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BOSTON , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Below is the November 2024 Monthly Update for the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund USA . Liberty All-Star Equity Fund Ticker: USA Monthly Update, November 2024 Investment Approach: Fund Style: Large-Cap Core Fund Strategy: Combines three value-style and two growth-style investment managers. Those selected demonstrate a consistent investment philosophy, decision making process, continuity of key people and above-average long-term results compared to managers with similar styles. Investment Managers: Value Managers: Aristotle Capital Management, LLC Fiduciary Management, Inc. Pzena Investment Management, LLC Growth Managers: Sustainable Growth Advisers, LP TCW Investment Management Company Top 20 Holdings at Month-End: (34.5% of equity portfolio) 1 Microsoft Corp. 4.0 % 2 NVIDIA Corp. 3.7 % 3 Amazon.com, Inc. 2.7 % 4 Alphabet, Inc. 2.6 % 5 UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2.3 % 6 Visa, Inc. 1.9 % 7 ServiceNow, Inc. 1.9 % 8 Meta Platforms, Inc. 1.7 % 9 Capital One Financial Corp. 1.5 % 10 S&P Global, Inc. 1.4 % 11 Charles Schwab Corp. 1.3 % 12 Fresenius Medical Care AG 1.2 % 13 Booking Holdings, Inc. 1.1 % 14 Sony Group Corp. 1.1 % 15 Ecolab, Inc. 1.1 % 16 Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. 1.0 % 17 Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. 1.0 % 18 Danaher Corp. 1.0 % 19 O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. 1.0 % 20 Wells Fargo & Co. 1.0 % Holdings are subject to change. Monthly Performance: Performance NAV Market Price Discount Beginning of month value $7.07 $7.03 -0.6 % Distributions (Ex-Date November 15 th ) $0.18 $0.18 End of month value $7.34 $7.30 -0.5 % Performance for month 6.38 % 6.40 % Performance year-to-date 20.39 % 26.68 % Net Assets at Month-End ($millions): Total $2,096.4 Equities $2,088.6 Percent Invested 99.6 % Sector Breakdown* (% of equity portfolio): Information Technology 22.5 % Financials 21.3 % Health Care 14.5 % Consumer Discretionary 12.5 % Industrials 9.2 % Communication Services 7.1 % Consumer Staples 4.6 % Materials 4.4 % Energy 1.8 % Utilities 1.5 % Real Estate 0.6 % Total Market Value 100.0 % *Based on Standard & Poor's and MSCI Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). New Holdings None Holdings Liquidated: Arch Capital Group, Ltd. The net asset value (NAV) of a closed-end fund is the market value of the underlying investments (i.e., stocks and bonds) in the Fund's portfolio, minus liabilities, divided by the total number of Fund shares outstanding. However, the Fund also has a market price; the value at which it trades on an exchange. If the market price is above the NAV the Fund is trading at a premium. If the market price is below the NAV the Fund is trading at a discount. Performance returns for the Fund are total returns, which includes dividends, and are net of management fees and other Fund expenses. Returns are calculated assuming that a shareholder reinvested all distributions. Past performance cannot predict future investment results. Performance will fluctuate with changes in market conditions. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data shown. Performance information shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that shareholders would pay on Fund distributions or the sale of Fund shares. Shareholders must be willing to tolerate significant fluctuations in the value of their investment. An investment in the Fund involves risk, including loss of principal. Sources of distributions to shareholders may include ordinary dividends, long-term capital gains and return of capital. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2024 for tax reporting purposes will be made after year end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Based on current estimates a portion of the distributions consist of a return of capital. These estimates may not match the final tax characterization (for the full year's distributions) contained in shareholder 1099-DIV forms after the end of the year. All data is as of November 30, 2024 unless otherwise noted. Liberty All-Star® Equity Fund 1-800-241-1850 www.all-starfunds.com libinfo@alpsinc.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/liberty-all-star-equity-fund-november-2024-monthly-update-302331691.html SOURCE Liberty All-Star Equity Fund © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Laurie Baratti | (TNS) TravelPulse As the holidays approach, travelers hoping for smooth journeys will want to know at which U.S. airports the weather most often wreaks havoc. A recent analysis by Upgraded Points, using data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, revealed which airports are most likely to experience weather-related delays from November through January. Related Articles What dynamic pricing means for Black Friday shopping Small, luxury foods are great as stocking stuffers or other gifts. Ideas for under $50 From fashion to sports, coffee table books are great holiday options 10 holiday gifts to hit the right note for music lovers ‘Tis the season for holiday albums, from Jennifer Hudson to Toby Keith and Jimmy Fallon The analysis identifies five major U.S. airports that regularly see high numbers of weather-related delays during the holiday months. These airports, which include both coastal and northern hubs, are vulnerable to various weather disruptions, from heavy rains and fog to snow and icy conditions. Travelers flying through these locations should be prepared for longer waits and potential rescheduling. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) tops the list, with a striking 42.3% of holiday delays caused by weather. December is particularly challenging at SFO, where over half of all delays in that month (50.5%) are weather-related, often due to rain and fog. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) follows closely, with 42.1% weather-related delays, driven by the frequent winter storms that hit the East Coast. LaGuardia Airport (LGA), an East Coast hub, ranks third with 38.3% of delays attributed to inclement weather, reflecting the challenges of winter travel in the Northeast. In Seattle, November rain and fog are common, contributing to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s (SEA) 38.1% weather-delay rate. Rounding out the top five, Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS) has a 31.3% weather-delay rate, which spikes during the city’s harsh winter season. For travelers looking to avoid weather-related delays, several U.S. airports typically experience fewer disruptions during the holiday months. Warm coastal climates and reliably milder weather conditions help keep these airports running smoothly. With a low weather-related delay rate of 11%, Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) is the most reliable option for those aiming for hassle-free holiday travel. Thanks to Hawaii’s tropical climate, flights here face few weather disruptions even during peak travel periods. Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are close behind, each with around 12% of delays attributed to weather. Meanwhile, Dallas Love Field (DAL), San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Miami International Airport (MIA) all see weather-related delays at rates under 13.5%, making them solid options for travelers seeking smoother travel experiences. 1. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – 42.3% of delays due to weather 2. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) – 42.1% 3. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) – 38.3% 4. Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) – 38.1% 5. Logan International Airport (BOS) – 31.3% 1. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) – 11% 2. William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) – 12.3% 3. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 12.4% 4. Dallas Love Field (DAL) – 12.7% 5. San Diego International Airport (SAN), Miami International Airport (MIA) – 13.1% (tied) ©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Raised in Sask. after his family fled Hungary, this man spent decades spying on communists for the RCMPBlack Friday is big business, and last year shoppers spent $222.1 billion during the entire holiday shopping season, according to Queue-it. Sales on Black Friday reached $16.4 billion (online and in stores), and this was a 9% increase from the year before. While it comes as no surprise that electronics are the most sought-after products of the holiday season, Queue-it said this accounts for the majority of holiday sales, jumping to $50.8 billion in 2023. Apparel, furniture, groceries and toys are the other hot sellers of Black Friday. Together, these five categories accounted for 65% of sales during the holidays last year and is only expected to grow in 2024. While many items that sell out over Black Friday are driven by a good deal, we also know that a hot product is just that — a gift that most people want to open on Christmas Day. So, here are our picks for the top 10 hot-ticket items that could sell out over Black Friday. 1. Big TVs The holidays are ripe for TV deals, and we expect shoppers to buy a ton of them in 2024, especially at Walmart. Consumers are trending toward bigger TVs and the super low-price deals over Black Friday force many models to sell out. This is especially true of popular models from Samsung, Hisense, LG and more favorites. 2. Apple Watches Apple's smartwatches are a top pick among Apple fans. We’ve seen prices on the Apple Watch continue to trend downward, which was only spurred by the release of the new Apple Watch 10 in September. This pushed down prices on earlier models, with the best deals coming on the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch 9. For Black Friday, we think the prices will drop even lower and sell out due to high demand. 3. Beats headphones Wireless headphones are one of the most popular products of 2024, and Beats are one of the top brands. We’re already seeing big markdowns on Beats Wireless Headphones, and we expect these price drops to continue into Black Friday. The Beats Solo3 is likely to be on sale for even cheaper than we’ve already seen, and we think they will sell out for Black Friday, with the possibility of other popular Beats headphones joining them. 4. Apple AirPods If you haven’t picked up a pair of Apple AirPods yet, this could be your year to do it. With Apple launching a fourth generation of AirPods earlier this year, the price on prevvious models are creeping lower. We think over Black Friday they’ll be at their cheapest price ever, with the AirPods (3rd Gen) likely to sell out. 5. JBL bluetooth speakers Bluetooth speakers are a must-have for many this year, and with the big sound that comes from JBL’s speakers, it’s easy to see why they might sell out for Black Friday. These popular speakers come in a variety of portable sizes and waterproof designs. We expect big deals on JBL’s top-rated Clip 5 and Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker models. 6. Apple iPad One of Apple’s most sought-after products of the year was the iPad, and we saw the 9th Gen and 10th Gen models drop to their lowest prices ever. We think this year will bring some iPad bliss with even better discounts, but these deals will disappear just as fast as they arrive. We think that mega discounts on the iPad (9th Gen) and iPad (10th Gen) could cause sell outs, especially on Amazon. 7. Dyson Airwrap The Dyson Airwrap just might be the top product of Black Friday, as this is one of the rare times there’s a discount on the beloved hair styling tool. At $600, the Airwrap carries a hefty price tag, so any discount presented is a welcome surprise. But as we’ve seen in the past, any Black Friday deal on the Dyson Airwrap causes a crush of interest that’s followed by a sell out. 8. UGG Tasman slippers If you’ve tried to scoop up the UGG Tasman Slippers in previous years, you already know they never stay in stock for long. As the “it” slipper of the holiday season, UGG’s Tasman sells out multiple times over the holidays, even without a discount offered. We think that this year will be similar, with popular sizes and colors of the Tasman Slipper snatched up fast over Black Friday. 9. Bissell Little Green The Bissell Little Green carpet cleaner is a popular home product that just can’t seem to stay in stock. With prices falling under $90, this mighty machine can be a blessing for pet owners and parents, as its compact size makes it easy to store and use when needed. We’ve seen the Little Green Machine sell out before, and we’d be surprised if it didn’t do it again over Black Friday. 10. Furby Galaxy Edition We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a top toy that we think will be hard to find and gift this year. Our pick is the Furby Galaxy Edition. This glow-in-the-dark Furby is based on the original Furby from the late ’90s with even more features, interactive modes and more fun. Making a comeback in 2023, we saw the revival of this popular toy sell out last year, and we expect the new Furby Galaxy Edition to do the same.

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LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: WBTN) (“WEBTOON” or “the Company”), a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world’s largest storytelling platforms, today announced CFO and COO, David J. Lee, will participate in the following upcoming investor conferences: UBS Global Technology and AI Conference December 3, 2024 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Presentation Time: 4:55 PM MT Raymond James TMT and Consumer Conference December 9, 2024 Location: New York, NY Presentation Time: 9:20 AM ET Both presentations will be webcast live and archived on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://ir.webtoon.com/. About WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (“WEBTOON”) is a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON has transformed comics and visual storytelling for fans and creators. With its CANVAS UGC platform empowering anyone to become a creator, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators and series, WEBTOON’s passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. WEBTOON adaptations are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Crunchyroll and other screens around the world, and the company’s content partners include Discord, HYBE and DC Comics, among many others. With approximately 170 million monthly active users, WEBTOON’s IP & Creator Ecosystem of aligned companies include WEBTOON, Wattpad – the world’s leading webnovel platform – Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, Studio N, Studio LICO, WEBTOON Unscrolled, LINE Manga and eBookJapan, among others. Contact Information Investor Relations Soohwan Kim, CFA investor@webtoon.com Corporate Communications Kiel Hume & Lauren Hopkinson webtoonpress@webtoon.com

Sri Lanka’s sports sector, with its growing global appeal and lucrative investments, is increasingly vulnerable to the threat of money laundering (ML). From cricket’s international spotlight to emerging interest in football and basketball, Sri Lanka’s sports landscape offers vast opportunities for illicit financial activities. As international regulatory bodies tighten their scrutiny on ML risks in sports, Sri Lanka must take proactive steps to fortify its defences and safeguard the integrity of its sports industry. ML in sports is not a new phenomenon. The complex financial transactions that occur from sponsorship deals and player transfers to illegal betting operations can easily be manipulated by criminal syndicates to disguise the origins of illicit funds. As Sri Lanka continues to build its reputation as a regional sporting hub, the country must enhance its control mechanisms and ensure that financial criminals do not exploit its sporting events and institutions. 1. Strengthening Legal Frameworks and Regulations One of the first steps Sri Lanka can take is further to strengthen its anti-money laundering (AML) laws as they relate to sports. While Sri Lanka has made progress with measures such as the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the Sports Ministry’s oversight committee, there is still room for improvement in addressing sports-specific risks. The country could introduce specialized regulations tailored to the unique financial flows in sports, such as regulating sponsorship contracts, player transfers and even charitable donations linked to sports events. Additionally, Sri Lanka should consider enacting stricter penalties for individuals and organizations found to be complicit in facilitating money laundering through sports. This could serve as a deterrent for those looking to exploit the system and would send a clear message that financial crimes in the sports sector will not be tolerated. 2. Enhanced Financial Transparency in Sports A key challenge in controlling ML in sports is the lack of transparency in financial transactions. To combat this, Sri Lanka could impose more stringent transparency requirements on its sports organizations. By mandating public disclosure of all major sponsorship deals, player transfers, and financial arrangements over a certain threshold, the government can ensure that money trails are easier to trace. For example, Sri Lanka could introduce a system similar to that of European football clubs, where every major financial deal, such as player sales, sponsorships, or media rights agreements, is subject to thorough vetting by financial regulatory bodies. This would reduce the opportunity for criminals to funnel illicit money through inflated contracts and transactions. 3. Improved Monitoring of Betting and Gambling Activities Illegal betting is one of the primary ways in which money laundering occurs in sports, especially in cricket and football. As part of its effort to control money laundering, Sri Lanka should strengthen its regulation of both legal and illegal gambling activities associated with sports. The government can work to close loopholes in the betting industry by enforcing stricter controls on online and offshore betting sites, which often facilitate ML. Establishing partnerships with global organizations such as the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the International Football Federation (FIFA) would help Sri Lanka better monitor betting patterns and identify suspicious activity in real-time. By expanding the scope of its regulatory framework, Sri Lanka can ensure that betting and gambling activities remain free from criminal exploitation. 4. Collaboration with International Financial Institutions and Law Enforcement ML in sports often involves international networks, with illicit money moving across borders. To effectively tackle this problem, Sri Lanka must strengthen its cooperation with global financial institutions and law enforcement agencies. By sharing information and collaborating with international bodies like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Interpol, Sri Lanka can improve its ability to track cross-border financial crimes linked to sports. Sri Lanka should also consider implementing joint task forces with neighbouring countries to monitor ML activities within regional sports. This cross-border cooperation would help detect illegal money flows that could otherwise go unnoticed. 5. Investing in Education and Training for Stakeholders Education is another critical area in the fight against money laundering in sports. Athletes, coaches, sports agents, club owners and officials must be aware of the risks posed by illicit financial activities and understand the legal and financial frameworks that govern sports transactions. Sri Lanka should invest in widespread educational programs that train key stakeholders to spot red flags and understand the consequences of money laundering. 6. Use of Technology and Data Analytics The use of technology and data analytics has become essential in detecting and preventing financial crime. Sri Lanka should leverage advanced technologies to monitor financial transactions in real-time, flagging any unusual activity for further investigation. By adopting sophisticated systems that can trace money trails and track suspicious financial movements, the country can improve its ability to prevent money laundering in sports before it occurs. 7. Encouraging Whistleblower Protection and Reporting Finally, creating an environment where whistleblowers feel safe to report suspicious activities is vital in the fight against ML. Sri Lanka should establish a clear, confidential reporting mechanism for anyone within the sports sector who suspects illicit financial activity. This could include a dedicated hotline or online platform where individuals can anonymously report concerns. Furthermore, providing legal protections for whistleblowers would ensure that individuals who expose illegal activities are shielded from retaliation, encouraging more people to come forward and report financial misconduct. Conclusion As Sri Lanka’s sports industry continues to grow, the country must be proactive in addressing the risks posed by ML. Through stronger legal frameworks, enhanced transparency, international cooperation and the use of advanced technologies, Sri Lanka can mitigate the risks of financial crime in sports and safeguard the integrity of its sports sector. With these measures in place, Sri Lanka can ensure that its sporting achievements are built on a foundation of trust, fairness and accountability. NB: The writer is Master of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing – Charles Sturt University Australia. Master of Fraud & Financial Crimes – Charles Sturt University Australia and Telecommunication fraud investigatorOur HS sports photos like the ones above put you right up close with the action and the whole experience. Check them out by clicking anywhere in the collage above to open the photo gallery. Don’t forget to share the gallery with friends and relatives. These photos are also available for purchase in a variety of sizes and finishes – just click the “BUY IMAGE” link below any photo to see available options and make a purchase. NJ.com subscribers can also get free print-quality digital downloads of any images in this gallery. Note: Because we are trying to make these galleries available for viewing as quickly as possible, the gallery may not be in its final form. If you only see a few photos, you are probably seeing an early version and more photos will be added later. Please return and refresh the page to see additions. RECOMMENDED • nj .com Football photos: No. 15 Point Pleasant Boro at No. 7 Rumson-Fair Haven, Group 2 semis, Nov. 22, 2024 Nov. 22, 2024, 10:00 p.m. Football photos: Washington Twp. at No. 5 Toms River North, Group 5 semis, Nov. 22, 2024 Nov. 22, 2024, 7:53 p.m. Mobile device users: For the best experience downloading high-resolution images (available free and to subscribers only) and making photo purchases, it’s best to visit this page from your desktop or laptop computer. The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)Lipscomb secures 112-54 win against Division-III Asbury

Ring out the old and ring in the new

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder won their 11th straight game, beating the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies 130-106 on Sunday night in a matchup of Western Conference leaders that turned lopsided before halftime. Rookie Ajay Mitchell scored 17 points, Aaron Wiggins contributed 16 and Jalen Williams added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder (26-5), who opened a five-game lead over second-place Memphis. Gilgeous-Alexander made 14 of 19 shots to go along with seven assists, six rebounds and a team-high four blocks. He sat most of the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City blocked nine shots, including three by center Isaiah Hartenstein. The Thunder led 76-50 at halftime behind 23 points from Gilgeous-Alexander and 12 each from Mitchell and Kenrich Williams, who combined to go 5 for 7 on 3-point shots. Oklahoma City outscored the Grizzlies 42-19 in the second quarter to take control. Desmond Bane had 22 points and nine rebounds for Memphis (22-11), which played without star Ja Morant (shoulder) and Zach Edey, the team’s No. 9 overall draft pick, who was in concussion protocol. Jay Huff added 17 points but Jaren Jackson Jr., the team's leading scorer at 21.9 points per game, managed 13 points on 3-of-17 shooting. Takeaways Grizzlies: Memphis jumped out to a 9-0 lead but struggled to score after that, making 37 of 97 shots from the field (38.1%) and 14 of 51 from 3-point range (27.5%). Thunder: Oklahoma City lost the rebound battle 51-46, but outscored the Grizzlies 56-36 in the paint. Key moment Memphis pulled within 42-36 on a jumper by Jackson, but Oklahoma City went on a 32-9 run to extend the lead to 74-45 and put the game out of reach before halftime. Key stat Oklahoma City converted 21 Memphis turnovers into 33 points. Up next Grizzlies: Visit Phoenix on Tuesday night. Thunder: Host Minnesota on Tuesday night. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba Tim Willert, The Associated PressTORONTO - RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., had 31 points and seven rebounds as the Raptors stunned the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-105 on Thursday for Toronto’s first consecutive wins of the season. Scottie Barnes, wearing protective goggles with red frames, returned to the Raptors (4-12) lineup for the first time since he fractured his right orbital bone on Oct. 28. Barnes finished with 17 points, six assists, and three rebounds in 27 minutes of play. Jakob Poeltl had a double-double with 15 points and 12 boards and Montreal’s Chris Boucher came off the bench for 22 points. Anthony Edwards scored 26 points, including 11 in the third quarter, to keep Minnesota (8-7) in the game. Julius Randle had 23 points and nine rebounds, while Jaden McDaniels scored 22 points and also pulled down seven boards. Barnes was injured in the fourth quarter of Toronto’s 127-125 overtime loss to the Nuggets when he caught an errant elbow from Denver centre Nikola Jokic. Barnes was expected to be out at least three weeks with the injury but came back slightly ahead of schedule. Rookie combo guard Ja’kobe Walter (sprained right shoulder) was also made available for the Raptors. He did not play in the game, however. Toronto wore its new City Edition jerseys for the first time. The black jerseys feature a bright red Raptor in the midst of a between-the-legs jam, like Vince Carter’s iconic move from the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Takeaways Minnesota: Edwards got off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the game, scoring only five points in the first half and quickly getting up to four personal fouls. Despite being so close to foulling out of the game, Edwards became more aggressive and helped the Timberwolves take a lead in the third quarter. Toronto: Although Barnes is unquestionably the best player on the Raptors, his re-integration into the lineup wasn’t seamless with Toronto’s offence looking disjointed for long stretches with 17 turnovers. Poeltl’s usage dropped significantly with Barnes once again becoming the focal point of the offence. Key moment Boucher’s dunk with 6:38 left in the game sparked a 17-4 Raptors run that erased a two-point deficit and gave Toronto a 105-96 lead with 2:31 on the clock. Gradey Dick’s defensive rebound and lob to Barrett for a crowd-pleasing dunk put an exclamation mark on that run, with the 19,296 fans at Scotiabank Arena rising to their feet as Barrett flexed and shouted. Minnesota called a timeout to try and kill Toronto’s momentum after the highlight-reel play. Key stat Toronto shot an excellent 51.4 per cent on field goals, but didn’t get up as many attempts as the Timberwolves, who outscored the Raptors despite shooting 41.3 per cent from the floor. Up next The Raptors travel to Cleveland to take on the NBA-best Cavaliers. Minnesota continues its Eastern Conference road trip with a stop in Boston against the NBA champion Celtics. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.

76ers look for season-best 4th straight win vs. BlazersA sunny day, 29 degrees, a gentle north-westerly breeze: flying conditions were near perfect as Qantas flight 520 began rolling down the runway at Sydney Airport en route to Brisbane. This particular plane, a Boeing 737-800, had been delivered new to the national carrier in November 2005 and given the tail number VH-VYH. A dependable workhorse, it had scooted up and down Australia’s east coast, mostly, for 19 years without notable incident. On this day, November 8, 2024, the Boeing had already made three trips, the first a breakfast run out of Sydney just before 7am. It was now setting off for the return leg to Brisbane. QF520 left the gate around 12.15pm and taxied to its slot in the take-off line-up, from where it was given the go-ahead. Its pilots hit the gas and the engines bellowed. It soon reached 200km/h and passed what aviators call “V1”: the point at which a plane is travelling too quickly to safely abort take-off. Exactly what happened next is now in the hands of safety investigators. What we do know is that, as the 737 was still gathering speed down the runway, . It failed, spitting fragments of superheated metal out of its exhaust chute, which shot to the ground, sparking a grassfire that soon made TV news. Some 40 per cent of air travellers report some fear of flying. Yet air travel is by far the safest form of transport, we’re often told. It’s heavily regulated, constantly scrutinised and, in Australia, operated and overseen by thousands of highly trained and dedicated professionals. The statistics confirm it. Australia’s safety record for commercial travel is exemplary: no large jet has ever been lost here. Our oldest airline, Qantas, . Yet incidents still happen. Planes bump into each other on the ground. Tyres burst. Turbulence flings people around. Why do things still go wrong, albeit occasionally? Who is responsible for keeping us safe in the air? And what happens when that rarest of event occurs: one of your two engines goes “pop”? Flores, a tropical island about an hour’s flight east of Bali, is best known for three things: clear-water scuba diving, komodo dragons that can weigh more than 100 kilograms, and volcanoes, some picturesque and dormant, others not so much. In early November, in earnest, endangering nearby villages and sending a plume of ash 10 kilometres into the air. Some 4000 kilometres south, at the Qantas Integrated Operations Centre near Sydney Airport, concern began to build. Famously, all four engines on a British Airways 747 failed after passing through a sulphurous volcanic cloud high above Java in 1982; only after the crew had prepared to ditch in the ocean did the turbofans clear of debris and miraculously restart. Partly as a consequence, when the unpronounceable Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 2010, , which led to some 95,000 flights cancelled and millions of passengers stranded. As the Flores ash cloud drifted west towards Bali, the Qantas team declared the situation critical and began cancelling flights into Denpasar for both Qantas and its subsidiary Jetstar. On the day we visit the operations centre, the crisis management team is about to meet in its purpose-built war room to gauge when flights might be allowed to resume. “It’s about determining when it’s going to be safe for us to operate,” says Qantas’s head of safety, Mark Cameron, a former British Airways pilot who knew the 747 crew who survived the volcano in 1982. “Engines do not like breathing in volcanic ash.” Hundreds of Qantas staff, meanwhile, seated in pods in a vast room at head office, are still scrambling to reschedule flights, alert and mollify annoyed passengers while also dealing with the normal workings of some 100 international and 300 domestic flights on a typical day. For what we’re told is an extraordinarily busy day, though, the atmosphere is hushed and calm: a giant jigsaw puzzle being completed then restarted as mini-crises are discovered and mitigated. Jetstar was doing the same at its operations centre in Melbourne. The business of air travel is mind-bogglingly complex. But so, too, are the systems underpinning it. They allow it to operate extremely safely, especially compared to any other form of transport. Back in 1944, as World War II saw a flurry of new airports being built, 54 nations including Australia sent delegates to Chicago for a convention that laid the groundwork for international air safety standards. They agreed to create an overarching authority, today called the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), under the auspices of the United Nations to set world standards for airworthiness and maintenance, and airport and airline operations, among other areas. “The aviation industry has an incredibly good safety record,” says Ron Bartsch, an aviation safety expert and founder of Avlaw aviation consulting. “The main reason for that is it’s so strictly and extensively regulated.” For 2023, ICAO reported the accident rate (such as incidents involving death, injury, aircraft damaged or missing) for commercial aircraft was 1.87 accidents per million departures. To break this down: of 35,250,759 departures, there were 66 accidents, all but one of them non-fatal, the exception a twin-engine propeller aircraft operated by Yeti Airlines in the Himalayas, killing 72 people on board. The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulates the ongoing airworthiness of aircraft by ensuring airlines adhere to safety standards and a strict maintenance program.Regular maintenance is based on the number of hours the aircraft has flown, or how much time has passed since the last check – different parts require different “periodicity” for being serviced. Engineers could do anything from checking fluids after every flight to replacing wheelpads after a few flights to inspecting or replacing any one of thousands of parts after a specified time. “What it allows us to do,” says Qantas’s Mark Cameron, “is to be really proactive in how we’re managing risk – because, effectively, that’s what airlines do, we manage risk. We can’t eliminate it because you can’t eliminate risk in any part of your daily life, but our role is to manage the risk to a level at which we’re comfortable that everybody’s going to be safe.” At Qantas HQ, various teams plan virtually every aspect of each flight: checking the weather; working out the best route (from several options if flying overseas, including avoiding volcanic eruptions or such as closed airspace in the Middle East, which Qantas has been navigating since early August); making sure cargo is loaded correctly so the plane is balanced; identifying dangerous goods on board; and screening for troublesome passengers on the banned “no fly” list ... and on it goes. With all that in place, the pilots run pre-flight checks, going over the weather briefing, for example, and any notes on potential dangers. The airline tells pilots how much fuel they need, but the pilot can choose to take more, depending on the possibility of a weather diversion or other delays. The pilot physically walks around the aircraft on the ground to triple-check there are no obvious faults. An engineer will have already signed a certificate of release to service – a legal declaration that the aircraft is fit to fly – before every international flight and at least daily for domestic flights, which the pilot clocks, along with a log of maintenance, before they accept the aircraft for flight. The pilot’s next contact is with air-traffic controllers, who clear planes for departure according to strict rules that determine “how many aircraft we can have taking off and landing at any one time,” says Airservices Australia’s Michelle Petersen, who is responsible for the towers at all of Australia’s major airports. Controllers also factor in “wake turbulence”, the disruption to the air that a plane leaves in its wake; there needs to be a gap of three minutes between an A380 taking off and a Boeing 737 following it, for example. All over the world, controllers and pilots speak English and use regulated unambiguous terms: “Qantas one, runway 19 left, cleared for take-off.” Pilots always repeat back the message. “There cannot be any assumptions in the air and we embed safety in everything we do,” says Petersen. The most deadly air disaster in history, which killed 583 people in Tenerife in the Canary Islands in 1977, was blamed, at least in part, on a communication breakdown: two 747s collided on the runway in heavy fog after one tried to take off following a command from air-traffic control that pilots mistook to be an all-clear to depart. In the Ancient Greek fable, Icarus was warned by a fledgling aviation regulator (his dad) not to swoop too close to the sea lest his wings, fashioned from feathers and wax, become waterlogged; nor should he fly too close to the sun in case the wax melted. In other words, the operational envelope of his equipment was well understood and his fate (a fatal wax-feather-decoupling incident) was quite rightly chalked up to pilot error. Today, aviators talk of jet planes in generations. “Generation one” had panels of dials and gauges and rudimentary autopilots, if any. Think: cars with no airbags or anti-lock braking and possibly alarming handling characteristics, such as the world’s first commercial jet airliner, BOAC’s de Havilland Comet. One, flying from Singapore to London via Bangkok, Rangoon, Calcutta, Karachi, Bahrain, Beirut and Rome in 1954 disintegrated midair, as did two of its sister planes, thanks to structural issues; 23 other Comets, out of 114 in total including prototypes, were lost due to pilot error, design faults and other mishaps. Next came the beginnings of truly modern jets, including the pretty reliable 747 “jumbos” – to an upstairs lounge bar – and the first of the Boeing 737s, launched in 1968 and still one of the most-operated airliners today. These had better automatic systems but could still make you think twice about getting on board: the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, in particular, gained a terrible reputation in the 1970s thanks to engine failures and a series of hijackings. “Generation three” planes saw the introduction of technology such as “terrain avoidance systems”, leading to a rapid reduction in losses that continues today in “generation four” planes, which can “see” all around themselves to take evasive action if something nearby is judged to be on a collision course. Airbus tells us its latest safety systems use real-time data to avoid runway excursions and reduce the risk of landing incidents (“in case the aircraft is too fast, too high or lands too long, an alert will be triggered to advise the crew to perform a go-around or use the maximum reverse and brakes”). Says Qantas’s Mark Cameron: “If you look at the accident rates throughout that period of time, you just see them plummet across the generations.” Last year was the first to record zero fatalities from commercial jet crashes, despite there being more than 29,000 in service worldwide, according to Boeing’s statistical summary that dates back to 1959. (This excludes turboprop, or propeller, passenger planes such as those operated by Yeti Airlines in Nepal and the ATR-72-500 that after stalling and entering a flat spin.) The age of a plane, meanwhile, says little about how well-maintained it is. “Don’t get confused with cosmetic looks,” says David Evans, a former Qantas pilot of 35 years. “If you walk into an aircraft that looks a bit shabby, the carpet might be a bit threadbare, that has no relationship to its airworthiness.” “Generation four” planes have a huge number of backups, or redundancies. Those with two engines, such as Boeing 737s, can fly on one. They have multiple alternative power sources. “The A380 had about six different backup systems for wheel brakes. If you’re running out of brakes, you’re having a really bad day,” says Evans. “All of these things have been based around previous incidents ... over the 100-odd years of aviation. There are risks every time you go flying, but we mitigate them by ... checklists, briefings, plan A, B and C. You’re trying to eliminate surprise.” There are also at least two pilots on a flight deck at all times, one free to monitor the autopilot while the other scrutinises variables such as fuel consumption and weather. Having said this, airlines and regulators from more than 40 countries have pushed ICAO to help make single-pilot flights safe; the European Union Aviation Safety Agency says such services could start in 2027. Ron Bartsch doesn’t back such a change. “You need someone who can take the place of the pilot if they have a heart attack or something.” Evans that it is an alarming idea, noting that pilots are “the last line of defence”. Once in a while, a defect can slip through what the industry calls the “Swiss cheese” safety model. Visualise a packet of Swiss cheese slices, each with holes in different places. For an error to creep through, a hole would have to line up in every slice of cheese. Boeing’s new-ish 737 Max aircraft was delivered to airlines with a fatal flaw: a problem that had managed to pass through every slice of cheese. First, a system that prevented the planes from stalling malfunctioned: perceiving that the planes were climbing too steeply when they were not, it automatically, and repeatedly, forced down the nose. This could, potentially, have been overridden by pilots, had they been trained to recognise the problem – but they had not. As a result, two Max 8 737s crashed – one in Indonesia in October 2018, another in Ethiopia in March 2019 – with the loss of a total of 346 lives. It later emerged that Boe­ing had cut corners by updat­ing its now decades-old 737s to the longer, more powerful Max rather than build­ing an entirely new air­craft from scratch, in order to match its chief competitor, the Air­bus A320neo. Max variants were grounded worldwide between March 2019 and December 2020 while investigators determined the cause of the fatal disasters. The groundings, lawsuits and compensation, U and cancelled orders kept Boeing’s safety record in the spotlight and have cost the company about $100 billion. Boeing supplied historical safety data for this Explainer but declined an invitation to speak on the record. Bartsch says the 737 Max troubles have been “a classic example of companies trying to cut costs” ahead of safety. “Boeing is still paying the price for the damage to their brand. It’s got a fair way before it regains industry trust.” Boeing was again in the spotlight earlier this year for its 737 Max aircraft when a Max 9 explosively decompressed above Portland, Oregon after it lost a fuselage panel called a “door plug” that, it turned out, had bolts missing in its installation. Although extremely alarming, there were no serious injuries. In Australia, CASA has now certified the Max 8 as safe to operate. Virgin, which currently operates eight 737 Max 8 aircraft, requires its pilots to undergo additional training to understand the differences between the new aircraft and previous iterations of the 737. In addition, Boeing has modified the problematic system, called MCAS, so it cannot override a pilot’s ability to control the airplane. “Virgin Australia is one of over 80 airlines operating Boeing 737 Max family aircraft globally,” says Virgin Australia chief operations officer, Stuart Aggs. “More than 1400 of these aircraft are in service around the world, carrying about 700,000 passengers on 5500 flights every day. Over the past 50 years, a journey of continuous improvement has made commercial aviation the world’s safest form of transportation. Virgin Australia retains full confidence in Boeing’s commitment to this journey.” For all the focus on beleaguered Boeing, Airbus has not been without incident: in September, a Rolls-Royce engine on a Cathay Pacific A350 caught fire and failed, forcing the plane to dump fuel then return to Hong Kong. After inspecting its entire fleet of A350 aircraft, Cathay found that 15 had faulty engine parts that needed to be replaced. A preliminary report into the September incident by Hong Kong’s safety body found a fuel hose had torn, according to Aviation Direct. “This led to a fuel leak, which in combination with oxygen and an ignition source (heat) triggered the fire.” When the right-side engine failed on Qantas flight 520 out of Sydney just seconds after the “V1′′ point of no return during take-off, the pilots knew they had no choice but to keep going and take off with just one power plant. Says David Evans: “V1 is carefully calculated for every takeoff. The only decision pilots have to make prior to V1 is to either stop or go. After V1 there is no decision, you are committed to go flying. Any attempt to stop after V1 will result in a runway overrun.” The Boeing had been designed for such an eventuality; to take off with just one engine. That did not mean, however, it was routine. Historically, many fatal crashes have occurred at or shortly after take-off, including the disaster in Paris in 2000 that eventually consigned the only supersonic airliner, Concorde, to the history books. ”We spend a fair amount of our career lifetime in simulators, preparing for worst-case scenarios,” says Doug Drury, a former commercial pilot who heads aviation at Central Queensland University. “It’s all about developing these critical skills, thinking, decision-making processes and having good situational awareness.” The Sydney incident was a scenario that pilots regularly simulate in training and their response was by the book, says Mark Cameron, who spoke with them afterwards. “They were saying they really appreciate the training they’d had.” Their take-off, after the engine had failed, was “low and slow” as the plane crept skywards, circled Sydney airport then landed safely. “Within 15 minutes of the landing, we had the data already available where we could actually see exactly how the crew had flown,” says Cameron. “It was really good in terms of how they controlled the aircraft, recognised the issues, the approach back into Sydney. It’s actually a really good news story for our pilots and systems.” Passengers who heard the engine go “bang” were alarmed but nobody was injured. Says David Evans: “An engine failure is horrendous from a passenger’s point of view, and even for the cabin crew, but for the pilots it’s a serious inconvenience more than anything. I don’t want to say it’s not a big deal, but it’s not something they haven’t seen many, many times and practised over and over.” So why did this engine give up the ghost? This model is generally very reliable, manufactured since 1997 by CFM International and used in thousands of Boeing and Airbus planes. CFM describes it as “simple and rugged” with a “dispatch reliability” (the rate at which a specific component is held responsible for aircraft delays, turn-backs, diversions, etc) of 99.96 per cent. Yet nothing is entirely foolproof. CFM engines have failed before, most notably on planes operated by Southwest Airlines in the United States where they shot debris into the fuselage. In 2018, a passenger died after reportedly being sucked out of a window punctured by debris. The US National Transportation Safety Board determined that one of the failed engine’s fan blades had broken off due to fatigue and fractured into fragments. It had likely harboured a tiny crack that had pre-dated a safety inspection, the authority said, “However, the crack was not detected for unknown reasons.” “We don’t want the engines to fail,” says Cameron. “But the reality is, there’s always going to be a failure rate. It’s pretty small across the industry.” He adds: “An engine failure in itself doesn’t mean you’re going to have an accident because you’ve got trained crew, an aircraft that is certified to fly on one engine and numerous other controls in place.” Doug Drury notes: “Airlines don’t survive if they cut corners. Historically, yes, it’s happened, but in this day and age, post-pandemic, that’s the last thing any airline wants, is to get hit with this.” In 2010, David Evans was the supervising check captain on QF32, an Airbus A380, when it suffered an uncontained engine failure moments after take-off from Singapore’s Changi Airport en route to Sydney. “Sometimes a failure will have a cascading effect on other systems and QF32 is a good example of that: where an engine exposure created havoc with everything else,” Evans says. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau later found that an oil pipe in the failed Rolls-Royce engine had been manufactured to improper tolerances and had developed a crack due to fatigue, then it leaked oil that caused a fire, which caused a turbine disc to separate from the drive shaft and destroy the engine. The pilots famously landed the plane safely. “You’ll never get rid of risk,” says Evans. “The only thing you can do is mitigate against risk.” There were 58 uncon­tained (that is, explosive) engine fail­ures on West­ern-built air­craft between 1982 and 2008, according to the US authority the Fed­eral Avi­ation Admin­is­tra­tion – a scary-sounding number until you do the maths: roughly, around one occurrence per 10 million flights per year, or far less likely than being hit by lightning (one in a million). Some incidents are harder to mitigate than others. Orville Wright was probably the first aviator to hit a bird, in 1905. The most famous bird strike of all was caused by a flock of Canadian geese in 2009, which clogged the engines on an Airbus 320 departing New York and required its captain, Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger III (later played by Tom Hanks in the ) to ditch on the Hudson River. Turbulence, particularly where an aircraft drops suddenly in the absence of any obvious “weather” such as storm clouds – dubbed “clear-air turbulence” – regularly sees flight staff, in particular, injured. A Southwest attendant was scalded by hot coffee in March; a United staffer flung into the air with the drinks cart, then back to the floor, described it as “slamming down from a fifth-floor building”. In May, a passenger died of a suspected heart attack, and more than a hundred were injured, when a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 suddenly fell nearly two kilometres over three minutes over Myanmar during the breakfast service, one passenger it was “just like going down a vertical rollercoaster”. The incident, while extreme, prompted a round of reminders of the benefits of fastening seatbelts, one of the few aspects of flying that passengers can control. For most “aviophobics”, says Corrie Ackland, clinical director of the Sydney Phobia Clinic, the fear “comes down to this idea that they don’t know what’s happening and they don’t know how to fix it – and those things play up for them”. News reporting and TV shows put all manner of aviation incidents in the spotlight. “I’ve seen people and their fear is based around what they see on the telly – nothing to do with flying,” says Evans. He helped set up a “fear of flying” program that now partners with Ackland’s clinic where people sit with a pilot in a flight simulator. “In an aeroplane, you’re getting all sorts of sensations which you can’t rationalise,” Evans says. “And there might have been an incident that you were involved in, turbulence perhaps, and noises like the undercarriage retracting or the flaps extending or retracting, and the amygdala [the fight-or-flight centre of the brain] sets off that charge because you think there’s something afoot or something that’s dangerous. But it’s the normal operation of the aircraft.” A week after landing in Sydney, meanwhile, the Qantas Boeing 737 that suffered engine failure was back in the air. With a new powerplant, VH-VYH shuttled once again from Sydney to Brisbane to Sydney to Melbourne to Brisbane. The damaged engine would be scrutinised to determine what, exactly, had happened, and what remedies might be put in place to minimise the chances of it happening again.( MENAFN - IANS) New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar is set to embark on a three-day official visit to the State of Qatar from December 30, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday. The MEA in an official statement said that during his visit, the EAM would meet with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The visit also aims to review various aspects of bilateral relations between India and Qatar with discussion on key areas, which include political, trade, investment, energy, security, cultural, and people-to-people relations. "EAM's visit will enable both sides to review various aspects of bilateral relations, including political, trade, investment, energy, security, cultural, and people-to-people, as well as the regional and international issues of mutual interest," the MEA said. EAM Jaishankar will depart from Qatar on January 1. India and Qatar share warm and friendly relations, marked by regular high-level interactions to further strengthen their partnership. Their most recent interaction occurred during EAM Jaishankar's official tour to Qatar and Bahrain from December 6 to 9. During the visit, he met Qatar's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Faisal bin Thani Al Thani, and Minister of State, Ahmed Al Sayed, on the sidelines of the Doha Forum. In late October, the two countries held the fifth round of Foreign Office Consultations. Both sides comprehensively reviewed the entire spectrum of India-Qatar bilateral relations, including high-level exchanges, trade, investment, energy, education, culture, and people-to-people ties. Discussions also explored avenues to deepen the relationship in areas such as renewable energy, fintech, start-ups, and technology. They exchanged perspectives on important regional and global issues of mutual interest, as noted by the MEA in a press statement. Earlier, on September 9, EAM Jaishankar met Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Saudi Arabia to discuss advancing bilateral ties. According to the MEA, cooperation between India and Qatar has been steadily growing within an excellent framework provided by their historically close ties and regular, substantive engagement at the highest levels of government. The large, diverse, and accomplished Indian community in Qatar significantly contributes to the country's progress while nurturing the bonds of deep-rooted friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two nations. MENAFN29122024000231011071ID1109040083 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

Bollywood and Hollywood witnessed an extraordinary year in 2024 with a lineup of films which were a combination of impactful storytelling, star power and technology. From Stree 2 to Inside Out 2, the film industry showcased an impressive lineup of blockbusters that captivated audiences worldwide. (Also Read: HT Rewind 2024 | Only sequels in the building: How Hollywood killed originality as remakes, franchises ruled box office ) Bollywood's Box Office Titans 2024 Kalki 2898 AD Kalki 2898 AD starring Prabhas in the lead role is a sci-fi epic narrating the story of a warrior who tries to earn money illegally in a dystopian future. The star-studded cast includes Prabhas and Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani in the prominent roles. It was directed by Nag Ashwin. With over-the-top graphics and extensive overseas release, the film grossed approx. ₹ 1100 crore at the box office worldwide. Stree 2 This Rajkumar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor starrer was a surprise entry in the club of Bollywood Blockbusters 2024. It minted approx ₹ 850 crore at the worldwide box office. It was directed by Amar Kaushik. The film marked the fourth instalment in the Maddock Supernatural Universe and is the sequel to Stree (2018). Along with the lead cast, the film also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Aparshakti Khurana. Actor Varun Dhawan also had a special cameo in the movie. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 The much-anticipated sequel of Kartik Aaryan starrer Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 didn't disappoint the fans. It was directed by Anees Bazmee and starred Madhuri Dixit, Vidya Balan and Triptii Dimri in the lead roles. The film garnered approx ₹ 422 crore at the box office worldwide. Singham Again Rohit Shetty's Singham Again continued the legacy of his blockbuster "cop universe." Ajay Devgn reprised his iconic role as Bajirao Singham, delivering high-octane action sequences that enthralled fans. This action-packed spectacle raked approx-- ₹ 300 crore globally. Singham Again also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Ranveer Singh, and Deepika Padukone among others. Ajay, in a candid conversation with ANI, said, “I am thankful to the audience for giving us so much love. For a long time, the police were always shown in a negative light in films. Singham as well as Gangaajal was one of the first films that showed how an ideal police officer should be. After that, it became a trend of making positive films about police.” Pushpa 2: The Rule It's not even been a month since the film's release, and this Allu Arjun-starrer has already bagged Bollywood's highest-grosser crown. According to Mythri Movie Makers, the official production house of Pushpa 2: The Rule, its worldwide collection has surpassed the ₹ 1700 crore mark. On the massive success of Pushpa 2: The Rule, Allu Arjun expressed his heartfelt gratitude to fans at the "Thank You India" press meet. He said, "I have to say something about the box office number. The number you see is a reflection of the people's love. The numbers are temporary, but the love that is etched in your hearts will remain forever. Thank you for that love." Directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers and Muttamsetty Media, the film witnessed Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil reprising their roles as Pushpa Raj, Srivalli, and Bhanwar Singh Shekawat. Allu Arjun plays the role of the red sandalwood smuggler in the film. Hollywood's Box Office Titans of 2024 As 2024 draws to a close, the global box office has been dominated by sequels and franchise films, engaging audiences worldwide. Take a look at the highest-grossing Hollywood films of the year. Inside Out 2 A sequel that resonated with the viewers and minted nearly USD 1.7 billion at the global box office featured Riley entering puberty and experiencing new, more complex emotions. It was directed by Kelsey Mann and stars Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke and Kensington Tallman in the lead roles. Deadpool & Wolverine The Marvel film never stays out of the race for highest box office grosser. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman played the roles of Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively. Shawn Levy directed it. It minted over USD 1.138 billion. Despicable Me 4 The love for minion characters in Despicable Me often turns out to be profitable for producers. Directed by Chris Renaud, the main character's voice were given by Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig and Pierre Coffin. It collected around USD 969 million. Dune: Part Two Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two expanded the saga of Paul Atreides while delivering breathtaking visuals and an intense narrative centred around politics, power, and rebellion. The movie grossed over USD 714 million globally. Moana 2 This animated film is another addition to the Hollywood's highest-grossing movies. Directed by David G Derrick, the film revolves around Moana who craves adventure to the far seas of Oceania. It has grossed USD 725 million. As 2024 ends, the box office reports of the highest-grossing films indicate that the audience is inclined towards diverse stories, emotional connections, and stunning visuals. This year's box office hits have set a high standard, and as we look to 2025, the film industry is gearing up for big releases, including Salman Khan's Sikandar, Hrithik Roshan's War 2, Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par and more.