90 jill.top – Zimbabwe has suffered an economic blow amounting to over due to sanctions imposed by the United States and Western countries, according to . Ziyambi made the remarks during an anti-sanctions symposium in Harare, asserting that the punitive measures have crippled the country’s economic growth and severely impacted the livelihoods of ordinary citizens. “The economic sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies have cost Zimbabwe over US$42 billion in potential investment, trade opportunities, and access to financial markets,” said Ziyambi. He accused Western nations of using sanctions as a political tool to destabilise Zimbabwe while cloaking their actions under the guise of promoting democracy and human rights. Ziyambi detailed that the sanctions, which were imposed in the early 2000s, have not only limited Zimbabwe’s access to international financing but also discouraged foreign direct investment (FDI). “The private sector has been hit the hardest, as many companies cannot access international credit lines. This has led to job losses, reduced productivity, and stunted economic growth,” he said. According to the minister, the financial isolation has impeded infrastructure development, particularly in critical sectors such as health, education, and agriculture. The U.S. and European Union (EU) argue that the sanctions are targeted measures against individuals and entities accused of undermining democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Zimbabwe. However, the Zimbabwean government insists that the sanctions are broad-based and have far-reaching effects on the economy. A recent report by the and the corroborated Zimbabwe’s position, stating that the sanctions have indirectly affected the country’s economy as a whole. “The sanctions are a modern-day form of economic warfare. They are not targeted; they affect every sector of our economy,” Ziyambi said. Ziyambi appealed to international organisations, including the United Nations (UN) and regional blocs, to lobby for the removal of sanctions. “We call upon all progressive nations to support Zimbabwe’s fight against these unjust measures. Sanctions are an impediment to our development agenda and violate the principles of international law,” he said. The government has also ramped up its campaign, urging local citizens and regional allies to amplify calls for the lifting of sanctions. Economists and analysts have highlighted the ripple effects of sanctions on social services. Health sector funding, for instance, has been drastically reduced, leading to shortages of essential medicines and equipment. Similarly, the education sector has suffered from inadequate funding for schools and universities, further straining an already overburdened system. Critics of the government argue that corruption, mismanagement, and policy inconsistency—not sanctions—are the primary reasons for Zimbabwe’s economic decline. “Sanctions are not an excuse for corruption and poor governance. The government must also take responsibility for its failures,” said political analyst . However, Ziyambi dismissed such claims, maintaining that the sanctions are the single largest barrier to economic recovery. SADC has designated October 25 as , a move aimed at rallying international support against the measures. At a recent SADC summit, regional leaders reiterated their condemnation of the sanctions, calling them an affront to Zimbabwe’s sovereignty. Ziyambi said the government remains committed to engaging with Western countries to address the issue. “We are open to dialogue, but it must be a conversation based on mutual respect and recognition of our sovereignty,” he said. As the sanctions debate rages on, Zimbabwe continues to grapple with their impact. While the government blames the sanctions for economic woes, critics stress the need for internal reforms to complement international advocacy efforts. For now, the lifting of sanctions remains a key agenda item for Zimbabwe’s government, as it seeks to unlock the country’s full economic potential.NASSAU, Bahamas — Justin Thomas was long off the tee and made a few long putts on the back nine to overtake Scottie Scheffler with a 6-under 66 and build a one-shot lead Saturday over golf's best player going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge. Thomas is trying out a 46-inch driver — a little more than an inch longer than normal — that he previously used for practice at home to gain speed and length. He blasted a 361-yard drive to 8 feet on the par-4 seventh hole and led the field in driving distance. But it was a few long putts that put him ahead of Scheffler, who had a 69. Thomas was on the verge of falling two shots behind when he made an 18-foot par putt on the par-3 12th hole. On the reachable par-4 14th, he was in a nasty spot in a sandy area and could only splash it out to nearly 50 feet. He made that one for a most unlikely birdie, while behind him Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole and made his lone bogey of a windy day. People are also reading... Scheffler never caught up to him, missing birdie chances on the reachable 14th and the par-5 15th. Thomas hit his approach to 3 feet for birdie on the 16th after a 343-yard drive. Scheffler made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th to close within one. Scheffler missed birdie chances on the last two holes from the 10-foot and 15-foot range, while Thomas missed an 8-foot birdie attempt at the last. "I had a stretch at 13, 14, 15 where I felt like I lost a shot or two there, but outside of that I did a lot of really good things today," Scheffler said. Thomas hasn't won since the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, and a victory at Albany Golf Club wouldn't count as an official win. But the two-time major champion has made steady progress toward getting his game back in order. "I'm driving it great. I've had a lot of confidence with it," Thomas said of his longer driver. "I feel like I've been able to put myself in some pretty good spots going into the green. I'm still not taking advantage of some of them as much as I would like, but that's golf and we're always going to say that." Thomas was at 17-under 199 and will be in the final group Sunday with Scheffler, who is trying to end his spectacular season with a ninth title. Tom Kim put himself in the mix, which he might not have imagined Thursday when he was 3 over through six holes of the holiday tournament. Kim got back in the game with a 65 on Friday, and then followed with 12 birdies for a 62. He had a shot at the course record — Rickie Fowler shot 61 in the final round when he won at Albany in 2017 — until Kim found a bunker and took two shots to reach the green in making a double bogey on the par-3 17th. Even so, he was only two shots behind. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (68) was four back. "Feel like I've been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that's all I can do," Thomas said. "I can't control everybody else or what's going on, I've just got to keep playing as good as I possibly can and hope that it's enough come Sunday." Be the first to know

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No. 11 DWU women coast past College of Saint MaryFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Republican senators pushed back on Sunday against criticism from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard , Donald Trump's pick to lead U.S. intelligence services , is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and secret meetings , as a congresswoman, with Syria’s president, a close ally of the Kremlin and Iran. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, a veteran of combat missions in Iraq, said she had concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's choice to be director of national intelligence . “I think she’s compromised," Duckworth said on CNN’s “State of the Union," citing Gabbard's 2017 trip to Syria, where she held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Gabbard was a Democratic House member from Hawaii at the time. “The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes. And so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” Duckworth said. Gabbard, who said last month she is joining the Republican party, has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and, according to the Hawaii National Guard, received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for “participation in combat operations under enemy hostile fire in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III." Duckworth's comments drew immediate backlash from Republicans. “For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, said on CNN, challenging Duckworth to retract her words. “That’s the most dangerous thing she could say — is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.” In recent days, other Democrats have accused Gabbard without evidence of being a “Russian asset.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has claimed, without offering details, that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s pocket.” Mullin and others say the criticism from Democrats is rooted in the fact that Gabbard left their party and has become a Trump ally. Democrats say they worry that Gabbard's selection as national intelligence chief endangers ties with allies and gives Russia a win. Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat just elected to the Senate, said he would not describe Gabbard as a Russian asset, but said she had “very questionable judgment.” “The problem is if our foreign allies don’t trust the head of our intelligence agencies, they’ll stop sharing information with us,” Schiff said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” Gabbard in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine : the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens. The labs are part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons, but Moscow claimed Ukraine was using them to create deadly bioweapons. Gabbard said she just voiced concerns about protecting the labs. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, said he thought it was “totally ridiculous” that Gabbard was being cast as a Russian asset for having different political views. “It’s insulting. It’s a slur, quite frankly. There’s no evidence that she’s a asset of another country,” he said on NBC. Sen. James Lankford, another Oklahoma Republican, acknowledged having “lots of questions” for Gabbard as the Senate considers her nomination to lead the intelligence services. Lankford said on NBC that he wants to ask Gabbard about her meeting with Assad and some of her past comments about Russia. “We want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was. As a member of Congress, we want to get a chance to talk about past comments that she’s made and get them into full context,” Lankford said.

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PUNE A day after the assembly election results, accusations of sabotage and internal discord have surfaced within both, the Mahayuti and the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), exposing cracks in the alliances. In Beed district, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suresh Dhas, who retained the Ashti seat with a decisive margin of 77,000 votes, accused senior party leader Pankaja Munde of undermining his campaign. Dhas alleged that Munde directed her aides to support his rival, Bhimrao Bhonde, an independent candidate banking on OBC votes. Beed, already polarised along Maratha-OBC lines, became a hotspot for intense political battles, with Dhas managing to secure his victory despite these challenges. During his victory rally, Dhas said, “Pankajatai, you should not have done this. You have lost a good person.” He alleged that Munde’s actions had complicated an already fraught contest but credited his team for overcoming the obstacles. In Solapur’s Malshiras constituency, BJP candidate Ram Satpute, who lost by 13,000 votes, blamed BJP MLC Ranjitsinh Mohite for his defeat. Satpute accused Mohite of actively supporting his opponent, Uttam Jankar, and even financing efforts to undermine his campaign. Satpute’s frustration was evident in a social media post where he claimed that Mohite had provided financial backing to his sugar factory while working against the party. He alleged that BJP polling agents were threatened and demanded Mohite’s expulsion, stating, “Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, despite being an MLC supported by the BJP, worked against the party. He should be immediately removed.” The Mohite family has a significant influence in Solapur. While Mohite’s relatives have shifted allegiances to the NCP (Sharad Pawar) in recent years, Ranjitsinh remained with the BJP but faced accusations of disloyalty. Within MVA, in Solapur South, Congress MP Praniti Shinde faced allegations from the Shiv Sena (UBT) of sabotaging the MVA candidate Amar Patil. The Congress bastion was allocated to the Shiv Sena (UBT) as part of the seat-sharing arrangement, leaving Shinde reportedly unhappy. She allegedly supported independent candidate Dharmaraj Kadadi, who split the vote, ultimately aiding BJP’s Subhash Deshmukh in securing the seat by a margin of 77,000 votes. Shiv Sena (UBT) workers staged protests against Shinde, accusing her of betraying the alliance. UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi criticized the development on social media, remarking, “The independent candidate supported by MP Praniti Shinde over the MVA candidate lost his deposit while ensuring the defeat of the official MVA Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate.” According to political analysts, these incidents highlight the fragility of alliances driven by political compulsions. “These coalitions, forged for electoral gain, often fail to penetrate the grassroots. Leaders act in self-interest, and party workers are unwilling to compromise for the larger goals of the alliance,” said Chitra Lele, professor of political science at SNDT College. As the Mahayuti and MVA navigate the fallout of these internal clashes, the growing discontent underscores the challenges of maintaining unity in alliances cobbled together under electoral pressure.

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NASSAU, Bahamas — Justin Thomas was long off the tee and made a few long putts on the back nine to overtake Scottie Scheffler with a 6-under 66 and build a one-shot lead Saturday over golf's best player going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge. Thomas is trying out a 46-inch driver — a little more than an inch longer than normal — that he previously used for practice at home to gain speed and length. He blasted a 361-yard drive to 8 feet on the par-4 seventh hole and led the field in driving distance. But it was a few long putts that put him ahead of Scheffler, who had a 69. Thomas was on the verge of falling two shots behind when he made an 18-foot par putt on the par-3 12th hole. On the reachable par-4 14th, he was in a nasty spot in a sandy area and could only splash it out to nearly 50 feet. He made that one for a most unlikely birdie, while behind him Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole and made his lone bogey of a windy day. People are also reading... Scheffler never caught up to him, missing birdie chances on the reachable 14th and the par-5 15th. Thomas hit his approach to 3 feet for birdie on the 16th after a 343-yard drive. Scheffler made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th to close within one. Scheffler missed birdie chances on the last two holes from the 10-foot and 15-foot range, while Thomas missed an 8-foot birdie attempt at the last. "I had a stretch at 13, 14, 15 where I felt like I lost a shot or two there, but outside of that I did a lot of really good things today," Scheffler said. Thomas hasn't won since the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, and a victory at Albany Golf Club wouldn't count as an official win. But the two-time major champion has made steady progress toward getting his game back in order. "I'm driving it great. I've had a lot of confidence with it," Thomas said of his longer driver. "I feel like I've been able to put myself in some pretty good spots going into the green. I'm still not taking advantage of some of them as much as I would like, but that's golf and we're always going to say that." Thomas was at 17-under 199 and will be in the final group Sunday with Scheffler, who is trying to end his spectacular season with a ninth title. Tom Kim put himself in the mix, which he might not have imagined Thursday when he was 3 over through six holes of the holiday tournament. Kim got back in the game with a 65 on Friday, and then followed with 12 birdies for a 62. He had a shot at the course record — Rickie Fowler shot 61 in the final round when he won at Albany in 2017 — until Kim found a bunker and took two shots to reach the green in making a double bogey on the par-3 17th. Even so, he was only two shots behind. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (68) was four back. "Feel like I've been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that's all I can do," Thomas said. "I can't control everybody else or what's going on, I've just got to keep playing as good as I possibly can and hope that it's enough come Sunday." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Biden Administration Predicts Record Obamacare Enrollment, But Trump Takeover LoomsMULGRAVE — With expanded services and a renewed commitment to community good works in the new year, Eastern Counties Regional Library (ECRL) is re-writing the rulebook on building relationships with the municipalities it serves, says its chief executive officer. “I think everybody is interested in doing better and more for the community,” Laura Emery told The Journal in a recent year-end interview. “I think the province has a real understanding of the reach of public libraries. Strengthening relations with [our] municipal partners [ensures] that we [bring] the best that we can to the community.” According to ECRL’s 2023-24 annual report, released last month, the signs are promising. In one year, the number of new users at its nine branches in Cape Breton and northeastern Nova Scotia communities – including Guysborough, Canso and Sherbrooke – has jumped by 871, which included 57 at the Cyril Ward Memorial Public Library in Guysborough town, 41 at the Canso Public Library and 89 at the Sherbrooke Public Library. As well, the report shows, circulation (books and other reading materials) was 16 per cent higher in all locations – to 95,000 units, from 80,000, in 2022-23. That included a 20 per cent increase in Guysborough alone – to 11,131 from 9,207. Meanwhile, branch hours increased to 14,227, from 13,041, system wide. Even more notable was the growth in the number of public library programs – to 328 from 164 – and their growing attendance – to 2,000 from just more than 1,000 between 2022-23 and 2023-24. Wrote ECRL board chair Clair Rankin in the annual report: “Increased in-person programming [provided] more opportunities for community members to engage and learn ... demonstrating the value of flexible learning options. Increasing partnerships and better supporting local library staff helped to make these changes happen. Clearly, working with the community and our municipal partners is the way foreword.” This hasn’t always been easy. The oldest and one of the largest regional library systems, by geographic area, in Nova Scotia – catering to more than 32,000 residents the counties of Guysborough, Inverness, and Richmond, as well as the Town of Port Hawkesbury – ECRL receives two-thirds of its roughly $1-million annual budget from the provincial government. It gets the rest from four municipal councils, with which it’s in regular contact but, historically, not always in agreement. One well-publicized dispute with the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s council over funding, for example, actually went to provincial mediation in 2022. The issue was resolved in April of this year when both parties signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance collaboration and communications between them. “To create such a specific agreement with one of our partners and really formalize ways that we can always be working together, always be communicating and bringing the best to the community, is historic,” Emery told local media at the announcement in Mulgrave at the time. Today, she’s even more adamant about making things work collaboratively. “Positive actions organically lead to a more positive and encouraging environment,” she told The Journal. “I think we’re certainly heading in a good direction.” Much of that may have to do with the provincial government’s growing realization that at a time of rising costs and housing shortages, rural libraries in general and ECRL, in particular, have important roles to play in shoring up the social and even economic well being of their communities. Additional provincial funding – not related to core programming – is helping ECRL position itself as a community hub. Over the past year, Rankin noted in the annual report, “Eastern Counties Regional Library expanded its role in supporting community well-being. Special funding from the province [has] allow[ed] ECRL to give away menstrual products, diapers and incontinence pads to help with the increasing cost of living. We’ve been distributing COVID-19 test kits for a few years, so these new offerings easily fit into our library locations. Items are on display, and people can drop by and pick up what they or their family and friends need.” The library has also established seed banks at its branches and recently received a $42,000 contribution from the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage to conduct strategic planning and community engagement on potential, new initiatives. “It is a tremendous example of how public libraries can do so much more to benefit the community if they have the funding,” Rankin concluded in his message. “My hope is this trend of special project funding will continue.” Certainly, ECRL’s efforts have not gone unnoticed among some of its municipal partners. At the Nov. 20 Municipality of the District of Guysborough regular council meeting, Councillor Mary Desmond (district #2) praised the “vibrancy” and “informative” content of this year’s annual report. Warden Paul Long added: “There seems to be a greater sense of cooperation and collegiality between the library and municipalities.” Said Emery: “I am very happy to hear that. I think provincial funding for community initiatives ... has demonstrated the additional value that a library can bring to a community. And, that’s probably helping with the positive perception of the Eastern Counties Regional Library. Things are starting to turn around and, you know ... that’s great.”

After a couple of years without much happening, smart displays are in the news again. Aside from smart TVs, consumer screens that connect to the Internet have never reached a mainstream audience. However, there seems to be a resurgence to make smart displays more popular. The approaches that some companies are taking are better than those of others, revealing a good, bad, and ugly side behind the push. Note that for this article, we'll exclude smart TVs when discussing smart displays. Unlike the majority of smart displays, smart TVs are mainstream tech. So for this piece, we'll mostly focus on devices like the Google Next Hub Max or Amazon Echo Show (as pictured above). The good When it comes to emerging technology, a great gauge for whether innovation is happening is by measuring how much a product solves a real... Scharon Harding

Republicans lash out at Democrats' claims that Trump intelligence pick Gabbard is 'compromised'2024 has been a rough year for Celsius Holdings ( CELH 1.00% ) . The maker of healthier sugar-free energy drinks posted a revenue slump last quarter amid increasing competition and a changing strategy with its largest distribution partner. Shares have fallen a whopping 70% from all-time highs set just a half-year ago, causing immense pain for shareholders who have held on this year. This short-term pain should be seen as an opportunity for patient investors focused on long-term gains. Here's why growth stock Celsius Holdings is a buy for investors as we head into the holiday season. Market share stagnation, PepsiCo distribution headwind Celsius stock has gone in the tank for a few reasons. First, we should note that the stock was trading at a price-to-earnings ratio ( P/E ) of over 100 earlier in 2024. Any stock trading at a nosebleed P/E is going to be risky, no matter how fast the company is growing sales. Speaking of which, that brings us to the second reason Celsius stock has faltered this year: slowing revenue growth. After posting huge double-digit revenue growth figures for many years, Celsius went into a big slowdown in 2024. Each quarter saw successive deceleration in revenue growth, with revenue actually falling 31% year over year last quarter. Now, this huge revenue drop is not as bad as it seems. Celsius has a major distribution deal with PepsiCo , which decided to trim its inventory levels for the energy drink brand this year. Ingesting less inventory meant a temporary hit to Celsius's revenue. The brand didn't lose 30% of its market share in one quarter. The market share story is not pretty, though. After years of market share gains in the energy drink category, Celsius seems to have stalled out at around 12% market share in the United States in 2024. Time will tell whether this stagnation is a ceiling for Celsius, but investors are clearly worried. There is increasing competition from upstart brands like Alani Nu and Ghost that are eating into the sugar-free energy drink market once dominated by Celsius. Long-term international growth, category tailwind Celsius is facing headwinds in multiple areas right now. That doesn't mean they will be permanent. The inventory issues with Pepsi should resolve within the next few quarters. Then, the company's revenue will line up with actual sales from retailers to fans of the product. Brand competition is fierce, and investors shouldn't bank on Celsius gaining market share like it did before 2024. No consumer packaged good category is a monopoly -- there will always be other energy drink brands out there. There are some long-term tailwinds that should help Celsius grow over the next five years. The brand is only just expanding to international markets, which now include English-speaking countries and France. International revenue grew 37% year over year last quarter, which investors should expect to continue in upcoming years. Overall energy drink sales keep growing, taking share from traditional drink sources such as coffee, fruit juices, and soda. If Celsius keeps its market share, this sector tailwind should help it grow revenue over the next few years. Last, we shouldn't forget the steady price increases consumer packaged food brands can implement year after year. A pack of 12 Celsius cans is currently going for around $20 on Amazon . Celsius will be able to raise prices to $21, $22, and eventually higher on its energy drink packs in the years to come and will likely get little customer pushback. These are simply not expensive items if people incorporate such products into their daily lives. CELH PE Ratio data by YCharts . Why the stock is a buy right now Add up these three growth drivers -- international expansion, category growth, and pricing power -- and I think Celsius can produce 10% annual revenue growth over the next five years. Extrapolating from its current trailing revenue of $1.37 billion, Celsius will be doing $2.2 billion in sales five years from now. Assuming the company can reach similar profit margins to Monster Beverage of 25%, Celsius will be generating $550 million in annual earnings in five years, which would bring its P/E down to 12.4 compared to the stock's current market cap of $6.8 billion. The average P/E ratio for the S&P 500 ( ^GSPC 0.25% ) is 31 today. If you believe in the Celsius growth story, the stock is likely a buy for those looking to hold for at least five years or longer, after falling 70% from highs.