49 jiliasia Grassley: Trump’s pick for attorney general ‘well-qualified’Hyundai N Festival continues to attract Aussie performance car lovers in their droves

New disability ministers will ‘champion’ inclusion and accessibility – minister

NoneThings to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference: No. 14 BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 14 CFP) at No. 21 Arizona State (8-2, 5-2, No. 21), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) League newcomer Arizona State has a three-game winning streak and BYU is coming off its first loss. The Cougars, after losing at home to Kansas, still control their own destiny in making the Big 12 championship game. They can clinch a spot in that Dec. 7 game as early as Saturday, if they win and instate rival Utah wins at home against No. 22 Iowa State. Arizona State was picked at the bottom of the 16-team league in the preseason media poll, but already has a five-win improvement in coach Kenny Dillingham's second season. No. 16 Colorado (8-2, 6-1, No. 16 CFP) at Kansas (4-6, 3-4), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox) Coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes are in prime position to make the Big 12 title game in their return to the league after 13 seasons in the Pac-12. If BYU and Utah win, Colorado would be able to claim the other title game spot with a win over Kansas. The Buffs have a four-game winning streak. The Jayhawks need another November win over a ranked Big 12 contender while trying to get bowl eligible for the third season in a row. Kansas has won consecutive games over Top 25 teams for the first time in school history, knocking off Iowa State before BYU. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown a touchdown in a school-record 14 consecutive games, while receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel both have more than 800 yards receiving. San Jose State is the only other FBS team with a pair of 800-yard receivers. Becht has 2,628 yards and 17 touchdowns passing for the Cyclones (8-2, 5-2), who are still in Big 12 contention. Oklahoma State goes into its home finale against Texas Tech with a seven-game losing streak, its longest since a nine-game skid from 1977-78. The only longer winless streak since was an 0-10-1 season in 1991. This is Mike Gundy's 20th season as head coach, and his longest losing streak before now was five in a row in 2005, his first season and the last time the Cowboys didn't make a bowl game. ... Baylor plays at Houston for the first time since 1995, the final Southwest Conference season. The Cougars won last year in the only meeting since to even the series 14-14-1. ... Eight Big 12 teams are bowl eligible. As many as six more teams could reach six wins. The Big 12 already has four 1,000-yard rushers, including three who did it last season. UCF's RJ Harvey is the league's top rusher (1,328 yards) and top scorer with 21 touchdowns (19 rushing/two receiving). The others with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons are Texas Tech career rushing leader Tahj Brooks (1,184 yards) and Kansas State's DJ Giddens (1,128 yards). Cam Skattebo with league newcomer Arizona State has 1,074 yards. Devin Neal, the career rushing leader at his hometown university, is 74 yards shy of being the first Kansas player with three 1,000-yard seasons. Cincinnati's Corey Kiner needs 97 yards to reach 1,000 again. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is not escalating a war of words with Mexico, after the Mexican president criticized Canada’s culture and its framing of border issues. “I fundamentally believe that many conversations, when it comes to diplomacy, are always better when they remain private,” Joly said Monday during a teleconference from Brussels. The rift between the two trading partners started with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s declaration that he plans to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods from both countries unless they stop the flow of migrants and illegal drugs into the U.S. Several federal and provincial officials in Canada responded by saying the issues at the Canadian border are vastly different from the Mexican border. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for example, has voiced concerns that the level of Chinese investment in Mexico goes against the economic-security goals of Ottawa and Washington. Some premiers have called on Canada to negotiate a trade deal with Washington independent from Mexico, ahead of the 2026 review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, which replaced NAFTA during Trump’s last tenure in the White House. In a Monday press conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico “must be respected, especially by its trading partners.” She also noted that Canada has “a very serious problem with fentanyl consumption,” more than Mexico, and possibly as a result of some drug-decriminalization measures. “We are not going to fall for a provocation of which country is better,” she said, chalking some criticism from Canada up to political pandering. “Mexico should not be used as part of (Canadian) electoral campaigns,” she said. Yet Sheinbaum also said Canada “could only wish they had the cultural riches Mexico has,” saying her country has civilizations dating back thousands of years. Asked to respond, Joly said she is reaching out to Mexican officials after speaking with the U.S., including about the “very important trade agreement” that includes all three countries. “I know there has been many conversations in Canada about how we can work together and how we can, at the same time, protect our interests,” she said. “We have a positive relationship with Mexico, and we need to work with the country; that’s definitely my goal.” Christopher Sands, director of the Canada Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, said tensions between both countries played out in the NAFTA renegotiation, when there was limited communication between Ottawa and Mexico City. “The Canada-Mexico relationship has always been the weakest part of the triangle of North America,” he said. “There was a lot of feeling during the (CUSMA) negotiations that Mexico was willing to go it alone, and that Canada particularly toward the end was on the outside looking in, and had to fight its way back to the table.” He said Washington would rather have a trade pact with all three countries so it can limit the time and attention it needs on continental issues. “The U.S. is probably the most trilateral of all three countries,” he said, with a caveat. “I think Donald Trump looks at this going into 2026 and says, ‘Great, divide and conquer.’” Sands added that Sheinbaum and her predecessor have implemented nationalist policies that have been at odds with Washington. “The Mexican government has been moving in a direction which is antithetical to the North American project (through) nationalizing parts of the economy, by reversing energy reforms, by doing deals with the cartels. (They are) sometimes working co-operatively with the Americans in the borders, and sometimes not.” Sheinbaum indicated a week ago that she would be writing a letter to Trudeau. That has not been made public, although she did release a letter she had sent to Trump.PORTLAND, Ore. — San Antonio veteran guard Chris Paul was ejected from the Spurs' game at Portland on Friday night after getting his second technical foul. Paul left the game when he earned his second tech with 1:03 left in the first quarter, just 11 seconds after his first. It was unclear why Paul was tossed. Paul, who was averaging 10.2 points per game and 8.5 assists, had five points, four rebounds and four assists when he was ejected. The Spurs went into the game with just 11 players available. Stephon Castle, averaging 12.1 points, was out for the first time this season because of a bruised left shoulder. Also unavailable were Zach Collins (bruised lower back), Keldon Johnson (left calf strain) and Tre Jones (sprained left shoulder) were also ruled out.Judge denies Musk $56 billion Tesla compensation package

Equity Residential stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors despite daily gains

Alpha Modus Plans to Close Business Combination With Insight Acquisition Corp. Today and ...

It is predicted there that for students of law coming out today, the real challenge and the real opportunity is that you are moving into an era where the jurisprudence around technology is almost going to be written ab initio, said Former Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar while addressing the INET-YSI-Bennett University conference on Saturday. Stressing the new framework, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, "What we know of the past, what we know about the legal playbook in the past is going to be completely obsolete. And almost from the ground up, there is going to be new jurisprudence and a new framework of laws, rights and issues that will need to be adjudicated in the future." Further speaking about AI and its potential usage, he said, "And in a lot of ways, that point, if you extend and expand forward to AI, holds true for artificial intelligence, for harm, for its applications, for privacy, for who owns what on the internet, monetization of personal, non-personal data and there is a whole school, a whole area of jurisprudence that will be explored and written in the coming years." He further stated that "we are living in the AI age and there is no doubt about that." Praising the Modi government, Rajeev Chandrasekhar remarked, "In the last ten years, India and for most of you who have lived and experienced India, there has been a deep tectonic transformation in India. So we know bridges have been built, roads have been built, infrastructure have been created, our economy has been modernized, the government's own budget has tripled and quadrupled, we are the fastest growing economy in the world, we have the fastest growing digital economy in the world, our innovation economy is going to be almost a one-fourth of our GDP." Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.

Alarm grew in France on Friday over the fate of a prominent French-Algerian novelist detained in the country of his birth, with his publisher urging his immediate release and President Emmanuel Macron closely following the case. Boualem Sansal, a major figure in francophone modern literature, is known for his strong stances against both authoritarianism and Islamism as well as being a forthright campaigner on freedom of expression issues. His detention by Algeria comes against a background of tensions between France and its former colony which have also appear to have spread to the literary world. The 75-year-old writer, granted French nationality this year, was on Saturday arrested at Algiers airport after returning from France, according to several media reports including the Marianne weekly. The Gallimard publishing house, which has published his work for a quarter of a century, in a statement expressed "its very deep concern following the arrest of the writer by the Algerian security services", calling for his "immediate release". There has been no confirmation from the Algerian authorities of his arrest and no other details about his situation. Macron is "very concerned by the disappearance" of Sansal, said a French presidential official, asking not to be named. "State services are mobilised to clarify his situation," the official said, adding that "the president expresses his unwavering attachment to the freedom of a great writer and intellectual." A relative latecomer to writing, Sansal turned to novels in 1999 and has tackled subjects including the horrific 1990s civil war between authorities and Islamists. His books are not banned in Algeria but he is a controversial figure, particularly since making a visit to Israel in 2014. Sansal's hatred of Islamism has not been confined to Algeria and he has also warned of a creeping Islamisation in France, a stance that has made him a favoured author of prominent figures on the right and far-right. Prominent politicians from this side of the political spectrum rushed to echo Macron's expression of concern for the writer. Centre-right former premier and candidate in 2027 presidential elections Edouard Philippe wrote on X that Sansal "embodies everything we cherish: the call for reason, freedom and humanism against censorship, corruption and Islamism." Far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen, another possible 2027 contender, said: "This freedom fighter and courageous opponent of Islamism has reportedly been arrested by the Algerian regime. This is an unacceptable situation." In 2015, Sansal won the Grand Prix du Roman of the French Academy, the guardians of the French language, for his book "2084: The End of the World", a dystopian novel inspired by George Orwell's "Nineteen-Eighty Four" and set in an Islamist totalitarian world in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. His publisher said that Sansal's novels and essays "exposed the obscurantisms of all kinds which are tragically affecting the way of the world." The concerns about his reported arrest come as another prominent French-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud is under attack over his novel "Houris", which won France's top literary prize, the Goncourt. A woman has claimed the book was based on her story of surviving 1990s Islamist massacres and used without her consent. She alleged on Algerian television that Daoud used the story she confidentially recounted to a therapist -- who is now his wife -- during treatment. His publisher has denied the claims. The controversies are taking place in a tense diplomatic context between France and Algeria, after Macron renewed French support for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara during a landmark visit to the kingdom last month. Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is de facto controlled for the most part by Morocco. But it is claimed by the Sahrawi separatists of the Polisario Front, who are demanding a self-determination referendum and are supported by Algiers. Daoud meanwhile has called for Sansal's release, writing in the right-wing Le Figaro: "I sincerely hope that my friend Boualem will return to us very soon", while expressing his bafflement in the face of the "imprudence" that Sansal allegedly showed in going to Algeria. dax-vl-sjw/giv

NVR Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors

can increase their financials at a higher rate than the industry average, thus delivering superior returns in the long run. Given their higher return potential, these companies trade at higher valuations. Also, due to the developing nature of these companies, they can be riskier. Against this backdrop, let’s look at three top Canadian growth stocks that can deliver multi-fold returns over the next 10 years. Celestica ( ) offers design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions and supports companies at every stage of product development. The company has classified its business into two operating and reportable segments: Advanced Technology Solutions (ATS) and Connectivity & Cloud Solutions (CCS). The ATS segment covers aerospace, defence, industrial, health tech, and capital equipment businesses, while CCS covers communications and enterprise end markets. With the increased usage of AI (artificial intelligence), the demand for AI-ready data centres is rising, thus driving the demand for high-bandwidth switches and storage controllers. Amid growing demand, Celestica continues to develop and introduce new products that meet the high bandwidth needs of hyperscale data centres. It has forged a strategic partnership with Groq, which has developed a proprietary silicon platform specializing in accelerated inferencing. Given the favourable environment and its growth initiatives, I expect the uptrend to continue, thus delivering multi-fold returns in the long run. WELL Health Technologies The second stock I am bullish on is ( ), which develops technologies and services to aid healthcare professionals in delivering positive patient outcomes. Earlier this month, it reported an excellent third-quarter performance, with its growing by 23%. Solid organic growth and acquisitions over the last four quarters more than offset the decline from divestments to drive its top line. During the quarter, the company had 1.48 million patient visits and 2.24 million patient interactions, representing a 41% year-over-year increase in both segments. Amid top-line growth, its adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) grew 16%. However, its adjusted EBITDA to WELL shareholder stood at $25.1 million, representing a 10% increase from the previous year’s quarter. Moreover, the growing adoption of virtual healthcare services, increased usage of software products in the healthcare sector, and digitization of patient records have created a multi-year growth potential for WELL Health. The company continues to invest in AI to develop innovative products and tools to support healthcare providers and improve patient outcomes. The company also has a solid acquisition pipeline, with 17 letters of intent and definitive agreements, which could contribute around $100 million to its annualized revenue. These growth prospects and attractive NTM (next-12-month) multiple of 1.2 make WELL Health an attractive long-term buy. Docebo ( ), which offers a learning platform to organizations worldwide, is my third pick. In the recently reported third-quarter performance, the company posted a revenue of $55.4 million, beating its guidance. Year over year, its top line grew by 19% amid 266 new customer additions and a 9.8% increase in its average revenue per customer. Amid top-line growth, its adjusted EPS (earnings per share) grew by 80% to $0.27, while its adjusted EBITDA increased by 93% to $8.7 million. Meanwhile, the LMS (learning management system) market is growing at a healthier rate amid increased adoption of digital learning platforms, growing internet penetration, and the development of innovative products. Analysts are bullish on the sector and project a double-digit annualized growth for the rest of this decade. Given its highly customizable platform and the addition of AI-powered tools, Docebo is well-positioned to benefit from this expansion. So, I expect the uptrend in Docebo’s financials and stock price to continue.The counting of votes will be undertaken at 8 am on Saturday in where the election is witnessing a major battle. The Parli Assembly constituency (number 233), located in Beed district of Maharashtra, is set for a high-profile contest in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. This General category seat falls under the Beed Lok Sabha constituency and has witnessed fierce political rivalry in recent years. Incumbent Dhananjay Panditrao Munde of the NCP is seeking re-election after his stunning victory in 2019, where he defeated BJP’s Pankaja Gopinath Munde by a massive 30,701 votes, securing 54.45 percent of the vote share. In 2024, Munde will face strong competition from Rajasaheb Deshmukh, the NCP (SP) candidate. Dhondiram Laxman Ujgare of the BSP is also contesting the seat, further intensifying the competition. A total of 11 candidates are contesting from the constituency. In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Dhananjay Munde (NCP) secured 1,22,114 votes, winning with a 54.45 percent vote share. He defeated BJP's Pankaja Munde, who secured 91,413 votes. In contrast, the 2014 elections saw Pankaja Munde of the BJP winning with 49.56 percent of the vote share, defeating Dhananjay Munde by a margin of 25,895 votes. Key issues in the Parli constituency include rural development, agriculture, employment, and access to basic services like healthcare and education. With a significant rural population, addressing water scarcity and improving irrigation facilities are top priorities for candidates. The region’s infrastructure and connectivity also remain significant concerns for voters. As per 2019 Election Commission data, Parli had a total electorate of 3,06,710 voters, with 1,61,329 male and 1,45,381 female voters. The voter turnout in 2019 was 73.12 percent, reflecting a relatively high level of engagement. The constituency has 257 polling booths, ensuring widespread voter participation across the region. The Parli constituency vote on November 20, with results set to be declared on November 23, alongside other constituencies in Maharashtra. Parli emerged as a key battleground, recording a voter turnout of 75.27 percent.World News Today Live Updates on December 14, 2024 : Elden Ring Nightreign, new survival action game, to release in 2025; 8 unique warriors, 1 survival mission—Details hereAs President Joe Biden's term comes to an end, social media users are falsely claiming that his administration spent billions of dollars on the construction of just a handful of electric vehicle charging stations. Multiple high-profile figures, including sitting members of Congress, have promoted the claims. The claims misrepresent funding set aside by the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act , also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for a national network of publicly available electric vehicle chargers . Biden has set a goal of creating 500,000 such chargers by 2030. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

The interim government has recently appointed new vice-chancellors and other top officials to public universities mostly on political considerations -- something that echoes the appointment practices of successive governments. At least 30 VCs out of 47, along with 18 Pro-VCs and treasurers from 40 appointments, have connections to teachers' organisations affiliated with the BNP and Jamaat. There are 55 public universities in the country with about 10.5 lakh students. "The government made these appointments in the face of continuous lobbying and pressures from the political parties," said Samina Lutfa, associate professor at Dhaka University. As there were experienced individuals in the advisory council, there were high hopes for positive changes, particularly in educational institutions, which have been struggling due to politicisation. "As this government came to power with the mandate of students and citizens, we expected them to take bold steps -- beyond lobbying and any pressures -- to bring real changes to institutions. Unfortunately, we haven't seen such initiatives," Samina said. THE APPOINTMENTS The government appointed Prof Kamrul Ahsan as the new VC of Jahangirnagar University. He was the president of the pro-BNP-backed teachers' organisation Jatiyatabadi Shikkhak Forum at JU before his appointment. His colleague Prof Nurul Islam, who is the general secretary of the same committee, has been appointed Pro-VC of the National University. Rashedul Islam, current general secretary of the pro-BNP teachers' forum at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, has been appointed VC of Kurigram Agricultural University. M Yeaqub Ali, member of the pro-BNP teachers' forum, has been appointed as the pro-VC of Islamic University. Leaders of the DU pro-BNP teachers' panel have been awarded top positions in several other universities. For example, DU Professor ABM Obaidul Islam, a former convener of the BNP-backed teachers' panel, has been appointed VC of Bangladesh Open University. The current convener of the forum, Professor Lutfor Rahman, was appointed Pro-VC of the National University. The newly appointed VC of Rajshahi University (RU), Prof Saleh Hasan Naqib, had ties to the RU pro-BNP teachers' forum. He used to attend programmes arranged by the forum, but resigned in August. However, RU VC Prof Naqib said, "I was barely a member. They [the forum] forcibly enlisted me as a member, but I was not actively involved in any of their meetings. "Besides, university teachers may hold political ideologies. My work primarily focuses on students, and I prefer to remain outside of political involvement. I consider myself somewhat independent-minded, so political influence wouldn't affect my work at all." At Khulna University, Md Rezaul Karim, former president of a pro-BNP organisation, was appointed as the VC. Contacted, Prof Rezaul said he had resigned from the association. "Even if I were involved with such an association, it wouldn't affect any of my administrative activities because. "The affiliation was solely for managing teachers' elections. Everything else we do is for the benefit of students and teachers on the campus. We hope it won't affect any kind of appointment or any other activities," he added. At Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, was appointed as the VC, who was the president of the BNP-backed Teachers Forum at the university. MANY FROM DU Several DU faculty members having ties to BNP-Jamaat-backed panels have secured the topmost positions at other universities. For instance, Professor ASM Amanullah, who contested for the Dean of Sociology at DU in 2022, has now been appointed VC of the National University. Similarly, Professor Haidar Ali who ran for the dean post of Engineering and Technology faculty, has been appointed VC of Comilla University. Three teachers who participated in the 2022 DU senate election from the pro-BNP "white panel" were appointed to VCs or Pro-VC roles -- Prof. Nakib M Nasrullah, as VC at Islamic University, Prof Dilip Kumar Barua as VC of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University and Prof Mamun Ahmed as DU Pro-VC. Of the eight newly appointed treasurers, seven are connected to pro-BNP or pro-Jamaat bodies. For example, Prof M Abdur Rab, JU treasurer, is known as a "white panel" member. Some appointments also appear to have been influenced by personal recommendations. In August, JU Professor Ismot Ara, a relative of Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud, recommended four teachers for VC positions at JU. Although none of them were chosen, two were given key roles at Sheikh Hasina University in Netrokona. Professor Khandaker M Ashraful Munim, one of the recommended candidates, became VC and Professor Anichha Parvin became treasurer. Professor Ismot Ara is also a syndicate member at Sheikh Hasina University. REACTION FROM EDUCATIONISTS Samina Lutfa expressed concern that the government's move to appoint VCs on political considerations would not bring any meaningful improvements to universities. "It does not reflect the expectations of the July-August uprising either." Teachers who are not involved in politics, lacking the time or connections to lobby, are often excluded from key positions. "Considering these factors, in my opinion, the government appears very fragile. This fragility is evident in its tendency to sway under pressure or demands, shifting from one side to another. Such inconsistency is quite unexpected," she added. Contacted, prominent intellectual and writer Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq said, "Given the overall situation, I don't think that this interim government solely relies on or bends to any political party so far." The interim government has recently appointed new vice-chancellors and other top officials to public universities mostly on political considerations -- something that echoes the appointment practices of successive governments. At least 30 VCs out of 47, along with 18 Pro-VCs and treasurers from 40 appointments, have connections to teachers' organisations affiliated with the BNP and Jamaat. There are 55 public universities in the country with about 10.5 lakh students. "The government made these appointments in the face of continuous lobbying and pressures from the political parties," said Samina Lutfa, associate professor at Dhaka University. As there were experienced individuals in the advisory council, there were high hopes for positive changes, particularly in educational institutions, which have been struggling due to politicisation. "As this government came to power with the mandate of students and citizens, we expected them to take bold steps -- beyond lobbying and any pressures -- to bring real changes to institutions. Unfortunately, we haven't seen such initiatives," Samina said. THE APPOINTMENTS The government appointed Prof Kamrul Ahsan as the new VC of Jahangirnagar University. He was the president of the pro-BNP-backed teachers' organisation Jatiyatabadi Shikkhak Forum at JU before his appointment. His colleague Prof Nurul Islam, who is the general secretary of the same committee, has been appointed Pro-VC of the National University. Rashedul Islam, current general secretary of the pro-BNP teachers' forum at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, has been appointed VC of Kurigram Agricultural University. M Yeaqub Ali, member of the pro-BNP teachers' forum, has been appointed as the pro-VC of Islamic University. Leaders of the DU pro-BNP teachers' panel have been awarded top positions in several other universities. For example, DU Professor ABM Obaidul Islam, a former convener of the BNP-backed teachers' panel, has been appointed VC of Bangladesh Open University. The current convener of the forum, Professor Lutfor Rahman, was appointed Pro-VC of the National University. The newly appointed VC of Rajshahi University (RU), Prof Saleh Hasan Naqib, had ties to the RU pro-BNP teachers' forum. He used to attend programmes arranged by the forum, but resigned in August. However, RU VC Prof Naqib said, "I was barely a member. They [the forum] forcibly enlisted me as a member, but I was not actively involved in any of their meetings. "Besides, university teachers may hold political ideologies. My work primarily focuses on students, and I prefer to remain outside of political involvement. I consider myself somewhat independent-minded, so political influence wouldn't affect my work at all." At Khulna University, Md Rezaul Karim, former president of a pro-BNP organisation, was appointed as the VC. Contacted, Prof Rezaul said he had resigned from the association. "Even if I were involved with such an association, it wouldn't affect any of my administrative activities because. "The affiliation was solely for managing teachers' elections. Everything else we do is for the benefit of students and teachers on the campus. We hope it won't affect any kind of appointment or any other activities," he added. At Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, was appointed as the VC, who was the president of the BNP-backed Teachers Forum at the university. MANY FROM DU Several DU faculty members having ties to BNP-Jamaat-backed panels have secured the topmost positions at other universities. For instance, Professor ASM Amanullah, who contested for the Dean of Sociology at DU in 2022, has now been appointed VC of the National University. Similarly, Professor Haidar Ali who ran for the dean post of Engineering and Technology faculty, has been appointed VC of Comilla University. Three teachers who participated in the 2022 DU senate election from the pro-BNP "white panel" were appointed to VCs or Pro-VC roles -- Prof. Nakib M Nasrullah, as VC at Islamic University, Prof Dilip Kumar Barua as VC of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University and Prof Mamun Ahmed as DU Pro-VC. Of the eight newly appointed treasurers, seven are connected to pro-BNP or pro-Jamaat bodies. For example, Prof M Abdur Rab, JU treasurer, is known as a "white panel" member. Some appointments also appear to have been influenced by personal recommendations. In August, JU Professor Ismot Ara, a relative of Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud, recommended four teachers for VC positions at JU. Although none of them were chosen, two were given key roles at Sheikh Hasina University in Netrokona. Professor Khandaker M Ashraful Munim, one of the recommended candidates, became VC and Professor Anichha Parvin became treasurer. Professor Ismot Ara is also a syndicate member at Sheikh Hasina University. REACTION FROM EDUCATIONISTS Samina Lutfa expressed concern that the government's move to appoint VCs on political considerations would not bring any meaningful improvements to universities. "It does not reflect the expectations of the July-August uprising either." Teachers who are not involved in politics, lacking the time or connections to lobby, are often excluded from key positions. "Considering these factors, in my opinion, the government appears very fragile. This fragility is evident in its tendency to sway under pressure or demands, shifting from one side to another. Such inconsistency is quite unexpected," she added. Contacted, prominent intellectual and writer Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq said, "Given the overall situation, I don't think that this interim government solely relies on or bends to any political party so far."

How to watch ‘Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story’ (11/30/24) | FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV, Channel for Hallmark Christmas movieLAHAINA, Hawaii — It took until Game No. 9, but we finally got a blowout in the Maui Invitational. No. 5 Iowa State crushed Colorado 99-71 Wednesday in the opening game on the final day of the tournament. That means the Cyclones finish in fifth place in the bracket. TJ Otzelberger's team flies back home across the Pacific after going 2-1 on the island and is 5-1 overall. Their wins over Dayton and Colorado are TBD in terms of value, but a 28-point victory vs. the Buffaloes should boost them heading into next week. They'll need it. ISU's next game is Dec. 4 at home against No. 10 Marquette . Cyclones sophomore Milan Momcilovic had a game-high 24 points, while Curtis Jones added 15, Keshon Gilbert 14 and three other players had 10. Otzelberger took the Iowa State job in 2021 but Wednesday marked only the second time the Cyclones scored more than 90 points against a high-major opponent. (The other one was also 99, but vs. DePaul , so it barely qualifies, really.) The Clones, for the first time under Otzelberger, could have a top-level offense. "We have a team that it's really difficult to prepare for because we're going to end up with five, six guys in double figures that any night, one of them could be the guy," Otzelberger said. "We're trying to play more in transition. We're trying to play with more pace." To think: ISU flirted with losing to Dayton and would've had to play UConn for seventh place in the last game of the tournament if it didn't win Tuesday. That's a wild swing. I had the Cyclones outside of the top 20 heading into the season, which was a contrarian take and, I think it's fair to say now, almost certainly the wrong one. For the Buffs, if I'd have given Colorado coach Tad Boyle the option of taking 1-2 or chancing going 0-3 in Maui, I think he'd have taken 1-2, especially with a win over UConn. "We went from the outhouse to the penthouse back to the outhouse in three days," Boyle said. The Buffs had to replace their top five scorers and are a wait-and-see when it comes to their Big 12 viability. I like what they have in shooting guard Julian Hammond, 6-foot-10 post man (and NAIA transfer) Elijah Malone and 6-8 wing Andrej Jakimovski . Given this was Colorado's third game in three days, it's all but a guarantee the next time these teams play it won't be nearly the blowout. ISU travels to play Colorado in Big 12 play in just over a month, on Dec. 30. "I told myself before the season started I have to have patience with this group," Boyle said. "It's not in my nature, but it's where we are right now." And at least we have this video of Boyle water sliding. I never found a water slide during my time out here in Maui, and that's on me. celebrate Maui style 🛝 #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/NspRguwlgb Let's tour the Lahaina Civic Center Over the decades, as I've watched this amazing tournament on TV, I've always wondered what it felt like and what the confines were around the hallowed Lahaina Civic Center. So I took it upon myself to shoot a couple of videos and bring you in. Until you see it, you don't quite realize just how cozy this place is. A perspective you don’t really get from watching on TV: Here’s how cozy the Lahaina Civic Center is. pic.twitter.com/1fkt802WDf As for the locker rooms, well, there's nothing like this in sports. You've gotta see this most humble of pregame prep spaces. It doesn't get more bare-bones than this. Ah, Maui. Big games in a small gym. Only college basketball provides something this wholesome. A post shared by CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@cbssportscbb) This story will update deep into Wednesday night.

Fastly, Inc. (FSLY) UBS Global Technology and AI Conference (Transcript)Qualcomm Inc. stock rises Wednesday, still underperforms market

War is often less seen than heard, and as a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel came into effect on Wednesday morning, Ibrahim Najdi marveled at the absence of one particular sound: the buzz of Israeli drones that had been a near-constant presence in Beirut over the last few months. "You can't hear them, can you? They're gone," he said. He gave a small smile, then picked his way through the mounds of rubble separating him from the remains of his two warehouses. Najdi, a 42-year-old home-supplies merchant, was one of tens of thousands of people Wednesday swarming the Hezbollah-dominated suburbs south of Beirut. He came to take stock of the damage wrought by 70 days of ferocious Israeli bombardment . Though his two warehouses were destroyed in an airstrike two weeks ago, his shop was in a nearby building survived. The blast wave nevertheless tossed all of his stock into a jumble of shower handles and hoses, boxes of masking tape and home repair tools — all covered in fine, metallic-gray dust. "I don't know if I can save any of it," Najdi said. Similar scenes were playing out across the country, as people began the journey to their towns and villages in Lebanon's devastated south. Shortly after the start of the ceasefire at 4 a.m., thousands of cars — many stacked on top with mattresses, suitcases and bags of vegetables — deluged the main highway leading out of Beirut in a reverse exodus that echoed their escape from the south only a few months before. Shelters in the southern city of Saida, a refuge for thousands of displaced, emptied by around 80%, Lebanese authorities say. "I know my house is bombed, but I don't care. We're all going back," said Haidar, 33, who was picking up shawarma sandwiches for his family at a roadside restaurant. Haidar, who did not want to give his full name, was from the village of Khirbet Selm, some 9 miles north of the Lebanese-Israeli border. He had already been hours on the road with his wife and two children in his rugged-looking SUV, but was intent on going on — even though he didn't know where the family would sleep. "We'll figure it out. Allah's earth can fit us all," he said. The ceasefire agreement , which came after intense mediation by the U.S. and France, was approved by Lebanon's government on Wednesday morning. It stipulates that Israeli troops conduct a phased withdrawal from south Lebanon over the next 60 days, while Hezbollah pulls back its fighters to north of the Litani River, a natural boundary that lies some 20 miles north of the border. According to the plan, around 5,000 Lebanese soldiers will take their place, Lebanese officials say. The Lebanese army said in a statement on Wednesday that it had begun "to reinforce its deployment" south of the Litani and would "extend state authority" in coordination with U.N. peacekeeping forces. (The Lebanese army remained neutral in the fight between Israel and Hezbollah.) Despite the calm on Wednesday, there were moments that highlighted the fragility of the truce. Israeli troops fired warning shots at people trying to approach their positions in southern villages from which they had yet to withdraw, the Israeli military said. Later, it imposed a nighttime curfew over much of south Lebanon and warned civilians not to return to their homes before being instructed to do so. Despite those reminders that the war is not fully resolved, many Lebanese were jubilant. Motorists driving through Beirut suburbs honked their horns as they drove in impromptu motorcades, while others waved flags and fired celebratory shots into the air. Many walked the streets, shaking their heads in amazement as they raised their smartphones to film the destruction. The war between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese armed group began last year after Palestinian militant faction Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people. The next day, Hezbollah began launching rockets into northern Israel, saying it was acting in support of Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza Strip. Israel and Hezbollah continued trading fire over the last year in an escalating tit-for-tat conflict that saw tens of thousands of people evacuated from both sides of the border. In September, Israel intensified its attacks on Hezbollah. It launched a punishing airstrike campaign on Lebanon's south, east and parts of the capital where Hezbollah holds sway, and invaded areas of Lebanon's south in what it said was a bid to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure. Since last October, more than 3,800 people have been killed in Lebanon, a quarter of them women and children, according to Lebanese health authorities; almost 16,000 have been injured. Israeli authorities say 45 civilians have been killed in Hezbollah attacks, and at least 73 soldiers killed in combat in south Lebanon, the occupied Golan Heights and northern Israel. Najdi, the merchant, was happy that the ceasefire was holding, but it was also bittersweet as he contemplated the difficult months ahead. "I was making something, building something. At 45 I thought I would slow down, take it easy," he said. He added that he had experienced five wars in his lifetime, the first — in 1982 — when he was still in diapers. "And now this one. I have to start again from nothing." More than a million people displaced in the fighting over the last year share his fate, with the World Bank estimating in November that nearly 100,000 housing units have been partially or completely destroyed, while the total cost of damage amounts to roughly $8.5 billion. It remains unclear how Lebanon — which before the war was suffering a multiyear financial crisis that had eviscerated the economy and left most of its population under the poverty line — intends to go about the reconstruction. International aid groups have urged governments to help, said Juan Gabriel Wells, Lebanon country director for the International Rescue Committee aid group. "It is vital that the international community now also invest in Lebanon's recovery," he said in a statement on Wednesday. "These efforts are not only about rebuilding infrastructure; they are also critical to restoring dignity and hope to families who have lost everything." The Lebanese government has yet to formulate concrete plans, officials said. "You know we were so busy, all of us, with the ceasefire," said Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib at a conference in Rome on Tuesday, a few hours before the truce. "Did we think very much about the day after? No." ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A number of prominent pundits, including former City defender and club ambassador Micah Richards, have questioned why the Belgium international has not been starting games amid the champions’ dramatic slump. City have not won in seven outings in all competitions – their worst run since 2008 – with De Bruyne featuring only as a substitute in the last five of those matches after recovering from a pelvic injury. The latest came with a 12-minute run-out in Sunday’s demoralising 2-0 defeat at Premier League leaders Liverpool, a result which left City 11 points off the pace and fifth in the table. Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast it appeared “there’s some sort of rift going on” between De Bruyne and Guardiola while former England striker Gary Lineker added: “It seems like all’s not well.” Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said he felt “something isn’t right” and fellow Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville, the ex-Manchester United right-back, described the situation as “unusual, bizarre, strange”. Guardiola, speaking at a press conference to preview his side’s clash with Nottingham Forest, responded on Tuesday. The Spaniard said: “People say I’ve got a problem with Kevin. Do you think I like to not play with Kevin? No, I don’t want Kevin to play? “The guy who has the most talent in the final third, I don’t want it? I have a personal problem with him after nine years together? “He’s delivered to me the biggest success to this club, but he’s been five months injured (last season) and two months injured (this year). “He’s 33 years old. He needs time to find his best, like last season, step by step. He’ll try to do it and feel better. I’m desperate to have his best.” De Bruyne has not started since being forced off at half-time of City’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan on September 18, having picked up an injury in the previous game. Both the player and manager have spoken since of the pain he was in and the need to ease back into action, but his spell on the bench has been unexpectedly long. The resulting speculation has then been exacerbated because De Bruyne is in the final year of his contract but Guardiola maintains nothing untoward has occurred. He said: “I’d love to have the Kevin in his prime, 26 or 27. He would love it to – but he is not 26 or 27 any more. “He had injuries in the past, important and long ones. He is a guy who needs to be physically fit for his space and energy. You think I’m complaining? It’s normal, it’s nature. “He’s played in 10 or 11 seasons a lot of games and I know he is desperate to help us. He gives glimpses of brilliance that only he can have. “But, always I said, he himself will not solve our problems, like Erling (Haaland) won’t solve it himself. We attack and defend together. “We want the best players back. Hopefully step by step the confidence will come back and we’ll get the best of all of us.”Point of Sale (POS) Systems: Streamlining Payments for BusinessesPhiladelphia (9-2) at Baltimore (8-4) Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Ravens by 3. Against the spread: Eagles 7-4; Ravens 6-5-1. Series record: Baltimore leads 3-2-1. Last meeting: Ravens beat Eagles 30-28 at Philadelphia on Oct. 18, 2020. Last week: Eagles beat Rams 37-20; Ravens beat Chargers 30-23. Eagles offense: overall (3), rush (1), pass (25), scoring (7) Eagles defense: overall (1), rush (7), pass (3), scoring (6) Ravens offense: overall (1), rush (2), pass (3), scoring (2) Ravens defense: overall (24), rush (2), pass (31), scoring (10) Turnover differential: Eagles plus-3; Ravens plus-2. RB Saquon Barkley. Barkley has not only turned the Eagles into legitimate Super Bowl contenders, his numbers could make him the first non-QB to win MVP since Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson in 2012. He had a career-high 255 yards on 26 carries and two rushing TDs against the Rams. It was the ninth-best single-game rushing performance in NFL history. Barkley has only played against Baltimore once, and finished with 83 yards rushing and a touchdown in October 2022. RB Derrick Henry. Not to be outdone, Henry is close behind Barkley in the race for the NFL rushing title, trailing 1,392 yards to 1,325. His 15 total TDs lead the league. This is the first meeting between players with at least 1,300 yards rushing since Week 16 of 2012, when Peterson's Minnesota team faced Houston and Arian Foster. Baltimore's Lamar Jackson vs. Philadelphia's top-ranked defense. Jackson has been particularly good with ball security this season. He's thrown only three interceptions. The Eagles lead the league with 46 points off turnovers since Week 8. Eagles: Philadelphia lost the heart of the team when DE Brandon Graham announced after last week's game that he was out for the season with a torn triceps. He said previously this would be his final season. Graham has 3 1/2 sacks this season, his 15th with the Eagles. ... The Eagles should know closer to game day if CB Darius Slay (concussion) and WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) will play against the Ravens. Ravens: Star LB Roquan Smith (hamstring) did not play against the Chargers, but he was back at practice this week. The past three meetings between the teams have been decided by a combined four points. In fact, only one matchup in the series — Baltimore's 36-7 win in 2008 — has had a margin of more than five. ... The past two meetings came down to 2-point conversion attempts by Philadelphia near the end of the game, and both times the Eagles failed. ... John Harbaugh spent a decade on the Eagles' staff before becoming Baltimore's head coach in 2008. The Eagles have started 9-2 or better in three consecutive seasons. ... Nick Sirianni is the first Eagles head coach with winning seasons in each of his first four years with the team. ... Over the past 30 years, only five coaches have opened 9-2 or better in three straight years: Sirianni (2022-24 Eagles), Sean Payton (2018-20 Saints), Bill Belichick (2014-17 Patriots), Tony Dungy (2005-07 Colts) and Mike Shanahan (1996-98 Broncos). ... Philadelphia’s seven-game winning streak is tied for its third-longest stretch in a single season since 2004, trailing only the 2017 (nine) and 2022 (eight) seasons. ... The Eagles are second in the NFL with a .719 (23-9) road winning percentage since 2021, trailing only Kansas City (23-8) in that span. ... The Eagles have held opponents to fewer than 300 total yards for seven straight games, their longest streak since 2008. ... The Ravens have at least two sacks in 15 straight games. That's the longest active streak in the NFL. ... Jackson is 23-1 in games started against the NFC. ... Baltimore has scored TDs on 78.7% of its red zone trips, tops in the league. ... The Ravens are the first team in the Super Bowl era with at least 3,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing through the first 12 games of a season. ... Jackson is the first player since 2020 (Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers) with at least 3,000 yards passing and a passer rating of at least 115 entering Week 13. ... Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy have eight sacks apiece for Baltimore. The Ravens, Texans and Vikings are the only teams with two players who have reached that total. ... Baltimore has gone three straight games without scoring in the first quarter. Ravens TE Mark Andrews has a TD catch in two of his past three games and appears to be Baltimore's top option at that position despite the presence of Isaiah Likely. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl