Editorial: Calls for four-day tests as fast cricket changes the gameThe S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! fans heaped praise on Coleen Rooney and said ‘Wagatha's back’ as she rumbled Maura Higgins and Rev Richard Coles’ camp secret. Maura and Richard entered the Australian jungle during Thursday night’s episode and are living in a separate camp named the Jungle Junkyard. The pair were horrified by the very basic camp before they discovered it was full of luxuries – including a bed and a bath - which they have been tasked with hiding from their other campmates. The mission also saw the pair convince the main camp to donate a bed to them on Thursday night, after writing them a heartfelt letter. However, at the start of Friday’s show, in a preview of the episode, it showed that suspicions have started to arise, with Coleen Rooney, 38, heard wondering if they were really struggling in Jungle Junkyard as much as they are making out. Viewers soon rushed to X to say that Coleen’s detective skills are back. One person said: “Coleen really is Wagatha Christie isn’t she #ImACeleb” Others said: “Course it’s Wagatha Christie Coleen that’s able to rumble them #ImACeleb. Get this woman in the police force, she can solve anything” and: “Of course Coleen will be first to crack the case. Wagatha's back! #ImACeleb.” Later on, during dinner time on Friday night’s episode, Maura and Richard received a full spread of fish, sides and dessert - unbeknownst to the main camp. The note which accompanied it read: "However, as the celebrities in main camp believe you won zero stars in today’s Trial, they have been given the chance to sacrifice some of their dinner so that you can eat tonight. If they decide to sacrifice their food then you win three more portions at the junk food buffet.” Main camp decided to give up some of their dinner, with Coleen and Danny Jones delivering the goods to the Jungle Junkyard to check Maura, Richard and Dean, who has newly joined them in their camp. However, when Coleen and Danny returned back to main camp, Coleen aired her suspicions. She said: "To be honest, they looked better than they did yesterday. "I got this look and it's like they are not telling us the truth. There's something they are not telling us." She added: "I came out of there not convinced they are living in them conditions." It comes after Coleen said going to court over her Wagatha Christie feud with Rebekah Vardy was her “worst nightmare” as she felt she was “putting on a show for the whole world”, but added she was not scared about making the viral post which kicked off the dispute. Coleen, who is married to ex-England footballer Wayne Rooney, was asked about the high-profile libel trial with Rebekah, the wife of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, during Monday’s episode of I’m A Celebrity. Coleen was dubbed Wagatha Christie when she accused Rebekah of leaking her private information to the press. In July 2022, a judge at the High Court found the post was “substantially true”. GK Barry asked Coleen if she was scared to make the social media post, to which Coleen said: “No, because I just didn’t think it would have the impact it did, because I was just that sick and tired of it, it was draining.” “That was my worst nightmare to go to court... I felt ashamed going to court because I am not that type to play things out in public. “I just felt like it was like putting on a show for the whole world. I didn’t want that, I wanted to settle it before and get it done with. “What got me, over the whole thing, was it became a bit of a joke and that’s really disappointing, it wasn’t a joke for me. “...But no one knew the full story.”Happy holidays everyone! The has kicked off, with a ton of top-end prospects taking part. Here's our third 2025 NFL mock draft to unwrap as a present, stuff your stocking, or do whatever else you want. Ward seeks explosive plays and will bring a calmness to the QB position, both traits that have been desperately missing in recent years in New York. Ward has things to clean up, namely his heat check moments that can get him in trouble, but pairing Ward with the electric Malik Nabers would bring explosive plays in bunches even as Ward continues to refine his game. Travis Hunter might be the best overall player in the class, and the Patriots need help at skill positions on offense and defense. Hunter would make a lot of sense as a shutdown cornerback across from Christian Gonzalez and can step in on offense here and there as needed. — Campbell plays like a veteran even at just 20 years old. He can consistently bend and move defenders in the run game and has the footwork, awareness and hand technique to consistently win in pass protection, even without ideal arm length. Whether he stays out at OT (I think he can) or has to move inside, I think Campbell is the best overall offensive lineman in this class and a winning player who would boost a Jags line with his maturity no matter where he ends up starting. The Titans need a quarterback desperately, but they could also use a topflight cornerback to pair with some of the front seven talent that they already have accumulated. Will Johnson, step on down. Here's the pass rusher with the most upside in this draft. Carter is twitchy and can bend around the corner. He still has to work on his overall consistency, especially against the run, where he can take himself out of too many plays. The at QB and even the future of their OL beyond 2025, but the thought of pairing Carter with Myles Garrett is exciting. And terrifying for offenses. Another team with a dire quarterback situation, the Raiders opt to take Sanders to shore up that position for them. They can’t walk into another season with Aidan O’Connell as their best option, even though he’s a good backup option to have moving forward. After battling an ankle injury at the beginning of the year, Williams has started to ramp up his play — and the production has followed. Williams has an excellent combination of length, strength and explosiveness. With the added bonus of being able to affect the game from multiple spots along the line. His best ball is ahead of him and would be a fun fit next to Derrick Brown for a Panthers defense needing needle-movers. Gang Green’s defense still has some of the top players in the NFL, but their depth was lacking this season as their defensive performance took a nosedive following the firing of Robert Saleh. Graham is a solid reinforcement for Quinnen Williams on interior defensive line. Banks is explosive, plays balanced and can have impact snaps in the run and pass games. He’d be best at guard as a pro, which would be a great fit for the Bears who desperately need a boost on the inside and at right guard. The Bears targeting positional versatility doesn’t hurt at all, though. The Saints can’t be picky at this point in their roster building journey. They’ll need help just about everywhere as they try to rebuild while staying cap compliant. Starks is a strong player to add on the backend of their defense who can play any safety position. Conerly has light feet and can get to the second level in a hurry. His strength was a big question mark heading into this season and even over the first month. But he has really put it together over the second half of the season, showing off the ability to anchor and sustain blocks with much more consistency and playing with much better awareness for post-snap movement. Conerly is athletic enough to stay on the outside, but I could see his skill set translating across the offensive line. Perfect for a 49ers offense that needs to inject talent up front, and possibly start thinking about a Trent Williams succession plan. Miami found a hit last year when they picked Chop Robinson out of Penn State to bolster their pass rush, and they dip in the well again here. Walker can be an all-around weapon for the Dolphins' front seven, but he’s at his best when he’s moving forward and wreaking havoc against opposing offensive lines. The Colts' defense has actually stepped up in recent weeks. They could still use a player at outside cornerback to pair with JuJu Brents when he returns from injury. Enter Revel, a cornerback with a prototypical build and the easy movement ability to develop into a true outside one-on-one defender. Revel suffered a season-ending ACL injury in September, but his aggressive play when he was on the field should keep him high on boards. Plus he has the length and other traits that make sense for what general manager Chris Ballard and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley prefer at the position. Cincinnati needs to get more stout and physical up front to get back to being a real contender in the AFC — there might not be a better player to do that than the 330-pound Grant. He might not be a stat-stuffer in the NFL, but he can plug holes and has some real upside. This would be a huge get for the Cowboys. McMillan is my easy WR1 in this class and offers true X-receiver upside at the next level. His size (6-foot-5, 212 pounds), catching range, and surprisingly easy bend for such a big receiver gives him matchup-wrecking potential. Pairing McMillan’s ability to win outside with CeeDee Lamb operating from the slot and Dallas would have ideal synergy between two pass-catchers. Ashton Jeanty is exciting, but McMillan would supercharge this offense and passing attack and has the added boost of fitting their personnel, even down to what Dak Prescott likes. Arizona needs to shore up its defensive line if it wants to get serious about winning the NFC West. Harmon from Oregon is a talented player who can help the Cardinals get better up front immediately. It makes sense that Stewart was a former big-time recruit with how easy of a mover he is. Stewart can line up across the defensive line and his size, athleticism and do-everything style fits with what head coach Todd Bowles likes to do up front that changes based on the situation. It might be a bit of a hat-on-a-hat situation with what the Buccaneers have currently on their roster, but the other position that I looked at, inside linebacker, might be a reach here. No team has a need for offensive line help more than the Seahawks. Booker is a stout interior player who will be able to get them moving in the right direction again — and could be one of the missing pieces they need to beat some of the tougher teams in the NFL. Even with the Falcons starting to pick up some sacks in recent weeks, injecting their defensive front with more talent seems like their obvious near-term plan (I feel like I could have written this every year for the past decade). I actually like where the Falcons sit with their offensive personnel, but adding a talented player like Nolen, a more dynamic interior player than what Atlanta currently has, would give head coach Raheem Morris and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake a fun player to work with and move around on their front. And his physicality would help the Falcons out on all downs. The Chargers' offense clearly has a vision and a plan, but they need more talented (and physical) players to make that happen. Warren might be one of the best players in the class, but falls to this pick due to that pesky positional value argument. Texans. Offensive line. Texans. Offensive line. We will see this pairing for the next hundred-plus days and thousand-plus mock drafts that happen. Justifiably so! C.J. Stroud is constantly under duress and the Texans' run game is one of the least efficient in the league, despite Joe Mixon’s best efforts. Mbow is a very good athlete who springs out of his stance. He could look to add some lower body strength, but he plays tough and is able to bend and stay balanced in space, while also already showing off the ability to cut off defenders on the backside. He would boost the Texans' offensive line no matter what spot he’d end up at. The quest to continue building around Bo Nix continues for the Broncos. The cupboard might not be as empty as previously thought on offense for the Broncos, but if they’re going to make this Nix thing work, they’ll need a few more wide receivers. The Rams' ever-revolving offensive line actually gets a first-round pick to plop in. Alaric Jackson is a free agent after this season and Rob Havenstein is another year older. Ersery would give the Rams a player with dozens of college starts under his belt, with still more to tap into and develop. Ersery has a large frame and plays with some pop on contact, while also being a solid mover in such a big frame and flashing improving hand placement (something that he could still clean up). Ersery would fit the Rams' preference and give them the best of both worlds of having the experience to potentially play early and a player who could have more to develop for the future. Campbell is the first true linebacker off the board, and he goes to a team that could stand to get a smidge faster on the second level of the defense. In a world where college football isn’t producing many true first-round talents at the position, the Crimson Tide product could be one of them. I know the Steelers don’t typically (or mostly ever) draft wide receivers in the first round. But this Steelers offense has been lethargic when George Pickens isn’t on the field. And while players at other positions could be intriguing here for the Steelers — another cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr., swapping out Najee Harris for Ashton Jeanty, possibly even a tight end like Colston Loveland — I went with the dynamic Burden, whose production was up and down in 2024 but his explosiveness was still apparent. Burden lined up mostly in the slot during college as Missouri liked to move him around the formation, but he showed off the ability to win from the outside and has the YAC and big-play potential to add to any offense. He fits perfectly opposite Pickens and in Arthur Smith’s offense. A big, heavy-handed pass rusher for a team that loves big, heavy-handed pass rushers, Jackson had a solid year for Arkansas off the edge and projects well to the next level for defenses that like their pass rushers to be well-rounded players. The FBS leader in sacks, Green is a riser among prospects. Green plays hard every snap and will even be disruptive against double teams. He's only a redshirt sophomore but has already flashed secondary pass rush moves. It’s not all perfect and Green can get washed out when he doesn’t connect. Green’s athleticism, hard playing style, and flashes of advanced play remains an intriguing profile for the Packers to include. The Eagles always love drafting ahead for future needs on the offensive line, and Simmons could fill that role as an eventual replacement for Lane Johnson. Simmons has the talent to be a starting offensive tackle in the NFL, but needs some refinement. The Bills look to constantly add to their defensive line and do so again with Pearce. While Pearce can be up and down against the run, he has upside as an impactful pass rusher. Pearce is long and can be a handful for offensive tackles right at the snap of the ball. He can be easily taken out of the play a bit too often, especially against the run. Pearce could continue to develop his consistency for a Bills franchise that prefers to have a deep rotational line under head coach Sean McDermott. A dynamic interior presence would really take the Vikings' defense to the next level. Williams could be that guy for the Vikings as he’s shown some real penetrative ability at Ohio State. A team built through the trenches is exactly where my eyes went to to keep the good times rolling in Detroit. The Lions have remained one of the best offenses in the NFL despite signing new guards this offseason. The Lions keep the assembly line going with Savaiinaea, a guard who has a good thick build and plays consistently balanced. Savaiinaea is smart and knows how to use his hands. He plays right tackle for Arizona, but I like him best on the inside at the next level. A steal! Ashton Jeanty is one of the two or three best players in the class but winds up in the hands of the Chiefs, who should be thrilled about being able to add him to the offense. Jeanty has a rare combination of strength, balance and speed that will make him a nightmare for NFL defenses.
By Chidimma C. Okeke There seems to be a stalemate at the University of Abuja over the appointment of a new vice chancellor following disagreement between the Council and some members of the Senate of the university. A story broke out on Tuesday, saying professors were protesting over the process of selecting a new vice chancellor for the university, during which reporters from a certain media house covering the activities were manhandled and their vehicle vandalised. Daily Trust received a report by some members of the Senate alleging that they were beaten up while going ahead with a meeting after the one earlier scheduled by the university authorities was cancelled, a claim the university denied, saying the first meeting was called by the Council, and when it was evident that the major topic of discussion would not likely be resolved, it was postponed. Daily Trust gathered that trouble started after the federal government last week gave an order for the university to complete the processes of selecting a new vice chancellor by December 31, as the time stipulated by law for the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aisha Maikudi, to be on the saddle will elapse on January 3, 2025. Wike not running FCTA based on religion, aide replies MURIC North should benefit more from ‘renewed hope’ agenda – Arewa youths The order from the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, therefore put the Council on its toes to complete the processes, which informed the decision to hold the meeting yesterday. However, there were claims that the University Council, which has two representatives from the Senate of the university, who are collectively saddled with the responsibility of selecting the new VC, allegedly selected three names out of 87 names shortlisted, from which the meeting was supposed to choose who to become the vice chancellor. While some Senate members of the university alleged that the meeting was at the instance of the acting vice chancellor, some sources countered that saying it was the Council that called for the meeting in line with laws establishing the university. The Senate members said they were supposed to have the meeting by 9am but it was shifted to 11:30am. A source from the Senate said: “After shifting the meeting, members waited patiently. At 12.03pm the Deputy Vice Chancellor Admin, Professor Philip Uso Afaha, came in to tender the apologies of the Acting VC, Prof Aisha Maikudi, that the meeting had to be suspended at the request of the chairman of the council to give room for further consultations. “Members were incensed and shouted at Afaha to go away and that the apology was not accepted. Prof. Afaha left in an unpleasant scene. Thereafter, members decided to hold a meeting to take a resolution of Senate members and forward same to the Council chairman.” The source said Prof. Muhammad Abdullahi Katcha, who was a former deputy vice chancellor in the university, was nominated to chair the meeting and Prof. Atimga took minutes and resolution. The source said there were no fewer than 80 Senate members. He alleged that while the meeting was going on, the vigilante operatives in the university were allegedly unleashed on members. “Tables and chairs were turned upside down with members falling and tumbling as they scampered for their safety,” he said. When contacted, Professor Katcha confirmed that he presided over the meeting after his colleagues endorsed him. He also said they had passed a vote of no confidence on the acting vice chancellor, as well as the two members from the Senate that were coopted in the Council. “Some elderly members of the Senate were injured by the mob,” Prof. Katcha said, adding that they would pass their resolution to the Council. Council’s resolution is based on law – Dean However, while countering the claims of some of the Senate members, the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Abubakar Kari, who spoke to Daily Trust, denied the allegations saying the meeting was actually postponed following the absence of two of the Senate members who were supposed to be part of the meeting. He said he was present at the meeting and left after the announcement of the postponement. Prof. Kari said the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board comprises five members, including three Council members and two Senate members who are clearly defined to make the final selection and to be chaired by the pro-chancellor who is also the chairman of the Council. “The two people representing the Senate now wrote a complaint of a sort alleging that the council has taken over their job. They claim that they are the ones to do the shortlisting and to set up the criteria, which is actually not correct,” he said. He said a meeting was, therefore, rescheduled to address the issue and the two members from Senate staged a walkout that they would not do the job. “So, the pro-chancellor now wrote a letter to the management directing them to convene a Senate meeting to replace those that staged a walkout since they don’t want to do the job. He said with the intervention of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senate meeting was scheduled but later shifted as a result of their (ASUU) plea that they would bring back the two revolting Senate members to complete the processes. “So they (two Senate members in the council) addressed some journalists. I don’t know who and who, but Channels (team) was part of it. And so I think it was when Channels crew were leaving, that our security people now felt offended that somebody brought in the media, so I think deflated their tyres. “People didn’t even know that somebody addressed the press because we were inside the Senate chambers. Then we started reading on social media that professors were beaten up and that there was a problem in the university which is not true. “Eventually, the pro-chancellor pleaded again that the meeting should not take place today (Tuesday) until Friday because ASUU is still intervening,” he said. Prof. Kari alleged that the other side was bent on creating tension in the university. “They don’t want a new VC to emerge until after January 3, when the time of the acting VC will elapse, so that probably, they can now manipulate and change things or whatever,” he claimed. When Daily Trust reached out to ASUU, it said “no comment”. Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You. selection Stalemate at UniAbuja VC
The Delhi government's Women and Child Development (WCD) department has issued a clarification regarding the 'Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana' announced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the 2025 assembly elections. The department stated that no such scheme has been officially notified. In a public notice, the Women and Child Development Department confirmed that any private individual or political party involved in collecting information from citizens through forms and registration processes in the name of the 'Mahila Samman Yojana' is "committing fraud." "It is clarified that no such scheme has been notified by the Delhi Government," the Women and Child Development Department said in the notice published in national newspapers on Wednesday. "It is emphasised that since no such Scheme is in existence, the question of acceptance of the form/application for registration under this non-existent Scheme does not arise. Any private person/political party who is collecting forms/applications or collecting information from applicants in the name of this scheme is committing fraud and has no authority," the notice added. The government department also cautioned citizens about the risks of sharing personal details, such as bank account information, voter ID cards, and phone numbers, which could result in privacy breaches and data leaks. The notice further read,"The general citizens of Delhi are advised not to fall for the false promises of this non-existent scheme as these are misleading and don't have any authority. The general public is also requested to exercise caution in providing personal details to any unauthorised person to avoid any fraud or data breach in future." The clarification follows a statement by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, in which he claimed that registration for the 'Mahila Samman Scheme,' which promises Rs 2,100 per month for women in Delhi, would begin on December 23. "You don't have to form a queue anywhere. We will come to you (for the registration process). We have formed teams across Delhi. We will help the women register for the scheme and provide them with cards," Kejriwal said in a press conference. (ANI) (This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
