luckycola agent.com Empire’s chief executive believes the grocery retailer has a leg up on the competition as consumer sentiment improves amid lower inflation and interest rates, and the gap between its discount and full-service stores shrinks. “We believe this will be advantageous to us as we continue to lean into our strengths as a full-service foremost grocer,” said Michael Medline, president and CEO of the company that owns Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Farm Boy, Longo’s and other grocery banners across the country. “We saw momentum and green shoots in both the economy and our business,” he said on a conference call with analysts discussing the company’s second-quarter financial results. “Inflation has now moderated, and interest rates have begun to decline, representing a positive inflection point for full service.” Like its competitors, Empire has been increasing its discount store footprint through new stores and conversions. But it’s also got big plans for its higher-end stores in Ontario. “You’re going to see many new Farm Boy and Longo’s stores going up over the next year and two years,” said Medline. The company said it earned a second-quarter profit of $173.4 million, compared with $181.1 million a year earlier. Sales for the quarter totalled $7.78 billion, up from $7.75 billion a year earlier. The increase came as same-store sales rose 1.1 per cent. Same-store sales growth, excluding fuel sales, were up 1.8 per cent. The company’s e-commerce sales grew 12.2 per cent during the quarter, driven primarily by Voilà, said Medline. “Growing Canadian e-commerce penetration is the key tailwind that we need to accelerate the growth of Voilà,” he said. Near the end of the quarter, the company also launched new partnerships with Instacart and Uber Eats to complement its Voilà service. Empire said in a press release that it intends to continue investing in its store network, including renovating approximately 20 to 25 per cent of stores between fiscal 2024 and 2026. During the quarter, Empire said it invested $149.2 million in capital expenditures, including renovations, construction of new stores, and other technological investments. Medline said during the quarter the company completed the expansion of one of its distribution centres in Ontario. This has helped margins by redirecting some deliveries to the distribution centre instead of individual stores, he said, boosting freshness, waste reduction and product availability. The company provided an update on its expansion of discount banner FreshCo in Western Canada, with 48 stores now operating in the region. Empire said it expects to achieve its original target of converting up to a quarter of its Safeway and Sobeys stores to FreshCo over the next several years. Empire's stock was up more than seven per cent in midday trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The company said its profit amounted to 73 cents per diluted share for the 13-week period ended Nov. 2 compared with a profit of 72 cents per diluted share a year ago when it had more shares outstanding. On an adjusted basis, it earned 73 cents per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 71 cents per diluted share in the same quarter last year. The average analyst estimate had been for an adjusted profit of 66 cents per share, according to data provided by LSEG Data & Analytics. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:EMP.A) Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press

( MENAFN - Mid-East Info) Dubai, United Arab Emirates – December, 2024: In a move reflecting its commitment to enhancing international cooperation, the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs announced the signing of strategic partnerships with the United Arab Emirates aimed at exchanging expertise and developing innovative solutions in the digital health sector. The partnership seeks to explore new collaborative opportunities with the UAE to address future challenges and create added value in the healthcare sector. This cooperation is based on Estonia's globally recognized leadership in this field and aims to improve the quality of healthcare and enhance the efficiency of medical systems in the UAE. MENAFN26122024005446012082ID1109033468 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.Percentages: FG .557, FT .625. 3-Point Goals: 15-28, .536 (Joshua 3-3, Marshall 3-5, Klaczek 2-3, Reddish 2-3, Strand 2-4, Topuz 2-5, Briggs 1-3, Langford 0-1, Taylor 0-1). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 2 (Adewale, Klaczek). Turnovers: 15 (Neely 3, Adnan 2, Klaczek 2, Strand 2, Taylor 2, Giralt, Joshua, Marshall, Topuz). Steals: 12 (Joshua 5, Langford 2, Marshall 2, Strand 2, Lindsey). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .340, FT .478. 3-Point Goals: 5-19, .263 (Alicea 2-3, Maldonado 2-6, Bargas 1-3, Pagan 0-1, Gonzalez 0-2, Saavedra 0-2, Uselis 0-2). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 1 (Uselis). Turnovers: 19 (Perez 5, Alicea 4, Uselis 3, Saavedra 2, Bargas, Gonzalez, Guilfu, Pagan, Zayas). Steals: 4 (Bargas 2, Perez, Uselis). Technical Fouls: None. A_20 (12,000).

All-star Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko will make his first start of the season Tuesday. Head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed after morning skate that Demko will be in net when the Canucks host the St. Louis Blues. The 28-year-old netminder from San Diego, Calif., last played on April 24 when the Canucks bested the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series. He suffered an injury to the popliteus muscle in his knee during the game and has been working his way back ever since. A number of factors led to Demko starting Tuesday, Tocchet said. “You want him to feel comfortable. You want to, obviously, communicate with him,” he said. “(Kevin Lankinen) was playing well, too. So there wasn’t a pressing issue to get him in. But we want to get him in. We’re excited. Obviously he’s a huge part of our team.” Demko had a 35-14-2 record with a .918 save percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts in regular-season play last year and played in the all-star game for the second time in his career. The veteran goalie is managing his personal expectations as he returns to game action, however. “I think it’d be foolish to say that I’m going to come back and be perfectly sharp and feel like I have my ‘A’ game in game one. Obviously, that takes a little bit of time,” Demko told reporters last week. “Just seeing game reps and things is kind of a last step of fully doing rehab. So I’m not really putting an expectation on that. “Obviously, the way Lanks has played kind of takes a little bit of pressure off of myself to come in and not feel like I have to save the world.” Demko returned to Vancouver’s lineup last week, backing up Lankinen for games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canucks signed Lankinen to a US$875,000 deal during training camp and the Finnish goaltender has split the crease with Arturs Silovs this season, backstopping Vancouver to a 14-8-4 record. Lankinen has been “unbelievable” this season, Demko said. “It’s been really fun to get to know him and be able to watch him play,” he said. “It’s a challenging position he was put in, coming into a new team and being able to manage the workload that he’s been given.” Demko’s return to the crease should act as motivation for the Canucks’ skaters as the team takes on the Blues, Tocchet said. “I think, when you look at the way Demmer has worked hard to get back, a lot of lonely times by himself, it should give guys juice that you want to play well in front of him,” the coach said. You’d be crazy not to. “Maybe there’s extra shot blocking, situations to get the puck in deep when we’re tired to give him a break, things like that. I think we need to do that tonight for him.”

The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing . But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin , gold and other investments also drove higher. Here’s a look at some of the numbers that defined the year. All are as of Dec. 20. Remember when President Bill Clinton got impeached or when baseball’s Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run against the Montreal Expos? That was the last time the U.S. stock market closed out a second straight year with a leap of at least 20%, something the S&P 500 is on track to do again this year. The index has climbed 24.3% so far this year, not including dividends, following last year’s spurt of 24.2%. The number of all-time highs the S&P 500 has set so far this year. The first came early, on Jan. 19, when the index capped a two-year comeback from the swoon caused by high inflation and worries that high interest rates instituted by the Federal Reserve to combat it would create a recession. But the index was methodical through the rest of the year, setting a record in every month outside of April and August, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The latest came on Dec. 6. The number of times the Federal Reserve has cut its main interest rate this year from a two-decade high, offering some relief to the economy. Expectations for those cuts, along with hopes for more in 2025, were a big reason the U.S. stock market has been so successful this year. The 1 percentage point of cuts, though, is still short of the 1.5 percentage points that many traders were forecasting for 2024 at the start of the year. The Fed disappointed investors in December when it said it may cut rates just two more times in 2025, fewer than it had earlier expected. That’s how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by the day after Election Day, as investors made bets on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world . The more widely followed S&P 500 soared 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. Aside from bitcoin, stocks of banks and smaller winners were also perceived to be big winners. The bump has since diminished amid worries that Trump’s policies could also send inflation higher. Related Articles Economy | Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices Economy | US applications for unemployment benefits hold steady, but continuing claims rise to 3-year high Economy | A million taxpayers will soon receive up to $1,400 from the IRS. Who are they and why now? Economy | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump Economy | How to avoid financial stress during the holiday season The level that bitcoin topped to set a record above $108,000 this past month. It’s been climbing as interest rates come down, and it got a particularly big boost following Trump’s election. He’s turned around and become a fan of crypto, and he’s named a former regulator who’s seen as friendly to digital currencies as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing someone who critics said was overly aggressive in his oversight. Bitcoin was below $17,000 just two years ago following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Gold’s rise for the year, as it also hit records and had as strong a run as U.S. stocks. Wars around the world have helped drive demand for investments seen as safe, such as gold. It’s also benefited from the Fed’s cut to interest rates. When bonds are paying less in interest, they pull away fewer potential buyers from gold, which pays investors nothing. It’s a favorite number of Elon Musk, and it’s also a threshold that Tesla’s stock price passed in December as it set a record. The number has a long history among marijuana devotees, and Musk famously said in 2018 that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share . Tesla soared this year, up from less than $250 at the start, in part because of expectations that Musk’s close relationship with Trump could benefit the company. That’s how much revenue Nvidia made in the nine months through Oct. 27, showing how the artificial-intelligence frenzy is creating mountains of cash. Nvidia’s chips are driving much of the move into AI, and its revenue through the last nine months catapulted from less than $39 billion the year before. Such growth has boosted Nvidia’s worth to more than $3 trillion in total. GameStop’s gain on May 13 after Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” appeared online for the first time in three years to support the video game retailer’s stock, which he helped rocket to unimaginable heights during the “ meme stock craze ” in 2021. Several other meme stocks also jumped following his post in May on the social platform X, including AMC Entertainment. Gill later disclosed a sizeable stake in the online pet products retailer Chewy, but he sold all of his holdings by late October . That’s how much the U.S. economy grew, at annualized seasonally adjusted rates, in each of the three first quarters of this year. Such growth blew past what many pessimists were expecting when inflation was topping 9% in the summer of 2022. The fear was that the medicine prescribed by the Fed to beat high inflation — high interest rates — would create a recession. Households at the lower end of the income spectrum in particular are feeling pain now, as they contend with still-high prices. But the overall economy has remained remarkably resilient. This is the vacancy rate for U.S. office buildings — an all-time high — through the first three quarters of 2024, according to data from Moody’s. The fact the rate held steady for most of the year was something of a win for office building owners, given that it had marched up steadily from 16.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Demand for office space weakened as the pandemic led to the popularization of remote work. That’s the total number of previously occupied homes sold nationally through the first 11 months of 2024. Sales would have to surge 20% year-over-year in December for 2024’s home sales to match the 4.09 million existing homes sold in 2023, a nearly 30-year low. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. A shortage of homes for sale and elevated mortgage rates have discouraged many would-be homebuyers.

BMW praises Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology on social media

1. Not pretty, but pretty effective Now we know. Norwich and Johannes Hoff Thorup can do pragmatism as well as possession. This was a raw-boned game of Championship cut and thrust. Thorup himself called the fayre 'terrible'. Low on quality but rich in endeavour and character and fighting spirit from the Canaries. Commodities that were brought into question by the limpness of that 3-0 weekend defeat at QPR and the defensive vulnerability exposed at set pieces. At times this had the feel of a cup tie, with the ball a bystander. When Callum Doyle sensed the danger at his back post, in the first of six additional minutes, heading behind as the blue shirts sensed a big opportunity, he punched the air with all the lustre that greeted his thumping goal against Watford earlier in the season. It was a night for righting a few wrongs. Even the normally ice-cool Thorup cut an animated figure in the tight confines of the two dugouts, particularly in a heated exchange or two in the first half with the fourth official. Norwich can and will play much better this season. But they might struggle to derive as much satisfaction from the manner they ground out a point at a raucous, febrile Fratton Park. Particularly given the fresh blast of adversity that hit them prior to kick-off. 2. ‘Fair or not fair’ Glen Riddersholm did not explicitly reference the FA’s decision to hit Kenny McLean with another four-game ban for violent conduct for an alleged incident not recorded, so presumably not seen, by the officials at QPR. But the timing of his social media post, which came between official confirmation of the news and kick-off at Fratton Park said it all. McLean cut a crestfallen figure as he trooped off the team bus. There was a consoling hug from Thorup as they got a first sight of the pitch. Incredibly, the Scottish international will have missed eight games by the turn of the year. Irony of ironies, the first game he is available again will be QPR’s spicy Carrow Road return. City’s appeal was rejected out of hand on Tuesday afternoon. The brief time it took to be dismissed would only add to that ‘frustration’, which Riddersholm urged those inside and outside the club to use as ‘fuel’. It would seem, on face value, grossly unfair for the Scot to suffer a three-game ban, and the further one game uplift related to his previous red card misdemeanour against Middlesbrough, for an alleged altercation with a QPR midfielder midway through the opening period that ‘wasn’t seen by the match officials at the time, but it was caught on camera’. Thorup made it clear in his first public post-match utterances on the matter he expects a raft of retrospective calls to come now in the Championship with precedent set. Given the Ante Crnac offside call, the clear penalty for handball and the foul on Angus Gunn in the build up to QPR’s second goal, the football authorities appear to have meted out rough justice. While other actors escape any such forensic scrutiny of their performance. Although it may be worth checking where the QPR match officials find themselves posted this coming weekend. But if Riddersholm’s clarion call is heeded, and that sense of unfairness lingers, there might be one positive to grasp. 3. Solid citizens In the midst of Thorup’s takedown of his players struggles at QPR this always felt like a night to restore Jose Cordoba to the first XI. Hamstring issues have hindered the Panamanian centre back, but his sheer size and presence looked like invaluable elements for another arm wrestle of a Championship contest. Cordoba slotted in alongside Shane Duffy, who similarly possesses the physical attributes to handle the earthier dimension of combat in the second tier. There was a dramatic decrease in the ball-playing requirements of the two Norwich centre backs at Fratton Park and a marked reduction in the slip passing involving Angus Gunn that had previously been the hallmark of Thorup’s deep build up play structure. This was a night to head it, kick it and deal with the Pompey barrage from set pieces. Neither was found wanting, although Duffy’s rashness earned him a needless first half booking in a flurry of yellow cards, as City strived to prove collectively they can mix it as well as manoeuvre opponents off-balance with the sureness of their possession. On this wintry night, and after the events at Loftus Road, Duffy and Cordoba were the perfect pairing. Duffy has shown enough already this season he has an understated passing range, go back to the third goal against Luton last time out at Carrow Road, while Cordoba looks equally comfortable on the ball. Rather than horses for courses, and needs must, the duo may have put down a marker for a more lasting union. 4. Over to you, Lunghi Without second guessing Thorup, his compatriot may have been the main beneficiary to the late, McLean-enforced switch to the City starting line up on the south-coast. A fair assumption given Jacob Sorensen had been dipped out since that comprehensive Plymouth win, minus his initial passing error that led to the Pilgrims’ solitary goal on the night, and the return to fitness of Marcelino Nunez. But with McLean now missing until the turn of the year, the 26-year-old looks the nearest carbon copy. In truth, he has never exhibited the dynamism and drive or the sheer athletic output of McLean during a City career which has, for the most part, hovered around the margins. He will not command the same contractual headlines as Gunn or Grant Hanley, or even Ashley Barnes, but Sorensen is another approaching the final months of his current deal. Albeit the Canaries retain a further year option. But to trigger that extension Sorensen may feel this is now his time to press his case. He was pitched into deep water, when McLean was previously suspended and injuries bit hard for those tough defeats to Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City. That felt harsh to judge a player who had been sidelined for so long and was then thrust into emergency action. But he has had match minutes and training weeks since to come to the boil. Norwich will need Sorensen’s composure and his ability to read the game, allied to a layer of protection for the Canaries’ back four. Not only does his team need him, but he needs to deliver."Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Front Row made the claim in a court filing and said it involved its proposed purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Front Row said the series would only approve it if Front Row and 23XI Racing dropped their court case. “Specifically, NASCAR informed us that it would not approve the (charter) transfer unless we agreed to drop our current antitrust lawsuit against them,” Jerry Freeze, general manager of Front Row, said in an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina. The two teams in September refused to sign NASCAR’s “take-it-or-leave-it” final offer on a new revenue sharing agreement. All other 13 teams signed the deal. Front Row and 23XI balked and are now in court. 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan has said he took the fight to court on behalf of all teams competing in the top motorsports series in the United States. NASCAR has argued that the two teams simply do not like the terms of the final charter agreement and asked for the lawsuit be dismissed. Earlier this week, the suit was transferred to a different judge than the one who heard the first round of arguments and ruled against the two teams in their request for a temporary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams as the case proceeds. The latest filing is heavily redacted as it lays out alleged retaliatory actions by NASCAR the teams say have caused irreparable harm. Both Front Row and 23XI want to expand from two full-time cars to three, and have agreements with SHR to purchase one charter each as SHR goes from four cars to one for 2025. The teams can still compete next season but would have to do so as “open” teams that don’t have the same protections or financial gains that come from holding a charter. Freeze claimed in the affidavit that Front Row signed a purchase agreement with SHR in April and NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Freeze in September the deal had been approved. But when Front Row submitted the paperwork last month, NASCAR began asking for additional information. A Dec. 4 request from NASCAR was “primarily related to our ongoing lawsuit with NASCAR,” Freeze said. “NASCAR informed us on December 5, 2024, that it objected to the transfer and would not approve it, in contrast to the previous oral approval for the transfer confirmed by Phelps before we filed the lawsuit,” Freeze said. “NASCAR made it clear that the reason it was now changing course and objecting to the transfer is because NASCAR is insisting that we drop the lawsuit and antitrust claims against it as a condition of being approved.” A second affidavit from Steve Lauletta, the president of 23XI Racing, claims NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of manufacturing “new circumstances” in a renewed motion for an injunction and of a “coordinated effort behind the scenes.” “This is completely false,” Lauletta said. Front Row is owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, while 23XI is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Jordan, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and longtime Jordan adviser Curtis Polk. NASCAR had been operating with 36 chartered teams and four open spots since the charter agreement began in 2016. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The teams contend they must be chartered under some of their contractual agreements with current sponsors and drivers, and competing next year as open teams will cause significant losses. “23XI exists to compete at the highest level of stock car racing, striving to become the best team it can be. But that ambition can only be pursued within NASCAR, which has monopolized the market as the sole top-tier circuit for stock car racing,” Lauletta said. “Our efforts to expand – purchasing more cars and increasing our presence on the track – are integral to achieving this goal. “It is not hypocritical to operate within the only system available while striving for excellence and contending for championships,” he continued. “It is a necessity because NASCAR’s monopoly leaves 23XI no alternative circuit, no different terms, and no other viable avenue to compete at this level.” ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing Advertisement Advertisement

Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has been awarded the AI Innovation Award during the “AI Tour” exhibition, organised by Microsoft and sponsored by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, held yesterday in Doha. Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannaipresented the award to Sheikh Faleh bin Ahmed Al Thani, Director of the Human Resources Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The event was attended by numerous officials, government representatives, experts, business leaders, innovators, and an elite group of Microsoft partners and clients. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry received this prestigious award in recognition of its outstanding efforts in leveraging modern technology and artificial intelligence within its operations. The award specifically acknowledges the Ministry’s “Unified Platform” project, which is powered by AI. This project is designed to enhance internal workflow efficiency and improve the customer experience by offering high-quality and user-friendly services. Copy 11/12/2024 10Kendrick Lamar is rapping about some bad blood. With the surprise Nov. 22 release of his sixth album GNX , the "Not Like Us" rapper addressed the controversy surrounding his upcoming performance at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show . Kendrick was announced as the headliner in September, but many fans assumed that rapper Lil Wayne would be chosen since the game was being held at Caesars Superdome in the "Lollipop" emcee's hometown of New Orleans. In fact, Lil Wayne expressed his "hurt" over the perceived snub, sharing in a recent Instagram video, "I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for just automatically, mentally putting myself in that position." On the song "wacced out murals," Kendrick alluded to the incident, rapping, "Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down / Whatever though, call me crazy, everybody questionable / Turn me to an E sk---, I drew the line and decimals." He also addressed the controversy more specifically in the following verse, saying that very few of his fellow musicians had reached out to him. "Won the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me / All these n----s agitated, I'm just glad they showin' they faces," he continued. "Quite frankly, plenty artists, but they outdated / Old-ass flows, tryna convince me that you they favorite / This is not for lyricists, I swear it's not the sentiments." Kendrick's upcoming Super Bowl show will be the second time he's performed at the sporting event. He joined headliners Dr. Dre , Snoop Dogg , Eminem and Mary J. Blige for the 2022 Halftime show . And when the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper was announced to return to NFL's biggest stage earlier this year, he told E! News in a statement, " Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I'll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one." Lil Wayne has not publicly responded to Kendrick's song, though he previously said that not being chosen as the 2025 Super Bowl performer made him "feel like s--t." "I feel like I let all of y'all down for not getting that opportunity," the "Love Me" rapper added to fans in his Instagram video. "But I'm working on me, and I'm working. So thank you."