsession with drag acts reached its bloody conclusion with Smoggie Queens. With awards for the following: BEST QUIZ SHOW ANSWER 2024 : The Chase, Bradley Walsh: “Which leader was exiled to islands in the Mediterranean and South Atlantic?” Sophie: “Tony Blair.” If only, if only, if only. BEST SHOW : Any of the following could’ve won, or deserve a namecheck: Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, Industry, Clarkson’s Farm, Helmand: Tour Of Duty, Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams, Slow Horses, The Wrong Man: 17 Years Behind Bars, Enemy In The Woods, Wolf Hall, BBC1’s faithful and brilliant Gladiators reboot, ­Ludwig, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, Hell Jumper, Shogun and Gavin & Stacey. But it’s the size of the gap left by Larry David’s sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm, after its 12th and final series, that sets it apart from everything else. With a couple of honourable exceptions on the streaming channels, such as Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle, there is no mainstream comedian now who dares to say the unsayable and I will miss this show for ever. WORST SHOW : Dishonourable ­mentions for Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends, Buying London, Piglets, Rylan’s Hot Mess Summer, Gino And Fred: Emission Impossible, BBC1’s criminally irresponsible documentary The Chris Kaba Shooting, The Pet Psychic, Josh Must Win, Have I Got News For You, The Last Leg, Parents’ Evening, The Fortune Hotel, Red Eye, Love Island All Stars, Football Focus, The Way, with Michael Sheen, C4’s zombie disaster Generation Z and BBC1 thriller Nightsleeper. None were as bad, though, as BBC3’s Smoggie Queens, a sitcom so witless, repellent and woke I’m certain the drag-fixated Beeb will give it at least another three series. BEST LIVE TV MOMENT : I greatly enjoyed Israel briefly leapfrogging everyone and ­getting 12 from Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest, when the public vote was opened, and also Stephen Mulhern inviting Ricky Hatton to “hit me,” at Dancing On Ice. Which he did, very very hard. But ­neither was quite as funny as the meltdown Emily Maitlis , Susanna Reid, Ed Balls and the rest of Britain’s breakfast TV luvvies suffered in the early hours of November 6, when Donald Trump won the US election. With the killer line belonging to GMB work experience lad Noel Phillips, at Kamala Harris’s “victory party”. “The mood, despite there being nobody here, is one of hope.” WORST LIVE TV MOMENT : Saturday Kitchen Live’s Pride special “in honour of the LGBTQI+ community” was a cult meeting so terrified of offending the alphabet people it cancelled the usual “heaven or hell” recipe feature in case anyone got the impression there was any negative side to the event. But it was still less sinister and woke than the $130million Olympic Games’ opening ceremony with its headless women, Last Supper fat lass, environmental bleats and musical segment in honour of the EU. MOST GRIEVOUSLY MISLEADING TITLE : C5’s Sue Perkins: Lost In Alaska. BEST DRAMA : The mesmerising Wolf Hall, Slow Horses, Industry, Shogun and Until I Kill You may all have been technically better, but none of them had the same emotional impact as Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which led to questions in Parliament, new legislation and King Charles forcing former Post Office boss Paula Vennells to return her CBE for “bringing the honours system into disrepute”. Yet still the newly knighted Sir Alan Bates hasn’t received any ­compensation. Extraordinary. WORST DRAMA: It would take a ­special kind of disaster to beat BBC1’s Nightsleeper, which seemed to be heavily based on Thomas The Tank Engine’s Rusty And The Boulder episode. But Michael Sheen’s utterly deranged drama The Way, about a left-wing Welsh workers’ uprising, was that special kind of ­disaster. It featured a Masonic sex orgy, a talking teddy bear and was very much like the Two Ronnies’ old Worm That Turned sketch with Diana Dors, but took itself incredibly seriously. Most chillingly, it was “produced with the support of the Welsh Government”. Get out now, my Welsh friends. Get out while you still can. BEST OLYMPIC NAME : Li Shiting in the Chinese kayak, which the IOC urgently needs to stamp out. COCK-EYED OPTIMIST OF THE YEAR : Alleged political satirist Adam Hills, the day after the General Election, proudly declaring: “Keir Starmer has given us all a promise of hope.” And how’s that working out for you, Adam? WORST TALENT SHOW : Made In Korea: The K-Pop Experience. Vocal coach Jin Young-Jan teamed up with choreographers Seung Hyun Yu and Do Yun Wun to polish a British ­boyband before a performance for Hee Jun Yoon. Only one problem. Kun Fuh-Kin Sing. WORST LOVE SCENE : Gary Neville with Keir Starmer before the England v Spain Euro final. Get a room, guys. HEALTH AND SAFETY WARNING OF THE YEAR : Amazon Prime’s screenings of Holocaust film Zone Of Interest, which arrived with a warning it contains: “Alcohol use and smoking.” ’Cos that’s the eternal worry isn’t it. A death camp commandant exceeds his 14 units while committing genocide. ABOUT-TURN OF 2024 : One week in March, The Last Leg host Adam Hills was joking about the Princess of Wales’ death and fanning the flames of the Photoshopping controversy by saying: “I’ve never seen our office as excited as it was by this story.” The next, Kate had announced she had cancer and Adam Hills was claiming: “We watched the news together, as a production team, and it’s fair to say a lot of people were really emotional. Our thoughts go out to the Princess and her family.” Too late, Adam. OLYMPIC FILTH GOLD MEDAL : Weightlifting, Jono Farr: “Duangaksorn Chaidee made us sweat in the snatch, she made us sweat in the clean, it took a while to get into position, but that jerk was very ­powerful.” THE AIR MILES ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD 2024 : Serial Panorama p**s- taker Richard Bilton, who flew from Iceland to the Alps to Sydney to the Barrier Reef to Southern Carolina to California and back again to Britain, via Arizona, to answer the question Can Scientists Save The World? Only to tell us: “Cutting carbon use is vital.” You first, Richard. OLYMPIC HEROES AWARD : While others, like Clare Balding , avoided the destruction of female sport issue and the grotesque spectacle of men taking part in women’s boxing, other BBC employees didn’t cower. With special mentions for Nicola Adams, Matthew Pinsent and the supremely brave Sharron Davies, who accused the IOC of “Legalising beating up females.” She deserves a damehood for services to women’s sport. WORST REALITY/TALENT SHOW CONTESTANT : Just ahead of Dean McCullough from I’m a Celebrity , Joey Essex and the entire cast of Love Island and Dating Naked? All- singing, all-dancing celebrity flasher John Barrowman, who had one shot at redemption on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, but quit just 32 minutes after the contestants arrived at their New Zealand base. GASLIGHTER OF THE YEAR : Dating Naked, the Paramount+ channel: “Strict hygiene and dignity protocols were in place during filming.” CELEBRITY Mastermind, Clive Myrie: “Which English naval captain lost his right arm in 1797 during an attack on the town of Santa Cruz on the island of Tenerife?” John Whaite: “Captain Hook.” Mastermind, Clive Myrie: “In the 1980s, Jocky Wilson, right, John Lowe and Keith Deller all won the world championship of what indoor sport?” Emma: “Cycling.” The Weakest Link, Romesh Ranganathan: “In geology, the White Cliffs of Dover are principally formed out of what substance, chalk or cheese?” Helen Flanagan: “Cheese.” The Finish Line, Roman Kemp: “Which late football manager was known as Cloughie?” Emily: “Sir Alex Ferguson .” And Romesh: “In sport, the US tennis player who won all four grand slams in the 1990s and an Olympic gold medal is Andre who?” Vicky Hawkesworth: “The Giant.” A BLANKET finish between Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer), Toby Jones (Mr Bates Vs The Post Office), Lesley Manville (Sherwood), Marisa Abela (Industry), Anna Maxwell Martin (Until I Kill You) and my favourite, mesmerising Mark Rylance, who wasted not a single gesture in Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light. THE Day Of The Jackal’s Lashana “Bianca” Lynch was narrowly beaten by Phillip Schofield for his performance in C5’s Cast Away and delivery of the line: “I’ve been chucked under the bus and I could drive the same bus over so many people. “But I’m not that sort of person, I never have been.” THEY may well be works of TV genius but, without apology, I just didn’t get the appeal of The Traitors (it’s a game of blink murder), Bridgerton or Rivals, which was the Disney+ channel’s ironically s**t adaptation of the Jilly Cooper novel, without the “ironically” bit. Joey Essex, who spent 55 days on Love Island thoroughly convincing us that, far from being just an amiable fool, he is in fact a short-tempered, pot-stirring opportunist with a nasty passive-aggressive manner and an incredibly high opinion of himself. Strictly Come Dancing’s Chris McCausland, obviously With thanks to chef Tony Singh who got Carol Vorderman to cook lamb pie, and the subtitler who attached these words just below her: “It’s mutton. OK.” Fine with me. Channel 5 News, July 12, asparagus-flinging psychic Jemima Packington: “I see a K for Kane, an E for England. It’s coming home. NO candidates from Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales on this year’s series of The Apprentice, but the ever “diverse and inclusive” BBC did pick a vile bigot called Doctor Asif Munaf, who denounced Zionism, on social media, as “a Godless Satanic cult.” Asif, you’re so fired. BBC2’s Boybands Forever concluding with the cheerful news “911 have had a massive hit with Vietnamese superstar Duc Phuc,” while the rest of us were mourning the fact he didn’t team up with Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen and give the world Phuc That. The Big Show, its Midnight Game Show segment, Michael McIntyre to Bradley Walsh: “Please welcome, Fanny Chmelar.”

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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Cyber Weekend: a time for relaxing and discount shopping. With Black Friday officially behind us and Cyber Monday on the way, the holiday weekend is perfect for scoring last-chance deals on holiday gifts , stocking stuffers and other things that might be on your list, such as Christmas decorations, cookware, bakeware, and winter essentials like cozy sweaters, coats , hats and scarves . See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news For music lovers, Cyber Weekend is a chance to save as much as 50% off tech essentials such as headphones, record players, speakers and other electronics to upgrade your sound system for holiday parties, streaming Christmas movies or enjoying your favorite Christmas playlist. Shopping for new shoes? You can save 30% off at Skechers , up to 90% off at Nike and up to 70% off at Adidas . For winter clothes and other fashion essentials, the sales at ASOS , Nordstrom , Bloomingdale’s , Kohl’s and Macy’s offer up to 60% off select items. Electronics reign among the most-shopped-for items during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but frugal shoppers can find doorbuster deals on everything from clothes and makeup to furniture. Most retailers have extended their Black Friday sales into the weekend, including Urban Outfitters , Ulta B e auty , Dyson , Coach , Carhartt , The North Face , QVC and the big three: Amazon , Target and Walmart . If you’re the type of shopper who loves a bargain, Cyber Weekend is your time to shine. See below for a collection of 20 deals to shop over Cyber Weekend. For more Cyber Week deals, check out the best sales on earbuds , gaming chairs , makeup and skincare products . And for gift options, read our Shop 100 gift guide .Kalba goalkeeper Sultan Al Mandhari confirmed that he made many sacrifices to play as a starter for the first team in the ADNOC Professional League in preparation for achieving his dream of joining the national team, most notably his difficult decision to leave Al Ain Club, with whom he lived his best days, and move to the “Tigers” this season with a contract extending for two seasons. He stressed that he had accomplished 99% of his sporting ambitions in Al Ain, and all that remained was to join the “White” ranks again after he was on their roster in the Asian Championship, which was held in the Emirates in 2017. 2019, but he did not participate primarily. Al-Mandhari (29 years old) told Emirates Al-Youm: “One of the most prominent sacrifices I made was leaving a club that was exceptional in everything, and my leaving coincided with the same year in which it won the AFC Champions League last season, as well as staying away from the Al Ain fans who encouraged and supported me, but I... I wanted to play as a starter, so I moved to Kalba, and what I am most happy about is that I found in this club distinguished support from the administration, the technical and administrative staff, and moral support from the (Tigers) fans, and I see “I am close to achieving what remains of my legitimate ambition, which is to join the Emirati White Club.” He continued: “My height (190 centimetres) helped me to have continuous support from the goalkeeper coaches, who helped me play for all the national teams in the junior, youth and Olympic teams, and I played many matches in which we recorded good results in many matches, and I am now experiencing an important football experience with Kalba. It is a large and ambitious team, and it aspires to make its experience successful by joining the teams that win championships, which is not far away.” Early challenges He added: “I have encountered great challenges since I started playing football, including the fact that I lost my father since childhood, and although my family did not neglect me, the matter was very influential, and I had to rely on myself greatly, so I worked hard in training and took advantage of opportunities to develop myself both physically and mentally with the help of The clubs I played for are Al Jazira, Al Wasl and Al Ain.” His coaches’ positions Al-Mandhari pointed out that he remembers important situations he experienced in Al Ain that contributed to supporting him technically and socially, including the support of his coach in the Iraqi national teams, Samir Shaker, who trained him for four years. He learned a lot from him and still benefits from his advice until now, as he was a former coach of the Portuguese team Benfica. He added: “I also remember my career with Egyptian coach Ahmed Zaher, who scouted me, developed me, helped me on and off the field, and he was the one who changed my mind from an amateur player to a professional.” Clean windows Al-Mandhari revealed that he played five matches in the cup and league with clean sheets, including two against Al-Bataeh, and a match against Khor Fakkan, Al-Oruba, and Shabab Al-Ahly. He said: “All these matches (clean sheets), and this is a large number that I am proud of, in addition to the number of saves.” Al-Mundhiri had conceded seven times in seven matches, and he only holds himself responsible for one goal, while the rest is borne by the team as a whole. Al-Mandhari was surprised that he was not chosen among the candidates for the best goalkeeper in the month of October in the Professional League evaluation, even though he participated with Kalba in achieving three victories and a draw from four matches during the month. Foreign guard Al-Mandhari stressed that he is not afraid to allow foreign goalkeepers to play with the first team in the professional league, because he has great confidence in himself and his fellow citizen goalkeepers, and that a lot of diligence and focus will ensure the success of him and others between the three networks. He said: “Many of the citizen goalkeepers are capable.” “They should professionalize in leagues outside the Emirates if they were given similar opportunities.” Al-Mandhari revealed that he received an offer from an English players’ agent to include him in one of the third-tier teams in the English Premier League in preparation for transferring him to play in a higher and stronger league when he was 18 years old, but he did not have the financial capabilities to join the English club, noting that “the agent followed him for a while.” It took a long time before he presented the idea to him. Sultan Al-Mundhiri: • I am not afraid of the foreign goalkeeper coming to our league. I trust the capabilities of the national goalkeepers. • The Asian Championship taught me a lot, even though I was sitting on the bench. . . Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pin Interest WhatsApp

GameStop reports fall in third-quarter revenue as consumers curb spendingAccording to the initial reports, the so-called "Free Education Assistance Program" was said to provide financial support to eligible students in Tianjin, covering tuition fees, study materials, and even living expenses. It was claimed that this initiative aimed to alleviate the financial burden on families and ensure that every student has access to quality education. Many people were thrilled by the prospect of such a generous program and looked forward to receiving more information about how to apply.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a Cleveland State University (CSU) study, total investment in Ohio’s shale energy sector was approximately $3.1 billion in the second half of 2023. The latest report , prepared for JobsOhio, Ohio’s private non-profit economic development corporation, covers shale-related investment in Ohio from July 2023 through December 2023 and cumulates total investment from 2011 forward. The study from CSU’s Energy Policy Center at the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs revealed that with previous investments to date, cumulative oil and gas investment in Ohio through December 2023 is estimated to be around $108.2 billion. Of this, $76.7 billion has been in upstream, $22 billion in midstream, and $9.5 billion in downstream industries. The study showed that cumulative shale-related investment steadily rose between 2011 and 2023. As the spread between oil and natural gas prices has increased, finding and development (F&D) costs for oil have been falling, driven by innovations that improve the operational efficiency of production from shale wells. The study suggests that the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to upstream operations could drive additional improvements. “As natural gas exploration technology continues to evolve, Ohio’s abundance of resources can play an essential role in supporting economic growth in industries like advanced manufacturing, healthcare, polymers, construction, aviation, and automotive,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “Since 2011, the shale-related investment in Ohio’s energy economy has steadily increased to $108.2 billion as industry experts and investors look to the state for growth.” “Total shale-related investment was up $1 billion in the second half of 2023 compared to the first half of the year, due largely to construction starting on a major natural gas power plant,” said Mark Henning, Research Supervisor for the Energy Policy Center in the Maxine Goodman Levin School or Urban Affairs at CSU. “This level of overall investment will likely continue as upstream producers continue to ramp up activities in the region’s oil window, where we have seen new well development more than double during the first half of 2024 compared to the second half of last year.” Upstream Investment Overall, upstream investments were down by about $332 million in the second half of 2023 compared to the first half of the year, reflecting a decline in the number of new wells drilled. Oil prices have remained high relative to natural gas prices, sustaining an average oil-to-price ratio of 6:1 since the beginning of 2023. Midstream Investment Midstream investment reached $290.4 million in the second half of 2023; a 69% increase compared to the previous six-month period. Most of the midstream investment during the Study period was for gathering system and transportation buildout, with $166.9 million spent on gathering lines and $91.9 million spent on compression. An additional $31.5 million was spent on NGL pipelines. Downstream Investment Since 2015, the CSU studies have reported that 10 natural gas-powered power plants have been in the planning, construction, or newly operational stages. Seven of these plants consumed 13% of Ohio Utica gas production for power generation during the second half of 2023 and generated the equivalent of approximately 35% of the electricity consumed in Ohio across all sectors during the same time period. This is the sixteenth CSU study reporting investment resulting from oil and gas development in Ohio related to the Utica and Point Pleasant formations. The latest report and previous reports can be found here . For more information on Ohio’s growing energy industry, visit www.JobsOhio.com/energy . About the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs The Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University is recognized as one of the best public affairs schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The Levin School is ranked 4th in the US in the specialty of Urban Policy and 12th in the specialty of Local Government Management. Levin offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional development programs in fields that guide and advance vibrant and sustainable communities, including urban studies, public administration, urban planning, environmental studies, nonprofit management, and organizational leadership. The Levin School’s collection of scholars combines practical experience with research and theory, delivering excellence in teaching to prepare the next generation of community leaders. Founded in 1964, Cleveland State University is a public research institution with more than 14,000 students, 8 colleges and schools and more than 175 academic programs. According to the Brookings Institution, CSU is No. 18 in the U.S. among public universities that fulfill a critical dual mission: providing upward mobility and conducting impactful research. CSU is the only Ohio university in the top tier of the Brookings list. U.S News & World Report consistently lists CSU among America’s Best Colleges and Universities. About JobsOhio JobsOhio , Ohio's private nonprofit economic development corporation, enhances company growth and personnel development through business attraction, retention, and expansion across ten competitive industry sectors. With a team of seasoned professionals, JobsOhio utilizes a comprehensive network to foster talent production in targeted industries and attract talent through Find Your Ohio . Collaborating with seven regional partners, including Dayton Development Coalition , Lake to River Economic Development , Ohio Southeast Economic Development , One Columbus , REDI Cincinnati , Regional Growth Partnership , and Team NEO , JobsOhio delivers world-class customer service to provide companies with a competitive advantage. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com . Follow us on LinkedIn , X , and Facebook. Matt Englehart JobsOhio 614-300-1152 englehart@jobsohio.comNEW ORLEANS -- A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search has galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. And neighbors like Tammy Murray, who had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues' van towards reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim had come to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter, for stealth. Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades have prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something. He's doing that too,” she said. Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by multiple projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. “I wholeheartedly believe the gangster-ass cats were messing with him,” Murray said. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.” ___ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96

This case serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding the integrity of the financial system and the consequences of engaging in illegal activities such as counterfeiting. It also highlights the role of law enforcement in detecting and prosecuting those who seek to undermine the stability of the economy.Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked an effort by Democrats to pass a bipartisan bill that would give journalists greater protections under federal law – a move that comes in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump opposing the measure. Trump called on Republicans to “kill this bill” in a Truth Social post last month. Known as the PRESS Act, the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act would prevent the government from forcing journalists to reveal their sources and limit the seizure of their data without their knowledge. The bill passed the GOP-controlled House earlier this year. After Trump’s reelection, press advocacy groups redoubled their efforts to get the legislation signed into law before the end of President Joe Biden’s term. But the bill’s failure to pass on Tuesday comes as time is fast-running out before the Democratic president leaves office. The bill is unlikely to win 60 votes, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has prioritized confirming judges during the lame-duck session. Government funding and a must-pass defense policy bill will also take up valuable floor time before lawmakers leave town for the winter holiday break. On Tuesday evening, Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon went to the Senate floor and asked for unanimous consent to pass the bill. But GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas objected, blocking the attempt. Any single senator has the power to halt a bill put forward by a unanimous consent request. The Freedom of the Press Foundation said on X that Democrats knew the move would fail and called on the chamber to cut the holiday break short if necessary to try to pass the bill. “Speeches aren’t enough. The senate has had all year to pass this bipartisan bill,” the group said. Schumer spoke in support of the bill on the floor and urged passage, calling the provisions “common sense” and “more important now than ever before when we’ve heard so many in the incoming administration talk about going after the press one way or another.” Cotton argued in remarks on the floor that the bill is a threat to US national security and said its passage would turn the Senate “into the active accomplice of deep-state leakers, traitors and criminals, along with the America-hating and fame-hungry journalists who help them out.” Earlier on Tuesday, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press used the release of a Justice Department’s inspector general report into leak investigations during Trump’s first term to argue for passage of the act. “This investigation highlights the need for a reasonable, common-sense law to protect reporters and their sources,” the group’s executive director, Bruce D. Brown, said. “It’s time for Congress to pass the PRESS Act, which has overwhelming bipartisan support, to prevent government interference with the free flow of information to the public.”

NoneFORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Dallion Johnson scored 25 points and made seven 3-pointers to help FGCU defeat CSU Bakersfield 74-54 on Friday. Johnson went 9 of 14 from the field for the Eagles (1-4). Zavian McLean scored 12 points, going 4 of 9 from the floor, including 1 for 5 from 3-point range, and 3 for 4 from the line. Jevin Muniz went 3 of 10 from the field (2 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 10 points, while adding eight rebounds. Marvin McGhee led the Roadrunners (3-2) in scoring, finishing with 15 points. Fidelis Okereke added 10 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Wake Forest keeps trying new things early in the season, even if not all of the adjustments are by design. The Demon Deacons will try to stick to the script when Detroit Mercy visits for Saturday's game in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Demon Deacons (5-1) will be at home for the final time prior to three consecutive road games. Detroit Mercy (3-2) already has two more victories than all of last season. After a couple of narrow wins and a loss at Xavier, Wake Forest had a smoother time earlier this week in defeating visiting Western Carolina 82-69 on Tuesday night. Yet these are games when teams have to figure where contributions are going to come from in certain situations. The experimenting took a turn for Wake Forest in the Western Carolina game. Center Efton Reid III had limited minutes because of migraines, so there was a shift in responsibilities. Normal backcourt players Cameron Hildreth and Juke Harris logged time at the power forward slot. "That's just part of it," coach Steve Forbes said. "They did a good job adjusting. We ran a lot of stuff and there are several guys learning different positions. ... I give credit to those guys for doing the best job that they could do on the fly and adjusting to the play calls that we ran and the stuff that we changed." Wake Forest could excel if both Parker Friedrichsen and Davin Cosby can be consistent 3-point threats. Friedrichsen slumped with shooting in the first few games of the season and was replaced in the starting lineup by Cosby. In Tuesday's game, Friedrichsen drained four 3-pointers, while Cosby hit two. "It was really good to see Parker and Davin both make shots together," Forbes said. Not everything was solved for the Demon Deacons. Western Carolina collected 12 offensive rebounds, and that took some of the shine off Wake Forest's defensive efforts. "We can't be a good defensive team, or a really good defensive team, unless we rebound the ball," Forbes said. "It's demoralizing to your defense to get stops and then not get the ball." In Detroit Mercy's 70-59 win at Ball State on Wednesday, Orlando Lovejoy tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. "We got the ball to the shooters and playmakers," first-year Titans coach Mark Montgomery said. "You could tell by the guys' body language that we were going to get a road win. It had been a long time coming." On Saturday, the Titans will look for their second road victory since February 2023. The outcome at Ball State seemed significant to Montgomery. "We had to get over the hump," he said. "Our guys grinded it out." --Field Level Mediabaccarat game app 。

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said her agency will need to start taking “extraordinary measures,” or special accounting maneuvers intended to prevent the nation from hitting the debt ceiling , as early as January 14, in a letter sent to congressional leaders Friday afternoon. "Treasury expects to hit the statutory debt ceiling between January 14 and January 23," she wrote in a letter addressed to House and Senate leadership, at which point extraordinary measures would be used to prevent the government from breaching the nation's debt ceiling — which was suspended until Jan. 1, 2025. The department in the past deployed what are known as “extraordinary measures” or accounting maneuvers to keep the government operating. Once those measures run out, the government risks defaulting on its debt unless lawmakers and the president agree to lift the limit on the U.S. government’s ability to borrow. "I respectfully urge Congress to act to protect the full faith and credit of the United States," Yellen said. FILE - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a visit to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in Vienna, Va., on Jan. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) The news came after Democratic President Joe Biden signed a bill into law last week that averted a government shutdown but did not include Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s core debt demand to raise or suspend the nation’s debt limit. Congress approved the bill only after a fierce internal debate among Republicans over how to handle Trump's demand. “Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” Trump said in a statement. After a protracted debate in the summer of 2023 over how to fund the government, policymakers crafted the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which included suspending the nation's $31.4 trillion borrowing authority until Jan. 1, 2025. Notably however, Yellen said, on Jan. 2 the debt is projected to temporarily decrease due to a scheduled redemption of nonmarketable securities held by a federal trust fund associated with Medicare payments. As a result, “Treasury does not expect that it will be necessary to start taking extraordinary measures on January 2 to prevent the United States from defaulting on its obligations," she said. The federal debt stands at about $36 trillion — after ballooning across both Republican and Democratic administrations. The spike in inflation after the COVID-19 pandemic pushed up government borrowing costs such that debt service next year will exceed spending on national security. Republicans, who will have full control of the White House, House and Senate in the new year, have big plans to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts and other priorities but are debating over how to pay for them. Many consumers may remember receiving their first credit card, either years ago in a plain envelope, or months ago from a smartphone app. Still other consumers may remember their newest card, maybe because it's the credit card they're now using exclusively to maximize cash back rewards or airline miles. But for most consumers, there's also a murky in-between where they add, drop and generally accumulate credit cards over time. Over the years, consumers may close some credit card accounts or leave some of their credit cards dormant as a backup form of payment, or perhaps left forgotten in a desk drawer. In the data below, Experian reveals the changes in consumers wallets in recent years. U.S. consumers, on average, carry fewer cards today than they did in 2017, when the typical wallet held 4.2 active credit cards. As of the third quarter (Q3) of 2023, consumers carried 3.9 cards on average. This average is up slightly since the early days of the pandemic, when consumers reduced their average credit card debt and number of accounts as the economy slowed. As Experian revealed earlier this year, credit card balances are still climbing, despite (and partially because of) higher interest rates. And while average balances are increasing, they are spread across fewer accounts than in recent years. Alternative financing—including buy now, pay later plans for purchases—may account for at least some of this discrepancy, as consumers gravitate toward these newer financing methods. In general, residents of higher-population states tend to carry more credit cards than those who live in states with fewer and smaller population centers. Nonetheless, the difference between the states is relatively small. Considering that the national average is around four credit cards per consumer, the four states with the fewest cards per consumer (Alaska, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming) aren't appreciably different, with "only" about 3.3 credit cards per consumer. Similarly, the four states on the higher end of the scale where consumers have 4.2 or more credit cards are Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey and Rhode Island. The disparity in average credit card counts is more apparent when the population is segmented by age, thanks in part to Generation Z, many of whom have yet to receive their first credit card. The average number of credit cards for these consumers was two, less than half of what older generations keep on hand. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! 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Wordle Help, Hints & Clues for Today, December 30 By The web-based word game continues to be a popular pastime for NYT readers, and its latest addition, #1290 for December 30, 2024, can now be solved. The game was originally invented by software engineer Josh Wardle and made public in 2021. The players get six attempts to guess a five-letter word correctly. If they guess the correct letter in its correct position, it will appear in green. Contrarily, if they guess a correct letter but place it in an incorrect position, it will appear in yellow, and if the letter is incorrect, the color will be gray. Here are the hints, clues, and the answer for Wordle for December 30. Wordle hint for December 30 : How many vowels and consonants are in the word? The word has two vowels and three consonants. : Does the word start with a vowel or consonant? The letter starts with a consonant. : Is the word a noun, verb, or adjective? The word is both a noun and a verb, depending on the usage. : Give a vague description of the word The word is the homophone of stair. What is the Wordle answer for today, December 30? The Wordle answer for today, December 30, is . As a verb, stare means to look at something with steady concentration, whereas as a noun it means a continual and purposeful gaze. The word’s etymology as a verb can be traced back to Middle English staren, Old English starian, Proto-West Germanic *starēn. Meanwhile, the etymology of the noun version of the word goes back to Middle English star and ster, Old English stær, and Proto-Germanic *starô. Today’s word is somewhat easy given the presence of the vowels in its middle and end. If a player figures out that the word starts with two consonants, it narrows down choices. Additionally, the hint about the homophone can be regarded as a big spoiler. Entertainment and pop-culture writer at ComingSoon. In his spare time, Tamal dreams of dragons. Share article