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November Small-Cap Surge Could Carry Into December's Santa Rally, Historical Trends Suggest

Criticising the federal government's 'unilateral decision-making', Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Information Secretary Shazia Atta Marri has warned such actions could have far-reaching consequences, stressing that threats or coercion could not resolve the party's serious issues with the government. Marri condemned the decision to construct six new canals from the Indus River, calling it a blatant violation of the IRSA Act and the 1991 Water Accord. "Whenever the 1991 Accord is misused, the PPP has raised its voice," she asserted. Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, the PPP leader said party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari didn't indulge in 'politics of ambiguity' and remained vocal when Pakistan's people were in distress. She further slammed the federal government for addressing the country's challenges superficially, presenting impressive statistics without tangible benefits for the public. "Bilawal is deeply concerned about the federal government's approach to addressing the country's challenges", she said. Referring to Bilawal's recent statements, Marri said that the Bhutto scion rightly pointed out that the people of Pakistan desired political and economic stability, relief from inflation and poverty, and demanded prosperity. However, she said, while the government presented impressive statistics, they did not translate into tangible benefits for the people. Addressing international criticism, Member of National Assembly (MNA) Shazia Marri remarked that when staunch supporters of Israel in the US spoke against Pakistan's defence assets, their local allies celebrated. She noted that these pro-Israel elements were not only advocating sanctions on Pakistan's missile technology but also supporting an accused in prison. Marri challenged PTI founder Imran Khan to openly condemn such actions if he truly believed these individuals were wrong to target Pakistan's defence assets. However, she noted his silence on the matter and declared that the PPP would not allow anyone to compromise Pakistan's interests. Shazia Atta Marri criticised the federal government for failing to convene a Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting, terming it a constitutional violation. She highlighted that the federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) had allocated only seven projects worth Rs77.2 billion to Sindh, compared to 34 projects worth Rs693.4 billion for Punjab, 21 projects for Balochistan, and 30 for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She also criticised the federal energy minister for his 'arrogant attitude' and 'unserious demeanour' in parliamentary sessions. Marri recalled that the minister admitted in the House to providing incorrect answers initially, only to correct them later. She stressed that the PPP's rejection of politics based on hatred and division should not be mistaken for weakness. Additionally, Marri condemned the federal and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments for neglecting the people of Parachinar, leaving them without support amidst their struggles. Shazia Atta Marri remarked that the enthusiastic participation from every corner of the country on the 17th martyrdom anniversary of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had set a new precedent. She expressed confidence that the spirit and determination with which people had gathered in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh was a testament to their commitment to continuing the mission of Benazir Bhutto. She reiterated Bilawal's assertion that if Pakistan's nuclear assets or missile technology were ever under threat, the entire nation must unite to defend them. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see ourWhy world is paying dearly for absurd 76-day gap between Trump’s win & him taking office...are we now headed for WW3?“Every second matters” for medical emergencies, especially when it involves an organ like the heart, said an SCDF paramedic. SINGAPORE – Amid busy traffic one morning in September, a woman who suffered a cardiac arrest was being taken by an ambulance to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) in Jurong East. The woman in her 50s had fainted at the void deck of a Housing Board block in Jurong West Street 42. The ambulance took six minutes to reach the hospital. During that time, a team of Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedics, including Sergeant 3 (SGT3) Sharon Tan Yan An, treated the unconscious woman on board the vehicle. Arriving at the hospital, the woman’s heart began to pump again, and she was handed over to hospital staff to be looked after. The ambulance was able to reach the hospital faster due to a new system that gives SCDF’s emergency ambulances priority at certain traffic lights . Speaking to the media on Nov 22 at Jurong Fire Station where she is based, SGT3 Tan, 26, said: “Every second matters for such cases, especially when it involves an organ like the heart.” SGT3 Tan, who has been with SCDF for five years, added: “The faster we can reach (the hospital), the faster the patient can get care.” Announced at SCDF’s Workplan Seminar in July, the traffic priority system allows ambulances to have a “green light” path to the hospital and avoid getting stuck in traffic at junctions near hospitals or having to run red lights. The first phase of the system was implemented on July 15 and involved two ambulances operating from Jurong Fire Station and one from Bukit Batok Fire Station, and four junctions in the vicinity of NTFGH. Data recorded in these areas over the next three months showed a total of 76 activations for life-threatening medical emergencies for the three ambulances across three routes near the hospital. SCDF said the results indicated an average of 1min 40sec saved per trip. The system was developed by SCDF, the Home Team Science and Technology Agency, and the Land Transport Authority. It uses an electronic transponder in an ambulance to activate priority passage at designated traffic junctions near hospitals. At these junctions, sensors are linked to traffic light controllers, which trigger traffic lights in favour of an approaching ambulance. The sensors detect the in-vehicle transponder through radio waves and are activated as the ambulance approaches within 200m of the junction. Normal traffic operations resume after the ambulance crosses the junction. The next phase will be completed by the second quarter of 2025. It entails the installation of transponders in all other SCDF ambulances and the extension of the system’s coverage to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Changi General Hospital and National University Hospital. The system is scheduled to be fully rolled out by 2026 and will involve a total of 47 junctions serving nine public hospitals. “These time savings facilitated the earlier arrival and more timely treatment of patients at hospital emergency departments,” SCDF added. Colonel Hong Dehan, SCDF’s chief medical officer, said the implementation of the first phase of the traffic priority system has shown encouraging results, noting that the time saved is particularly important for cases of cardiac arrest, trauma or stroke. SGT3 Nur Ain Abdul Karim, 32, another paramedic from Jurong Fire Station, recounted an incident in July where she attended to a man who was bleeding from an old wound on his back. The man, in his 50s, agreed to go to the hospital, but started to lose consciousness when he headed to the toilet at the unit. He also began breathing abnormally and started having a seizure. Though he regained consciousness, he was in a confused state. He was taken to NTFGH in six minutes via a route with the traffic priority system. SGT3 Ain, who has been with SCDF for 61⁄2 years, said this was a life-threatening emergency, with the paramedics unaware of how much blood the man had lost prior to their arrival. With several unknowns, including how the injury was sustained, there was a need for the patient to be taken to the hospital as soon as possible for assessment and treatment, she said. “The faster we take the patient to the hospital, the faster they can intervene,” she added. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now

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Shares of Biglari Holdings Inc ( NYSE:BH.A – Get Free Report ) gapped down prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $1,330.64, but opened at $1,275.99. Biglari shares last traded at $1,275.03, with a volume of 114 shares trading hands. Biglari Price Performance The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $1,043.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $947.49. The company has a market cap of $2.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.19 and a beta of 1.36. About Biglari ( Get Free Report ) Biglari Holdings Inc, through its subsidiaries, primarily operates and franchises restaurants in the United States. The company owns, operates, and franchises restaurants under the Steak n Shake and Western Sizzlin names. As of December 31, 2019, it operated 368 Steak n Shake company-operated restaurants and 213 franchised units; and 4 Western Sizzlin company-operated restaurants and 48 franchised units. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Biglari Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Biglari and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Bengals leading rusher Chase Brown (ankle sprain) exits

Novak Djokovic breaks his silence on tennis doping scandals - and reveals what he really thinks of Nick Kyrgios's tough stanceTrump names PayPal co-founder 'White House AI and crypto czar' in new role for his administrationFormer U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent more than a year in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most active and internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said the former president died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia.Opinion: Is university worth it? Yes, for both students and society

Dog Care Market to Witness Massive Growth | Major Giants Petco,Petsmart,Hagen 11-23-2024 10:43 AM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Pvt. Ltd. Dog Care Market HTF MI recently introduced Global Dog Care Market study with 143+ pages in-depth overview, describing about the Product / Industry Scope and elaborates market outlook and status (2024-2030). The market Study is segmented by key regions which is accelerating the marketization. At present, the market is developing its presence. Some key players from the complete study are Mars Petcare, Nestlé Purina, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Bayer AG, Zoetis, Spectrum Brands, The J.M. Smucker Company, Virbac,Petmate, Petco, Petsmart, Hagen Group, Central Garden & Pet, Beaphar, Furminator,Dogtra, Outward Hound, Chuckit!, Kurgo,Kong Company, Ruffwear, Ancol, Trixie, Animed Direct Download Sample Report PDF (Including Full TOC, Table & Figures) 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/2638315-dog-care-market-research-1?utm_source=Saroj_openpr&utm_id=Saroj According to HTF Market Intelligence, the Global Dog Care market is projected to grow from 7.8 Billion USD in 2023 to Dog Care Market Research: Global Status & Forecast by Geography, Type & Application (2016-2026) USD by 2032, at a CAGR of 8%. The Dog Care market is segmented by Types (Grooming Products, Hygiene Products, Toys, Training Equipment, Accessories), Application (Grooming, Hygiene, Training, Entertainment, Health Management) and by Geography (North America, LATAM, West Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Oceania, MEA). Definition: The dog care market includes products and services dedicated to maintaining dogs' overall health, grooming, hygiene, and entertainment. It encompasses grooming tools, hygiene products, toys, training equipment, smart devices, and accessories. With the increasing humanization of pets, owners are investing in premium and eco-friendly products and services. This market also includes smart technology, offering innovative solutions for pet training and monitoring. The market is driven by rising disposable incomes, growing pet ownership, and heightened focus on canine wellness. Market Trends: Smart care devices, eco-friendly products, premium pet care services Market Challenges: High costs for premium products, competition from local brands, regulatory hurdles Dominating Region: North America, Europe Fastest-Growing Region: Asia-Pacific Have a query? Market an enquiry before purchase 👉 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/2638315-dog-care-market-research-1?utm_source=Saroj_openpr&utm_id=Saroj The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: In-depth analysis of Dog Care market segments by Types: Grooming Products, Hygiene Products, Toys, Training Equipment, Accessories Detailed analysis of Dog Care market segments by Applications: Grooming, Hygiene, Training, Entertainment, Health Management Geographically, the detailed analysis of consumption, revenue, market share, and growth rate of the following regions: •The Middle East and Africa (South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, Egypt, etc.) •North America (United States, Mexico & Canada) •South America (Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, etc.) •Europe (Turkey, Spain, Turkey, Netherlands Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.) •Asia-Pacific (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia). 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FIVE FORCES & PESTLE ANALYSIS: In order to better understand market conditions five forces analysis is conducted that includes the Bargaining power of buyers, Bargaining power of suppliers, Threat of new entrants, Threat of substitutes, and Threat of rivalry. • Political (Political policy and stability as well as trade, fiscal, and taxation policies) • Economical (Interest rates, employment or unemployment rates, raw material costs, and foreign exchange rates) • Social (Changing family demographics, education levels, cultural trends, attitude changes, and changes in lifestyles) • Technological (Changes in digital or mobile technology, automation, research, and development) • Legal (Employment legislation, consumer law, health, and safety, international as well as trade regulation and restrictions) • Environmental (Climate, recycling procedures, carbon footprint, waste disposal, and sustainability) Get 10-25% Discount on Immediate purchase 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/2638315-dog-care-market-research-1?utm_source=Saroj_openpr&utm_id=Saroj Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Dog Care Market: Chapter 01 - Dog Care Executive Summary Chapter 02 - Market Overview Chapter 03 - Key Success Factors Chapter 04 - Global Dog Care Market - Pricing Analysis Chapter 05 - Global Dog Care Market Background or History Chapter 06 - Global Dog Care Market Segmentation (e.g. Type, Application) Chapter 07 - Key and Emerging Countries Analysis Worldwide Dog Care Market Chapter 08 - Global Dog Care Market Structure & worth Analysis Chapter 09 - Global Dog Care Market Competitive Analysis & Challenges Chapter 10 - Assumptions and Acronyms Chapter 11 - Dog Care Market Research Method Dog Care Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter-wise sections or region-wise report versions like North America, LATAM, Europe, Japan, Australia or Southeast Asia. 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Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent more than a year in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most active and internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said the former president died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia.None

The Conequeror by Kezia Age Wins Iron A' Design Award in 3D Printed Forms and Products Design CategoryOn Oct. 1, Indiana County Technology Center officials announced, the River Valley School District filed a lawsuit against the ICTC and its six other member districts to officially withdraw from its longstanding contract with ICTC . The suit came after every other district partnered with ICTC rejected River Valley’s request to withdraw from the technical school at their September board meetings. The ICTC and its six other member districts, Indiana Area, Marion Center Area, United, Homer-Center, Penns Manor Area and Purchase Line, have all contracted with Ira Weiss, of Weiss Burkardt Kramer LLC, as their legal counsel for the withdrawal process. River Valley’s suit claims the district has the right to withdraw from the jointure despite the jointure agreement requiring approval from every ICTC member district, which River Valley did not secure, according to an ICTC news release. “It’s River Valley’s contention that the court should apply a termination date to this agreement, that there can be no agreement without an end date,” Weiss said. “The defendants argue the agreement is very plain, there’s no ambiguity, and in order to withdraw, all the sending districts would have to approve.” As one-seventh owner of the technical school, River Valley’s suit is also seeking for ICTC and its member schools to either: 1.) pay River Valley for its share of ownership of the ICTC, or 2.) force a sale of ICTC’s property to be distributed equally among its member districts. “Both of these scenarios create situations where (ICTC and its programming are) in jeopardy,” Weiss said. Weiss said he’s not yet sure how much River Valley’s share of ICTC would be worth, as ICTC’s assets and property along Hamill Road in White Township would first need appraised. He said selling the technical school’s property isn’t really an option, however, because closing ICTC’s doors would hurt students across the county. “(Selling ICTC’s property) is really not an acceptable solution because this is a vital program for the students of Indiana County,” Weiss said. River Valley Superintendent Philip Martell has said ICTC has a healthy budget surplus and the technical school can survive without River Valley’s support or participation. He added the move to withdraw from ICTC is to protect River Valley taxpayers, as the district is currently paying roughly $29,000 per student to attend ICTC, when including state subsidy, because of River Valley’s drastic decline in student enrollment at ICTC. “(ICTC Administrative Director Michael) McDermott and the other districts left us no choice but to secure our freedom and protect our taxpayers,” Martell said. “The other districts have talked about protecting each one’s own taxpayers, and why is it any different for us? Mr. McDermott again is being disingenuous with Indiana County’s parents, students and taxpayers.” Martell also stated that no contract lasts forever in the state of Pennsylvania and that the separation between River Valley and ICTC could have been amicable. “The solution was simple,” Martell said. “Clearly just let us walk away, and we can all move on to educating students and giving them the resources they need to succeed. “We just have big differences on what that looks like, and I stand behind the fact the River Valley STEAM Academy is a pathway for students to the future and not a doorway to the past.” Weiss pushed back on Martell’s arguments that ICTC left River Valley with no other choice but to withdraw. “River Valley claims its cost-per-student is higher, and that is because it has chosen to take its students out of (the ICTC) for the most part and assign them to (the STEAM Academy),” Weiss said. “So, any financial advantage River Valley may claim is self-inflicted. “This is like starting a fire and wanting everybody else to pay to put the fire out. I mean, you don’t shoot your parents and claim to be an orphan.” Weiss also said he disagreed with Martell’s analysis that River Valley’s withdrawal wouldn’t impact ICTC’s ability to maintain its programming. Weiss said River Valley’s withdrawal wouldn’t create any material reduction to operating costs; the only difference would be six districts would have to pay for what seven districts used to pay. “It’s unfortunate River Valley has chosen to create its own career education program and use that as a pretext to place in jeopardy a very worthwhile program for all the students and families of Indiana County,” Weiss said. McDermott elaborated on the financial strains River Valley’s lawsuit and withdrawal could put on school districts across the county. “It is disappointing that River Valley has chosen this path requiring taxpayer dollars to be spent by all districts rather than working to continue the quality programming here, at ICTC,” McDermott said. “This suit jeopardizes the future of this center and its member districts. The ICTC will respond to this suit through counsel to ensure our outstanding programming continues. The students and families of Indiana County deserve no less.” River Valley officially filed the suit against ICTC and its member districts Monday, Sept. 23, according to Weiss. ICTC’s member districts were served Monday, Sept. 30. Weiss said ICTC’s next steps include filing a responsive pleading to the lawsuit and resolving legal issues before a trial can occur, such as determining whether selling ICTC’s property is an appropriate remedy. o o o As was reported Sept. 21, how River Valley, ICTC and its six other sending schools got to this stage is a point of contention between River Valley administration and every other district partnered with ICTC . Martell said he wants to pull the district out of ICTC due to the school’s high enrollment costs and antiquated programming. He also believes River Valley’s STEAM Academy at the district’s Saltsburg campus, which has some overlapping programs with ICTC like electrical and welding, successfully serves River Valley students and gives his district more control over curriculum and instruction. But administrators from ICTC and the six other sending schools claim Martell presents inaccurate and misleading information about ICTC’s enrollment costs and that River Valley’s financial concerns are a result of its own actions. Those administrators also stated ICTC effectively serves all students in Indiana and that River Valley should consider its contractual obligations as well as how its actions will negatively impact students, taxpayers and educational opportunities throughout the county. History of ICTC River Valley’s history with ICTC began when the technical school opened in 1980 with a mission to provide trade and industry entry level skills to students across the county. At the time, River Valley went by Blairsville-Saltsburg School District, and ICTC went by Indiana County Vocational Technical School. The technical school changed its name to ICTC on July 1, 1999, to better reflect its mission, and Blairsville-Saltsburg changed its name to River Valley after the schools in Blairsville and Saltsburg consolidated in 2021. River Valley, then Blairsville-Saltsburg, was one of the founding members of the ICTC, along with Homer-Center, Indiana Area, Marion Center and United school districts. Penns Manor became a member December 2011, and Purchase Line joined the consortium in July 2014. Like many county technical centers across the Commonwealth, the purpose of ICTC was to serve as a central organization other Indiana County school districts could utilize to benefit workforce development, according to Homer-Center Superintendent Ralph Cecere Jr. in a June 14 meeting with the Indiana Gazette. By sharing costs and resources among member schools and working collaboratively to make decisions, ICTC’s member districts provide technical education to their students, including smaller districts that may not have funding or resources to develop technical programs on their own, according to Penns Manor Superintendent and ICTC Superintendent of Record Daren Johnston. “At Penns Manor, we cannot (create our own technical school),” Johnston said at the same June 14 meeting. “We’re a small school district. That can’t happen. So, what’s the next best step? Working collaboratively with everybody else in the (county).” Collaboration among the seven member schools, which are each part owner of the ICTC, went well. Although the contributing schools didn’t always see eye to eye, every district helped finance the operation and worked together to make decisions about the ICTC and its programming — that is, until Martell became River Valley’s superintendent in December 2020. History of River Valley STEAM Academy In a July 23 interview with Martell, STEAM Academy Workforce Development Consultant Jeff Geesey and River Valley Director of Public Relations Jeanine Buell, Martell said he agreed to take the superintendent role at River Valley under two conditions: 1.) the Blairsville-Saltsburg school district had to consolidate, and 2.) the former Saltsburg middle-high school had to be converted into a STEAM Academy. “It was the only way I agreed to take the job,” Martell said. Martell said his goal with the STEAM Academy was to provide career pathways, workforce development opportunities and industry credentials in high-demand fields such as welding, which, at ICTC, required going through a wait list before students could enter the program. The STEAM Academy officially opened in the 2022-23 school year with four programs of study: cybersecurity, esports, electrical occupations and sports medicine and rehabilitation therapy (SMaRT). The STEAM Academy added biomedical engineering, a powerline component to electrical occupations, pathways to health professions, rising educators and welding technology to its curriculum in 2023-24.{div id=”highlighter--hover-tools” style=”display: none;”} {/div}

Kids use math skills like measuring when Chris Knapp of the Maine Local Living School visits Kingfield Elementary School Nov. 8 in Kingfield. Submitted photo KINGFIELD — Erica Luce, a second-grade teacher at Kingfield Elementary School, is transforming math instruction by blending engaging games, innovative strategies, and hands-on activities. Her approach ensures math is both accessible and meaningful for all students. Luce incorporates a variety of games to teach math concepts and build fact fluency. A class favorite is Mobi, a math-focused variation of Bananagrams that challenges students to create equations using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. “It’s a low-floor, high-ceiling game, meaning it works for students at many levels,” Luce explained. Other games include dice-based activities inspired by Building Fact Fluency, a program from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Students use tic-tac-toe boards and dice to practice strategies such as doubling numbers or adding and subtracting small values. “Our games are about strategies, not just answers,” Luce said. “We ask students what strategy they used to solve a problem. This helps them deepen their understanding.” Students also enjoy money-focused games like coin bingo and Shut the Box, which combine practical math skills with fun. “This is our way of doing fact fluency without relying on flashcards,” Luce added. This year, Luce’s class is using the free San Francisco Math curriculum, which emphasizes conceptual understanding and diverse problem-solving strategies. “One of their posters says, ‘The answers are important, but they are not the math.’ It’s all about how students got to their answer and showing their work,” Luce said. Another poster she appreciates states, “Errors are gifts that promote discussion,” fostering a growth mindset in her classroom. Hands-on learning is another hallmark of Luce’s teaching. During a recent visit from the Maine Local Living School, students applied math skills to estimate and measure tree sections for a community footbridge. Younger students explored patterns and sorting by comparing oak leaves and acorns, reinforcing math concepts through nature-based activities. While technology has a place in the classroom, Luce strives to minimize screen time. Her class occasionally uses E-Spark, a free online program that helps identify and fill learning gaps, but most math instruction is offline. “Kids are on screens way too much, so we focus on games, discussions, and hands-on work,” Luce said. Luce also values strong communication with families, using the REMIND app to share updates, photos, and strategies. “Parents love to see what their children are working on. It helps them feel connected and better equipped to support learning at home,” she noted. A parent volunteer joins the class every Tuesday and Thursday morning, further enriching the learning experience. “We’re using a new math curriculum, lots of games, and hands-on activities,” Luce said. “It’s really cool to see the kids so engaged and excited about math.” Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous Next »

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The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones On Amazon That Reviewers LoveHaiti’s health minister loses job after deadly gang attack on hospitalShares of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) were trading on a flat note in early deals on Monday even as the Mukesh-Ambani led conglomerate announced the acquisition of technology-led oncology platform Karkinos Healthcare for Rs 375 crore, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Reliance Strategic Business Ventures (RSBVL), in an all-cash deal. RIL shares traded at Rs 1214.80 , down 0.50% in early deals against the previous close of Rs 1220.95 on BSE. The stock has lost 6.10% in 2024. The stock gave double digit returns of 11.52% in three years. The company's market cap slipped to Rs 16.45 lakh crore on BSE today. Total 8302 shares of the firm changed hands amounting to a turnover of Rs 1.01 crore on BSE. The large cap stock is neither oversold nor overbought on charts with its RSI at 37.1. In terms of moving averages, RIL shares are trading lower than the 5 day, 10 day, 20 day, 30 day, 50 day, 100 day 150 day, and 200 day moving averages. The stock has a beta of 1.2, indicating high volatility in a year. "RSBVL has on December 27, 2024, subscribed to and has been allotted 10 million equity shares of Rs 10 each, for cash, aggregating Rs 10 crore and 365 million optionally fully convertible debentures of Rs 10 each, for cash, aggregating Rs 365 crore of Karkinos," RIL said in a filing to stock exchanges on Saturday. RIL said that Karkinos has canceled the existing outstanding 30,075 equity shares held by the erstwhile shareholders of Karkinos in accordance with the approved resolution plan."Post-allotment of equity shares to RSBVL and cancellation of existing outstanding equity shares as above, Karkinos has become a step-down wholly-owned subsidiary of the company," the statement added.

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When Nathan Hecht ran for the Texas Supreme Court in 1988, no Republican had ever been elected to the state’s highest civil court. His election foreshadowed a coming transformation of the court, civil legal procedure and Texas itself. Hecht is the longest tenured Supreme Court justice in Texas history. He won six reelections and led the court as chief justice for more than a decade. He heard more than 2,700 oral arguments, authored 7,000 pages of opinions, and retires now not because he’s had enough, but because state law requires him to. Late on a Friday afternoon, just two weeks before he hung up his robe, he was still in his office, his mind mired in the work that was left to be done. “This is always a really busy time for us, because the opinions are mounting up to be talked about,” he said. “It’ll be busy next week.” Hecht began as a dissenter on a divided court, his conservative positions on abortion, school finance and property rights putting him at odds with the Democratic majority and some moderate Republicans. But as Texas Republicans began dominating up and down the ballot, his minority voice became mainstream on one of the country’s most conservative high courts. In his administration of the court, Hecht has been a fierce advocate for the poor, pushing for more Legal Aid funding, bail reform and lowering the barriers to accessing the justice system. “If justice were food, too many would be starving,” Hecht told lawmakers in 2017. “If it were housing, too many would be homeless. If it were medicine, too many would be sick.” Hecht’s departure leaves a vacancy that Gov. Greg Abbott , a former justice himself, will get to fill. He may elevate a current justice or appoint someone new directly to the chief justice role. Whoever ends up in the top spot will have to run for reelection in 2026. In his typical understated manner, so at odds with the bombast of the other branches of government, Hecht told The Texas Tribune that serving on the court has been the honor of his life. “I have gotten to participate not only in a lot of decisions shaping the jurisprudence of the state, but also in trying to improve the administration of the court system so that it works better and fosters public trust and confidence,” he said. “So I feel good about the past,” he said. “And I feel good about the future.” Born in Clovis, New Mexico, Hecht studied philosophy at Yale before getting his law degree from Southern Methodist University. He clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and returned to Texas, where his reputation preceded him. As a young lawyer, Tom Phillips, a former chief justice and now a partner at Baker Botts, reached out to a Dallas law firm that had promised to hire him the next chance they got. “I called them a few months later and said, ‘So I assume you never got a vacancy,’” Phillips recalls. “And they said, ‘Well, we did, but we had a chance to hire Nathan Hecht, so you’ll understand why we went ahead and did that.’” Hecht was appointed to the district court in 1981 and quickly made a name for himself, pushing the court to modernize their stenography practices and taking the unusual step of writing opinions as a trial judge. He was elected to the court of appeals in 1986, and ran for Texas Supreme Court two years later. This race came at a low point for Texas’ judiciary, after a string of scandals, ethics investigations, eyebrow-raising rulings and national news coverage made several sitting Supreme Court justices household names — and not in a good way. Seeing an opportunity, Hecht challenged one of the incumbents, a Democrat who’d been called out in a damning 60 Minutes segment for friendly relationships with lawyers who both funded his campaigns and argued before the court. Hecht teamed up with Phillips and Eugene Cook, two Republicans who had recently been appointed to the court, and asked voters to “Clean the Slate in ’88,” separating themselves from the Democrats by promising to only accept small donations. “Party politics were changing in the state at the same time, but the broader issue on our court at the time was to ensure that judges were following the law,” Hecht said. “That was a driving issue.” Since Phillips and Cook were incumbents, Hecht was the only one who had to take on a sitting Supreme Court justice. And he won. “It really was a sea change in Texas political history,” Phillips said. “He was the first person ever to do that in a down ballot race, to defeat a Democrat as a Republican.” Republican dominance swept through the Supreme Court as swiftly as it did Texas writ large. The last Democrat would be elected to the court in 1994, just six years after the first Republican. But even among Bush-era Republicans filling the bench, Hecht’s conservatism stood out. In 2000, he wrote a dissent disagreeing with the majority ruling that allowed teens in Texas to get abortions with a judge’s approval if their parents wouldn’t consent, and a few years earlier, ruled in favor of wealthy school districts that wanted to use local taxes to supplement state funds. His pro-business bent stood out next to the court’s history of approving high dollar payouts for plaintiffs. Alex Winslow, the executive director of Texas Watch, a consumer advocacy group, told the New York Times in 2005 that Hecht was “the godfather of the conservative judicial movement in Texas.” “Extremist would be an appropriate description,” Winslow said. “He’s the philosophical leader of the right-wing fringe.” The only other justice who regularly staked out such a conservative position, according to the New York Times, was Priscilla Owen, who President George W. Bush appointed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2005. Hecht and Owen, who now goes by her maiden name, Richmond, wed in 2022 . Wallace Jefferson, Hecht’s predecessor as chief justice, said Hecht’s sharp intellect and philosophical approach to the law improved the court’s opinions, even when he ultimately didn’t side with the majority. “He was a formidable adversary,” said Jefferson, now a partner at Alexander Dubose & Jefferson. “You knew that you would have to bring your best approach and analysis to overcome Nathan’s approach and analysis ... You had to come prepared and Nathan set the standard for that.” Hecht briefly became a national figure in 2005 when he helped Bush’s efforts to confirm Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court. As her longtime friend, Hecht gave more than 120 interviews to bolster Miers’ conservative credentials, jokingly calling himself the “PR office for the White House,” Texas Monthly reported at the time . This advocacy work raised ethical questions that Hecht fought for years, starting with a reprimand from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Hecht got that overturned. The Texas Ethics Commission then fined him $29,000 for not reporting the discount he got on the legal fees he paid challenging the reprimand. He appealed that fine and the case stretched until 2016 , when he ultimately paid $1,000. Hecht has largely stayed out of the limelight in the decades since, letting his opinions speak for themselves and wading into the political fray mostly to advocate for court reforms. While Democrats have tried to pin unpopular COVID and abortion rulings on the justices in recent elections, Republicans continue to easily win these down-ballot races. Hecht is aware of the perception this one-party dominance creates, and has advocated for Texas to turn away from partisan judicial elections. In his 2023 state of the judiciary address , Hecht warned that growing political divisions were threatening the “judicial independence essential to the rule of law,” pointing to comments by both Democratic politicians and former President Donald Trump. But in an interview, Hecht stressed that most of the cases the Texas Supreme Court considers never make headlines, and are far from the politics that dominate Austin and Washington. “There’s no Republican side to an oil and gas case. There’s no Democrat side to a custody hearing,” he said. “That’s the bread and butter of what we do, and that’s not partisan.” Unlike its federal counterpart, the Texas Supreme Court is often a temporary port of call on a judge’s journey. Many, like Abbott, Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett , leave for higher office. Others, like Owen and 5th Circuit Judge Don Willett, leave for higher courts. Most, like Phillips, leave for higher pay in private practice. But Hecht stayed. “I didn’t plan it like this,” Hecht said. “I just kept getting re-elected.” Hecht had been considering retirement in 2013, when Jefferson, the chief justice who replaced Phillips, announced he would be stepping down. “He wanted me to consider being his successor,” Hecht said. “So I did, and here I am. I didn’t say, ‘Let’s spend 43 years on the bench,’ but one thing led to another.” In 2013, Hecht was sworn in as chief justice by then-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, another great dissenter whose views later became the majority. While the Texas Supreme Court’s political makeup has changed largely without Hecht’s input, the inner workings of the court have been under his purview. And that, many court watchers say, is where his greatest legacy lies. Hecht ushered in an era of modernization, both to the technology and the rules that govern justice in Texas. He led a push to simplify the appellate rules, removing many of the trapdoors and procedural quirks that led to important cases being decided on technicalities. The court scaled back how long cases could drag on by limiting discovery, including how long a deposition can go. And he ensured every case was decided before the term ended, like the U.S. Supreme Court. “I think people generally don’t understand the impact the rules can have on the equitable resolution of disputes, but they’re enormous,” Jefferson said. “Nathan recognized that at an early juncture in his career.” Hecht pushed Texas to adopt e-filing before many other states, which proved prescient when COVID hit. Hecht, who was then president of the national Conference of Chief Justices, was able to help advise other states as they took their systems online. Hecht also dedicated himself to improving poor Texan’s access to the justice system, pushing the Legislature to appropriate more funding for Legal Aid and reducing the barriers to getting meaningful legal resolutions. He helped usher through a rule change that would allow paraprofessionals to handle some legal matters like estate planning, uncontested divorces and consumer debt cases, without a lawyer’s supervision. “Some people call it the justice gap. I call it the justice chasm,” Hecht said. “Because it’s just a huge gulf between the people that need legal help and the ability to provide it.” Hecht said he’s glad this has been taken up as a bipartisan issue, and he’s hopeful that the same attention will be paid even after he leaves the court. “No judge wants to give his life’s energy to a work that mocks the justice that he’s trying to provide,” he said. “For the judiciary, this is an important issue, because when the promise of equal justice under law is denied because you’re too poor, there’s no such thing as equal justice under the law.” Despite the sudden departure of their longtime leader, the Texas Supreme Court will return in January to finish out its term, which ends in April. Among the typical parsing of medical malpractice provisions, oil and gas leases, divorce settlements and sovereign immunity protections, the high court has a number of more attention-grabbing cases on its docket this year. Earlier this year, the court heard oral arguments about the Department of Family and Protective Services’ oversight of immigration detention facilities, and in mid-January, they’ll consider Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to subpoena Annunciation House, an El Paso nonprofit that serves migrants. They’ll also hear arguments over Southern Methodist University’s efforts to cut ties with the regional governing body of the United Methodist Church. Other cases will be added to the schedule before April. Phillips, who has argued numerous cases before the Texas Supreme Court since leaving the bench, said Hecht’s loss will be felt, but he expects the court to continue apace. “It’s not a situation like it might have been at some point in the past where if one justice left, nobody would know what to do next,” he said. “It’s an extremely qualified court.” As for Hecht, he’s tried to put off thinking too much about what comes next for him. He still has opinions to write and work to finish. He knows he wants to stay active in efforts to improve court administration nationally and in Texas, and he’s threatened his colleagues with writing a tell-all book, just to keep them on their toes. But beyond that, he’s waiting for the reality of retirement to sink in before he decides on his next steps. “We’ve got 3,200 judges in Texas, plus adjuncts and associate judges and others,” he said. “I really think it’s such a strong bench, and I am proud to have been a part of it. I look forward to helping where I can.” This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

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