50 Cent and Young Buck have been at odds for years now. Back in 2014, they each signed a G-Unit contract, which Fif accuses the Nashville rapper of failing to uphold. This has resulted in a lengthy legal battle, and it appears as though the mogul is still not over it, based on one of his latest social media posts. Yesterday, he took to Instagram to share a clip from Young Buck's appearance on Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast. In the clip, Young Buck explains that 50 Cent helped pay his taxes when he was going through bankruptcy, even though he eventually had to pay all of it back. His comments didn't sit right with 50, who felt as though he came off as ungrateful . Read More: 50 Cent Tells Cam'ron What Happened With JAY-Z Behind The Scenes Of Super Bowl LVI "Some how he still managed to be ungrateful, I helped him with his taxes," he captioned the post. "We didn’t have a problem till he didn’t know how to accept he’s gay. Got caught with a Tranny and got mad at me. Smh 😆boy I didn’t know you mess with boy’s WTF should’ve signed to Bad Boy." His post comes after Young Buck alleged that he never received a $250K advance loan he accuses 50 Cent of promising him. "G-Unit would have this court accept that no bank records, business records, or tax filings exist to substantiate these payments," his legal filing reads. Young Buck is far from the only person 50 Cent has grievances with. Earlier this week, for example, he opened up about Jay-Z allegedly trying to block him from performing at Super Bowl LVI on It Is What It Is . "Our culture's competitive. It is," he explained. "I think when it goes past the music itself to the blocking things in business, then I don't understand that. Right now, he's not even competing for a slot. He don't have a new song out that he wants to be on the top 10 or top 5. And you still competing? That don't make sense. What we competing for? " Read More: Young Buck And 50 Cent Reignite Debate Over $250K Record Contract [Via]AP News Summary at 3:38 p.m. EST

U.S. Sen. Manchin delivers final floor speech

Valladolid loses again and Getafe ends winless run in La Liga

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The very close election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat heads next to a hand recount even as election officials announced a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots resulted in no margin change between the candidates. The statewide machine recount — in which ballots were run again through tabulators — that wrapped up this week showed Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs with a 734-vote lead over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, who is a Court of Appeals judge. Most county election boards reported minor vote changes from the machine recount requested by Griffin. But State Board of Elections data showed the post-recount lead exactly the same as what Riggs held after all 100 counties fully completed their ballot canvass in November. Griffin led Riggs by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as tens of thousands of qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals through the canvass. Griffin, who already has pending election protests challenging the validity of more than 60,000 ballots counted statewide, has asked for a partial hand-to-eye recount, which county boards will start Wednesday or Thursday. The partial hand recount applies to ballots in 3% of the voting sites in all 100 counties, chosen at random Tuesday by the state board. Once the partial recount is complete, a statewide hand recount would be ordered if the sample results differ enough from the machine recount that the result would be reversed if the difference were extrapolated to all ballots. Riggs, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2023 and now seeks an eight-year term, again claimed victory Tuesday. In a campaign news release, spokesperson Embry Owen said Griffin “needs to immediately concede – losing candidates must respect the will of voters and not needlessly waste state resources.” Riggs is one of two Democrats on the seven-member court. Through attorneys, Griffin has challenged ballots that he says may not qualify for several reasons and cast doubt on the election result. Among them: voter registration records of some voters casting ballots lack driver's license or partial Social Security numbers, and overseas voters never living in North Carolina may run afoul of state residency requirements. State and county boards are considering the protests. Griffin's attorneys on Monday asked the state board to accelerate the matters before it and make a final ruling early next week. "Our priority remains ensuring that every legal vote is counted and that the public can trust the integrity of this election,” state Republican Party spokesperson Matt Mercer said in a news release. Final rulings by the state board can be appealed to state court. Joining Griffin in protests are three Republican legislative candidates who still trailed narrowly in their respective races after the machine recounts. The Supreme Court race and two of these three legislative races have not been called by The Associated Press. The key pending legislative race is for a House seat covering Granville County and parts of Vance County. Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon trails Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn by 228 votes, down from 233 votes before the recount. Sossamon also asked for a partial hard recount in his race, which was to begin Tuesday. Should Cohn win, Republicans will fall one seat short of the 72 needed in the 120-member House to retain its veto-proof majority — giving more leverage to Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein in 2025. Senate Republicans already have won 30 of the 50 seats needed to retain its supermajority in their chamber. The AP on Tuesday did call another legislative race not subject to a protest, as Mecklenburg County GOP Rep. Tricia Cotham won her reelection bid over Democrat Nicole Sidman. A machine recount showed Cotham ahead of Sidman by 213 votes, compared to 216 after the county canvass. Cotham’s switch from the Democrats to the Republicans in April 2023 secured the Republicans' 72-seat veto-proof majority so that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes could be overridden by relying solely on GOP lawmakers. Cotham had already claimed victory weeks ago. Sidman said Tuesday in a written statement: "After a fair vote and a recount following established procedure, I accept the result in my race. In the interest of respecting the will of North Carolina's voters, I urge all candidates to accept the results in their races as well.”Former prime minister Gordon Brown has declared his opposition to legalising assisted dying, which will soon be debated by MPs. The former Labour PM said the death of his newborn daughter in 2002 did “not convince me of the case for assisted dying; it convinced me of the value and imperative of good end-of-life care”. In a rare intervention ahead of the Commons debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday, November 29, Mr Brown shared a glimpse of the time he and his wife Sarah spent with their baby, Jennifer, who died when she was only 11 days old. Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Mr Brown said: “We could only sit with her, hold her tiny hand and be there for her as life ebbed away. She died in our arms. “But those days we spent with her remain among the most precious days of my and Sarah’s lives.” While he acknowledged that at the heart of the assisted dying debate is a “desire to prevent suffering”, the former Labour MP called for a commission on end-of-life care to be set up, instead of the law change which MPs will consider. This commission, he said, should work to create a “fully-funded, 10-year strategy for improved and comprehensive palliative care”. “When only a small fraction of the population are expected to choose assisted dying, would it not be better to focus all our energies on improving all-round hospice care to reach everyone in need of end of life support?” he said. Mr Brown added: “Medical advances that can transform end-of-life care and the horror of people dying alone, as with Covid, have taught us a great deal. “This generation have it in our power to ensure no-one should have to face death alone, uncared for, or subject to avoidable pain.” Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP sponsoring the assisted dying Bill through the Commons, said she was “deeply touched” by Mr Brown’s decision to share his story. The Spen Valley MP said she agreed completely with his calls for better end-of-life care. But Ms Leadbeater added: “He and I agree on very many things but we don’t agree on this. “Only legislation by Parliament can put right what Sir Keir Starmer calls the ‘injustice that we have trapped within our current arrangement’. “The need to address the inability of the current law to provide people with safeguards against coercion and the choice of a better death, and to protect their loved ones from possible prosecution, cannot wait. “So for me it isn’t a case of one or the other. My Bill already includes the need for the Government to report back to Parliament on the availability and quality of palliative care, and I strongly support further detailed examination of its provision. We need to do both.” Though Ms Leadbeater made reference to the Prime Minister as she set out her difference from Mr Brown’s position, Sir Keir has opted not to say whether he will support the Bill. MPs will be given a free vote on the legislation, meaning their political parties will not require them to vote for or against it, and it will be a matter for their personal consideration. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is the latest senior minister to disclose her position on assisted dying, signalling to broadcasters on Friday that she may support the Bill. “I continue to support the principle of needing change but also to ensure that we’ve got the proper safeguards and systems in place,” she told ITV’s Good Morning Britain. Asked if that meant a “yes” when the Bill comes to the Commons, she replied: “I think I last voted on this about 20 years ago and so I have supported the principle in the past and continue to believe that change is needed but we do need to have that debate on the detail and I’ll continue to follow that debate next Friday.”

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — The Marrakech International Film Festival bestowed its top prize Friday on “Happy Holidays,” a Palestinian drama set in Israel whose screenplay won an award at the Venice Film Festival in September. The film, directed by Scandar Copti, follows Israeli and Palestinian characters facing familial and societal pressures in present-day Haifa and stars both professional and non-professional actors. It is the first Palestinian film to win Marrakech’s Etoile D’Or award. Screenwriter Mona Copti in an acceptance speech said the film team’s joy at winning was tempered by war in the Middle East and she denounced what she called the dehumanization of Palestinians Eight features, each a director’s first or second film, competed in the festival. The winning films tackled social issues through the lens of family, a theme that the festival’s artistic director Remi Bonhomme underlined at its opening. The festival awarded its jury prize to two additional films from Somalia and Argentina. The nine-member jury awarded Mo Harawe’s “The Village Next to Paradise” — a story about a family living under the threat of drone strikes dreaming of a better life — and Silvina Schnicer’s “The Cottage” about children who commit an unspeakable act at a rich family’s summer vacation home. “The Village Next to Paradise” participated last year in the Marrakech festival’s Atlas Workshops, an initiative to develop filmmakers from Morocco, the Middle East and Africa and promote their work. In his acceptance speech, Harawe lauded the film’s Somali cast and crew and highlighted the significance of the award for Somalia. Cecilia Rainero, the lead actor of “The Cottage,” thanked the jury and said it was meaningful amid Argentinian President Javier Milei’s moves to defund the country’s film industry. The Associated PressSyrian insurgents reach the capital's suburbs. Worried residents flee and stock up on supplies BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria is gaining speed with news that they have reached the suburbs of the capital of Damascus. The government on Saturday was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels’ moves around Damascus were reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander. They came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions. The factions are by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations.

Buddhist monks and nuns who live in eastern Prince Edward Island say they were disappointed to hear some of the concerns expressed at a planning meeting this past week in the Town of Three Rivers. The monks and nuns say their organizations own slightly more than 500 hectares (1,247 acres) of land in eastern P.E.I. Some residents have long been unhappy about that and speculate that the Buddhists — or interests close to them — actually control much more property. Tensions were evident at Wednesday's planning board meeting, for which the town hired security guards after someone posted on social media that it was "time to get the guns out and sharpen those knives" with regard to land ownership in the municipality. "It was actually quite disheartening," said Sabrina Chiang, a frequent spokesperson for the 600 Buddhist nuns, who are mainly from Taiwan. Tensions between Three Rivers councillors and some residents spill over at planning meeting Three Rivers councillor feels unjustly targeted by some residents, but won't be bullied into leaving She also referenced negative comments on Facebook about the groups, some of which urge the Buddhists to be sent "back overseas" and allege they are tools of the Chinese Communist Party. "It's a really strong allegation. And we are not part of the communist party, we are just students of the Buddha," Chiang said. "We have no political ties with any group." 'Words can make people pick up sticks and stones, and this we really need to avoid,' says Eli Kingston, who was born and raised on P.E.I. and has been a Buddhist monk for 12 years. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC) "It's surprising, I think, to see some of the comments we've been seeing," added nun Joanna Ho. She said they've been "grateful" for P.E.I. to give them a safe, stable place to study, offering freedom of religion and respect for individual human rights. 'Baseless accusations' Eli Kingston, who was born and raised on the Island, has been a Buddhist monk for 12 years. "I'm from P.E.I. so I understand it, I get it," Kingston said. "But anytime there's acts of violence, lashing out, personal attacks, that kind of disheartens me. A document the Buddhist nuns produced to detail their 670 acres of land holdings on Prince Edward Island. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC) "There's fear, and genuine concern is good, but we all know now with social media how information can spread... baseless accusations, misinformation." This isn't just verbal attacks anymore. This is actually escalating into encroaching on someone's privacy, and people aren't feeling maybe as safe. — Eli Kingston, Buddhist monk He said that with online rhetoric heating up recently, more people have stopped at the monks' properties in Little Sands and Heatherdale, where 700 monks live and study. Some take photos from the road, he said, but some are actually driving onto the property and "snooping around." "We've had a monk pulled over on the side of the road and kind of harassed," Kingston said. "This isn't just verbal attacks anymore. This is actually escalating into encroaching on someone's privacy, and people aren't feeling maybe as safe." 'We have no political ties with any group,' says Buddhist nun Sabrina Chiang. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC) Both the nuns and monks say rumours and misinformation abound about what they are doing in the area, and they welcome dialogue with anyone who has concerns. The nuns say they are not worried about their safety, as long as the threatening comments stay in the online realm. "The kind people and the kindness in P.E.I. makes P.E.I. the beautiful place that it is," Chiang said. "Even though there is this negativity going on on social media, I do not feel it represents Prince Edward Island." Buddhist nuns hope open house will dispel misconceptions Land ownership questions draw a big crowd in Kings County 'Gated communities' At the planning meeting Wednesday, Victoria Cross resident Janice MacBeth rose to speak about zoning issues — in particular, concerns about institutional zoning in areas where the Buddhist and nuns are living in communal settings. There has been widespread talk online of this allowing groups to build their own hospitals and police stations in the future. Janice MacBeth from Victoria Cross spoke at the Three Rivers planning board meeting and raised concerns about institutional zoning leading to 'gated communities not open to the general public.' (CBC) "Our provincial government and our municipality is supporting the development of gated communities not open to the general public," MacBeth told planning board members. "The divide between rich newcomers and poor Islanders has never been as wide, as homes and property values continue to rise and undermine our young families' ability to live in Three Rivers in the future." Atlantic Voice How Buddhist nuns are building bridges in wake of monastery controversy How P.E.I. monks are continuing free food box campaign despite rising inflation Ho said the nuns' organization owns 670 acres of land in Vernon Bridge and Brudenell, while about 10 individual nuns and their families have purchased a total of about 270 acres. Kingston said GEBIS owns 577 acres of land in the area, plus an unknown amount purchased by individual monks and their families or followers. Three Buddhist nuns enter their monastery building in Brudenell, P.E.I. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC) "There's accusations that there's one entity controlling all this land. There isn't," Kingston said. He said they are within provincial land limits and "do not feel we have done anything wrong." 'We don't want to create any discord' The organizations say they chose rural P.E.I. because it is quiet and peaceful, a good place to try to keep alive the fading heritage of Tibetan Buddhism. As for the "gated communities" comment, Ho said there is a fence around the nuns' residence — for the women's safety. "I don't know what they are referring to with these closed gates, and they'll never be able to come in," Kingston said. "I look at it as like UPEI." This past July, the nuns held an open house at their new monastery to try to dispel any misconceptions about what they do, and Chiang said about 1,600 people attended. The nuns' plan is to eventually have a multimillion-dollar monastery complex that could accommodate up to 1,400 nuns. As Buddhists, we don't want to create any discord. We definitely wouldn't want our presence to bring any negativity to the community. — Sabrina Chiang, Buddhist nun The nuns and monks say they want to preserve the serenity and beauty of the rural landscape. They are doing some organic farming and plan lots of green space, and say they don't intend to build infrastructure for police or fire as the online critics fear. Both groups say their funds come from donations — from their members' parents, followers and supporters — and not political parties or organizations. "As Buddhists, we don't want to create any discord," Chiang said. "We definitely wouldn't want our presence to bring any negativity to the community." She said she is optimistic the rumours will pass and the nuns' presence will eventually "bring goodness to the people and to the world."The 55th GST Council meeting, held under the leadership of the country's finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, came to an end on Saturday, December 21. The minister, along with her associates, is expected to hold a press conference at 18:00 IST. Insurance Tax Cut Deferred Some of the key aspects that have emerged from the meeting are decisions or lack of some much-discussed issues. When we look at the marquee issues that have been, the following have been learnt. Decisions on the most talked-about issues of insurance premiums (health and life), that is, lowering the GST rate on insurance premiums, have been deferred due to a lack of consensus among the GST council members. Let us know! 👂 What type of content would you like to see from us this year? Currently, a GST of 18 per cent is levied on entire life insurance and health insurance. States Oppose ATF Rate In this regard, a Group of Ministers or GoM is expected to meet on insurance premiums in January 2025. Up next, the issues of lowering tax on food delivery have been deferred due to a lack of consensus in the panel. Here again, the current GST rate on food delivery stands at 18 per cent. Let us know! 👂 What type of content would you like to see from us this year? Another major issue that has been deferred is the issue of bringing ATF, or Aviation Turbine Fuel under the ambit of the GST regime. This issue was also deferred as the states, that are a part of the council opposed the move. GST On Used Cars Some other aspects that have emerged in the meeting include a possible 18 per cent GST on the sale of used cars. Let us know! 👂 What type of content would you like to see from us this year? GST On Popcorn It is also being understood that the GoM report on rate tax Rationalisation has not being submitted. In addition, clarification on the GST levied on popcorn was also issued. A 5 per cent GST will levied on ready-to-eat popcorn, a further 12 per cent for pre-packaged, and an 18 per cent GST will added to caramel popcorn. Namkeens or savouries are currently taxed at 12 per cent, meanwhile, confectionary items are charged at 18 per cent.LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Landin Hacker scored 21 points as Bellarmine beat NAIA-member Brescia 94-66 on Saturday. Hacker finished 7 of 11 from 3-point range for the Knights (3-7). Ben Johnson scored 17 points while going 6 of 13 (5 for 12 from 3-point range) and added six assists. Dylan Branson shot 5 of 7 from the field and 2 for 3 from the line to finish with 12 points, while adding 10 rebounds. Damian Garcia led the way for the Bearcats with 27 points. Gonzalo Luque added nine points, eight rebounds and five assists for Brescia. John Seanz also had eight points and two steals. Both teams next play Saturday. Bellarmine hosts Ball State and Brescia goes on the road to play Cleveland State. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . The Associated Press

NoneSamsung's rival has debuted new storage tech that offers a super-fast, high-capacity flash memory for ultra-portable devices; Kioxia's UFS QLC promises to reach speeds of 4.2 GB/s

By Mike Stone SIMI VALLEY, California (Reuters) -The United States is readying a $988 million package of new additional arms and equipment to Ukraine for its ongoing fight against Russia's invasion, according to a document seen by Reuters. It nearly halves the available $2.21 billion remaining in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative as the Biden administration works to commit to buying weapons from industry, rather than pull from U.S. weapons stocks. The USAI funds will be put toward buying ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) made by Lockheed Martin as well as drones, according to the document seen by Reuters. Announcement of the package was expected on Saturday as the defense industry and policy makers meet at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in California. The Biden administration has often used Presidential Drawdown Authority, which authorizes President Joe Biden to transfer excess articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval during an emergency. The USAI funds are separate and will go to purchase new weapons from industry. The Biden administration still has about $6 billion of congressionally granted presidential drawdown authority, including funds authorized in 2024 and funds discovered by the Pentagon after overestimating the value of arms shipped to Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022 the U.S. has committed more than $62 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine. (Reporting by Mike Stone in Simi Valley, California; Editing by Sandra Maler)SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Algoma Steel Group Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTL; TSX: ASTL) ("Algoma” or "the Company”), a leading Canadian producer of hot and cold rolled steel sheet and plate products, today announced that the Company will be participating in the B. Riley Securities Energy Convergence Conference on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at the Hotel Eventi in New York. Prior to Algoma's attendance at this conference, the Company will post a copy of the presentation it will use in the Investors section of its website on ir.algoma.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information” under applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements”), including statements regarding, Algoma's transition to electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, Algoma's future as a leading producer of green steel, Algoma's modernization of its plate mill facilities, transformation journey, ability to deliver greater and long-term value, ability to offer North America a secure steel supply and a sustainable future, and investment in its people, and processes. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe,” "project,” "expect,” "anticipate,” "estimate,” "intend,” "strategy,” "future,” "opportunity,” "plan,” "design,” "pipeline,” "may,” "should,” "will,” "would,” "will be,” "will continue,” "will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document. Readers should also consider the other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors” and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information” in Algoma's Annual Information Form, filed by Algoma with applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities (available under the company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.com) and with the SEC, as part of Algoma's Annual Report on Form 40-F (available at www.sec.gov), as well as in Algoma's current reports with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Algoma assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. About Algoma Steel Group Inc. Based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, Algoma is a fully integrated producer of hot and cold rolled steel products including sheet and plate. Driven by a purpose to build better lives and a greener future, Algoma is positioned to deliver responsive, customer-driven product solutions to applications in the automotive, construction, energy, defense, and manufacturing sectors. Algoma is a key supplier of steel products to customers in North America and is the only producer of discrete plate products in Canada. Its state-of-the-art Direct Strip Production Complex ("DSPC”) is one of the lowest-cost producers of hot rolled sheet steel (HRC) in North America. Algoma is on a transformation journey, modernizing its plate mill and adopting electric arc technology that builds on the strong principles of recycling and environmental stewardship to significantly lower carbon emissions. Today Algoma is investing in its people and processes, working safely, as a team to become one of North America's leading producers of green steel. As a founding industry in their community, Algoma is drawing on the best of its rich steelmaking tradition to deliver greater value, offering North America the comfort of a secure steel supply and a sustainable future as your partner in steel. For more information, please contact: Michael Moraca Vice President - Corporate Development and Treasurer Algoma Steel Group Inc. Phone: 705.945-3300 E-mail: [email protected]Albert Kan Dapaah, Ghana’s Minister for National Security, has offered a rare and insightful perspective on his role, shifting the conventional understanding of national security to a broader, more encompassing concept of national stability. In a rare interview on Kessben FM, Kan Dapaah explained why he typically avoids public engagements. “I don’t often grant interviews because of the nature of my responsibilities and the demands of my schedule,” he noted, highlighting the immense pressures that come with his high-profile position. However, during the interview, he emphasized that his work extends far beyond the traditional scope of enforcing security protocols or gathering intelligence. Rather than just focusing on national security in the conventional sense, Kan Dapaah suggested that his role should be understood as one centered on the long-term stability of Ghana. “I would prefer to be seen as a Minister for National Stability rather than just National Security,” he said, signaling a shift in focus. For him, national stability goes beyond simply preventing conflict; it encompasses the creation of an environment where trust, unity, and resilience thrive despite challenges. Kan Dapaah also reflected on the often delicate relationship between politics and national security. He emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation and expressed frustration over the politicization of his work. “My role would be more effective if all political parties placed their trust in me,” he explained, underlining that national stability cannot be achieved if his office is continually viewed through a political lens. His remarks served as a call for greater political unity in safeguarding Ghana’s future, stressing that cooperation across the political divide is crucial for maintaining the stability the country needs to thrive.