info wild casino NEW YORK (AP) — If you’re planning on ringing in the new year quietly at home, you’re not alone. A majority of U.S adults intend to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, according to a new poll by . “As I’ve gotten older over the last few years, it’s like if I don’t make it to midnight, it’s not a big deal, you know?” says Carla Woods, 70, from Vinton, Iowa. Nearly 2 in 10 will be celebrating at a friend or family member’s home, and just 5% plan to go out to celebrate at a bar, restaurant or organized event, the poll found. But many U.S. adults will celebrate the new year in a different way — by making a resolution. More than half say they’ll make at least one resolution for 2025. There’s some optimism about the year ahead, although more than half aren’t expecting a positive change. About 4 in 10 say 2025 will be a better year for them personally. About one-third don’t expect much of a difference between 2024 and 2025, and about one-quarter think 2025 will be a worse year than 2024. Relaxed New Year’s Eve plans for many Kourtney Kershaw, a 32-year-old bartender in Chicago, often fields questions from customers and friends about upcoming events for New Year’s Eve. She said this year is trending toward low-key. “A majority of who I’ve spoken to in my age range, they want to go out, but they don’t know what they’re going to do because they haven’t found anything or things are just really expensive,” she said. “Party packages or an entry fee are like a turnoff, especially with the climate of the world and how much things cost.” As expected, younger people are more interested in ringing in the new year at a bar or organized event — about 1 in 10 U.S. adults under 30 say they plan to do that. But about 3 in 10 older adults — 60 and above — say they won’t celebrate the beginning of 2025 at all. Anthony Tremblay, 35, from Pittsburgh, doesn’t usually go out to toast the arrival of the new year, but this year he’s got something special cooked up: He and his wife will be traveling through Ireland. “I don’t do anything too crazy for New Year’s, usually. So this is definitely a change,” he said. “I wanted to do something unique this year, so I did.” Woods will be working New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. She answers calls on The Iowa Warmline, a confidential, noncrisis listening line for people struggling with mental health or substance use issues. “Holidays are really hard for people, so I don’t mind working,” she said. “I’m passionate about it because I have mental health issues in the family and so being able to help people is rewarding to me.” Younger Americans are more likely to make a resolution Every New Year’s also triggers the eternal debate about resolutions. A majority of U.S. adults say they intend to make a New Year’s resolution of some type, but millennials and Gen Z are especially likely to be on board — about two-thirds expect to do so, compared to about half of older adults. Women are also more likely than men to say they will set a goal for 2025. Tremblay hopes to lose some weight and focus more on self-care — more sleep, meditation and breathing exercises. “It’s probably a good year to focus on mental health,” he said. Many others agree. About 3 in 10 adults choose resolutions involving exercise or eating healthier. About one-quarter said they’ll make a resolution involving losing weight and a similar number said they’ll resolve to make changes about priorities of money or mental health. Woods’ resolutions are to stay social and active. As a mental health counselor, she knows those are key to a happy 2025 and beyond: “Probably one of my biggest resolutions is trying to make sure I stay social, try to get out at least once a week — get out and either have coffee or do something with a friend. That’s not only for the physical but also for the mental health part.” Kershaw, the bartender, says weight loss and better health are the top resolutions she hears people make. “Mental health is the new one, but I think it’s high up there as well as with regular health,” she said. She prefers more goal-oriented resolutions and, this time, it’s to do more traveling and see more of the world: “I don’t know if that’s really a resolution, but that’s a goal that I’m setting.” And how will she welcome the arrival of 2025? Usually, she takes the night off and stays home watching movies with plenty of snacks, but this year Kershaw has a different plan, maybe one of the most Chicago things you can do. This die-hard sports fan will be on Tuesday watching the Chicago Blackhawks take on the St. Louis Blues. “Hockey’s my favorite sport. So I will be watching hockey and bringing in the new year,” she said. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,251 adults was conducted Dec. 5-9, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. ___ Sanders reported from Washington.China hacking blitz hits 9th US telecom firm

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e join in the rejoicing of WNebraska abortion op-ponents that some 55% of voters Nov. 5 bucked a national trend and wrote the Legislature's general 12-week ban into this state's constitution. But let's drop any talk of immediately seeking an even earlier statutory abortion ban, as Initiative 434 allows. The 2025 Legislature must thoroughly ensure that as many life-threatening pregnancy complications as possible are legally covered as "medical emergency" exceptions allowed by Initiative 434 and existing law. The Telegraph first urged this priority on Jan. 29, 2023, while favoring the "fetal heartbeat" ban introduced in 2023 and later modified into the 12-week ban enacted in Legislative Bill 574. We applauded the law's inclusion of the "three exceptions," listed in Initiative 434 as abortions "necessitated by a medical emergency or when the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest." LB 574 defines "medical emergency" as a condition "which, in reasonable medical judgment, so complicates the medical condition of the pregnant woman as to necessitate the termination of the pregnancy to avert her death" or creates "a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a bodily function." It lists five situations that cannot be considered "abortions": ■ Removal of ectopic pregnancies. ■ "Removal of the remains of a preborn child who has already died." ■ Acts "to save the life or preserve the health of the preborn child." ■ "The accidental termination of the life of a preborn child." ■ "Assisted reproductive technology," including in vitro fertilization, that costs the life "of a preborn child who is not being carried inside a woman's body." Nebraskans must legally protect "mothers or doctors who act in good faith and in the best interests of both lives," we wrote in 2023. "That may require medical procedures necessary for the mother to recover if her child does not or cannot live to be born." If the law's "protections aren't rock-solid," we added, "keep refining them until they are." State lawmakers must make that their 2025 priority. Pre-election news stories told of Nebraska mothers with troubled pregnancies whose Nebraska doctors didn't believe they could properly treat them without running afoul of the 12-week abortion ban. Those mothers had to go to other states for care. These are pregnant mothers who found their lives, their children's lives or both on the line. Miscarriages, stillbirths and premature births can happen in any pregnancy. So can birth defects, some of which unborn babies cannot survive. High blood pressure can suddenly develop in pregnancy and put mothers in great danger if not dealt with promptly. Surely no Nebraskan could disagree that mothers facing such situations ought to be cared for in our state, with all the compassion and medical skill available in such terrible circumstances. But if abortion foes insist on pushing for an even earlier ban, this priority will be lost in the hyperpolitical din. Neither is this a time for doctors or abortion-rights supporters to withhold cooperation in making the list of life-threatening exceptions as complete and detailed as currently possible. Let's decisively prove that all Nebraskans equally love pregnant mothers and their unborn children when one or both of their lives are at risk. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

itel Pakistan, a global leader in affordable smart technology, has officially launched its flagship smartphone, the itel S25 Ultra, at a prestigious event in Karachi. Attended by media representatives, influencers, distributors, and channel partners, the event also welcomed itel Pakistan's brand ambassador , Yumna Zaidi, who graced the occasion and added a touch of glamour to the launch. The event unveiled the S25 Series, featuring the S25 Ultra and S25, priced at PKR 44,999 and PKR 29,999, respectively. The series delivers exceptional value in the mid-range segment, combining advanced features with affordability. The itel S25 Ultra redefines durability and functionality in the mid-range smartphone market. Built to withstand life’s everyday challenges, it features a 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1400-nit peak brightness, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. Its drop-proof and spill-resistant design ensures resilience against accidents, while the 100-day free screen replacement warranty adds peace of mind. Barrister Gohar stresses need for political dialogue Beyond its durable design, the S25 Ultra delivers outstanding performance, featuring a powerful UNISOC T620 octa-core processor, 16GB RAM (8+8), and 256GB of expandable storage for effortless multitasking and abundant space for apps, media, and more. The device supports 48 months of fluency, ensuring smooth performance over time. Its 50MP triple-camera system and 32MP front camera provide exceptional photo and video capabilities, making it an ideal choice for content creators and photography enthusiasts. Meanwhile, the S25, equipped with a 6.78-inch AMOLED display, In Display Fingerprint Scanner, Up to 12GB RAM (6GB + 6GB memory fusion) and 128GB internal storage, 5000mAh battery with 18W PowerCharge, also offers impressive durability and key features tailored for budget-conscious users seeking premium design and reliable performance. “Pakistan is a key market for itel, and the S25 Ultra represents our vision for delivering advanced, durable, and accessible smartphones,” said Mr. Veeki Chen, CEO of itel Pakistan. “As we step into 2025, our focus remains on meeting the needs of consumers by combining innovation and affordability, ensuring everyone can experience reliable and stylish technology.” MQM-P threatens to quit government The event also introduced Yumna Zaidi, a beloved icon in Pakistan’s entertainment industry, as the official brand ambassador for itel Pakistan. Her partnership with itel reflects the brand’s confidence in its products and its dedication to building a deeper connection with its audience. To celebrate this collaboration, Yumna signed a limited number of S25 Ultra devices at the event, which will be gifted to itel’s most dedicated fans as a heartfelt gesture of appreciation for their ongoing support. The itel S25 Series is now available nationwide at leading retail stores, offering unmatched value for its price and redefining the smartphone experience for Pakistani consumers. About itel Established over 15 years, itel is a reliable smart life brand for everyone. Adopting “Enjoy better life” as its brand philosophy, itel’s mission is to provide budget-friendly consumer electronic products and lifestyle products to everyone. It democratizes technology by giving entry to technology and connections to consumers without prior access to it. After more than 10 years’ development, itel has expanded its presence in more than 70 emerging markets globally. itel has a product portfolio of smartphones, accessories, electrics, speakers, home appliances and lifestyle products and in 2023 it ranked No.1 Global Smartphone brand under $75 and No.1 feature phone brand. Japan space company postpones 2nd attempt at orbit due to wind Tags: itel Yumna Zaid brand ambassador

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Pope Francis will visit the French Mediterranean island of Corsica in December, days after skipping the reopening of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral which was ravaged by a fire in 2019, the Vatican said Saturday. Francis, 87, declined an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the Notre Dame reopening ceremony in Paris on December 7. He will however head to Corsica's capital Ajaccio for a conference on the Catholic faith in the Mediterranean one week later on December 15, the Vatican said. Some French bishops were "annoyed" by the pope's decision to stay away from the Notre Dame gala, according to one bishop speaking on condition of anonymity. But the head of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF) Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort said: "The star of the Notre Dame reopening ceremony is Notre Dame itself." The pope had not wanted his presence to be a distraction from the essential point of the occasion, he added. "It's not a snub aimed at France," said another bishop. Francis's one-day trip to Corsica will be the first papal visit to the island, where 90 percent of its 350,000 population is Catholic, according to the local Church, and religious traditions remain deeply rooted. He will give two speeches, preside over a mass and meet Macron during his nine hours on the island, the Vatican said. "It is a historic event, we will give ourselves the extraordinary means to put on an exceptional welcome for the Holy Father," said Bishop of Ajaccio Francois-Xavier Bustillo said in a video posted on social media. Francis, who will celebrate his 88th birthday on December 17, has been to France twice since becoming head of the worldwide Catholic Church in 2013. He visited Strasbourg in 2014, where he addressed the European Parliament, and last year went to Marseille for a meeting of Mediterranean area bishops, where he met Macron. He has yet to make a state visit to France, one of Europe's main majority-Catholic countries. He is also yet to make state visits to Spain, the United Kingdom or Germany. The Argentine pontiff prefers visiting smaller or less established Catholic communities, from Malta to Mongolia. The Corsica visit was championed by the popular media-friendly Bustillo, who was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in September 2023. "It will not be a state visit, but a pastoral visit. It will be a beautiful moment, a moment of hope and joy," he told AFP. In addition, the head of the Catholic Church is scheduled to be at the Vatican on December 7-8 for a service at which he will create 21 new cardinals. Rescheduling appointments over coming months would appear to be tricky, given the multitude of events due to take place in Rome in 2025, a Catholic jubilee year. Bustillo is one of the active cardinals Francis has appointed in the Mediterranean region, with the pope keen they "work together to meet the specific challenges of the area", a bishop told AFP on condition of anonymity. Those issues include migration, global warming and interreligious dialogue. Corsica will be the 47th overseas visit for Francis and his third this year, after a long tour of the Asia Pacific in early September and a trip to Belgium and Luxembourg the same month. cmk-bur/tw/jmBEIJING , Dec. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Baijiayun Group Ltd ("Baijiayun" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: RTC), a one-stop AI video solution provider, today announced it was honored with the title of "Exclusive Member Unit". In recent days, the First Council of the Artificial Intelligence Education Professional Committee of the Beijing Educational Informationization Industry Alliance and the 2024 Symposium on Artificial Intelligence Empowering the Innovative Development of Primary and Secondary Schools were successfully held at the Affiliated Experimental School of Beijing Institute of Technology. Nearly 200 renowned experts, leaders of education bureaus, principals of primary and secondary schools, front-line educators, and representatives of artificial intelligence technical support units from Beijing , Tianjin , Hebei , Liaoning and other places attended the conference. This conference was hosted by the Beijing Educational Informationization Industry Alliance, Baijiayun was also invited to participate in the conference and , together with many well-known enterprises in the industry, and won the honor of "Exclusive Member Unit" of the Beijing Educational Informationization Industry Alliance. In the future, Baijiayun will work with the Beijing Educational Informationization Industry Alliance to continue to carry out research and promotion on educational informationization industry technologies across China , promote in-depth cooperation across disciplines, departments, and industries, jointly build an educational informationization development platform, create an industrial resource integration platform, an application service platform, and a technology transformation platform, share the fruits of development, give play to the supporting and leading role of educational informationization in educational modernization, and further promote the innovative development of the national education cause. About Baijiayun Group Ltd Baijiayun is a one-stop AI video solution provider with core expertise in SaaS/PaaS solutions. Baijiayun is committed to delivering reliable, high-quality video experiences across devices and localities and has grown rapidly since its inception in 2017. Premised on its industry-leading video-centric technologies, Baijiayun offers a wealth of video-centric technology solutions, including Video SaaS/PaaS, Video Cloud and Software, and Video AI and System Solutions. Baijiayun caters to the evolving communications and collaboration needs of enterprises of all sizes and industries. For more information, please visit ir.baijiayun.com . Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements." These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the parties' perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. The words "will," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," and "plan" and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and shareholders and other potential investors must recognize that actual results may differ materially from the expectations as a result of a variety of factors. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are hard to predict or control, that may cause the actual results, performance, or plans to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of this press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in the documents the Company has filed or furnished or may file or furnish with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation. For investor and media enquiries, please contact: Company Contact: Ms. Fangfei Liu Chief Financial Officer, Baijiayun Group Ltd Phone: +86 25 8222 1596 Email: ir@baijiayun.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baijiayun-was-honored-with-the-title-of-exclusive-member-unit-by-the-beijing-educational-informationization-industry-alliance-302331799.html SOURCE Baijiayun Group Ltd

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks climbed Thursday after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 pulled 0.5% higher after flipping between gains and losses several times during the day. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend to do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 461 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1%. Nvidia rose just 0.5% after beating analysts’ estimates for profit and revenue yet again, but it was still the strongest force pulling the S&P 500 upward. It also gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that topped most analysts’ expectations due to voracious demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Its stock initially sank in afterhours trading Wednesday following the release of the results. Some investors said the market might have been looking for Nvidia’s revenue forecast to surpass expectations by even more. But its stock recovered in premarket trading Thursday, and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said it was another “flawless” profit report provided by Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang, whom Ives calls “the Godfather of AI.” The stock meandered through Thursday as well, dragging the S&P 500 and other indexes back and forth. How Nvidia’s stock performs has more impact than any other because it’s grown into Wall Street’s most valuable company at roughly $3.6 trillion. The frenzy around AI is sweeping up other stocks, and Snowflake jumped 32.7% after reporting stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company, whose platform helps customers get a better view of all their silos of data and use AI, also reported stronger revenue growth than expected. BJ’S Wholesale Club rose 8.3% after likewise delivering a bigger profit than expected. That may help calm worries about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. A day earlier, Target tumbled after reporting sluggish sales in the latest quarter and giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Nearly 90% of the stocks in the S&P 500 ended up rising Thursday, and the gains were even bigger among smaller companies. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped a market-leading 1.7%. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, helped keep indexes in check. It fell 4.7% after U.S. regulators asked a judge to break up the tech giant by forcing it to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser. In a 23-page document filed late Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice called for sweeping punishments that would include restrictions preventing Android from favoring its own search engine. Regulators stopped short of demanding Google sell Android but left the door open to it if the company’s oversight committee continues to see evidence of misconduct. All told, the S&P 500 rose 31.60 points to 5,948.71. The Dow jumped 461.88 to 43,870.35, and the Nasdaq composite added 6.28 to 18,972.42. In the crypto market, bitcoin eclipsed $99,000 for the first time before pulling back toward $98,000, according to CoinDesk. It’s more than doubled so far this year, and its climb has accelerated since Election Day. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to make the country “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Bitcoin got a further boost after Gary Gensler, the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said Thursday he would step down in January . Gensler has pushed for more protections for crypto investors. Bitcoin and related investment have a notorious history of big price swings in both directions. MicroStrategy, a company that’s been raising cash expressly to buy bitcoin, saw an early Thursday gain of 14.6% for its stock quickly disappear. It finished the day with a loss of 16.2%. In the oil market, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2% to bring its gain for the week to 4.8%. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.8%. Oil has been rising amid escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war. In stock markets abroad, shares of India’s Adani Enterprises plunged 22.6% Thursday after the U.S. charged founder Gautam Adani in a federal indictment with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. The businessman and one of the world’s richest people is accused of concealing that his company’s huge solar energy project on the subcontinent was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme. Stock indexes elsewhere in Asia and Europe were mixed. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 4.43% from 4.41% late Wednesday following some mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week in the latest signal that the job market remains solid. Another report, though, said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly shrank. Sales of previously occupied homes, meanwhile, strengthened last month by more than expected. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Yuri Kageyama contributed.None