slot game online singapore CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — School district officials who punished two parents for wearing pink wristbands marked “XX” during a soccer game featuring a transgender player defended their decision Friday at a hearing on whether they can take similar action while they are being sued. Kyle Fellers and Anthony Foote were banned from school grounds after the September game by officials who viewed the wristbands as intimidation or harassment of a transgender player. They later sued the Bow school district, and while the no-trespass orders have since expired, a judge is deciding whether the plaintiffs should be allowed to wear the wristbands and carry signs at upcoming school events, including basketball games, swim meets and a music concert, while the case proceeds. Both men testified Thursday that they didn’t intend to harass or otherwise target a transgender player on the opposing team, and their attorneys have argued they did nothing more than silently express their support for reserving girls’ sports for those born female. But school officials testified Friday that they had reason to believe the men wouldn’t stop there. Superintendent Marcy Kelley and Bow High School Athletic Director Michael Desiletes described receiving strongly-worded emails from Foote in which he called himself a “real leader” who was prepared to take action and seeing his social media posts urging others to attend the game. In the days leading up to the game, another parent told school officials she overheard others talk about showing up to the game wearing dresses and heckling the transgender player. RELATED COVERAGE New Hampshire courts hear 2 cases on transgender girls playing girls sports Speaker Johnson declares support for restricting Sarah McBride’s bathroom access Russian lawmakers endorse bill to ban adoptions by gender-transition countries “When we suspect there’s some sort of threat ... we don’t wait for it to happen,” Kelley said, comparing it to the way school officials wouldn’t wait until a fight broke out between two students to intervene if they got wind of it beforehand. Kelley also pushed back on the idea that the plaintiffs were simply expressing support for their daughters and their teammates in general, noting that they chose the one game involving a transgender player to begin wearing the wristbands. “This was organized and targeted,” she said. “If we were to allow harassment, we’re liable.” The transgender player in question, Parker Tirrell, and another student athlete are challenging the state law that bans transgender athletes in grades 5 to 12 from teams that align with their gender identity. A federal judge ruled in their case that they can play sports during the ongoing lawsuit that seeks to overturn the law. Gov. Chris Sununu, who signed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act into law in July, has said it “ensures fairness and safety in women’s sports by maintaining integrity and competitive balance in athletic competitions.” About half of states have adopted similar measures.Market Shifts as UnitedHealth and Tech Stocks Decline

But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” The first nuclear age was the Cold War, while the second was “governed by disarmament efforts and counter proliferation”, the armed forces chief said. He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”None

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living" and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States . Organizers said that over 170,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched. Either way, the throngs of people clogging the streets recalled the massive separatist rallies at the height of the previous decade’s Catalan independence movement. Now, social concerns led by housing have displaced political crusades. That is because the average rent for Spain has doubled in last 10 years. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros ($7.5) in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. Protester Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they can renovate it and boost the price. “Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.” A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters who do so. “We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory. The rise in rents is causing significant pain in Spain, where traditionally people seek to own their homes. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Many migrants to Spain are also disproportionately hit by the high rents because they often do not have enough savings. Spain is near the bottom end of OECD countries with under 2% of all housing available being public housing for rent. The OECD average is 7%. Spain is far behind France, with 14%, Britain with 16%, and the Netherlands with 34%. “I think it’s impossible to make prices fall to what they were a few years back. It makes me cry,” said protester Laia Pizjuán. “It's so upsetting. I know so many people who are in a bad situation. I have relatives living together in crowded apartments because they can’t afford to live on their own.” Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Barcelona’s Tenants Union which helped organize the protest, said that renters should consider a “rent strike” and cease paying their monthly rents in a mass protest movement. “I think we the tenants have understood that this depends on us. That we can’t keep asking and making demands to the authorities and waiting for an answer. We must take the reins of the situation,” Arcarazo told the AP. “So, if they (the owners) won’t lower the rent, then we will force them to do it." The Barcelona protest came a month after tens of thousands rallied against high rents in Madrid. The rising discontent over housing is putting pressure on Spain’s governing Socialist party, which leads a coalition on the national level and is in charge of Catalonia’s regional government and Barcelona’s city hall. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presided over what the government termed a “housing summit” including government officials and real estate developers last month. But the Barcelona’s Tenants Union boycotted the event, saying it was like calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate. The leading government measure has been a rent cap mechanism that the central government has offered to regional authorities based on a price index established by the housing ministry. Rent controls can be applied to areas deemed to be “highly stressed” by high rental prices. Catalonia was the first region to apply those caps, which are in place in downtown Barcelona. Many locals blame the million of tourists who visit Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, each year for the high prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate the city’s 10,000 so called “tourist apartments,” or dwellings with permits for short-term rents, by 2028.Edinburgh Airport shut down by IT issue just as holiday travel season gets under wayChance of direct attack by Russia ‘remote’, says UK armed forces chief

But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”The Indian arm of UK-headquartered pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has laid off more than 125 employees from its biopharmaceutical business unit, according to people aware of the development. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Among them are some 20 senior managers and 110 executives at various levels in the sales department, the people cited earlier told ET. The downsizing has affected employees across the board and includes those having put in 15 years in the company, they said. AstraZeneca India confirmed that the headcount has changed but did not say how many jobs have been cut. "In the biopharmaceutical business unit, we are furthering efforts to deliver the next generation of therapeutics in our pipeline, focusing on specialists, science and innovation, while improving access of our existing portfolio in specialist disease areas," a company spokesperson said in an email response to ET's query. The company statement said, "This has led to strategic restructuring of our biopharmaceutical team impacting certain roles. We are fully cognizant of the impact this has caused, and our first responsibility remains towards our employees and meeting the needs of patients." 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The unit sold some of the old, legacy brands such as anti-cholesterol brand Crestor, clot buster Brilinta and Forxiga, one of the best prescribed brands for the treatment of diabetes. Along with a few other brands, the annual sales from the biopharma unit were around ₹400 crore, according to an industry source. However, the loss of patent exclusivity of these brands in India resulted in a deluge of generic drugs in the market. "When dapagliflozin (Forxiga) lost its patent rights four years ago, at least 250 generic substitutes came in. It gets tough for MNCs to compete on pricing," the source said. However, AstraZeneca's ambitions for India remain. A significant traction is seen in its new wave of patented drugs like Tagrisso for lung cancer, Koselugo for a rare genetic disorder, Breztri (drug to treat COPD) and Enhertu used in the treatment of breast and gastric cancer. In that direction, AstraZeneca said in the statement, "Our aspiration to be pioneers in science has increased our focus on specialist disease areas where we can make the most meaningful difference in helping people with cancer, other chronic and rare diseases." Over the last few years, AstraZeneca has seen a series of job cuts in its core India operations, while it has continued to invest and ramped up capacity at its global capability centres at Bengaluru and Chennai to support research and innovation efforts. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is December 31, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

As India seeks to expand its manufacturing and technological capability, critical minerals will become vital to fulfil this ambition. However, India, a major critical mineral importer, still depends on other countries, primarily China, for its mineral security, which has become a cause of strategic concern. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who voiced India’s apprehensions at a defence think tank gathering, said, “While [the] scramble for resources for economic reasons has had a long history, their weaponisation by some nations for strategic reasons is a comparatively new phenomenon”, hinting at Chinese attempts. To address India’s mineral security challenge, which is aimed at reducing its strategic vulnerability, New Delhi has started an attempt to engage in mineral diplomacy. Establishing joint ventures This attempt is based on the pillars of: developing international engagement with mineral-producing countries, and establishing strategic partnerships with intergovernmental organisations. The first pillar focuses on building bilateral ties with resource-rich countries such as Australia, Argentina, the United States, Russia, and Kazakhstan to secure the supply of lithium and cobalt. To facilitate this vision, post-2019, India established the Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL), a joint venture company with a mandate “to ensure a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to the Indian domestic market”. The objective was to achieve mineral security by securing agreements, and acquisitions through government-to-government, government-to-business, and business-to-business routes. In March 2022, KABIL signed a Memorandum of understanding with Australia for a critical mineral investment partnership, identifying two lithium and three cobalt projects. Latin America’s Lithium Triangle, which constitutes Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, has also attracted India’s attention. In January 2024, India signed a $24 million lithium exploration pact with a state-owned enterprise in Argentina for five lithium brine blocks. KABIL is also actively working to secure mineral supplies by facilitating the buying of assets from Bolivia and Chile. Apart from the government, India’s private sector has also benefited. Altmin Private Limited signed an agreement with YLB, Bolivia’s national company, to secure the raw material supply chain of Li-ion batteries. Central Asia has also caught India’s attention. Recently, India and Kazakhstan formed a joint venture, IREUK Titanium Limited, to produce titanium slag in India. This was one of India’s first joint ventures with the Central Asian Republics. This attempt is aligned with New Delhi’s proposal to establish an India-Central Asia Rare Earths Forum to leverage the region’s rich resources. Cooperative engagements The second pillar of mineral diplomacy is international engagement, which is forging and strengthening partnerships with minilateral and multilateral initiatives related to mineral security, such as the Quad (Australia, Japan, India, the United States), the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), Mineral Security Partnership (MSP) and the G-7, for cooperation in the critical mineral supply chain. These cooperative engagements aim to align India with the global best practices in the critical mineral sector across its three segments — upstream, midstream, and downstream. Additionally, they also facilitate knowledge sharing and capacity building, which is important for coordinating with international partners such as the U.S., the European Union (EU), South Korea, and Australia. To further this collaboration with western partners, India’s Ministry of Mines signed a MoU with the International Energy Agency to strengthen cooperation on critical minerals, helping India to “streamline its policies, regulations, and investment strategies in the critical mineral sector, aligning them with global standards and best practices”. The missing pieces India’s attempt at mineral diplomacy has led to many positive outcomes, but still lacks three essential ingredients required for its international diplomatic engagement. These are: a lack of private sector participation; weak diplomatic capacity, and insufficient sustainable partnership. Also, India’s private sector has largely been missing from the equation. The absence of a critical mineral supply chain strategy and a clear road map for the private sector are two primary variables responsible for the lack of policy clarity, leading to their absenteeism. To address these, India needs to formulate a comprehensive approach for de-risking, considering the role of the private sector across the supply chain. An important step would be to have a supply chain strategy based on India’s growth prospects and national security priorities. Second, India must strengthen its mineral diplomacy engagement. Having a dedicated mineral diplomacy division within the Ministry of External Affairs, similar to the New and Emerging Strategic Technologies (NEST) division and a special position for mineral diplomacy in selected diplomatic missions can be the first step. Third, India’s goal towards mineral security necessitates that New Delhi forge strategic, sustainable, and trusted partnerships with bilateral partners and multilateral forums. Among all its partners, working with EU, South Korea, and the other Quad members is critical to India’s mineral security due to its domestic capabilities, diplomatic network and technological know-how. If these issues can be resolved, India’s attempts at mineral diplomacy will gain strength and will be able to better complement New Delhi’s domestic critical mineral initiatives, which are currently moving at a slow pace. Abhishek Sharma is a Research Assistant with the Observer Research Foundation’s Strategic Studies Programme Published - December 16, 2024 12:08 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit India / diplomacy / critical minerals / imports / China / economy (general) / Australia / Argentina / USA / Russia / Kazakhstan / government / business (general) / Chile / Japan / European Union / South Korea / national security / technology (general)

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Published 23:57 IST, December 15th 2024 PM Modi Asks States To Focus On Startup Growth, Compliance Simplification, Obesity Control New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked states to work towards providing an environment where start-ups can flourish, simplify the compliances that often lead to harassment of citizens and take obesity as a big challenge. Addressing the fourth national conference of chief secretaries here, he said states should reform governance model in such a way that encourages citizen participation, according to an official statement. Modi said it is important to focus on reform, perform, and transform, and that it is also important to inform people about various initiatives of the government. In the health sector, he urged the participants that obesity should be taken as a big challenge in the country. Only a fit and healthy India can be a 'Viksit Bharat', he added. The prime minister said India can be made tuberculosis-free by the end of 2025, and that ASHA and Anganwadi workers can play a big role in delivering this goal. Asserting that old manuscripts were India's treasure, he said states should take steps to use technology to digitize it. He said a great benefit of the conference was that "Team India" had come together for discussion with an open mind and work together for a 'Viksit Bharat'. Pro-People Pro-active Good Governance (P2G2) is at the core of their work through which they can together achieve the vision of a Viksit Bharat, he added. The conference included discussions around the overarching theme of 'Promoting Entrepreneurship, Employment and Skilling --“ Leveraging the Demographic Dividend'. Lauding the advent of start-ups, especially in tier-2 and 3 cities, the prime minister asked states to encourage such innovations and work towards providing an environment where start-ups can flourish. "He urged states to identify locations suitable for entrepreneurs in smaller cities and take initiative to connect them with the banking system, provide logistics and facilitate them," the statement said. Modi asked states to explore concepts of Viability Gap Funding for recycling of e-waste. This is particularly important as with increasing data and technology driven society, digital waste will further increase, he said. While appreciating that PM GatiShakti has been a key enabler for good governance, he also said that the initiative must be regularly updated and indicators for environmental impacts, disaster prone areas should be included in it. Talking about Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme, he said that competent officers posted in these blocks and districts can bring about massive changes at the ground level. It would also lead to immense socio-economic benefits, he added. Modi also encouraged officials to work for human resources development in order to develop cities as centres of economic growth. He emphasized on developing institutions for specialization in urban governance, water and environment management. With increasing urban mobility, he stressed on providing adequate urban accommodation which would in turn lead to better productivity in the manufacturing sector in new industrial hubs. Noting that it was the death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Modi lauded him as an inspiration for all civil servants and said that everyone should work towards achieving his dream of India. As men, women and children from all walks of life participated in the freedom struggle despite their different circumstances, ideological differences and different means, similarly every Indian must work towards making Viksit Bharat by 2047, he said. The three-day conference, which ended on Sunday, emphasised on special themes that included manufacturing, services, rural non-farm sector, urban, renewable energy, and circular economy. Various sessions during the conference deliberated to work around subjects which would help in collaborative action in promoting entrepreneurship, enhancing skilling initiatives, and creating sustainable employment opportunities for both rural and urban populations thereby helping in the transition of India from middle income to high income country. These initiatives can emerge as the driving wheels for the economy with women-led development as the foundation, the statement said. The participants discussed that a multifaceted approach is required to harness the potential of India's service sector, especially in smaller cities, it said. This involves a combination of policy interventions, infrastructure development, skill enhancement, and a focus on creating a business-friendly environment, the statement added. Emphasis on skilling and formalization of the informal sector was also discussed. Similarly in the rural non-farm sector, it was discussed that rural entrepreneurship should be promoted through specific skilling courses. It was also felt that women and marginalized groups' participation in non-farm employment should also be encouraged through special incentives, the statement said. The conference had a special session on frontier technologies representing convergence of various fields which can help in providing solutions to global challenges. It also could provide India an opportunity to lead in this arena and have a trajectory of inclusive and sustainable growth, the statement said. The conference was attended by chief secretaries, senior officials of all states and Union territories, domain experts and senior officers in the Centre, it said. Get Current Updates on India News , Entertainment News along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world. Updated 23:57 IST, December 15th 2024

MILWAUKEE , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of WEC Energy Group WEC today announced that it is planning to raise the quarterly dividend on the company's common stock to 89.25 cents per share in the first quarter of 2025. This would represent an increase of 5.75 cents per share, or 6.9 percent. The directors expect to declare the new dividend at their regularly scheduled meeting in January. The dividend — which would be equivalent to an annual rate of $3.57 per share — would be payable March 1, 2025 , to stockholders of record on Feb. 14, 2025 . "The board's review today is consistent with our ongoing plan targeting a dividend payout ratio of 65 to 70 percent of earnings," said Scott Lauber , president and CEO. "The projected dividend for 2025 is in line with the company's longer-term objective to grow earnings per share at a 6.5 to 7 percent compound annual growth rate." In addition, the company introduced earnings guidance for 2025. Calendar year 2025 earnings are expected to be in a range of $5.17 to $5.27 per share. The midpoint of the range is $5.22 per share. This represents growth of 7.6 percent from the midpoint of the company's 2024 adjusted guidance of $4.85 per share. WEC Energy Group WEC , based in Milwaukee , is one of the nation's premier energy companies, serving 4.7 million customers in Wisconsin , Illinois , Michigan and Minnesota . The company's principal utilities are We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas, Michigan Gas Utilities, Minnesota Energy Resources and Upper Michigan Energy Resources. Another major subsidiary, We Power, designs, builds and owns electric generating plants. In addition, WEC Infrastructure LLC owns a growing fleet of renewable generation facilities in states ranging from South Dakota to Texas . WEC Energy Group ( wecenergygroup.com ) is a Fortune 500 company and a component of the S&P 500. The company has approximately 34,000 stockholders of record, 7,000 employees and more than $45 billion of assets. Forward-looking statements Certain statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based upon management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning management's expectations and projections regarding earnings, earnings growth rates, dividend payments and future results. In some cases, forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to a future period or periods or by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "guidance," "intends," "may," "objectives," "plans," "possible," "potential," "projects," "should," "targets," "will" or similar terms or variations of these terms. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions, including business and competitive conditions in the company's service territories; timing, resolution and impact of rate cases and other regulatory decisions, including rider reconciliations; the company's ability to continue to successfully integrate the operations of its subsidiaries; availability of the company's generating facilities and/or distribution systems; unanticipated changes in fuel and purchased power costs; key personnel changes; unusual, varying, or severe weather conditions; continued industry restructuring and consolidation; continued advances in, and adoption of, new technologies that produce power or reduce power consumption; energy and environmental conservation efforts; electrification initiatives, mandates and other efforts to reduce the use of natural gas; the company's ability to successfully acquire and/or dispose of assets and projects and to execute on its capital plan; terrorist, physical or cyber-security threats or attacks and data security breaches; construction risks; labor disruptions; equity and bond market fluctuations; changes in the company's and its subsidiaries' ability to access the capital markets; changes in tax legislation or our ability to use certain tax benefits and carryforwards; federal, state, and local legislative and regulatory changes, including changes in rate-setting policies or procedures and environmental standards, the enforcement of these laws and regulations and changes in the interpretation of regulations or permit conditions by regulatory agencies; supply chain disruptions; inflation; political or geopolitical developments, including impacts on the global economy, supply chain and fuel prices, generally, from ongoing, escalating, or expanding regional conflicts; the impact from any health crises, including epidemics and pandemics; current and future litigation and regulatory investigations, proceedings or inquiries; changes in accounting standards; the financial performance of American Transmission Company as well as projects in which the company's energy infrastructure business invests; the ability of the company to obtain additional generating capacity at competitive prices; goodwill and its possible impairment; and other factors described under the heading "Factors Affecting Results, Liquidity and Capital Resources" in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and under the headings "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" contained in the company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 , and in subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as may be required by law, the company expressly disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wec-energy-group-announces-plan-to-increase-dividend-by-6-9-percent-302324331.html SOURCE WEC Energy Group © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Petco Health + Wellness Company, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Results

Not Purdy: 49ers hit Green Bay with backup QB, no BosaAMMAN — Ambassador of Malaysia to Jordan Mohamad Nasri Abdul Rahman hosted a reception on Wednesday to introduce the logo and theme of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Malaysian Chairmanship 2025. The event took place at the Malaysian embassy in Amman under the theme “Inclusivity and sustainability.” Member states of the ASEAN are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Malaysia will assume chairmanship of this political and economic union on January 1, 2025. “Today brings us another step closer towards the beginning of an important new role for Malaysia,” said Abdul Rahman, noting that the logo and the theme for Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship were officially unveiled by Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and launched by Foreign Minister Dato’ Sri Utama Mohamad Hasan on October 22. “Malaysia is deeply honoured and stands ready to assume this pivotal responsibility,” Abdul Rahman underlined, adding that main priorities for the Malaysian chairmanship are: fortification of the ASEAN centrality; continuation to push for greater commitment to enhance the ASEAN intra-trade and investment; and to ensure that the elements of inclusivity and sustainability, which is the theme for 2025, take centre stage in the regional community-building efforts. “The convening of the ASEAN-GCC plus China Summit in Kuala Lumpur in 2025 is indeed a testament to the ASEAN’s intent of collaborating with the wider global community,” the ambassador said, adding, “It is therefore with great joy that I introduce the logo and the theme of the ASEAN-Malaysia Chairmanship 2025.” Malaysia will also ensure that the ASEAN will be capable to leverage on advances in sciences, technology and innovation, and harness the benefits of digital transformation and new technologies. “Malaysia’s vision of the ASEAN will remain immutable, and will continue to reflect the hopes of the ASEAN peoples, for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region that is ready to contribute positively to global affairs,” Abdul Rahman underlined. Malaysia is one for the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, a regional bloc established on August 8, 1967 in Bangkok. 2025 will witness the fifth times Malaysia hold the ASEAN Chairmanship. The last time Malaysia held the ASEAN Chairmanship was in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. “The ASEAN’s nuanced and pragmatic approach to managing geopolitical competition between major powers is increasingly seen as a model for the rest of the developing world. The ASEAN’s commitment to neutrality, dialogue, and regional cooperation, has kept Southeast Asia stable amid external rivalries,” the ambassador underlined. Regarding the economic collaboration, the ASEAN’s trade with China recorded US 696.7 billion in 2023, reflecting China’s position as the largest trading partner since 2009. “At the same time, trade with the US, Australia and India – which are among the countries of ASEAN’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, amounted to US 395.9 billion, 183.4 billion and 131 billion respectively,” Abdul Rahman said, noting that the ASEAN is Korea’s second largest trading partner, the largest consummation market and the second largest investment destination.Presidents have sent troops to the San Diego border before. Could this time be different?