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Rana expresses resolve to make negotiations successful

Tim Allen has excited Toy Story enthusiasts with news that he's back in the recording booth for the series' next instalment. The beloved voice of Buzz Lightyear since the original 1995 movie revealed he recently completed a five-hour recording session. Not only is Allen returning to the Toy Story universe, but Tom Hanks is also on board to bring Woody back to life in the fifth film by Pixar. In addition to his iconic role in Toy Story, Allen is known for his work in Home Improvement and The Santa Clause. He's gearing up for another TV venture entitled Shifting Gears, where he will play a widower running a car restoration business. Anticipated to hit screens in 2025, the sitcom will feature alongside Kat Dennings, airing on ABC and streaming on Hulu stateside. UK fans are hopeful for a Disney+ release, yet confirmation remains pending. During a promotional interview for Shifting Gears, Allen was quizzed about progress on the upcoming Toy Story sequel. Speaking to Collider, he cautiously shared: "Well, I don't know what I'm supposed to say. Yes, I just did the first five-hour session for Buzz, probably a week ago." The enduring success of the Toy Story franchise is underscored by its impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores; no film in the series has fallen below 97%, with the first two instalments achieving full marks. With Pixar targeting a 2026 release for the new movie, Allen's update signals that things are moving ahead as planned, reports the Daily Record . He also reassured fans who might be concerned about the series losing its charm, saying: "It's a very, very clever story. Do you wanna do five of these? I don't really believe it's about the money. I'm sure they want it to be a success, but that's not why they did it. Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn't have done it and they wouldn't have called me and Tom (Hanks). "It's really clever. It was really a struggle to get, and then maybe two hours in, I was doing Buzz. I'm so blessed to be Buzz Lightyear, to be honest. It's gonna be fun. I think we're a year out. I've gotten up to the third act. We'll do the third act. And then, we'll go back and clean it. And then, I'll do it about five more times. It's a really good story, guys. It's really good." While specific plot details are under wraps, the studio has indicated that the beloved characters, including Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the toy crew, will face challenges from new technology encroaching on their playtime. The upcoming film is set to be penned and helmed by Andrew Stanton, known for his work on Toy Story 1 and 4, as well as Finding Nemo and WALL-E. Toy Story 1-4 is streaming on Disney+.

Oil Theft War: Give Tompolo National Honour – Idjerhe MonarchEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield embarrassed the woeful Giants with his arm and legs, and if that wasn't enough, he rubbed it in by mimicking New York fan favorite Tommy DeVito's celebratory dance after scoring a touchdown. Mayfield catapulted into the end zone on a spectacular 10-yard scramble for one of Tampa Bay's four rushing TDs, and the Buccaneers beat the Giants and new starting quarterback DeVito 30-7 on Sunday, snapping a four-game losing streak and extending New York's skid to six. With both teams struggling and coming off byes, most of the focus leading up to the game was on the Giants' decisions this week to bench and then release quarterback Daniel Jones. The brash DeVito was given the starting job and asked to spark coach Brian Daboll's team, as he did last season. Instead, Mayfield provided the energy with his play and his trolling of DeVito. “Tribute to Tommy,” said a straight-faced Mayfield, who was 24 of 30 for 294 yards. “He’s a good dude, that’s why. Most of the times, I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s spontaneous.” Mayfield was asked several times about the gesture and admitted he wanted to give Giants fans something they liked, adding he met DeVito at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas in February. “He had his chain blinged out, swag walking through the casino. It was awesome,” Mayfield said. “It was like a movie scene, honestly.” DeVito did nothing to help the NFL's lowest-scoring offense. He threw for 189 yards, mostly in the second half with New York well on its way to its sixth straight loss at home, where it is winless. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers dominated in every phase in a near-perfect performance that featured TD runs of 1 yard by Sean Tucker, 6 yards by Bucky Irving and 1 yard by Rachaad White. After recent losses to the Ravens, 49ers and Chiefs, Tampa Bay (5-6) moved within one game of idle Atlanta in the NFC South. “We’re hoping it builds confidence,” Mayfield said. “We have a belief that we are still sitting and controlling our own destiny.” Tampa Bay scored on five of its on first six possessions to open a 30-0 lead, and none was more exciting than Mayfield's TD run with 12 seconds left in the first half. On a second-and-goal from the 10, he avoided pressure and went for the end zone. He was hit by Cor'Dale Flott low and Dru Phillips high around the 2-yard line, and he was airborne when he crossed the goal line. The ball came loose when he hit the turf but he jumped up and flexed, DeVito-style, as the Bucs took a 23-0 lead. DeVito said players talked about the celebration in the locker room but he did not see it. Daboll was asked about the gesture and said Mayfield played well. He said the Giants' poor performance had nothing to do with Jones being released. “No excuse on that,” said Daboll, whose job is on the line despite making the playoffs in 2022. “We just didn’t do a good enough job.” “We played soft, and they beat the (expletive) out of us,” defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence added. Mayfield's favorite target Mike Evans returned to the lineup after missing three games with a hamstring injury and had five catches for 68 yards. Irving had 87 yards rushing and six catches for 64 yards. The Bucs held New York to three first downs and 45 yards in the first half, and they finished with 450 yards to the Giants' 245. DeVito had a 17-yard run in the fourth quarter to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Devin Singletary. The brash New Jersey native was sacked four times, including once in the fourth quarter, which forced him to go to the bench for one play. Buccaneers: LT Tristan Wirfs (knee) did not play and Justin Skule replaced him. ... Tampa Bay lost OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to an ankle injury in the second quarter and safety Jordan Whitehead to a pectoral injury in the fourth quarter. Giants: LT Jermaine Eluemunor (quad) and OLB Azeez Ojulari (toe) were hurt in the first quarter and did not return. Buccaneers: At Carolina next Sunday. Giants: At Dallas on Thanksgiving AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Georgetown is set to play its first road game of the season while West Virginia attempts to build off its successful 2-1 trip to the Bahamas when the former conference rivals meet on Friday in Morgantown, W. Va., as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle. Picked 13th out of 16 in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll, West Virginia (5-2) has been riding the hot shooting of Javon Small and Tucker DeVries. Small averages a team-high 19 points and shoots 41.3 percent on 3-pointers while DeVries adds 14.9 points per game and hits on 46.9 percent of his threes. Every basket was needed last week as the Mountaineers upset then-No. 3 Gonzaga and then-No. 24 Arizona with a loss to Louisville sandwiched in between. All three contests went into overtime, believed to be a first in program history. First-year coach Darian DeVries, who led Drake to three NCAA Tournaments in the last four seasons, had never seen anything like it. "I've never been a part of three games like that, especially with the quality of opponents that we went up these last three days," he said after the Arizona win. "Just incredible resolve and grit and toughness from our group all three nights." Georgetown has started 7-1 for the first time since the 2018-19 season and has done so with a completely revamped roster that includes 14 freshmen or sophomores. As a result of an inexperienced squad, coach Ed Cooley specifically delayed the Hoyas' first trip out of the nation's capital. "Obviously, the competition is going to change," Cooley said after the Hoyas defeated UMBC 86-62 on Monday. "We systematically scheduled this way to build confidence, continuity and chemistry and let our players feel what it is to win, and that's something hopefully that will have some carryover as we now get ready to head out on the road for the first time." Since losing to Notre Dame on Nov. 16, Georgetown has won five straight games by an average of 25.2 points. Thomas Sorber leads the Hoyas in scoring at 15.8 points per game and leads the conference in rebounding at 8.9 per game. Sorber was named as the Big East Freshman of the Week for the third time in four weeks. Georgetown holds the narrowest of leads in the all-time series at 27-26. The two schools met 27 times between 1995 and 2012 as league foes. The Mountaineers captured their lone Big East Championship in 2010 by defeating the Hoyas 60-58 at Madison Square Garden. --Field Level Media

Braxton Meah is 7-foot-1. But in the first month of his lone season at Nebraska, he needed to take baby steps. “It took a minute trying to understand everything,” Meah said. “There’s a lot coach (Fred) Hoiberg put into this system, so it just took me a little while to figure it out, but we’re getting there.” The senior transfer was one of the last Huskers to arrive on campus this summer, delayed by Washington’s late academic calendar after committing to NU in the spring. He missed Nebraska’s third game of the season with a sprained ankle and has dealt with foul trouble. But during the adjustment period are moments in which Meah flashes what he brings to the table for a team whose identity is rooted in grit and physicality. He bothered Ryan Kalkbrenner in the Huskers’ upset of Creighton. On Wednesday, he scored 12 points, taking advantage of a short South Dakota front line and teammates’ ability to find him for high-percentage shots. People are also reading... “When a team has to collapse in on him, that’s what’s gonna open up those uncontested 3s, and that’s what happens when you got a force back there at the rim,” Hoiberg said. “It was good to see our guys finally throw some lobs to him. We’ve missed him on a lot of occasions." Meah made all six of his shot attempts last Wednesday, when NU improved to 5-1. All were dunks. Three were alley-oops, products of him finding open space when Berke Buyuktuncel was double-teamed on the block, when the defense collapsed on Brice Williams and running the floor in transition. Nebraska didn’t have that kind of lob option a season ago. Nebraska's Braxton Meah (34) dunks the ball against South Dakota on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Days earlier, he led an effort that stonewalled Kalkbrenner, who entered averaging more than 25 points per game but finished with four points on one shot. Four fouls limited Meah to 11 minutes, but nothing came easily for Kalkbrenner dealing with Meah in front of him and a second defender lurking on the other side. Meah intercepted a pass into Kalkbrenner in the first half, something few other players can do on a high-arcing entry to the 7-1 center. Meah still needs the right circumstances to perform offensively. He doesn’t have Buyuktuncel’s perimeter abilities or the nimble feet of Andrew Morgan in the post, but his presence under the basket can generate easy looks for himself and others. Especially on nights like Wednesday, when the Huskers have a major size advantage almost across the board and are finding him above the rim. Nebraska's offense is still figuring itself out, too, but Meah’s growth is a piece of that. And the last game was a step forward for him and the Huskers, who host North Florida at 3 p.m. Sunday. “We gotta get him easy baskets at the rim, and that’s gonna cause teams to crash in and smash down on him, and that’s what’s gonna create those open, uncontested 3-point shots,” Hoiberg said. “So it was good to see him going, and I think even a better sign for our guys to find him.” Scouting the Ospreys: Seward grad Nate Lliteras comes into Sunday's game averaging 14.3 points. The 6-6 senior guard is one of four players for North Florida (5-2) averaging double figure in scoring. Projected starters Nebraska (5-1) G - Rollie Worster 6-5 Sr. 9.7 G - Brice Williams 6-7 Jr. 18.7 F - Juwan Gary 6-6 Jr. 9,7 F - Berke Buyuktuncel 6-10 So. 9.5 C - Braxton Meah 7-1 Sr. 4.2 North Florida (5-2) G - Jaylen Smith 5-11 So. 10.9 G - Miles Jasai 6-6 So. 11.7 G - Oscar Berry 6-5 Sr. 1.9 G - Nate Lliteras 6-6 Sr. 14.3 F - Josh Harris 6-8 Fr. 15.4 Photos: Nebraska men’s basketball hosts South Dakota — Nov. 28 Nebraska's Connor Essegian (0) celebrates shooting a 3-pointer during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Connor Essegian (0) celebrates shooting a 3-pointer during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's assistant coach Nate Loenser speaks to the bench during the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Cale Jacobsen (right) defends against South Dakota's Jake Brack (21) during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Gavin Griffiths (12) and South Dakota's Jake Brack (front) battle for a loose ball during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Cale Jacobsen (right) defends against South Dakota's Jake Brack (21) during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Braxton Meah (34) dunks during the second half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Brice Williams (3) dribbles down the court while defended by South Dakota's Shey Eberwein (2) during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Connor Essegian (0) defends against South Dakota's Cameron Fens (54) during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Juwan Gary (center) grimaces during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Gary left the game after the play and did not return. Nebraska's Connor Essegian (0) shoots a 3-pointer during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Berke Büyüktuncel (left) and South Dakota's Max Burchill (3) reach for the ball during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Benjamin Becker of Lincoln, 11, jumps around while wearing a turkey hat as South Dakota's Isaac Bruns (12) shoots free throws during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Brice Williams (3) dunks the ball off of a fast break during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Sam Hoiberg (1) shoots a layup during the second half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Cale Jacobsen (31) dribbles down the court while defended by South Dakota's Shey Eberwein (2) during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Connor Essegian (0) celebrates shooting a 3-pointer during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Brice Williams (3) jumps to rebound the ball during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska high-fives fans as they leave the court after the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska won 96-79. Nebraska's Connor Essegian (0) shoots a 3-pointer while defended by South Dakota's Dre Bullock (11) during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Sam Hoiberg (1) shoots a layup during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Connor Essegian (center) drives through South Dakota's Kaleb Stewart (1) and Jake Brack (21) during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Andrew Morgan (23) and Nebraska's Gavin Griffiths (12) reach for a rebound during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Benjamin Becker of Lincoln, 11, jumps around while wearing a turkey hat as South Dakota's Isaac Bruns (12) shoots free throws during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Benjamin Becker of Lincoln, 11, waves his a turkey hat in the air as South Dakota's Chase Forte (9) shoots free throws during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Braxton Meah (34) smiles after a dunk during the second half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Cale Jacobsen (31) shoots a 3-pointer while defended by South Dakota's Isaac Bruns (12) during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Cale Jacobsen (center) dribbles the ball during the second half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Connor Essegian (0) shoots the ball while defended by South Dakota's Cameron Fens (54) on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Juwan Gary (4) walks off the court holding a towel to his face during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Braxton Meah (34) dunks the ball during the first half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Ahron Ulis (2) celebrates shooting a 3-pointer with .07 seconds left during the second half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Connor Essegian (0) celebrates shooting a 3-pointer during the first half game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Sam Hoiberg (right) drives down the court while defended by South Dakota's Paul Bruns (23) during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Connor Essegian (0) shoots a 3-pointer during the first half game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Braxton Meah (34) dunks the ball against South Dakota on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Ahron Ulis (2) celebrates shooting a 3-pointer with .07 seconds left during the second half of the game against South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Subscribe for the best Husker news & commentary Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Chandrababu Naidu is back in the driver’s seat and he’s stepping on the gas. The longest-serving chief minister of Andhra Pradesh—including a 9-year stint from 1995 to 2004 at the helm of the undivided state—is now on his fourth term. In October, Naidu made national headlines when he publicly accused his predecessor Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy (better known as YSR) of permitting the use of ghee adulterated with animal fat to make the famous Tirumala laddus. Done with that bit of ‘political drama’, Naidu’s now back to his old self, that of a CEO-type leader, bidding to reprise his role as the architect of a high-tech Hyderabad to rival Bengaluru. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief presented a budget of Rs 30 lakh crore with a slew of ambitious plans to make AP a global economic and tech hub with massive infusions of money and technology in several industrial sectors. Setting an ambitious 15 per cent annual growth rate and a target of 20 lakh jobs in the next five years, Naidu said the state would invest in its youth to set the tone. He announced a clutch of new industrial parks, huge investments in agrobased food-processing sectors and innovation hubs to achieve his goal of making AP a global manufacturing hub. The centrepiece of Naidu’s tech vision is the creation of a ‘drone city’ in Orvakal in Kurnool district spread over 300 acres. Announced last month at the Amaravati Drone Summit 2024 in Mangalagiri, it envisages an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, the generation of 40,000 jobs and the churning out of 25,000 skilled drone pilots. With a 20 per cent subsidy on investments and a Rs 500 crore allocation for the rollout, it is also an attempt to lure over a 100 drone companies to the state. Andhra Pradesh will be competing with the neighbouring states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, all of whom have drone ambitions. The Andhra Pradesh Drone Policy 4.0 (2024–29) aims to transform the state into the country’s primary destination for drone technology, said AP Drone Corporation CMD K. Dinesh Kumar. The drone market is estimated to grow rapidly over the next 5 years (one estimate puts it at 17 per cent annually), fuelled by galloping demand from diverse sectors like agriculture, defence and e-commerce. With a shift from military use to commercial applications in agriculture (crop assessment), urban planning for smart city interventions and healthcare (medical supplies delivery), the government is also looking at ways to include drones in the delivery of government services and seeks to appoint special ‘drone innovation officers’ in government departments. Andhra Pradesh already has a record of delivering public services such as monthly payments to older women and rations at people’s doorsteps. It will be interesting to see how drones could up this game. Seaplane tourism takes off A De Havilland Twin Otter Series 400 seaplane is the centrepiece of a new tourist attraction that the state is touting. It made its inaugural flight on 9 November, taking off from Punnami Ghat (near Prakasam Barrage) in Vijayawada for a short hop to Srisailam in Nandyal district. CM Chandrababu Naidu, who travelled on the flight, said seaplane tourism offered an innovative way to promote tourism in the state. It was, he said, essential to harness technology to promote growth, adding it would also improve local connectivity and supplement existing air services. According to the state tourism minister, the test run was a demonstration of the feasibility of seaplane flights as a method to showcase picturesque locations in the state including Araku Valley, Lambasinghi, Rushikonda, Kakinada and the temple town of Tirumala. Laddus, anyone? Coming in from the cold A long-time member of the banned CPI(Maoist) group has surrendered to the police after more than three decades on the run. Kodi Manjula, a.k.a. Nirmala, was a Dandakaranya special committee member of the group. The 46-year-old gave herself up to the Warangal commissioner of police, Amber Kishore Jha. The Rs 20 lakh reward for her capture was handed over by cheque towards her rehabilitation. Manjula had joined the People’s War Group (a forerunner of the Maoist party) after her brother and a close relative, both Naxalites, were killed in police action. She was reportedly involved in several Maoist operations, including the 2013 attack on a convoy of the Indian National Congress in Darbha valley, Chhattisgarh. Among the 27 people killed was Congress leader V.C. Shukla. Manjula’s surrender is symptomatic of the waning of the Maoist movement in the central Indian jungles of Bastar, following a crackdown by successive state and central governments. A pale shadow of itself, it has lost considerable ground in Andhra Pradesh, which had nurtured the revolutionary movement in its early stages. Sustained police action, combined with substantial reform measures, led to operations being shifted to Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Vizag to see Singapore-style Marina Bay Sands facility The demolition of the Taj group’s iconic Gateway hotel on Beach Road, Visakhapatnam has been received with mixed feelings by locals. Originally the Sea Pearl hotel dating back to 1988, the Gateway, which opened in 2018, quickly became a city landmark with its vintage charm. Varun Hospitality, which now owns the prime property, announced its plans to come up with a new mixed-use facility along the lines of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. The proposed structure includes a deluxe hotel with 374 sea-facing rooms and a rooftop replete with bars, restaurants, swimming pool and helipad. The project which claims to minimise its carbon footprint with advanced green technologies such as double-glazed windows, is estimated to cost Rs 500 crores and is expected to be finished by 2028. 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Cloud Imperium Games has kicked off the upcoming sci-fi space MMORPG that's being developed using . Its multiplayer portion has gone completely free to try for the next 14 days, letting any PC players, with a decent enough rig, jump in and try out fresh ships almost every day without opening their wallets. Named the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo of 2954 in-game, the yearly event runs until December 5. The developer will be rotating the available ships and vehicles for players every 48 hours, showcasing a different ship building company, from the in-universe lore, every time. For example, right now it's Crusader Industries and Tumbril Land Systems that are on the spotlight, featuring everything from cargo-hauling ships to advanced fighters. As a grand finale, from December 2 through 5, all the previous ships and vehicles will return for a grand finale, letting players try out anything they missed out on from previous days. Cloud Imperium is also offering every new player a free ship till the end of the event. The Drake Interplanetary starter ship, the Cutter, is what's available, an allrounder ship that also features some handy cargo space. Like in previous years, the event is taking place inside the largest city of planet microTech: New Babbage. To get there, new players can wake up right inside the city and follow the signs towards the event stage, which involves a trip on the transit system. Head to the to see what ships and vehicles will be showcased on which day. For those who haven't kept up, since the last Expo event, has received Alpha updates containing , a completely alien ship, , , instanced hangers, and more features. A to the game's single-player campaign portion, while also showing off a huge chunk of its opening sequence.Insider Buyers Lose US$52k As Patagonia Gold Sheds CA$2.3mCECO Environmental Announces Expiration of HSR Waiting Period

A 64-YEAR-OLD man who has been living on the streets since 1995 wants to reunite with his family for the New Year. Vernon Miller, who admitted that he was once a substance abuser living on the streets of Port of Spain, San Juan, San Fernando and even as far away as Icacos, says he has cleaned up his life after receiving help from a Government agency as well as a church. Miller came to Express House in Port of Spain, yesterday morning, saying that he wanted help to find his younger sisters and an older brother whom he said he had lost contact with. He gave their last known address as Silvermill, San Juan. He recalled that his sisters were renting an apartment there in 1995 but since then he cannot tell if they had changed their names or moved away from the San Juan area. He said all his siblings had the same surname since they had the same mother and father and gave their names as Angela, Margaret, Marjorie, Mary and his older brother Allan. He said he also had a 38-yearold daughter by the name of Vanessa. Miller told the Express that he spent some time in prison between 1999 and 2003 for drug possession and added that his road to recovery began in 2021 shortly before the socially displaced centre on Riverside Plaza in Port of Spain had closed its doors in 2022. 'I went to the socially displaced centre in Port of Spain and was helped by a woman named Mrs Wells She advised me to seek help in church. I started to go to church. I started to go the Wesleyan Church in San Juan where pastor Brian Lewis had taken me and along with his wife, they followed up with me until I recovered from that dark place. That illness,' Miller said, adding that at the beginning of his journey they would come to Riverside Plaza and pick him up routinely to go to church with them. In explaining what motivated him to seek help at the shelter in 2021, Miller said it began with his participation with former street dweller and soca singer Uncle Ellis (Ellis Reid) who sang 'I Doh Mind' in 2017. Miller said he was the one pushing Uncle Ellis around in the shopping cart in the music video. In the video, Uncle Ellis had said at the introduction that on the streets of Port of Spain he was subjected to unnecessary abuse by passers-by because he was living on the streets and labelled a cocaine user. Ellis also stated during the song's introduction that he wanted to be 'a beacon of light' for the people lying down on the street. 'I want to be an example. I want to motivate people living on the street. Not because we living on the street means we are not human,' Ellis said then. Miller said, 'I was dancing on the streets and many artistes began singing about 'Oscar' (Miller's street name) and I said look at this nah. Artistes were singing and saying, we got to say a prayer for Oscar and they were reaching out to me. I was fascinated in the way these people (soca artistes) were putting their words into music about me and I realised it was something that God was working out in my life like in a way to assist.' He said he realised he had to transform his life so others could inherit something good from his change. Elaborating on the help he got at the socially displaced centre at Riverside Plaza, Miller commended the patience of the manager named Wells. He said that he could hold a conversation with her, 'and she gave me words of wisdom such as how to keep myself in order to go back into society and about going to church. She gave me whatever I wanted.' He said that he was content to stay at the centre at that time and lamented that it was now closed. Asked about the ways the centre for socially displaced people at Riverside Plaza had helped him, Miller said at the time it was comfortable for him. 'Food was there, shelter was there, care-taking was in that area,' he said. However, Miller pointed out that a lot also depended on the people going for help there and if they actually wanted the change in their life. He asked his family to contact him at the Wesleyan Church in San Juan. Serious about change When the Express contacted Pastor Brian Lewis' wife, who asked that her name not be used, she said what was much noticeable about Miller when she first met him through his interactions with her husband at the church, was his seriousness in wanting to change. She said she noticed that demeanour even though Miller was still living on the streets. 'My husband would have kept in touch. Well, at the time the CSDP (Centre for Socially Displaced People) was closing off and placing them in different places. The first place was somewhere in Maraval and we would have arranged for someone to pick him up every Sunday to bring him to church until he moved to Champs Fleurs where we would pick him up and bring him to church. And then the last place was in San Juan where we continued to pick him up and then now he is no longer there,' she said. She recalled that Miller was also very hungry for the word of God. 'I remember him learning off whole passages in the book of Psalms and would have written songs and sang it in church. So much so, that one of the students in class said she remembered him being a vagrant in the Criosee (San Juan) and she was so shocked to see him in church.' Pastor Lewis' wife reminded that people reacted to life's challenges in different ways and said, ultimately, people had choices to make, noting that one of those choices was turning to God.A survey conducted by the brand found that 62% of Gen Zers and 59% of Millennials say holiday stress leaves them “secretly wishing they could slap a relative during holiday gatherings" courtesy of Fireball Whiskey is about to get a whole lot more fiery. has launched a "drinkable" stocking "filled with 35 shots of Fireball’s sweet, cinnamon-y goodness" that "was designed to bring some heat to your holiday celebrations," according to a news release from the company obtained by PEOPLE. Fireball is also encouraging customers to “slap” the stocking, in an effort to relieve family-induced holiday stress. “At Fireball, we strive to give people what they never knew they always needed. And as it turns out, the holidays aren’t all merry and bright,” Danny Suich, Global Brand Director for Fireball, said in a statement. According to a 2024 survey by Fireball, 62% of Gen Zers and 59% of Millennials say leaves them “secretly wishing they could slap a relative during holiday gatherings.” In the same survey, over half of both groups admitted that they prepare for holiday time with family by stocking up on alcohol. courtesy of Fireball Whiskey To prepare for the launch, Fireball consulted with professional “power-slapper” . Davis — who jokingly said he’d been “training for this my whole life” — recommends that people “take a knee” in front of the stocking for the most optimal slap possible. The brand also released festive digital ads in preparation for the launch featuring comedian and influencer . Stocking, dressed in a red and white Fireball-themed holiday sweater, lists the various things one can do with the product. “Hang it! Slap it! And pour it!” she says cheerfully while looking directly into the camera. Related: The holiday-themed item doesn't mark the first unique release from Fireball this year. In October, the brand announced its plans for — whiskey crafted from the actual tears of losing football fans. An official release obtained by PEOPLE at the time revealed that the tears would be collected at some of the year’s biggest football games, before going through an intense sterilization process. Football lovers can expect to be able to drink the whiskey during the 2025-2026 football season. The Fireball Whiskey stocking is currently available in select retailers across the United States for $24.99.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In losing Sunday’s battle with the Buffalo Bills, perhaps the best team in football, Jerod Mayo won the war. Best I can tell, he’s staying put. For 2025, and maybe beyond. To his angry fan base and incredulous pockets of the New England Patriots’ media corps, remember Mayo’s future doesn’t hinge on winning this season. It’s not about what you want, or what I think. It’s about the Krafts, who hand-picked Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick four and a half years before he actually did, believing in him, and finding reasons to maintain that belief. In the eyes of someone who wants to believe, Sunday supplied enough reason. The Patriots led at halftime, then lost by three as 14-point underdogs. They became the first team since mid-October to hold the Bills under 30 points. Drake Maye outplayed the next MVP of the league for most of the game and took another step toward his destiny as a franchise quarterback, If that sounds like a low bar, that’s because it is. Such is life in Year 1 of a rebuild, a multi-year process ownership has committed to seeing through to the end with their organizational pillars now in place: Mayo, Maye and de facto GM Eliot Wolf. As frustrating as this 3-12 campaign has been, there are always nuggets of optimism amid the rubble of a losing season; particularly if you want to find them. The Krafts do, and so does Maye, who loves his head coach, by the way; calling questions about Mayo’s job security “BS.” “We’ve got his back,” Maye said post-game. Maye’s voice matters. Certainly more than any number of fans or media members. Ever since media-fueled speculation that Mayo could get canned at the end of his first season began rising, the caveat has always been the same: if, a Gillette Stadium-sized “if,” the Patriots bomb atomically down the stretch, ownership could pull the plug on Mayo. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport became the latest to join that chorus Sunday with this pregame report: “The Krafts want to keep Jerod Mayo,” he said. “They believe he is the leader for the organization for the future, and they knew it would be a multi-year process to get this thing right. Now if things go off the rails, if they really start to struggle and he loses the locker room the last couple games of the season, we’ve seen this thing turn. “But as of now, the Patriots believe Jerod Mayo is their leader for the future.” Well, Mayo hasn’t lost the locker room. That’s a fact. To a man, both in public and from those I’ve spoken to in private, Patriots players believe in their head coach. Mayo might be a players’ coach, yes, in the best and worst senses. But the Patriots were a few plays away Sunday from pulling off their largest upset since Super Bowl XXXVI. “I think we’re building something good,” Maye said. The Patriots also played their best half of football this season against their toughest opponent yet. Another fact. Now, to the frustrated, I am with you. To the shocked, I understand. But to the trigger-happy, lay down your arms. Mayo, by all accounts, is returning in 2025. Alex Van Pelt, however, is another story. In the same vein that the Krafts could have viewed Sunday’s performance as a reason to save Mayo — despite his pathetic punt at midfield, down 10 with just eight and a half minutes left — they could have convinced themselves their offensive coordinator is the real problem. After all, team president Jonathan Kraft was visibly exasperated over Van Pelt’s play-calling during the Pats’ loss at Arizona a week earlier. Four days later, Van Pelt told reporters he had yet to hear from his boss. Well, that time may be coming. Trailing by three in the fourth quarter Sunday, Van Pelt called a pass that resulted in an unnecessary lateral and game-winning touchdown for Buffalo. His offense later operated like it was taking a Sunday drive with the game on the line, using up 3:16 of the final 4:19 en route to its final touchdown. Van Pelt, finally, weaponized Maye’s legs in critical situations, something that arguably should have been done weeks ago. Not to mention, Van Pelt’s top running back can’t stop fumbling, and the offensive line remains a hot mess. Call him Alex Van Fall Guy. Because Van Pelt’s offense, for the first time in a while, under-performed relative to Mayo’s defense. On merit, he deserves to stay; a case that’s harder to make for defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. But it’s not about merit this season. It’s not about what you want. It’s not about what I think. It’s about the Krafts; what they see, what they want, what they believe. Even in defeat. ____ Sent weekly directly to your inbox!

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Israeli hospital says Netanyahu has undergone successful prostate surgeryJailed PKK leader says ‘ready’ to support Turkiye peace drive

December 29, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan accused the United Arab Emirates on Saturday of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, which it labelled “terrorists”, and welcomed Turkey’s offer to mediate in the conflict. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry statement came in response to a UAE Foreign Ministry announcement welcoming Turkey’s diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the ongoing crisis. The UAE said it was ready to cooperate with Turkey and all diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and find a comprehensive solution to the crisis. It stressed the importance of negotiation to end the conflict and ensure a political process and national consensus toward a civilian-led government. Sudan has filed a complaint with the UN Security Council against the UAE, alleging it provided weapons and military equipment to the RSF through Chad. A similar complaint was lodged with the African Union. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said the UAE’s claims of working towards peace in Sudan were “hollow and false” and accused it of escalating the conflict by supplying the RSF with weapons and mercenaries. “What is required is for the UAE to stop supplying the militia with weapons and mercenaries and to direct it to lay down its arms, and then peace will be achieved,” the statement said. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan offered to mediate in the conflict during a Dec. 13 phone call with the head of Sudan’s ruling council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The Sudanese army has refused to engage in any new negotiations with the RSF until the terms of the Jeddah Declaration signed by the two sides on May 11, 2023, are implemented, particularly the withdrawal from civilian areas.ISRO Set to Launch Groundbreaking Space Docking Experiment

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Israeli hospital says Netanyahu has undergone successful prostate surgeryGreg Gumbel, CBS Sports broadcasting legend, dies at 78

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WASHINGTON — The United States is expected to announce that it will send $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, as the Biden administration pushes to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20. The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The new aid comes as Russia has launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defense officials acknowledged that that the Defense Department may not be able to send all of the remaining $5.6 billion in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Get the latest breaking news as it happens. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many U.S. and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he won't provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about $4.35 billion. Officials have said they hope that an influx of aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s hand, should Zelenskyy decide it’s time to negotiate. One senior defense official said that while the U.S. will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until Jan. 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about $1.2 billion remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the U.S. has provided more than $64 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.Breggz Zohn-1: The Custom-Fit Wireless Earphones Stealing the Show at CES 2025

Timeline: Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Emerance Maschmeyer turned in 34 saves on 35 shots on goal and the Ottawa Charge held off the New York Sirens 3-1 on Sunday for their second win in six games. Playing their first game in 10 days, the Charge got a first-period goal from Emily Clark and Shiann Darkangelo and Kateřina Mrázová added second-period goals to build a 3-0 lead through two periods. Ottawa has scored at least three goals in all five of its meetings with New York over two seasons. Alex Carpenter earned a third-period assist to extend her scoring streak to nine straight games dating to last season. Sarah Fillier's goal moved her into a tie for the league lead with eight points in her first eight games after being drafted No. 1 by the Sirens. Ottawa's defense neutralized much of New York's speed advantage and used a strong penalty kill to take a 1-0 lead after one period after Clark tipped home a wrist shot from the point by Brianne Jenner six minutes into the game. The Charge added two goals in the first seven minutes of the second period but could not capitalize on a pair of power plays late in the period. Fillier wasted little time getting New York on the board in the third period, firing a shot past Maschmeyer 23 seconds into the period, but the keeper saved the next dozen shots, including an almost three-minute finish when the Sirens pulled goalkeeper Corinne Schroeder to gain a player advantage. New York's Jill Saulnier was activated off long-term injured reserve following an upper body injury sustained in the opening game December 1. ___ AP hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/hockey The Associated PressIndia’s startup ecosystem closes 2024 on a transformative note, marked by pivotal advancements in AI, deeptech, fintech, and edtech. This year has been defined by resilience, evolution, and significant opportunities. 2024 emerged as the year of startup IPOs, with 12 companies going public and collectively raising billions. Leading the charge was Swiggy’s landmark $1.35 billion IPO, cementing the ecosystem’s global stature. Venture capitalists enjoyed a windfall, earning over $4 billion in IPO returns—double the 2023 figures. Major players like SoftBank, Peak XV, Accel, and Elevation reaped the rewards of patient investments, turning long-term bets into substantial gains. Despite global economic challenges, India’s markets showcased resilience, supported by robust economic growth, regulatory reforms, and sustained investor confidence. With at least 25 IPOs already anticipated for 2025, the momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Big-ticket funding dominated headlines in 2024, with startups raising over $10 billion. Notably, family offices emerged as significant contributors, injecting over $1 billion into the ecosystem. While early-stage funding remained vibrant, growth-stage investments reflected a cautious yet quality-focused approach amidst global uncertainties and shifting interest rates. Challenges persisted, though. Layoffs decreased significantly compared to 2023, yet nearly 9,000 employees faced job cuts. Corporate governance issues continued to trouble notable startups like Byju’s, while others, including Koo and Reshamandi, shuttered operations. CNBC-TV18 spoke to Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Co-Founder & MD of Venture Catalysts; Mrigank Gut-Gutia, Partner at Redseer; Vaibhav Anant, Founder of Bambrew; and Vivek Pandey, Co-Founder of Ecozen who reflected on the milestones of 2024 and shared their outlook for 2025. Below are the excerpts of the discussion. Q: Tell us what were the key milestones of the year gone by and what will continue to drive momentum and deal activity in 2025? Sharma: The key milestone of 2024 is AI transformation which is happening. The o1 which is the next level of ChatGPT is transforming the things globally. Now the things have moved from LLM to the o1 level where they are able to think and they can also respond and listen to the queries. So basically, next level AI transformation is happening globally. In space tech Tesla has brought back the rocket engine that is also a big milestone. So, the impact of that is also happening in India. You can see a lot of AI transformation happening. Q: 2024 also saw resurgence of major funding rounds, with VC firms injecting over $10 billion into the ecosystem. What was expected to be a chilly winter for venture capital saw funding spring, with Indian startups seeing large ticket deals in winter 2024-2025, setting an optimistic tone. What's fuelling this winter funding spring? Sharma: Two things which are fuelling the winters, which has just gone, I would say. One, the 12 IPOs, which have just happened in this year. In the last three years, Indian stock market, the success of startup is established. And the return also. Remember, there was Paytm IPO, the big chunk of that has gone to the global investors as an exit. From there, it started. So global investors have realised that Indian stock market is responding to startups very, very well. And that is why you can see the Zomato and Swiggy story also now this year. So that is giving the confidence to global investors, that if you invest in India, the exit mechanism is already in place. Number two is the bottom line focus of the large companies, which was not the case three years back. The funding winter has taught us a lot. Almost all the large companies, they are focusing a lot on bottom line, because they're targeting IPO in Indian stock market. That is why the strength of Indian startups is also reflected to the global investors. And that is why you see these startups becoming more attractive to the global investors. Q: Quick commerce has been the buzzword for this year. Could you start by explaining why this segment has taken off the way it has and where the current GMV average spends and the number of users stands? Gut-Gutia: Quick commerce has had a fantabulous year. Looking at the data sets of the total size of the sector, we see that every month the sector is breaking all the records in terms of growth. So most of the months this year, the quick commerce sector in India, when we look at the GMV levels, it is growing at more than 80% on a year on year (YoY) basis. And if you talk about the actual GMVs that we expect, I think by the end of FY25 or let's say by the whole FY25 period, I think we will see the sector exceeding the GMV of close to $6 billion. So, for a sector that was just about less than $1 billion, maybe four or five years ago to reach the $6 billion scale by FY25, I think it's a fantastic achievement. I think one of the biggest factors that is driving the growth of the sector is the monthly transacting users. So just about a few months ago, the sector had about 9 million monthly transacting users. But because of this phenomenal growth in adoption and experience, we expect that the monthly transacting users will be more than 15 million. It's already there in these last few, last couple of months, and the average for the whole year might also be sitting around the 15-17 million mark. Essentially what is happening is that user is just spending across the categories, not just grocery, but across electronics and home goods, some part of fashion, beauty, and so on. So, it's really spending across the segments and the huge convenience that quick commerce has afforded to our customers that is really driving the phenomenal growth in the sector. Watch accompanying video for entire discussion.

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December 4 - The Philadelphia Flyers are playing their best hockey of the season, but a fresh challenge awaits Thursday when they host the defending champion Florida Panthers. Philadelphia is 4-0-1 over its last five games with three overtime wins during that stretch. Rookie winger Matvei Michkov has scored OT goals in two of those victories. The 19-year-old Russian has three OT tallies in the last nine games, including Saturday's 3-2 win at St. Louis. "We've had some confidence with (overtime)," Philadelphia coach John Tortorella said. "Michkov has helped us quite a bit there. Last year, we struggled with it." The Flyers have had a nice break since Saturday's victory, though, so it remains to be seen if their recent momentum will carry over into Thursday's contest. One area that could help against Florida is the potential return of No. 1 goaltender Samuel Ersson, who has been out since Nov. 11 with a lower-body injury. Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov have split time in net during Ersson's absence with mixed results. Tortorella is grateful for the opportunity to evaluate both of his team's backup goalies, but he also wants to continue assessing Ersson, who is in his first full season as a team's primary netminder. "All this stuff with the injuries, the goalie, our No. 1 guy gone, it gives us an idea of what we have," Tortorella said. "And that's a big part of this year and, quite honestly, next (year) because there are no free agents coming. We have to keep on evaluating what we have in the organization." Florida, of course, knows what it has in its top goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky. However, the Russian netminder has been out lately while awaiting the birth of his child. He likely will miss Thursday's contest, as well, which could mean another start for Spencer Knight. Knight allowed five goals on 16 shots in Tuesday's overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins that left Panthers coach Paul Maurice with mixed emotions. "It was alright. I think that's how we felt about it," Maurice said. "I don't think we gave up a tremendous amount. I don't think we took advantage of some things that we normally do. I'm not 100 percent sure how I feel about that one." After winning their previous three games by a combined margin of 17-4, the Panthers trailed the Penguins 4-1 with under 14 minutes remaining. However, Matthew Tkachuk registered a goal and two assists in the third period to help force the extra session before his team ultimately fell short. "I guess it's a point that we're happy to get," said Tkachuk, who finished with two goals and two assists to surpass 600 points for his career. He now has 603 in his ninth season. "But when we fight back, you just really want to get that win." Joining Tkachuk with a multi-point effort was Jesper Boqvist (two assists), while his brother Adam Boqvist was among the other goal scorers for Florida. "We just know when we go out there that we can wear teams down," Adam Boqvist said. "I think we almost showed that tonight with the third period. Just move on from this." The Panthers defeated the Flyers 4-3 in a shootout last month in Florida. The teams will meet again Jan. 13 in Philadelphia. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Small businesses are taking up the digital world’s frontline of defense. CMMC is changing the game for 300,000 US companies, turning cybersecurity from a tedious must into a strategic business. It’s not just a paperwork exercise. The Department of Defense has created a blueprint for rock-solid digital protection. What if you turned your company into a secure fortress that stands apart from competitors? CMMC is more than just protecting data. It helps small businesses stand out in a constantly changing cyber threat landscape. It protects sensitive information while giving customers the confidence that you take security seriously. Here, you’ll learn the benefits of CMMC to small businesses. Benefits Of CMMC Standards 1. Access to Lucrative DoD Contracts Businesses working with the Department of Defense (DoD) must be CMMC certified. From December 16, 2024, contractors must demonstrate that they can protect sensitive information . In other words, they must meet certain security levels according to the data type they handle. This certification is one that you can’t afford to miss out on, as it is a huge business opportunity. According to the DoD, about 8,350 companies will require Level 2 certification, which requires professional security assessments. It's a sort of security passport on the government work front. Picture the DoD as a selective employer. They want to work with businesses that can keep their information safe. These standards help implement the best security for sensitive data. It’s massive in terms of financial upside. By 2025, the DoD budget for defense contracts could reach $800 billion. For small businesses, this means: Potential for a lot of revenue Opportunities to work on high-tech projects How to build a strong reputation in the defense industry A small cybersecurity firm that meets CMMC requirements could snag advanced defense technology contracts. It's not about short-term money but long-term business credibility and growth. CMMC certification is your business’s golden ticket to a world of government contract opportunities. 2. Enhanced Cybersecurity Posture Adoption of CMMC standards can help small businesses dramatically improve their cybersecurity. That means practicing with robust security tools like multi-factor authentication, which provides an extra layer of security on top of passwords. Advanced encryption and constant monitoring can help businesses defend themselves against data breaches and unauthorized access. As per the CMMC framework, companies must adhere to 110 security practices established by government standards. These are not just checkboxes but fundamental strategies to protect digital assets. A proactive approach to cybersecurity can significantly impact a company’s attack risk. Businesses conducting regular self-assessments can find and fix security weaknesses before hackers can access them. Cybercrime is a vast and growing problem. Damages from global cybercrime are expected to top $10.5 trillion. Driving more cultural awareness around cybersecurity and having solid incident response plans enables small businesses to stay in business even when threats occur. 3. Competitive Advantage CMMC certification is today like a golden badge of honor for small businesses. It lets potential clients know that you’re concerned about security and will do anything to protect sensitive information. Imagine being a defense contractor who can instantly stand out from competitors. Showing your CMMC certification in marketing material makes you more attractive to clients who value security deeply. This certification can be the key to winning crucial contracts. CMMC certification is like a business trust signal — a way to prove you’re a reliable, security-conscious partner. Data breaches are everywhere. In the first half of 2023, over 1,800 breaches exposed millions of records. CMMC certification is your way of saying to your clients, ‘We have your back.’ This certification protects information and creates long-term relationships. As more businesses realize the cybersecurity risks, they want to partner with those who can demonstrate their stringent security standards. If you are CMMC certified, you are not just a vendor but a trusted ally. 4. Cost-Effectiveness of Compliance For small businesses, CMMC 2.0 has good news. Companies can now do Level 1 self-assessments without the expense of a costly third-party review. This approach helps businesses: This approach means one thing. You start where you can and build strength over time. This journey isn’t only for small businesses. Several financial programs help reduce CMMC compliance costs. Small contractors can get grants from the Department of Defense to help them upgrade their cybersecurity. Such resources are a safety net, so businesses can meet security standards without burning a hole in the bank. The idea is to reduce the cost and accessibility of protection for every business. 5. Improved Risk Management Small businesses can easily manage online risks with CMMC. Moreover, this step-by-step approach allows organizations to create security policies that suit their needs. Businesses aren’t faced with a one-size-fits-all solution but can build a custom defense strategy that protects their digital landscape. It’s not just about following rules when investing in strong cybersecurity. That's about securing your business's future. By adopting CMMC standards, companies can: Like business insurance, cybersecurity helps you be prepared for unexpected risks and stay resilient and competitive. 6. Streamlined Compliance Process The CMMC compliance process is meant to help small businesses succeed without feeling overwhelmed. Organizations can adopt the strategy of meeting requirements individually instead of trying to meet them all at once. This allows businesses to breathe, adapt, and improve. Assessors and contractors will be trained and supported in the compliance journey. Like learning a complex skill, you don’t get it all overnight. MSPs can be game changers for small businesses navigating compliance. These experts provide specialized guidance to companies in implementing security controls and managing certification documentation. By partnering with an MSP, businesses can: This is especially helpful when you’re beginning preparation, and new requirements can seem daunting. MSPs are trusted solutions that guide businesses on a clear path to certification. Conclusion Cybersecurity is not a cost. It’s your business’s future. CMMC standards are your way of distinguishing yourself in the defense industry. These guidelines aren’t just data. They are opportunities. So, don’t wait. Take control now. Become CMMC certified and turn your small business into a digital fortress from a potential target. This is where you start to gain your competitive edge. (Disclaimer: Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)

Checking in on the top three prospects for the Colorado AvalancheBrits warned of fireworks rule ahead of New Years Eve – as police say you could face 6 MONTHS behind bars

UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The team looking for a missing Pennsylvania woman believed to have fallen into a sinkhole has determined that an abandoned coal mine is too unstable for people to safely search underground, authorities said Wednesday while still expressing hope Elizabeth Pollard will be found alive. Rescue workers continue to search for Elizabeth Pollard, who is believed to have disappeared in a sinkhole while looking for her cat, Wednesday in Marguerite, Pa. Emergency crews and others have been trying to find Pollard, 64, for two days. Her relatives reported her missing early Tuesday and her vehicle with her unharmed 5-year-old granddaughter inside was found about two hours later, near what is thought to be a freshly opened sinkhole above the long closed, crumbling mine. Authorities said in a noon update that the roof of the mine collapsed in several places and is not stable. The sinkhole is in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. “We did get, you know, where we wanted, where we thought that she was at. We’ve been to that spot," said Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha, the incident's operations officer. “What happened at that point, I don’t know, maybe the slurry of mud pushed her one direction. There were several different seams of that mine, shafts that all came together where this happened at.” Trooper Cliff Greenfield said crews were still actively searching for Pollard. “We are hopeful that she’s found alive,” Greenfield said. Searchers were using electronic devices and cameras as surface digging continued with the use of heavy equipment, Bacha said. Search dogs may also be used. Rescue workers search through the night in a sinkhole for Elizabeth Pollard, who disappeared while looking for her cat, Tuesday in Marguerite, Pa. On Wednesday afternoon, machinery was removing material from the area around the hole while police and other government vehicles blocked a clear view of the scene. Sinkholes occur in the area because of subsidence from coal mining activity. Rescuers had been using water to break down and remove clay and dirt from the mine, which has been closed since the 1950s, but that increased the risk “for potential other mine subsidence to take place," Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said. Crews lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole, but it detected nothing. Another camera lowered into the hole showed what could be a shoe about 30 feet below the surface, Limani said. Searchers have also deployed drones and thermal imaging equipment, to no avail. Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham, the incident commander, said access to the immediate area surrounding the hole was being tightly controlled and monitored, with rescuers attached by harness. The top of a sinkhole is seen Tuesday in the village of Marguerite, Pa., where rescuers searched for a woman who disappeared. “We cannot judge as to what’s going on underneath us. Again, you had a small hole on top but as soon as you stuck a camera down through to look, you had this big void,” Graham said. “And it was all different depths. The process is long, is tedious. We have to make sure that we are keeping safety in the forefront as well as the rescue effort.” Bacha said they were “hoping that there’s a void that she could still be in.” Pollard's family called police at about 1 a.m. Tuesday to say she had not been seen since going out at about 5 p.m. Monday to search for Pepper, her cat. The temperature dropped well below freezing that night. Her son, Axel Hayes, said Pollard is a happy woman who likes going out to have fun. She and her husband adopted Hayes and his twin brother when they were infants. Hayes called Pollard “a great person overall, a great mother” who “never really did anybody wrong.” He said at one point Pollard had about 10 cats. “Every cat that she’s ever come in contact with, she has a close bond with them,” Hayes said. His mother worked for many years at Walmart but recently was not employed, he said. “I’m just hoping right now that she’s still with us and she’s able to come back to us,” he said. Police said they found Pollard's car parked behind Monday's Union Restaurant in Marguerite, about 20 feet from the sinkhole. Hunters and restaurant workers in the area said they had not noticed the manhole-size opening in the hours before Pollard disappeared, leading rescuers to speculate that the sinkhole was new. “It almost feels like it opened up with her standing on top of it,” Limani said. Searchers accessed the mine late Tuesday afternoon and dug a separate entrance out of concern that the ground around the sinkhole opening was not stable. “Let’s be honest, we need to get a little bit lucky, right?” Limani said Wednesday. “We need a little bit of luck on our side. We need a little bit of God’s good blessing on our side.” Pollard lives in a small neighborhood across the street from where her car and granddaughter were located, Limani said. The young girl “nodded off in the car and woke up. Grandma never came back," Limani said. The child stayed in the car until two troopers rescued her. It's not clear what happened to Pepper. In an era of rapid technological advancement and environmental change, American agriculture is undergoing a revolution that reaches far beyond the farm gate. From the food on consumer plates to the economic health of rural communities, the transformation of U.S. farming practices is reshaping the nation's landscape in ways both visible and hidden. LandTrust explores how these changes impact everyone, whether they live in the heartland or the heart of the city. The image of the small family farm, while still a reality for many, is increasingly giving way to larger, more technologically advanced operations. According to the USDA, the number of farms in the U.S. has fallen from 6.8 million in 1935 to about 2 million today, with the average farm size growing from 155 acres to 444 acres. This shift has profound implications for rural communities and the food system as a whole. Despite these changes, diversity in farming practices is on the rise. A landmark study published in Science , involving data from over 2,000 farms across 11 countries, found that diversifying farmland simultaneously delivers environmental and social benefits. This challenges the longstanding idea that practices boosting biodiversity must come at a cost to yields and food security. The adoption of precision agriculture technologies is transforming how farmers manage their land and resources. GPS-guided tractors, drone surveillance, and AI-powered crop management systems are becoming commonplace on many farms. These technologies allow farmers to apply water, fertilizers, and pesticides with pinpoint accuracy, reducing waste and environmental impact while improving yields. However, the digital divide remains a challenge. More than 22% of rural communities lack reliable broadband internet access, hindering the widespread implementation of AI and other advanced technologies in agriculture. While technology offers new opportunities, farmers are also facing significant economic challenges. The USDA's 2024 farm income forecast projects a 4.4% decline in net farm income from 2023, following a sharp 19.5% drop from 2022 to 2023. This financial pressure is compounded by rising production costs and market volatility. Climate variability adds another layer of complexity. Extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and shifting growing seasons are forcing farmers to adapt quickly. These factors could reduce agricultural productivity by up to 25% over the coming decades without significant adaptation measures. But adapting requires additional financial resources, further straining farm profitability. In the face of these challenges, many farmers are turning to diversification as a strategy for resilience and profitability. The Science study mentioned earlier found that farms integrating several diversification methods supported more biodiversity while seeing simultaneous increases in human well-being and food security. Agritourism is one popular diversification strategy. In 2022, 28,600 U.S. farms reported agritourism income, averaging gross revenue of $44,000 from these activities. Activities like farm tours, pick-your-own operations, and seasonal festivals not only provide additional income but also foster a deeper connection between consumers and agriculture. The changing face of agriculture is directly impacting consumers. The rise of farm-to-table and local food movements reflects a growing interest in where our food comes from and how it's produced. If every U.S. household spent just $10 per week on locally grown food, it would generate billions of dollars for local economies. However, the larger challenges in agriculture can also lead to price fluctuations at the grocery store. The USDA's Economic Research Service projects that food-at-home prices will increase between 1.2% and 2.2% in 2024. Looking ahead, several innovations are poised to reshape agriculture: The transformation of American agriculture affects everyone, from the food we eat to the health of our environment and rural communities. Consumers have the power to support sustainable and diverse farming practices through our purchasing decisions. As citizens, they can advocate for policies that support farmers in adopting innovative and sustainable practices. The challenges facing agriculture are complex, but they also present opportunities for innovation and positive change. By understanding and engaging with these issues, everyone can play a part in shaping a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system for the future. This story was produced by LandTrust and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!The Alabama Crimson Tide had a rough Sunday, officially eliminated from the College Football Playoff as the last team out of the 12-team bracket. Things took another hit later in the day as the program lost a key player to the transfer portal. Caleb Odom, the 5-star true freshman wide receiver, has reportedly entered the transfer portal after a challenging season in Tuscaloosa. Despite having immense potential and joining a talented receiver corps alongside Ryan Williams. Odom will depart Alabama with three years of eligibility remaining after appearing in all 12 games for the Crimson Tide this season. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.jili super ace demo free download 。

No. 25 Illinois rebounds in big way, blasts UMES 87-40Trump team signs agreement to allow Justice to conduct background checks on nominees, staffAP News Summary at 5:06 p.m. ESTDamascus: Three explosions were heard in Syria’s capital Damascus on Sunday, in what are believed to be Israeli airstrikes targeting abandoned military bases, according to local media reports. The explosions, rocking the Mazzeh neighbourhood of the city, are part of a series of strikes that took place across Syria. Voice of the Capital, a local monitoring group, reported simultaneous strikes targeting areas in the countryside of Daraa and Sweida provinces, with the extent of the damage and potential casualties remaining unclear , Xinhua news agency reported. Mazzeh is home to air defence batteries and a military airport, a critical facility for the Syrian military near the capital. The air base was targeted in previous Israeli strikes aimed at Iranian-linked facilities or weapons transfers. These incidents come as Syrian opposition fighters seized Damascus earlier on Sunday, declaring the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

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U.S. president-elect Donald Trump recently warned Canada of steep tariffs on all goods entering the United States, raising concerns about the potential economic fallout for many TSX-listed Canadian businesses. In a fiery statement on Truth Social, Trump revealed his intentions to impose a 25% tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico starting January 20, 2025, as one of his first executive actions. While the political implications are still unfolding, this warning has reignited fears of trade tensions, threatening to disrupt cross-border commerce and impact several sectors. To protect your portfolio from any potential volatility, now could be the right time for to focus on resilient and strong TSX stocks that can weather economic uncertainty and trade-related headwinds. In this article, I’ll highlight two that can continue to thrive even under difficult Canada-U.S. trade circumstances. Even though their yields aren’t the most generous on the TSX, these stocks still reward their investors with dependable quarterly dividend payments. goeasy stock ( ) is the first stock that might not face any major turbulence even if cross-border trade tensions escalate. It primarily focuses on providing financial services to people who may not qualify for traditional bank loans. It operates through its easyhome and easyfinancial segments, offering everything from unsecured loans to home equity loans and automotive financing. This business model makes it an essential lifeline for customers who need access to credit but are underserved by traditional banks. This Mississauga-headquartered company currently has a of $2.9 billion as its stock trades at $171.70 per share after climbing by nearly 9% year to date. At this market price, it offers a 2.7% annualized dividend yield. goeasy’s growth trajectory is underpinned by its ability to adapt to market needs while maintaining strong financial discipline. Notably, the company has achieved 93 consecutive quarters of positive net income, reflecting its resilience through economic cycles. With its expanding loan portfolio and a history of dividend increases, goeasy remains a safe choice for investors who want to protect their portfolios from any potential trade-related volatility. Metro stock The Montréal-based ( ) is another strong stock for navigating U.S. tariffs-related uncertainty. Metro mainly operates within Canada, which makes it largely insulated from cross-border trade disruptions. It focuses on grocery and pharmacy retail segments, offering essential goods and services that remain in demand irrespective of temporary economic slowdowns. After rallying by 35% year to date, MRU stock currently trades at $92.42 per share with a market cap of $20.5 billion. It offers a yield of 1.4% at this market price, but the company has raised its dividend per share by roughly 68% in the five years ended in September 2024, making it attractive for long-term income-focused investors. In the latest quarter that ended in September, Metro’s strong same-store sales growth in both food and pharmacy segments reflected the ongoing strength of its core operations, despite some challenges like inflation and labour disputes. With its expanding share buyback program and consistent operational efficiency, Metro continues to be one of the most dependable TSX stocks in uncertain times.UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York

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LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Jimmy Carter was honored with a moment of silence before the Atlanta Falcons’ game at the Washington Commanders on Sunday night, hours after the 39th president of the United States died at the age of 100 in Plains, Georgia. Beyond being a Georgia native who led the country from the White House less than 8 miles (12 kilometers) away during his time in office from 1977-81, Carter was the first president to host the NFL's Super Bowl champions there when he welcomed the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980. Falcons owner Arthur Blank in a statement released by the team before kickoff said he was deeply saddened by the loss of his dear friend and mentor, calling Carter “a great American, a proud Georgian and an inspirational global humanitarian.” “He lived his life with great civic responsibility and took it upon himself to be the change he wished to see amongst other,” Blank said, recalling meeting Carter at The Home Depot. “President Carter’s kind and uniting spirit touched so many lives. He was a man of deep faith, and did everything with principal and grace, doing things the right way for the right reasons." AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayans on Sunday voted in the second round of the country's presidential election , with the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month’s vote . The closing of polls started a countdown to the announcement of official results as independent polling firms were preparing to release so-called quick counts. Depending on how tight the vote turns out to be, electoral officials may not call the race for days — as happened in the contentious 2019 runoff that brought center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou to office and ended 15 years of rule by Uruguay’s left-leaning Broad Front. Uruguay's staid election has turned into a hard-fought race between Álvaro Delgado, the incumbent party’s candidate who won 27% in the first round of voting on Oct. 27, and Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front, who took 44% of the vote in the first round. But other conservative parties that make up the government coalition — in particular, the Colorado Party — notched 20% of the vote collectively, enough to give Delgado an edge over his challenger. Congress ended up evenly split in the October vote. Most polls have shown a virtual tie between Delgado and Orsi, with nearly 10% of Uruguayan voters undecided even at this late stage. Many said they believed turnout would be low if voting weren't compulsory in the country. “Neither candidate convinced me and I feel that there are many in my same situation," said Vanesa Gelezoglo, 31, in the capital, Montevideo, adding she would make up her mind at “the last minute.” Analysts say the candidates' lackluster campaigns and broad consensus on key issues have generated extraordinary indecision and apathy in an election dominated by discussions about social spending and concerns over income inequality but largely free of the anti-establishment rage that has vaulted populist outsiders to power elsewhere . “The question of whether Frente Amplio (the Broad Front) raises taxes is not an existential question, unlike what we saw in the U.S. with Trump and Kamala framing each other as threats to democracy," said Nicolás Saldías, a Latin America and Caribbean senior analyst for the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit. “That doesn't exist in Uruguay.” Both candidates are also appealing to voter angst over a surge in violent crime that has shaken a nation long regarded as one of the region’s safest, with Delgado promising tough-on-crime policies and Orsi advocating a more community-oriented approach. Delgado, 55, a rural veterinarian with a long career in the National Party, campaigned on a vow to continue the legacy of current President Lacalle Pou — in some ways making the election into a referendum on his leadership. He campaigned under the slogan “re-elect a good government." While a string of corruption scandals rattled Lacalle Pou's government last year, the president — who constitutionally cannot run for a second consecutive term — now enjoys high approval ratings and a strong economy expected to grow 3.2% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Inflation has also eased in recent months, boosting his coalition. Delgado served most recently as Secretary of the Presidency for Lacalle Pou and promises to pursue his predecessor's pro-business policies. He would continue pushing for a trade deal with China that has raised hackles in Mercosur, an alliance of South American countries promoting regional commerce. "We have to give the government coalition a chance to consolidate its proposals,” said Ramiro Pérez, a street vendor voting for Delgado on Sunday. Orsi, 57, a former history teacher and two-time mayor from a working-class background, is widely seen as the political heir to iconic former President José “Pepe” Mujica , an ex-Marxist guerilla who raised Uruguay's international profile as one of the region's most socially liberal and environmentally sustainable nations during his 2010-2015 term. His Broad Front coalition oversaw the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and the sale of marijuana in the small South American nation of 3.4 million people. “He's my candidate, not only for my sake but also for my children's,” Yeny Varone, a nurse, said of Orsi. “In the future they'll have better working conditions, health and salaries.” Mujica, now 89 and recovering from esophageal cancer , was among the first to cast his ballot after polls opened. “Uruguay is a small country, but it has earned recognition for being stable, for having a citizenry that respects institutional formalities,” he told reporters from his local polling station. “This is no small feat.” While promising to forge a “new left” in Uruguay, Orsi plans no dramatic changes. He proposes tax incentives to lure investment and social security reforms that would lower the retirement age but fall short of a radical overhaul sought by Uruguay's unions. The contentious plebiscite on whether to boost pension payouts failed to pass in October, with Uruguayans rejecting generous pensions in favor of fiscal constraint. Both candidates pledged full cooperation with each other if elected. “I want (Orsi) to know that my idea is to form a government of national unity,” Delgado told reporters after casting his vote in the capital's upscale Pocitos neighborhood. He said that if he won, he and Orsi would chat on Monday over some yerba mate, the traditional herbal drink beloved by Uruguayans. Orsi similarly pledged a smooth and respectful transition of power, describing Sunday's democratic exercise as “an incredible experience" as he voted in Canelones, the sprawling town of beaches and cattle ranches just north of Montevideo where he served as mayor for a decade. “The essence of politics is agreements,” he said. “You never end up completely satisfied.” Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Villa Tunari, Bolivia, contributed to this report.Paychex Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors

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MALAGA, Spain (AP) — No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner won matches in singles and doubles to lead defending champion Italy to a 2-1 comeback victory over Argentina on Thursday, earning a return trip to the Davis Cup semifinals. “I’m here trying to do the best I can in the singles,” Sinner said. “If they put me on the court in doubles, I’ll also try my best.” On Saturday, Italy will face Australia in a rematch of last year's final, but this time it will only be for a chance to play for the championship. Australia eliminated the U.S. 2-1 earlier Thursday to reach the final four at the team competition for the third consecutive year. The other semifinal, to be contested Friday, is the Netherlands against Germany. The Dutch got past Rafael Nadal and Spain in the quarterfinals earlier in the week, sending the 22-time Grand Slam champion into retirement. Italy fell behind 1-0 in the quarterfinals when Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1 on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain. But then in stepped Sinner, whose season already includes two Grand Slam trophies — at the Australian Open and U.S. Open — plus the title at the ATP Finals last weekend in Turin, Italy. First he overwhelmed Sebastián Báez 6-2, 6-1. Then Sinner teamed with 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini in the deciding doubles match to win 6-4, 7-5 against Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez. “He carried me today,” Sinner said about Berrettini. After arriving late to Malaga from Turin, Sinner did not get a chance to practice on the Davis Cup competition court before taking on Báez and stretching his streak to 22 sets won in a row. “In three minutes, he was perfectly comfortable on court,” Italy captain Filippo Volandri said. “He’s a special one.” Volandri swapped out his original doubles team, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, for Sinner and Berrettini, and the change paid dividends. Australia, the Davis Cup runner-up the last two years, advanced when Matt Ebden and Jordan Thompson beat the surprise, last-minute American pairing of Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 in that quarterfinal's deciding doubles match. The Shelton-Paul substitution for Paris Olympics silver medalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram was announced about 15 minutes before the doubles match began. Ebden and John Peers beat Krajicek and Ram in the Summer Games final in August. The Australians broke once in each set of the doubles. In the second, they stole one of Shelton’s service games on the fourth break opportunity when Ebden’s overhead smash made it 5-4. Thompson then served out the victory, closing it with a service winner before chest-bumping Ebden. The 21st-ranked Shelton made his Davis Cup debut earlier Thursday in singles against 77th-ranked Thanasi Kokkinakis, who emerged from a tight-as-can-be tiebreaker by saving four match points and eventually converting his seventh to win 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (14). No. 4 Taylor Fritz , the U.S. Open runner-up, then pulled the Americans even with a far more straightforward victory over No. 9 Alex de Minaur , 6-3, 6-4. When their match finally ended, on a backhand by Shelton that landed long, Kokkinakis dropped onto his back and pounded his chest. After he rose, he threw a ball into the stands, then walked over to Australia’s sideline, spiked his racket and yelled, before hugging captain Lleyton Hewitt. “I don’t know if I’ve been that pumped up in my life. I wanted that for my team,” said Kokkinakis, who won the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles title with Nick Kyrgios. “It could have gone either way, but I kept my nerve.” AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennisjili super ace demo free play 。

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Mumbai: BEST general manager Anil Diggikar on Saturday announced that the undertaking will continue operations of 12m-long buses outside railway stations and in congested areas. "There is no plan to withdraw long buses from congested routes...There are no diversions anywhere in the city," he told TOI. On Saturday morning, the BEST resumed service of its long electric AC bus on route A-332 from Kurla station. This is the same route where a BEST bus, driven by wet-lease driver Sanjay More, crashed into several vehicles and pedestrians, resulting in seven fatalities last Monday. The undertaking also resumed another 12m-long electric AC bus on route A-311 from Kurla West station to Santacruz East station. A senior official said that with A-332 and A-311 being reintroduced from Kurla West station, the BEST has now resumed 100% operations in the area. This was shut down for 3-4 days after the fatal crash, inconveniencing commuters who were at the mercy of autorickshaws demanding hefty fares outside Kurla station. The BEST has also positioned vigilance officers to ensure orderly queues at bus stops and police bandobast, including a riot control police van, at Kurla station. A senior official from BEST's traffic wing said that a five-member committee was scrutinising all documents submitted by the six wet-lease bus contractors. "They have furnished details of existing recruitment processes for contract drivers and their training protocols. They have also suggested modifications and enhancements to the training programme following the recent incident at Kurla," he elaborated, adding that these recommendations were being documented alongside the new measures announced by Diggikar. "We shall compile all measures to finalise a comprehensive SOP for wet lease drivers' training — to be announced next week," the official added. Diggikar has announced mandatory simulator-based training for all drivers alongside introducing breathalysers at all bus depots for drivers beginning and concluding their shifts from next week. The BEST GM also questioned the private contractor for the Kurla bus, demanding comprehensive details about the driver More, including his training prior to assignment on the e-AC bus, which is a larger vehicle with sophisticated technology. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

“We don’t have enough time,” I had said to my daughter as she ducked into the gift store on Toronto’s Bloor Street – just to look, of course. I had a million things to do after her ballet class, and Christmas shopping with a four-year-old was not on the list. But then I saw it, and time stopped. The ceramic tree behind the counter was a near replica of the one my grandma owned – hers, one she had made with her bridge ladies decades before I was born. I could hear her calm voice and feel her soft hands guiding me away from the tree’s bright bulbs, each nestled in a pocket of painted snow, and always too hot to touch. I could feel the comfort of sitting on her lap in the wingback chair, admiring her ceramic tree in the front window of the fancy sitting room, off limits to her grandkids any other time of year. The Victorian furniture. The plush floral carpet. If I closed my eyes long enough, I could see her eyes twinkle as we spoke; I could hear her shoulder-shaking laugh. “Mama, why are you crying?” It’s nothing, I told my daughter as she bolted down another aisle. My mind has gone back to that tree, those moments with my grandma, every Christmas. The sadness I feel that she – and so many others – aren’t with us is a rite of passage into December. The missing and the magic mixed into one bittersweet, forlorn feeling that is somehow festive to me. The hurt is not just about personal loss – it’s about injustice, too. The guilt of living in abundance here, and not clinging on to life there, feels more palpable. What right do I have to be overwhelmed about a Christmas holiday, when so many children have been torn from their homes this year, never to return – or worse? How can I sigh at my husband for playing the worst Christmas music – yes, of course the people in Africa know it’s Christmas – when so many loved ones aren’t with us any more, and so many are fighting for basic survival? The melancholy and guilt and nostalgia are all wrapped up together like Christmas lights I’ll never untangle. And though I don’t want my kids to feel unhappy – in fact, I go to great lengths to ensure this is their most wonderful time of year – I do want them to feel some of these less-bright parts of Christmas: gratitude, reflection and, okay, maybe feel a bit sad for others who don’t have as much, instead of simply seeing Christmas as an opportunity to ask for more, more, more. I wish my kid would put down the toy catalogue and understand a deeper meaning of the season; is that too much to ask? “Gratitude is actually the opposite of entitlement, and you can absolutely teach your kids to know there is nuance and sadness at Christmas,” says Dona Matthews, a developmental psychologist in Toronto, and author of Imperfect Parenting – a handbook on creating kids who are, among other things, grateful and understanding of the world around them. She says parents need to be honest about why Christmas brings us all down sometimes, and name our complicated feelings out loud. If, for example, your child sees a person asking for money on the street, Matthews says, “it’s okay to tell them that person doesn’t have what he needs by way of food and shelter. We are so lucky [to] have a warm house and food to eat.” She says we can teach kids about the cruelty and injustice of the world by speaking about our good fortune in contrast with the less fortunate, and then encouraging kids – even at 4 – to try to do something about it: donate to a food bank, give money or gift cards to a person on the street, or take their too-small clothes to a shelter. “They can learn firsthand that they can make the world a better place – that’s the next step in the gratitude project,” Matthews says. Gratitude and reflection – the things I’m needing most for my kids – are also achieved, she says, by saying no and not giving them the most things at Christmas – even when we all want to make merry. “If you want Veruca Salt for a child,” she says, “just give them everything they ask for.” I won’t tell her about my daughter, hands full of knick-knacks in the toy store, begging for a bejewelled reindeer and gingerbread chapstick. I told her to put it all back, though she’s grown up in a world where materialistic overconsumption is the norm, and she understands anything she wants can theoretically arrive at her doorstep the next day. It’s no wonder, then, that she views Christmas as an endless fire hose of stuff, when all of her parents’ holiday packages keep multiplying in our entranceway. And yet, if TikTok is to be believed, “underconsumption core” is actually having a moment: that is, the Gen Z aesthetic trending on the social-media app shows carefully curated young people showing off how they live with less, buy very little and reject messaging from big corporations that you need more stuff. It’s a message millennial parents – and their kids – seemingly haven’t heard. In the U.S., holiday spending has steadily increased every year – with 2024 expected to top US$989 billion , and millennials – specifically, those with young kids – leading the spending charge. According to a Harris poll, Gen Z may be watching those “less is more” videos but their holiday spending is extraordinary: A Gen Z shopper spends an average of US$1,638 – more than double their boomer counterpart. How can anyone expect to sit with the sadness of the season when we are all consuming too much – myself (and my daughter) included? “Mama, can we go home?” A Gen Z trend that is truly making a comeback is colourful, vintage décor – or so the store clerk told me as she wrapped up my purchase, with my impatient daughter pulling at my coat. “I got us something,” I said to my daughter when we got in the door. “I thought you said no more stuff,” she wisely observed, as she climbed into my lap to unwrap our new, old, sad, wonderful tree.Annual reports presented by the corporate sector are the cornerstone of stakeholder communication, fostering trust, inspiring confidence and setting benchmarks for responsible corporate conduct, said Chairperson of the TAGS Awards Committee, Chamila Cooray. She was speaking at the 59th TAGS Awards organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) on Thursday. She said, at best, annual reports excel in disclosure, clarity and consistency as they serve as powerful narratives, reflecting an organisation’s value, societal contribution and the roadmap for future growth. “The TAGS Awards stands testament to the importance of these core principles. Since its inception in 1964, under its original banner as the Annual Report Awards, this initiative has inspired organisations for nearly 60 years to achieve the highest standards in reporting,” Cooray said. President of CA Sri Lanka, Heshana Kuruppu said numerous technological advancements have been implemented by organisations this year to enhance user-friendly access to information, leveraging artificial intelligence and natural language processing for analysis and interpretation. “While technology drives efficiency, sustainability shapes purpose. The global emphasis on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations has elevated the importance of sustainability in corporate reporting. Although many large-scale corporations and export-oriented businesses have prioritised these efforts, there is still potential for further improvement,” he said, adding that embracing sustainability is not merely a response to global trends but is a commitment to creating long-term value for all stakeholders. For the first time in the 59-year history of the competition, CA Sri Lanka also integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its evaluation process, underscoring its commitment to innovation and staying at the forefront of global trends. At the pinnacle was Hayleys PLC, which clinched the Gold Award for Overall Excellence in Corporate Reporting, while Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC secured the Silver and the Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC and Softlogic Life Insurance PLC shared the spotlight by jointly taking the Bronze. Organisations were honoured across 34 sectors, showcasing the diversity of corporate reporting excellence across industries.ABS and Akselos Sign Floating Wind MOU

GUANGZHOU, CHINA: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Saturday announced plans to facilitate Chinese companies through a one-window operation, declaring Punjab as a “land of opportunities” for investors. Maryam Nawaz also announced the establishment of a working group with the appointment of a focal person, and the creation of a help desk to facilitate investment. She chaired an investment conference in Guangzhou on the sixth day of her China visit and expressed gratitude to the conference attendees. The Punjab CM briefed them on Punjab’s economic, geographical, and business significance. The roundtable conference witnessed participation from representatives of over 60 prominent companies from China and Hong Kong. Representatives from health, artificial intelligence, agriculture, information technology, waste management, solar energy, and other sectors participated in the conference. Key Chinese companies provided detailed briefings on their operations, while suggestions and recommendations on Pakistan-China free trade were also reviewed. Maryam Nawaz invited Chinese technology firms to launch operations in Punjab, with many expressing keen interest in investment opportunities in the province. Chinese representatives appreciated the “No to Plastic” campaign launched in Punjab to protect the environment. Maryam Nawaz reiterated her government’s commitment to banning the production, sale, and use of environmentally harmful plastics. She highlighted ongoing efforts under the “Clean Punjab” initiative, including a zero-waste mission and projects to convert waste into renewable energy. Maryam Nawaz emphasised the focus on affordable energy through windmills, solar energy, and other renewable sources. She welcomed partnerships in a mega solarisation project, underscoring Punjab’s growing demand for solar energy. In agriculture, the government is modernising through mechanisation and fostering collaboration in sub-sectors such as machinery manufacturing, food processing, and hybrid seed development. Maryam Nawaz also underlined the importance of innovation in the IT sector, welcoming investments in e-commerce, incubator centres, and e-learning. She invited Chinese firms to contribute to making the Nawaz Sharif IT City a state-of-the-art hub. She noted that Punjab aims to utilise its young, skilled workforce and explore bio and hydrogen technologies. Maryam Nawaz described Pakistan as a gateway to Central Asia, the Middle East, and other global markets, reaffirming its strategic role in international trade. She called the positive response from Chinese investors encouraging for fostering Pak-China relations. In health, she highlighted plans to benefit from China’s telemedicine technologies, while in agriculture, she pointed to potential breakthroughs with nanotechnology and water-efficient irrigation systems. “This is the best time for Chinese companies to seize business opportunities in Punjab,” Maryam Nawaz concluded. Huawei to help make Lahore smart city Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the Huawei Technologies have decided to turn Lahore into the first modern smart city of Pakistan. During her visit to the company’s Bantian headquarters in Shenzhen, the chief minister discussed various initiatives with the company’s executives to make Lahore a modern digital city. She invited the Huawei Technologies president to visit Lahore and invest in Pakistan, especially Punjab. She offered Huawei cooperation in setting up an office in the Nawaz Sharif IT City and after-sales service centres across Punjab. The chief minister also discussed issues relating to e-commerce, ecosystem and ICT infrastructure development, digitisation of health and education departments. She assured Huawei of her full cooperation in setting up an assembly and manufacturing plant in Punjab. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Stock market today: Wall Street rises to records despite tariff talkWhile the first step in getting on a better financial path is usually to cut unprofitable routes or introduce new fees and quietly raise prices, a more dramatic step for airlines is to bring down workforce. Two weeks before it officially announced that it was filing for Chapter 11 protection on Nov. 18, Spirit Airlines ( SAVE ) said that it would place an additional 330 of its pilots on furlough at the end of January. This was another cost-cutting measure after the airline had already furloughed 130 pilots and downgraded 120 captains to first officers in September 2024. Don't miss the move: SIGN UP for TheStreet's FREE daily newsletter Related: These flights are the victims of JetBlue's cost-cutting measures Shutterstock/TheStreet JetBlue to reportedly downgrade over 300 pilots to avoid furloughs JetBlue Airways ( JBLU ) , which was at one point hoping to acquire Spirit for $3.8 billion before a federal judge blocked the attempt last January, is generally considered to be on much more solid financial ground than bankruptcy-filing Spirit. At the end of July, it reported its first profit after more than a year of losses before its expenses caught up with it again in a $60 million loss in the third quarter. The airline has generally been looking to trim costs amid an industry plagued by challenges such as Pratt & Whitney engine recalls, high fuel costs and competition from multiple airlines flying to the same places. JetBlue's efforts to trim expenses over the last year include entirely exiting markets such as Kansas City and several South American capitals, deferring deliveries of new Airbus ( EADSF ) planes until 2029 and cracking down on perks such as hot food menu options in economy. The latest and more drastic change will reportedly involve JetBlue's workforce. As first reported by aviation watchdog social media account @JonNYC, JetBlue Vice President of Flight Operations Jeff Winter told the airline's employees that it would either downgrade or move around up to 343 captain positions in order to avoid furloughs. "During a Friday meeting with its pilots, Winter said the airline will cut 343 captain positions across its system late next year, according to a source familiar with the discussion," writes industry website AirlineGeeks.com . "Downgraded captains will presumably be placed into first officer positions." Related: Get the best cruise tips, deals, and news on the ships from our expert cruiser These are the other cost-cutting measures being made by JetBlue The airline's Los Angeles base will take the brunt of the cuts with either downgrades or displacements slated for 85 captains and 65 first officers. As part of the same efforts to trim workforce while avoiding layoffs, JetBlue will also reportedly offer pilots nearing it early retirement as well as other buyout packages for managers and other types of crew members excluding pilots, flight attendants and airline mechanics. More travel stories: "We are aiming to reduce our fixed costs through voluntary measures by giving people who work in a number of corporate functions, in our airports, and in our customer support center the opportunity to leave JetBlue with a departing pay and benefits package," JetBlue said in a statement at the start of 2024. This time, the airline has not been responding to requests to comment on the leaked information regarding pilot downgrades communicated to staff internally. Related: Veteran fund manager sees world of pain coming for stocksWork and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms said the move aims to drive “real improvements” for disabled people, whom the ministers will be encouraged to engage with on a regular basis. He told the Commons: “I am very pleased to be able to announce today the appointment of new lead ministers for disability in each Government department, they will represent the interests of disabled people, champion disability inclusion and accessibility within their departments. “I’m going to chair regular meetings with them and will encourage them to engage directly with disabled people and their representative organisations, as they take forward their departmental priorities. “And I look forward to this new group of lead ministers for disability together driving real improvements across Government for disabled people.” This came during an adjournment debate on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, where Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling raised concerns about “floating bus stops”, which have a cycle lane between the stop and the pavement. Intervening, the MP for Torbay, who is registered blind, said: “The Government needs to ban floating bus stops.” Sir Stephen said: “I do think this issue about floating bus stops is an important issue which we need to work across Government to reflect on.” Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, who led the debate, had earlier criticised the lack of accessibility for disabled people on trains. The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP said: “Our train network does not have level access, and we heard Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson from the other place make this plea back in the summer, absolutely outrageous what she was put through. “But I was absolutely shocked to find, when I had a presentation of the TransPennine route upgrade, that the rolling stock yet to be commissioned is not going to provide that level access. “It’s absolute nonsense, it’s not even in the design of that procurement, so we must do better than this.”

BILLIONAIRE tech mogul Elon Musk says he could transform transatlantic travel by building a $20 trillion vacuum tube tunnel. The Tesla and Space X mastermind believes someday tourists may be able to whizz between London and New York in as little as 54 minutes on board an underwater train. 6 Stock of an underwater train as plans for potential transatlantic travel have been revealed Credit: Shutterstock 6 The innovative idea is to create a vacuum within a tunnel that when paired with pressurised vehicles such as a train can travel at 3,000mph Credit: Getty 6 Tech mogul Elon Musk says he could transform transatlantic travel by building the tunnel and train system Credit: Getty Initial plans for the ambitious tunnel system have been around for years with Musk not being involved in the blueprints. Clever architects and developers are said to be working on the possibility of creating a tunnel and a train which is capable of reaching speeds of up to 3,000mph. The innovative idea is to create a vacuum within the tunnel that when paired with pressurised vehicles causes the almighty speeds. News outlet Newsweek reports: "By creating a vacuum within the tunnel and using pressurised vehicles, trains travelling along the structure could theoretically reach speeds of more than 3,000 mph. read more in ambitious builds HOLEY MOLEY Plans for HOLLOW skyscraper in the desert unveiled in £1tn Saudi vanity project ON TRACK New £2.3billion train route to connect two winter sun routes for the first time "Making the journey between London and New York barely an hour long." The current quickest commercial way of getting across the Atlantic and into the Big Apple is by plane. A non-stop flight currently takes between seven to eight hours meaning the vacuum tunnel could reduce travel time by up to a third of a day. This is if it can reach the unprecedented speeds experts believe it could hit. Most read in The Sun BUSTED Moment 'invisible' Scots cocaine kingpin 'linked to cartel' arrested in Colombia NEXT MAN UP Gers finally appoint new permanent chairman as lifelong fan starts after final LEFT FOR DEAD Man seriously injured in Scots park murder bid as police hunt e-scooter rider TOP TABLE Fans react as Gers legends spotted dining out with TV icon at top Glasgow haunt The current world's fastest public train, the Shanghai Maglev, reaches a top speed of just 286mph. But if the vacuum technology and use of jet propulsion can be developed then it could see the new train's engine capable of soaring to much higher heights. New £36billion mega sea tunnel set to be the longest & deepest in the world Despite researchers claiming to have the ability and knowledge to create such a fast-paced and simple route they are still facing a major issue. Transforming the idea into reality is expected to cost up to $20 trillion (£15.8tn). The almighty cost is believed to be the biggest stumbling block for any ambitious entrepreneur, bold businessman or even a nation itself to fund the project. Earlier this week however, X chief Musk commented on the possibility of the tunnel and claimed he could build it for a fraction of the price. The 53-year-old posted a reply to a viral post about the tunnel saying: "The @boringcompany could do it for 1000X less money." The Boring Company are a US infrastructure and tunnel construction company founded by Musk. They have already been leading the charge for seamless travel after creating a bustling, neon-coloured tunnel underneath Las Vegas. The company constructed a series of "hyperloop" tunnels around Las Vegas' Convention Center and near the Hawthorne, California SpaceX headquarters. Dubbed the Vegas Loop, it spans 1.7 miles and connects riders on the outskirts of the Convention Center facility to the city's public transit system. Its main goal to help with traffic congestion in the area. They are yet to formally announce any plans to work on the London to New York idea despite their founder's comments. The @boringcompany could do it for 1000X less money Elon Musk via X If Musk's prediction was to be true then it would bring the cost down to the billions range. The second major issue with such a transformative project is the potential time and effort it will take to successfully build and test it out. If it was to be built at the same rate as similar-style tunnel networks across the world, such as the Channel Tunnel then it could take 782 to complete, say Newsweek. It comes as developers are already looking into shortening the length of time it takes to travel between London and New York. A supersonic jet is in the works which is believed to take passengers across the ocean in 3.5hours. The XB-1 plane, from Boom Technology, has already completed seven out of ten subsonic test flights as engineers work towards making the aircraft supersonic. It has hit speeds of Mach 0.81 - or 499 knots, up from Mach 0.67 on its previous flight. And has reached a new max altitude of 23,015ft. Read more on the Scottish Sun XMAS BLOW Dozens sacked by Scots tech firm weeks before Christmas as bosses travel to Spain HAVE A BRAKE Entire Scots town to enforce new 20mph limit in major road shake-up Musk himself has also spoken about creating a rocket capable of quickening up the journey in recent years. SpaceX is reportedly building a vehicle that will fire tourists from London to New York in under half an hour dubbed the 18,000mph Starship . 6 Musk's The Boring Company have already built an underground tunnel in Las Vegas 6 Concept pictures of a high speed futuristic train Credit: Getty 6Australia has passed a social media ban for teenagers and children under the age of 16, which will apply to companies including Instagram , X and TikTok. The measure is intended to reduce the “social harm” done to young Australians and is set to come into force from late 2025. Tech giants will be up against fines of up to A$49.6 million ($32.5 million) if they do not adhere to the rules. As Statista's Anna Fleck reports, the new law was approved on Thursday, with support from a majority of the general public . However, the blanket ban has sparked backlash from several child rights groups who warn that it could cut off access to vital support , particularly for children from migrant, LGBTQIA+ and other minority backgrounds. Critics argue it could also push children towards less regulated areas of the internet. The new legislation is the strictest of its kind on a national level and comes as other countries grapple with how best to regulate technology in a rapidly-evolving world. Data from an Ipsos survey fielded earlier this year shows that it’s not just Australians who support a full ban of social media for children and young teens. As the following chart shows, two thirds of respondents across the 30 countries surveyed said the same... You will find more infographics at Statista In France, an even higher share of adults (80 percent) held the view that children under the age of 14 should not be allowed social media either inside or outside of school. This belief was far less common in Germany (40 percent), which was the only nation where a majority did not support the ban. Sentiments on smartphone use differed by generation. Where 36 percent of Gen Z said they would support a ban on smartphones in schools, the figure was far higher among older generations (66 percent of Boomers, 58 percent of Gen X and 53 percent of Millennials.)

Red Sox acquire reliever Jovani Morán from Twins for utility player Mickey GasperMatt Gaetz Hints at Next Plans After Confirming Congress Exit: 'I Can't Wait'Five holiday wishes for the Minnesota Wild

Jets' Ulbrich says Rodgers 'absolutely' remains the team's starting quarterbackMailbag: Why the Hotline is tough on Washington, Big Ten TV matters, options for the Pac-12, the SEC and the CFP and moreAfter the recent discovery of a destructive mussel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, some experts say California officials have failed to effectively enforce laws designed to protect waterways from invaders carried in ships’ ballast water. A state law enacted 20 years ago has required California officials to inspect 25% of incoming ships and sample their ballast water before it’s discharged into waterways. But the tests didn’t begin until two years ago — after standards for conducting them were finally set — and testing remains rare. State officials have sampled the ballast water of only 16 vessels out of the roughly 3,000 likely to have emptied their tanks nearshore. Experts say stronger regulations are needed, as well as better enforcement. “It’s not really a surprise that another invasive species showed up in the Delta,” said Karrigan Börk, a law professor and the interim director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. “It’s likely to continue happening.” Native to eastern Asia, the mussels — detected near the Port of Stockton, in a small San Joaquin Valley reservoir and several other Delta locations — were the first to be detected in North America. If the mollusc evades eradication efforts, it could spread over vast areas of California and beyond, crowd out native species and clog parts of the massive projects that export Delta water to cities and farms. RELATED COVERAGE US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? Airline CEOs and Buttigieg fight over regulations with only weeks left Delta CEO says the Trump administration will reverse government ‘overreach’ seen under Biden Ted Lempert, a former Bay Area Assemblymember who authored a 1999 state law aimed at preventing ships from bringing invasive species into California, said state officials “apparently took their eyes off the ball.” “We were trying to get ahead of the game, so I’m really frustrated that after all these years some of the events we were trying to prevent have come to pass,” he said. But the prospect of an invasive species colonizing a new region frequented by ships “is a numbers game” that can happen even under the most rigorous regulations and enforcement, said Greg Ruiz, a marine ecologist with the Marine Invasions Research Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. “This is not a failure in the system,” he said. Ballast water is stored in tanks to stabilize vessels at sea. Often taken on at the port of departure and released at the port of arrival, it is a global vector of invasive species, including pathogens that cause human diseases. To address the threat to ecosystems and water supplies, the State Lands Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard enforce a suite of overlapping regulations. The goal of these state and federal rules is to reduce as much as possible the number of living organisms in discharged ballast water. Vessel operators can achieve this by exposing their ballast water to ultraviolet light, filtering it and treating it with chlorine, which is then removed before discharge. ‘Highest standards in the world.’ But are they enforced? About 1,500 ships a year entering California waters release ballast water, according to Chris Scianni, environmental program manager of the State Lands Commission’s Marine Invasive Species Program. To check for compliance, officials board and inspect nearly all of them, plus another thousand vessels prioritized for inspection for other reasons, Scianni said. During these inspections, officers review ballast water logbooks and reporting forms, interview crew members, inspect water treatment equipment, and occasionally take water samples for testing. “We’re the only entity in the world that’s doing this right now,” Scianni said. A 2003 state law declares that the State Lands Commission “shall take samples of ballast water, sediment, and biofouling from at least 25% of vessels” subject to invasive species regulations. But commission officials told CalMatters they interpret it to mean that 25% of ships must be inspected, with no specific requirements for sampling. Sampling for some ships began in 2023, after the commission enacted standards for how the tests are conducted. It’s a considerable endeavor : A cubic meter of water — which weighs a metric ton — must be collected from a ship. It can take an hour to draw, and it must be done while the vessel is actively discharging. Hours more may pass before results are ready. Federal officials have their own ballast oversight program. It leans on a system of self-reporting by vessel operators — which critics consider a weak tool for ensuring compliance. An EPA spokesperson said the agency “can assess compliance with (the rules) either through a desk audit or an on-site inspection.” Many experts told CalMatters that the state and federal limits on how many organisms are allowed in discharged water are adequate but that enforcement is lacking. “We had the highest (ballast water management) standards in the world, but they were never actually enforced because the state couldn’t come up with a set of technologies to implement them,” said Ben Eichenberg, a staff attorney with the group SF Baykeeper. Ted Grosholz, a professor emeritus with the UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute said “the standards are very exacting...The problem we have is compliance. How many ships coming in with ballast water can we really sample and verify? Enforcement officials can’t watch everyone.” Smithsonian’s Ruiz said state records show that all documented ballast discharges at the Port of Stockton since 2008 have followed state regulations. Ships that discharge, however, occasionally remain uninspected as they enter a port. And some vessel operators may cheat, filling their ballast tanks with clean ocean water to pass off a faulty water treatment system as functional. Moreover, even treated ballast water can contain high levels of zooplankton. Ruiz, who has studied California’s data on ship arrival and locations of the mussels, said it’s probable the golden mussel entered the Delta at least a year ago and even possible that it’s been there for a decade or more, adding that “it could even have happened in the pre-treatment (of ballast water) era.” Somehow, the creature slipped through the cracks and made itself a new home in what has been called one of the most invaded estuaries on the planet. It’s an outcome that Lempert as an assemblymember tried to prevent a quarter-century ago, when he authored the Ballast Water Management for Control of Non-indigenous Species Act . The law required incoming vessels to either retain their ballast water, drain it while simultaneously refilling with new water hundreds of miles out at sea, or use an “environmentally sound” treatment system. It tasked the California State Lands Commission with monitoring vessels for compliance. California has since enacted a complex system of regulations: In 2003, the Marine Invasive Species Act expanded the scope of Lempert’s legislation. Three years later, the Legislature required the commission to set limits on organism concentrations in ballast water; these “ standards of performance ” were implemented in 2022. While the standards allow minute levels of organisms in the water, the goal is “zero detectable living organisms” by 2040. Several federal laws also aim to protect U.S. waters from creatures like the golden mussel. Penalties for breaking ballast management rules have been modest. At the state level, violations have resulted in 24 fines in the past six years, totaling just over $1 million. Federal fines are rare, with just nine penalties issued amounting to about $714,000 in the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region since 2013. Commission officials said “the frequency of noncompliant discharges ... has dropped dramatically since our enforcement regulations (with penalties) were adopted in 2017.” Can ballast water be sterilized? California officials say achieving the law’s goal of zero organisms in ballast water discharged into waterways is infeasible. It would require a network of treatment plants at coastal ports, costing $1.45 billion over 30 years. The shipping industry would face another $2.17 billion in costs for installing systems capable of transferring ballast water to the floating treatment plants. But Eichenberg said some ships already use commercially available systems that consistently, and by a wide margin, outperform industry standards. He said the state’s failure to require that vessels use the most advanced treatment systems available — technology capable of nearly sterilizing ballast water — has culminated in the golden mussel’s arrival. “Something like this was bound to happen eventually,” he said. State and federal performance standards — modeled after international standards — limit the concentration of living zooplankton-sized organisms, like mussel larvae, in ballast water before discharge to 10 per cubic meter. For smaller organisms, allowances are higher. But even in ballast water that has undergone treatment in approved systems, zooplankton concentrations can be off-the-charts for reasons not always clear, according to Hugh MacIsaac, an aquatic invasive species researcher at the University of Windsor in Ontario, who has studied the spread of the golden mussel in South America and central China. Treating ballast water doesn’t necessarily work. A study in Shanghai found up to 23,000 zooplankton-sized organisms per cubic meter in the ballast water of half of ships sampled, MacIsaac said. Ruiz, at the Smithsonian research center, said the study’s sample size of 17 ships is too small to be representative and that such high concentrations are abnormal in the United States. “We sample vessels here, and that’s not what we see coming into the U.S.,” he said. Ship operators have shifted radically in the past 20 years “from no management to a nearly complete use of open-ocean exchange to, now, an almost complete transition to ballast treatment technology,” Ruiz said. Attention turns to federal rules The federal government, not state agencies, will soon become the key player in ballast management. That’s because new EPA rules, which are likely at least 18 months away from full implementation, will preempt state regulations. The new rules — which state officials will help enforce — will keep the existing standards for organism concentrations, but prevent states from implementing their own rules that exceed federal standards. For example, California’s goal of zero detectable organisms in ballast discharge will be nixed. Nicole Dobrosky, the State Lands Commission’s chief of environmental science, planning and management, said states can petition the federal government for changes to the rules. Shippers welcome the shift to national rules that align with international standards, said Jacqueline Moore, Long Beach-based vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association . “An international industry by nature, the maritime community always appreciates consistent standards across the board, and across the ocean in this case,” Moore said. “It’s much easier for everyone.” But the change of regulatory oversight concerns Marcie Keever, the oceans and vessels program director with Friends of the Earth. She said that to date the State Lands Commission has been the more active enforcer. Preempting state laws with federal standards that she says are too weak “will essentially give the shipping industry a free pass to pollute...These shipping companies are self-reporting pollution instances, and no one is doing anything about it except for the state.” In 1973, the EPA exempted ballast water from the Clean Water Act. Eventually forced by court rulings to comply with the act, the agency released its newest standards in October for limiting organism concentrations in ballast water. Keever said the EPA is not setting the bar as high as it should. “We’re still basically at the same place we were at 20 years ago,” Keever said. “The EPA has never set what we see as the best available technology for ballast water discharges.” More than 150 environmental groups made similar claims in a 2022 letter to President Joe Biden, arguing that the technology exists now to almost entirely sterilize ballast water. “(W)e have the technical ability to efficiently remove or kill organisms that are trapped in a tank of water,” they wrote. “For half a century federal law has required EPA to use that ability to protect the environment and public health — yet EPA still refuses to do so.” The EPA disagrees with the criticism. Joshua Alexander, press officer with the agency’s Region 9 San Francisco office, told CalMatters that “the EPA concluded that these standards (in the new rules) are the most stringent ones that the available ballast water test data can support.” Can anything stop the mussel invasion? October’s discovery of the golden mussel in California is being treated urgently by state and federal officials. The creatures have wreaked havoc on water supply and hydroelectric facilities in South America, and they are spreading rapidly through central China. In the Great Lakes, invasive zebra mussels cause $300 to $500 million in damages annually to power plants and other water infrastructure — the types of impacts officials in California hope to avoid. Tanya Veldhuizen, the Department of Water Resources’ special projects section manager, said officials are considering the use of chemicals to remove the creatures from pumps, intakes and pipelines of the massive State Water Project, which transports water to farms and cities. Several scientists told CalMatters that with most nonnative species, eradication is only possible early in the game — meaning management officials often have one shot at success. Biologist Andrew Chang, who works at the Smithsonian research center’s Marin County field lab, noted an old adage in invasion ecology — containing the spread of a nonnative species is like trying to put toothpaste back into a tube. “The more time that passes, the process of putting the toothpaste back in the tube gets messier and messier,” Chang said. University of Windsor’s MacIsaac thinks California may be on the cusp of an unstoppable mussel invasion. “This is an enormous problem for your state,” he said. ___ This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

Cheers and beers for Ruud van Nistelrooy as Leicester reign starts with win

Home inspections can be nerve-wracking for both buyers and sellers. But they’re also a critical part of the process that can protect you in the long run. A good inspection can save you money by asking the sellers to pay for whatever repairs come up in the process, and it gives the peace of mind that your new home will be hazard-free when you move in. Bringing the right questions to your home inspection can set you up for success. Here are some questions you should always ask your home inspector. Your first question should always be “What does the inspection include?” Make sure you have a good understanding of what it includes and what it leaves out so you’re as informed as possible. Ask them for proof of general liability insurance as well as errors and omissions insurance. This insurance protects both you and the inspector in the event they make a mistake (and even the most experienced professionals sometimes make mistakes). When hiring, ask what kind of technology they use. A home inspector’s most vital tools are always their eyes and experience, but some tools help conduct a more comprehensive inspection in a shorter period of time. Common home-inspection tools include thermal imaging, video scopes, drones for an aerial view of the roof, leak detectors, electrical circuit monitors and moisture meters. Keep in mind that while home inspectors are experienced with plumbing and electricity, they’re not usually licensed professionals in those fields. A home inspector can only note visible problems and point you to the right pro to handle them. They’re not likely to detect problems behind the walls without some kind of visible clue, such as stains that indicate leaks. Ask your inspector to identify which issues are the most important ones to fix and which ones are just minor imperfections. Not only is it no problem for you to accompany them on the inspection, it’s often encouraged so you can ask questions and learn about your home and how it works. Pay extra attention to the condition of costly components like the foundation, roof and HVAC system. These components are often difficult and expensive to fix, so you should have a clear understanding of any flaws. Once the inspection is over, ask the inspector what the biggest issues are. They’ll sort through everything they found during the inspection and tell you which problems actually pose a threat. They can also give you an estimated cost of repairs to help you make an informed decision. Afterward, you’ll receive a detailed written report that details their findings and recommendations. Hiring a home inspector usually costs about $450, though the price can change based on specific purposes, home size and where you live. Not all states, cities or municipalities license home inspectors. If your area requires it, verify that your inspector holds the proper licensing. Look for certification from a reputable professional organization such as the American Society of Home Inspectors. Tweet your home-care questions with #AskingAngi, and we’ll try to answer them in a future column. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Forte scores 21, South Dakota beats Western Illinois 89-66GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Cooper Bowser scored 16 points as Furman beat South Carolina State 68-64 on Saturday. A jumper from Tom House gave Furman a 64-62 lead with 35 seconds remaining and the Paladins closed out the win by going 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Bowser added three steals and four blocks for the Paladins (10-1). Eddrin Bronson scored 11 points while going 3 of 8 from the floor, including 2 for 6 from 3-point range, and 3 for 4 from the line. Nick Anderson had 11 points and shot 3 for 9 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. Drayton Jones led the Bulldogs (5-7) in scoring, finishing with 15 points. Omar Croskey added 13 points for South Carolina State. Davion Everett also had 12 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Inside the search for the ‘WoW killer’ that never came

The Arizona Cardinals were rested, relatively healthy and had been playing some of their best football in years. That's why Sunday's sobering 16-6 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks was so surprising. “Frustrating day offensively, especially the way we’ve been playing to come out here and lay an egg and get physically dominated in a sense,” quarterback Kyler Murray said. The Cardinals (6-5) had their four-game winning streak snapped. Murray completed 24 of 37 passes for 285 yards, but made a brutal mistake, throwing an interception that was returned 69 yards by Seattle's Coby Bryant. The running game never got going, gaining just 49 yards. James Conner, the team's leading rusher, had just 8 yards on seven attempts. “There were a lot of things where it felt like the flow of things just wasn’t in our favor,” receiver Michael Wilson said. "Some games go like that. And then we didn’t execute enough to make up for the game sort of not going our way.” Arizona's still in decent playoff position, tied with the Seahawks on top of the NFC West with six games to play. But after all the good news and winning over the past month, Sunday's loss was humbling. “We’re going to learn a lot from this game,” Gannon said. Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Dante Stills (55) and linebacker Kyzir White (7) celebrate during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Seattle. Credit: AP/Jason Redmond What’s working Arizona's defense continued its remarkable midseason turnaround, giving the team every opportunity to win Sunday. The front seven doesn't have any stars, but continues to cobble together a respectable pass rush. The Cardinals finished with five sacks, all by different players. Second-year cornerback Garrett Williams intercepted a pass by Geno Smith on the first play of the fourth quarter, briefly giving the Cardinals some momentum as they tried to fight back. Williams — a third-round pick out of Syracuse in 2023 — is growing into a steady starting corner that the Cardinals have missed for years. “I thought that they hung in there and battled, forced a bunch of punts, kept points off the board,” Gannon said. “I thought the interception by Garrett was fantastic, kept us in the game there, kept points off the board. We made some mistakes. We made some mistakes, starting with me.” Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 16-6. Credit: AP/Stephen Brashear What needs help The Cardinals aren't going to win many games with a rushing performance like Sunday's. Conner, held to a season low in yards rushing, did have 41 yards receiving. Rookie Trey Benson had four carries for 18 yards, while Emari Demercado broke a 14-yard gain. Getting Conner going is key. Arizona has a 5-1 record this season when he has at least 100 total yards from scrimmage. Gannon said falling into an early hole affected some of the things the Cardinals could do, particularly in the second half. “I thought there was plays there, but again, where you get down in that game, you’re not really playing normal ball there for a good chunk of the game,” Gannon said. “So we’ve got to do a better job earlier in the game to make sure we’re not playing left-handed.” Stock up Fourth-year edge rusher Zaven Collins isn't necessarily the star fans hoped for when he was selected with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 draft, but he has quietly had a productive season leading the team's no-name front seven. Collins picked up his fourth sack of the season Sunday and put consistent pressure on Smith. Stock down Murray's still having a great season, but the quarterback's MVP credentials took a hit with Sunday's mediocre performance. He played pretty well at times, but the interception that turned into a pick-6 was a backbreaker. The sixth-year quarterback had largely avoided those types of plays this season, which is a big reason they're in the playoff hunt. “Can't give them seven points, especially when our defense is playing the way that they’re playing,” Murray said. “I feel like if I don’t do that, we’re in the game four quarters because that’s the way it was trending.” Injuries The Cardinals came out of Sunday's game fairly healthy. Gannon said starting safety Jalen Thompson (ankle) should be back at practice Wednesday. He missed the last two games. Key numbers 12 and 133 — Tight end Trey McBride continued his breakout season with a career-high 12 catches for 133 yards. Next steps The Cardinals have another difficult road game against the Vikings (9-2) on Sunday.Hyderabad: Global IT and engineering solutions provider Techwave opened its second global delivery centre in Hyderabad, along with its first AI Engineering Hub , as part of plans to increase its headcount to around 6,000 in India by 2027. The facility, which is spread over 1 lakh square feet at Financial District, has a capacity to accommodate around 1,200 people, including the 100-seater AI Engineering Hub that will cater to over 300 global clients. Techwave currently has a global headcount of around 3,300, of which 2,000 are in Telangana between its GDCs in Hyderabad and Khammam. The US-based company is headquartered in Houston and also has a presence in Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, and Hungary, apart from India. "We plan to set up a facility in Warangal as well in Q1 of 2025 and plan to have a headcount of 1,000 each in Warangal and Khammam over the next 2-3 years. In India, we plan to house 6,000 out of our total expected global headcount of 7,000 by 2027," Damodar Rao Gummadapu, Co-Founder and Chairman, Techwave, told STOI on Saturday after the Telangana IT and industries minister D Sridhar Babu inaugurated the new GDC here. At Khammam, he said, the company is looking at ramping up the headcount to 800-1,000 people over the next year or so from the existing 400-odd techies, who support global clients in telecom and utilities with technologies such as 5G, as well as data analytics and data integration. He said at Warangal too, the teams will focus on supporting clients for global telecom and utilities. The teams in Hyderabad focus on digital transformation, building interfaces, data lakes, and application modernisation. The newly unveiled AIE will develop proof of concept (PoC) for clients primarily across sectors such as fintech, manufacturing, life sciences, telecom, and utilities, he added. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

Representative image Singapore High Commissioner to India Simon Wong shared what he called an "impossible" Chai experience in India. Sharing his experience on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, HC Wong wrote how he was not very pleased with the tea he had at a tea outlet in Gurgaon. Though he didn't name the outlet, he shared the photo of a Chai Kulhad and the place he had the tea at (Chaayos outlet). The tweet got him not only a reply from Chaayos founder but also a flood of Chai invitations from people on Twitter. The Twitter handle Simon Wong posted from is "Singapore in India." What Singapore HC wrote, and the replies "The impossible happened. I just had a cup of tasteless #Chai in Gurgaon. Rs 169 with tax.🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️HC Wong," wrote Wong. Replying to Wong's tweet, Chayos founder Nitin Saluja wrote, "Hon’ble Mr Wong, I am Nitin, founder of Chaayos! In the name of deep India SG friendship, I invite you for a cup of Chai at a Chaayos near you! And as we enjoy our chai, i will share our commitment to get every chai right, including our no questions asked chai replacement policy!" Wong thanked Nitin and clarified that the intention of his Twitter post was not to criticise Chaayos. "Dear Mr @Salujanitin, It is very gracious of you. I was in sector 59 looking at factory land. I googled best chai near me and found the shop. No shade intended.🙏🙏so much. HC Wong." "Google is right on Chai" To this, Nitin said that Google is indeed right and that Chaayos is the Best Chai place. But he accepted that they may have messed up their Chai today. "Hon’ble Mr Wong, google is right. we are the best chai near you! however, looks like we messed up with your chai today! the weather calls for multiple chais a day, so i certainly look forward to having a chai together, so that you can conclude the same about our chai 💚," wrote Nitin. Singapore HC 'thanks' people for Chai invitations Singapore HC Simon Wong also thanked people for all the Chai invites he received from them. "The true beauty of India lies in her people. I am overwhelmed by the torrent of invitations to have a cup of the best homemade #chai. I humbly thank you all. 🙏🙏HC Wong," wrote Wong.

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Zayn Malik pays onstage tribute to 'brother' Liam PayneU.S. president-elect Donald Trump says he told Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky during a Christmas Day visit that he should run for prime minister of Canada. “I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in ice-hockey circles,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform Wednesday afternoon. “I said, ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for prime minister of Canada, soon to be known as the governor of Canada — you would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign.’ He had no interest,” Trump wrote. His comment about being governor of Canada refers to Trump repeatedly suggesting the country become a U.S. state, which Ottawa insists is a joke. Trump added that it would be “fun to watch” if Canadians launched a movement to get the retired hockey player to seek office. The Canadian Press has tried to contact Gretzky through his agents. Experts have said that Ottawa is rightfully focused on the prospect of damaging tariffs under the looming Trump presidency instead of pushing back on rhetoric about annexing or purchasing Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leads a minority government that could be toppled by a confidence vote next year, following the surprise resignation of finance minister Chrystia Freeland. Trump also expressed Christmas greetings to Trudeau, again referring to him as a governor and claiming that Canadians would see a tax cut of more than 60 per cent if the country became an American state. “Their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other country anywhere in the world,” Trump wrote in a post that also alluded to his desire to annex Greenland and the Panama Canal. Gretzky has previously backed Conservative politicians, such as former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown during his run for the party leadership. During the 2015 federal election, Conservative leader Stephen Harper interviewed Gretzky in front of hundreds of supporters as the Tories unsuccessfully sought re-election. At the event, Gretzky told Harper he thought he had been an “unreal prime minister” who had been “wonderful to the whole country.” Gretzky later said he always follows a prime minister’s request, regardless of political stripe, noting he had once hosted a lunch for former Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

Russia on Wednesday vowed retribution against Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of firing Western-supplied missiles on a military airfield in its southern Rostov region. President Vladimir Putin has previously threatened to launch a hypersonic ballistic missile at the centre of Kyiv if Ukraine did not halt its attacks on Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles. And one US official on Wednesday said that Russia might soon target Ukraine with another of its new Oreshnik missiles. Hours after Ukraine’s overnight attack, Russia claimed its troops had recaptured territory in its western Kursk region, where Ukraine occupies swathes of territory. And Putin told Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban that Kyiv’s “destructive” approach made a peace deal impossible. Kyiv has been on edge since Russia fired its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile at the city of Dnipro last month in a major escalation of the nearly three-year conflict. Putin called that retaliation for Kyiv firing US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow long-range missiles against targets on Russian territory. – Threat of retaliation – In the latest attack, Russia’s defence ministry on Wednesday said that Ukraine fired six ATACMS missiles at a military airfield in the port city of Taganrog. “Two of the missiles were shot down by the combat crew of the Pantsir air defence system, while the others were deflected by electronic warfare equipment,” the ministry added. It said no military personnel were hurt but that falling shrapnel “slightly damaged” military vehicles and buildings nearby. “This attack by Western long-range weapons will not go unanswered and appropriate measures will be taken,” it added. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Russia has signalled its intent to launch another experimental Oreshnik missile at Ukraine.” The US warning was “based on an intelligence assessment that it’s possible that Russia could use this Oreshnik missile in the coming days,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists. – ‘Tangible blow’ – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier hailed “tangible blows against Russian targets last night”, which he said would help bring peace closer. In a post on Telegram, he said Ukraine had hit “military facilities on the territory of Russia, as well as facilities of the fuel and energy complex, which is working for aggression against our state and people”. Ukraine’s general staff earlier claimed it had hit an oil depot in Russia’s Bryansk border region, also in an overnight strike. Videos purportedly taken in the Bryansk region showed a distant fireball illuminating the night sky over an urban area, while air raid sirens could be heard in footage from the southern Rostov region. Both sides have ramped up aerial attacks in recent weeks, seeking to boost their positions on the battlefield as ceasefire talks build ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump coming to power next month. – Zaporizhzhia toll rises – Ukrainian officials on Wednesday said that the death toll from a Russian missile strike on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia a day earlier had climbed to nine. And Russia’s army said it had recaptured two villages in the western Kursk region, where Kyiv has been waging a cross-border offensive since August. Hungary’s Orban, who met Trump in Florida earlier this week, held a call with Putin on Wednesday, drawing scorn from Kyiv. During the call — which was requested by Orban — Putin said that Ukraine had adopted a “destructive” position that ruled out any agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. The Kremlin said Orban had “expressed interest in assisting the joint search for political-diplomatic paths to resolve the crisis”. Orban later claimed that Zelensky was the one who had ruled out any imminent ceasefire. “We proposed a Christmas ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange. It’s sad that President Zelensky clearly rejected and ruled this out today. We did what we could,” Orban wrote on the X social media platform. Kyiv was quick to deny that claim. “As always, the Hungarian side did not discuss anything with Ukraine,” presidential aide Dmytro Lytvyn said in a statement. Zelensky also blasted Orban for talking to the Kremlin leader, saying it risked undermining European unity against Russia. “No one should boost (their) personal image at the expense of unity, everyone should focus on shared success. Unity in Europe has always been key to achieving it,” Zelensky said on X.

jili super ace gcash NEW YORK , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) resulting from allegations that Unisys may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. SO WHAT: If you purchased Unisys securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9648 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On October 22, 2024 , the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it had charged four companies, including Unisys, with "making materially misleading disclosures regarding cybersecurity risks and intrusions." Further, the SEC also charged Unisys with disclosure controls and procedures violations. On this news, Unisys stock fell 8.6% on October 22, 2024 . WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rosen-top-ranked-investor-counsel-encourages-unisys-corporation-investors-to-inquire-about-securities-class-action-investigation--uis-302328062.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.

The partner agencies funded by the United Way of Carlisle and Cumberland County provide critical services that make a significant and lasting impact on the lives of thousands of people in our communities. At the Bosler Memorial Library, United Way funding makes it possible to provide preschool age children and their parents with educationally and developmentally appropriate experiences that are fun and free. Research shows that quality early learning experiences lead to lifelong success. Through the library, thousands of children have started on that path to success. Children like Miles, whose mother says, “We’ve been coming to the library programs since my son was 8 months old, and he’s now 18 months. We’ve gone to Baby Time, Toddler Tales, the Play group and the Holiday Storytimes. We’re currently attending the STEAM Storytime. We continue to come for the developmental skillset Miles is learning. He is learning listening, speaking and social interaction. It’s learning beyond just loving books, which is awesome for our child to get outside of the house because I am a stay-at-home mom. We love that the teachers are modeling skills that parents can then reinforce at home with their babies. We see Miles generalize skills that he’s learning in class with songs and books at home. We love that the library is such an entertaining, educational and age-appropriate place for our child. We will continue to come for years to come." The generous support provided to the United Way of Carlisle and Cumberland County by so many individuals and companies makes it possible to transform the lives of people every day. The support that the United Way provides to the library and the other partner agencies is a lifeline for today, and an investment in the future. Jeffrey Swope Executive Director of Bosler Memorial Library Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!

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VOTERS IN DUBLIN Mid-West might think they’re seeing double when they open their ballot paper on 29 November. Two candidates with the same name – and similar taste in snazzy spectacles – are standing in the five-seat constituency. There’s Sinn Féin’s high profile housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin – and there’s Independent-turned-Social Democrats councillor for Clondalkin Eoin Ó Broin. Sinn Féin’s Ó Broin, on his second canvas of the day at teatime on Tuesday in freezing conditions, is taking no chances: every prospective Sinn Féin voter is warned about the Other Eoin. “Don’t forget, there will be a second Eoin Ó Broin on the ballot,” he explains to one older voter in an estate on the outskirts of Clondalkin village. “Is he with...?” the woman trails off, seemingly confused. “He’s with the Social Democrats. The way it will be on the ballot, my name will be first with my face and the logo. Just follow the face and the logo.” The two men know each other. They both live in this area – they’ve even received each other’s post. Sinn Féin’s Ó Broin first became aware of his fellow Eoin 20 years ago when, at a conference in Canada, the person introducing him included details in his potted biography seemingly found online in relation to another Eoin Ó Broin, then president of the University of Limerick students’ union. The two met a couple of years later, when Ó Broin (of Sinn Féin) joined a Shell to Sea protest, alighting a bus in Ballinaboy to see “this fella looking at me”. “And I’m look at him, and I’m going: ‘Are you Eoin Ó Broin?’ And he goes: ‘Are you Eoin Ó Broin’? So we had a big chat.” The Social Democrats’ Eoin is a fluent Irish speaker, having attended Irish-medium schools in Clondalkin; there is a large Irish-speaking community in the area, associated with the longstanding Áras Chrónáin cultural centre. Sinn Féin’s Eoin doesn’t speak Irish, but the Irish language surname is on his birth cert; his father attended a Gaelscoil. A few streets away, earlier that day, the Soc Dems’ Eoin Ó Broin doesn’t let the freezing rain stop him from going door to door. Like his fellow Eoin, he’s out twice a day as the election approaches. His biggest pitch to voters, apart from his own track record as a councillor (he got the council to fix a footpath in this particular estate), is his party’s commitment to – the plan to reform healthcare to end the current two-tier system, a policy with which Social Democrats founder Róisín Shortall has been particularly associated. He believes small parties need to be strategic, and the Social Democrats can position themselves as authoritatively on universal access to healthcare as his namesake has managed to do on housing. He adds that he believes Sláintecare would be “transformative” not only for healthcare but for citizens’ relationship with society and the state in Ireland. “I’ve seen a one-tier health system in Sweden, when I lived there. I didn’t need health insurance, and a trip to the doctor was a tenner,” the Soc Dems’ Ó Broin says. “It gives everybody a sense that they’re getting something back. They don’t have this unfortunate bitterness which exists [among] those who are above thresholds.” He believes the Irish system of means-tested thresholds for medical cards is a “Victorian charity” approach, whereas universal access would be “a game changer we need in Ireland for people to feel that we’re all in this together.” The Soc Dems’ Ó Broin completed a PhD in energy systems modelling in Sweden, before undertaking postdoctoral research in France. With his background in environmental science, he was a member of the Green movement when he lived in Sweden, but he believes the Green Party do not sufficiently prioritise housing and workers’ rights. In the estate he’s canvassing today, he meets some voters who say he’ll get their number one, and a few undecideds. Do people bring up the name much? “Yeah. Some people say, ‘this will be fun’. Some people say, ‘that’s confusing, you should change your name’.” He is not impressed by this suggestion. “You know, you don’t just change your name. I grew up in Clondalkin, I went to the all-Irish school here, so because I grew up here and it is my name, why should I change?” the Soc Dems candidate says. (Although Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin has been living in Clondalkin for many years with his partner, Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan, he is originally from Cabinteely and went to school in Blackrock. A blow-in Ó Broin, if you will.) Housing, waiting times for healthcare and access to supports for those with disabilities and additional needs are among the top issues that come up on the doorsteps in Clondalkin. Access to school places is also a big issue in this area, where public services do not seem to have kept pace with population growth. Both Eoin Ó Broins say the heat has somewhat gone out of the issue of immigration, relative to the local elections in June; this mirrors what heard However, immigration is definitely still on the agenda, and it’s raised a few times with Sinn Féin’s Ó Broin. He pushes back hard against the idea that immigrants are being prioritised on the housing list, as one Sinn Féin voter alleges, telling the man that that “every single one of those families” waited on the list for the same length of time as Irish families. “The only people who get council houses are people who have a legal right to reside and work with the state,” he says. However at another house (also voting Sinn Féin) he criticises the government for not consulting with the local community on a nearby accommodation centre for people seeking international protection. He tells a couple who say they’re concerned about the safety of women in the area that “a lot of concerns that you have, which are genuine concerns, can be addressed” through immigration being “properly managed”. “It’s the fear of not knowing what’s going on in your own community, and that’s why, for me, community engagement and consultation is key, right? People are gonna come, right? You can’t stop people coming, but what you have to make sure is when people arrive to claim international protection, there’s a proper process,” Ó Broin tells them. It is understood there have not been any incidents affecting the safety of local residents involving residents of this accommodation centre. Sinn Féin’s immigration manifesto, launched last week, promises to take the provision of accommodation for international protection applicants into complete state control, and pledges that new purpose built centres will not be located in deprived communities. Sinn Féin’s Ó Broin explains that to protect “community cohesion”, good quality accommodation has to provided in communities that “have capacity”, not in those that have been marginalised, and which are struggling already with a lack of basic infrastructure. He says these areas are identifiable using the produced by Pobal, the state’s social inclusion agency. By that metric, would areas in this constituency be suitable for new centres – in, say, Lucan, much of which is classified as “affluent” or “very affluent” by Pobal? Ó Broin seems to accept this could indeed by the case, telling that “the definition of ‘deprived’ is objective, and it has to be”, and adding that “large parts of Dublin city” would be deemed suitable for new centres under Sinn Féin’s plan. However, he adds that Sinn Féin would additionally require audits of local services to check whether there are enough school places and GP places before new accommodation for international protection applicants is approved. It sounds like you could rule out almost every area of Dublin with those additional criteria? “No, I don’t believe that,” Ó Broin says, reiteriating that he “absolutely” believes there are areas of Dublin that would right now be suitable for new asylum accommodation. He adds that while he advocates for more community consultation, he does not believe anyone should get a “veto” in the same way that nobody gets to veto Irish people moving into their area. “It’s about respect. It’s about engagement. It’s about talking to people, letting people know what the plan is,” he says. Sinn Féin wants to lead Ireland’s first left-wing government after the election, so if it gets enough seats there’s no doubt Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns will be getting a call from her counterpart, Mary Lou McDonald. For her part, Cairns has indicated she hasn’t ruled out taking that call and talking to Sinn Féin. What do the two Eoin Ó Broins think are the biggest points of difference between their parties? Sinn Féin’s Ó Broin says: “Sinn Fein is the only political party that can lead an alternative government of change. So if people want a change of government, they really need to think wisely as to where they give that vote.” He adds that there are “significant policy differences” between the two parties; the examples he gives are USC (Sinn Féin wants to reduce this tax and the Social Democrats don’t) and the fact that a united Ireland is a “key part of [Sinn Féin's] agenda”. He acknowledges that on healthcare and childcare the two parties’ policies “chime”, but claims Sinn Féin’s housing and other policies are more comprehensive. The other Eoin Ó Broin says the Social Democrats are a “coherent, centre-left party in an international left-wing tradition, whereas Sinn Féin struggle to define where they are politically”. “Migration is a good example,” he says, instancing Sinn Féin’s election literature ahead of the June local elections, which stated that the party was opposed to open borders. “That’s rhetoric borrowed from the United States. The EU has open borders by default. There’s an open border with Northern Ireland that they fought very hard to keep. So it’s that kind of inconsistency, I would say, which differentiates us,” the Social Democrats’ Ó Broin says. He adds that he believes it to be “disingenuous to people” for Sinn Féin “put it out there that we can have a society without property taxes or carbon taxes”. “We’re solid that we want healthcare, education, childcare, elderly care, to be available free at the point of use and paid for by tax, and we’re strong on the environment as well,” he adds. in this election, so Sinn Féin will be hoping it can once again return two TDs, Ó Broin and Mark Ward. Fine Gael TD Emer Higgins will also try to bring in a running mate, while Fianna Fáil, which lost its seat in 2020, is also running two candidates. People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny is running again. The Social Democrats aren’t the only party to have poached an Independent councillor – Labour has nabbed Clondalkin’s longstanding council poll-topper, Francis Timmons. Independent councillor and former Green Party TD Paul Gogarty, who topped the poll in the June elections in Lucan, could benefit from the fact that the incumbent TDs skew to the Clondalkin end of the constituency, while Independent Ireland councillor Linda de Courcey is running on an immigration platform. There are also candidates from the Greens and Aontú, as well as the anti-EU Irish Freedom Party and anti-immigration Irish People Party, along with other Independents.President-elect Donald Trump was welcomed back to the world stage on Saturday, sitting down with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron with a dramatic backdrop: the reopening of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. With Trump set to return to the White House in January, the three leaders met at the Elysee Palace in Paris with diplomacy on the war in Ukraine in flux. Officials close to Macron and Zelenskyy said the meeting was positive, without providing details. “The world is going a little crazy right now and we’ll be talking about that,” Trump told reporters as he arrived for an initial two-way meeting with Macron. Macron had sought to engineer the talks to initiate a discussion on how to end the war in Ukraine, an official in his office said. Later, the French president hosted guests, including heads of state and global business leaders, at the cathedral that was painstakingly restored after a catastrophic 2019 fire. For Macron, the day’s events offered a brief fillip as he seeks a new prime minister after his government collapsed this week in a show of force by far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Almost three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy and his allies are anxiously watching Trump for signs of how he plans approach the conflict. U.S. weapons and financial aid have been a vital crutch for Kyiv, but Trump had promised he would engineer a swift end to the war on the campaign trail. That’s fueled concerns in Kyiv and other European capitals that the next U.S. administration might roll back support for Ukraine to pressure Zelenskyy to compromise. On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces have been on the back foot for most of the year and Russian gains have been accelerating in recent weeks. The incoming U.S. president faces a daunting range of geopolitical challenges, including war in the Middle East and long-running tensions with China. Shortly before arriving at the presidential palace, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform about the conflict in Syria, where rebels opposed to President Bashar Assad have made rapid advances. A withdrawal of its troops that are helping support Assad might be “the best thing that can happen” to Russia, he said. The U.S., he added, “should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight.” The visit to Paris is Trump’s first trip abroad to meet with world leaders since he won back the White House in November and is a coup for Macron, who’s seen his political program decimated by the domestic opposition who forced out his prime minister with a no-confidence vote on Wednesday. Macron worked hard to engage Trump through his first term, despite Trump’s occasional barbs, inviting the U.S. leader to the Bastille Day ceremony in 2017 and taking him to dinner at the Eiffel Tower. Trump called Macron weak after the “Yellow Vest” protests broke out in 2018 and attacked him for cozying up to China. On Saturday, Macron deployed all his experience of dealing with Trump, welcoming him with a red-carpet ceremony at the Elysee and making him effectively the guest of honor at the cathedral. Trump was seated in the front row next to Macron and the two men were seen chatting during the service. Regardless of Macron’s domestic struggles, the meeting was testament to the unique soft power of France and the president’s ability to wield it. As Trump and Zelenskiy were speaking, an exclusive list of guests were arriving at the cathedral, which has been rebuilt at a cost of 700 million euros ($740 million). Bernard Arnault, Europe’s richest man, was among the early arrivals. Kering SA Chief Executive Officer Francois-Henri Pinault came with his wife, the actor Salma Hayek. Both men were major donors to the reconstruction effort. Billionaire John Elkann, who chairs automaker Stellantis SA, was also in attendance as was FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni chuckled as she posed for the cameras with Macron and his wife Brigitte. Zelenskyy embraced Macron as he arrived and appeared to say “thank you” to the French leader. The Ukrainian was given an ovation by the guests as he entered the nave. Trump was among the last of the grandees to be greeted by Macron outside the cathedral, though Elon Musk, a close ally of the president-elect, arrived shortly afterward, scurrying across the square in the rain. First lady Jill Biden followed soon before the ceremony started. After the ceremony at the cathedral, a select group of guests will attend a dinner back at Macron’s presidential palace. ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii could be available to play against Ireland on Saturday after the Wallabies’ medical staff ruled out any structural damage to his wrist after the Test rookie appeared to injure it in Sunday’s 14-point defeat against Scotland. Suaalii hurt his right wrist after tackling Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu with only 30 minutes gone in the game. The centre immediately left the field after losing function in his arm and experiencing severe pain but is recovering well enough to take part in training this week in Dublin ahead of the Wallabies’ final Test of the year. Suaalii was only starting his second game for the Wallabies, after his impressive debut against England and an 18-minute appearance off the bench against Wales. The early loss of Suaalii made life even more difficult for the Wallabies, with three tries conceded in his absence. Second-rower Jeremy Williams is also available for selection for the Wallabies against Ireland after illness ruled him out of the matchday squad just before kick-off against Scotland. Williams’ return is timely given Will Skelton has returned to his club La Rochelle in France, due to the Ireland Test falling outside World Rugby’s designated international window. The Wallabies are the chosen opponents for the Irish Rugby Football Union’s 150th-anniversary celebrations and will hope for an improved performance after being so clinically dispatched in Edinburgh. Wallabies prop Allan Alaalatoa revealed the team’s bitter disappointment after the game in Edinburgh at losing the opportunity of playing for a Grand Slam on Saturday. “The feeling in there was tough, like no one said a word, you could see the body language of the boys straight after the game,” Alaalatoa said. “Because there was real belief, that we could win the Grand Slam and that came through the way that we prepared throughout the whole year and the way that the whole squad has contributed. “So that’s footy I guess, and it wasn’t our night ... so we push on to the next goal, which is to beat Ireland in Dublin.” Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii on the ground after getting injured. Credit: Getty Images The Wallabies conceded 14 penalties in Edinburgh, their second-highest total under coach Joe Schmidt, only bettered by 15 against South Africa in their first game of the Rugby Championship in July. Alaalatoa experienced not only the frustration of the team’s disciplinary errors, but also the failure of their defensive system, after the team missed 34 tackles. “Especially around that first half, it was probably just the quality of our tackle, just finishing off those tackles ... our discipline, which are things that we can control,” Alaalatoa said. “So that’s the message for us as leaders, and through the coaches as well, that the momentum we gave them was through things that we can control.” Like the Wallabies, Ireland have two victories and one defeat in November, winning against Fiji and Argentina and losing to New Zealand. Alaalatoa is aware of the scale of the challenge in Dublin, but is motivated by upsetting the form book. “(It’s) very important, Ireland obviously have been number one in the world for a while now, or number one and number two, and they’ve been a quality side for years, so we know how important this is, but I think more so for ourselves as well,” Alaalatoa said. “To come away three (wins) and one (defeat) will be awesome for our group. So, yeah, the boys are well aware of the challenge ahead, off the back of a short turn around. I’m sure the boys will prepare really well for it.” News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter .

Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Newhook also scored to help the Canadiens win for the fifth time in six games. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves. Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel scored for Tampa Bay. Jonas Johansson stopped 31 shots. Newhook opened the scoring on a one-timer midway through the first period. Hagel tied it 37 seconds into the second period, but Dvorak and Evans scored 5:54 apart in the period for a two-goal Montreal lead they would not relinquish. SABRES 4, BLUES 2 ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jason Zucker scored a tiebreaking power-play goal with 9:30 remaining and Buffalo notched their third straight victory by beating St. Louis. Jiri Kulich extended Buffalo’s lead with a breakaway goal that went between Blues goalie Jordan Binnington’s legs with 3:41 to play. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist against his former team as the Sabres won in St. Louis for just the second time in 12 years to sweep the season series. Zucker had a goal and an assist, and Jack Quinn had two assists for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 35 shots. Brayden Schenn and Nathan Walker scored for the Blues. Binnington had 12 saves. Buffalo scored on two of its first three shots, including its first of the game. DUCKS 5, OILERS 3 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Strome scored with 2:36 remaining as Anaheim rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second period to defeat Edmonton. Strome’s goal, his sixth of the season, originally wasn’t called, but it was reversed after a review. Strome’s shot was entirely over the goal line before Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard could stop it with his skate. Mason McTavish added an empty-net goal. It is the first time since March 30, 2019, the Ducks have defeated the Oilers by more than one goal. Cutter Gauthier, McTavish and Robby Fabbri each had a goal and an assist. Drew Helleson also scored for Anaheim, which snapped a seven-game losing streak to Edmonton. Lukas Dostal made 20 saves. Leon Draisaitl had two goals and Connor McDavid two assists for the Oilers, who were 3-0-1 in their past four. Evan Bouchard also tallied a goal and Pickard stopped 27 shots. RED WINGS 4, CAPITALS 2 DETROIT (AP) — Patrick Kane reached the 1,300-point mark and Todd McLellan won for the first time as Detroit’s coach in their victory over Washington. Kane, who needed two points to reach that mark, had a power-play goal and assist during Detroit’s four-goal first period. Alex DeBrincat scored two goals and Lucas Raymond added another as the Red Wings snapped a four-game losing streak. Alex Lyon made 26 saves. McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde prior to Friday’s loss to Toronto . Alex Ovechkin scored for the second consecutive game after missing the previous 16 due to a fractured fibula . The Capitals star forward is 25 goals shy of passing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 . Nic Dowd had the other Capitals goal. Charlie Lindgren made 23 saves but Washington remained one point behind first-place New Jersey in the Eastern Conference. PENGUINS 3, ISLANDERS 2 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux’s Pittsburgh franchise career record for assists on Michael Bunting’s power-play goal and the Penguins beat New York. Crosby has 1,034 assists, good for 12th in NHL history. Only three players — Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman — have more assists with a single team. The 37-year-old Crosby has played 1,310-regular-season games. Lemieux played 915. Evgeni Malkin added the deciding power-play goal in the third for Pittsburgh, which has 14 goals with the man advantage in its last 13 games. Anthony Beauvillier also scored to help the Penguins win for the seventh time in their last eight home games. Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves in his first start since Dec. 17. Kris Letang missed the game because of a lower-body injury, and defenseman Nathan Clurman made his NHL debut. Anders Lee and Bo Horvat scored third-period goals for the Islanders, who fell behind 3-0 before their rally fell short. Marcus Hogberg stopped 38 shots during his first start since April 28, 2021. GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, FLAMES 0 LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brett Howden scored his 15th goal of the season and Ilya Samsonov stopped 31 shots as Vegas Golden defeated Calgary. Howden redirected defenseman Alex Pietrangelo’s shot from the top of the slot late in the second period and is now tied with Ivan Barbashev for the team lead in goals. Howden has scored a goal in four of the last five games. Victor Olofsson and Tanner Pearson also scored for the Golden Knights, who have shut out Calgary twice this season, beating them 5-0 on Oct. 28 . Dan Vladar made 34 saves for Calgary. The Golden Knights have now won six straight, the longest active win streak in the NHL, while improving to 25-8-3 on the year. They own a 13-2-1 record against Pacific Division opponents. SENATORS 3, WILD 1 ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Josh Norris broke a tie on a power play with 7:18 left, Leevi Merilainen made 30 saves in his fifth NHL game and Ottawa beat Minnesota. Ottawa has won seven of its past nine games, while the Wild have lost five of their past seven. The Senators won in Minnesota for the first time since 2016. With starter Linus Ullmark and backup Anton Forsberg out with injuries, the Senators have been relying on Merilainen and Mads Sogaard since before the NHL holiday break. Frederick Gaudreau opened the scoring for Minnesota late in the first period. Ridly Greig tied it early in the second. Claude Giroux added an empty-netter. STARS 5, BLACKHAWKS 1 CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn each had a goal and two assists, and Dallas beat Chicago. Jason Robertson, Evgenii Dadonov and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist for Dallas, which had lost three of four. Jake Oettinger made 24 saves. Chicago dropped its fourth consecutive game. It lost three of four in its season series against Dallas. Connor Bedard scored his 10th goal for the Blackhawks, and Arvid Soderblom made 26 stops. Next up for Bedard and company is the Winter Classic on Tuesday against St. Louis. Dallas grabbed control after Chicago forward Tyler Bertuzzi was ejected 8:11 into the second period. Bertuzzi was sent off for elbowing Stars forward Colin Blackwell in the face.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index moved lower Monday, weighed down by energy stocks as the price of oil fell, while U.S. stock markets rose. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 33.93 points at 25,410.35, while the Dow Jones led the way with an almost one-per-cent gain. “The themes of the last couple of weeks are familiar again today,” said Steve Locke, chief investment officer for fixed income and multi-asset strategies at Mackenzie Investments. Specific sectors that investors think could benefit from president-elect Trump’s promised policies have been leading the way, said Locke, such as financials, industrials and health care. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 440.06 points at 44,736.57. The S&P 500 index was up 18.03 points at 5,987.37, while the Nasdaq composite was up 51.19 points at 19,054.84. Amid the transition period before Trump becomes president, Locke said investors are eyeing pieces of information that could help illuminate what’s to come, in the form of nominations. The latest announcement was Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager, for Treasury Secretary. “The markets reacted positively to his announcement,” said Locke. “I think the candidate here ... is someone that the market feels a little bit more comfortable with in the context of gradual imposition of tariffs and things like that.” U.S. Treasury yields eased on Monday, after climbing post-election. Yields were on the rise after the election as markets priced in fewer rate cuts in the coming year, said Locke, in anticipation of Trump’s pro-growth policies. However, though the election has been top of mind for investors, the U.S. Federal Reserve has a lot of economic data coming down the pipeline before its last interest rate decision this year, said Locke, including data this week on the housing market, consumer confidence, and manufacturing. “It’ll be a little bit of a mixture this week, we think, but nothing that probably changes the direction of the Fed here too much as we think about the expectations for policy rate changes in the upcoming meeting in December,” he said. Markets are currently split on whether the central bank will hold steady or announce another quarter-percentage-point cut, said Locke. Oil prices fell Monday, which Locke said was likely tied to talk of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. The Canadian dollar traded for 71.53 cents US compared with 71.54 cents US on Friday. The January crude oil contract was down US$2.30 at US$68.94 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up 16 cents at US$3.44 per mmBTU. The December gold contract was down US$93.70 at US$2,618.50 an ounce and the March copper contract was up three cents at US$4.16 a pound. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press

jili super ace gift code WINDSOR, N.S., Ont. — A Nova Scotia support agency for homeless people is holding a memorial service on Dec. 11 for a man found dead last week at the site of an ice fishing tent where he lived in Windsor, N.S. Leslie Porter, director of the Windsor-West Hants Caremongers, says the man in his early 50s was a regular at a warming centre her group operates, adding that her community located 55 kilometres northwest of Halifax doesn't have services, including addictions treatment, that could have helped him. Connie Pollock, a volunteer at Caremongers and a friend of the man, identified him as William (Billy) Walsh and says that prior to becoming homeless he was a welder and — as a younger man — an avid motocross racer. Pollock says Walsh was one week away from being placed in an affordable housing unit in Yarmouth, N.S., when he died. Had he lived in a "physically safer place," she said, "it would have made the world of difference to him." “He was so excited to be able to move into an apartment and to reinvent himself." In recent years, he had become receptive to receiving care, Pollock says, but services in Windsor are lacking. Porter said, “If we had a facility in our area for mental health and addictions counselling, we believe he may have been someone who could have been helped." RCMP have confirmed that a man died Nov. 26 in the community and, while the death was not considered suspicious, an autopsy to determine the cause of death is being conducted by the medical examiner's office. “He was a good citizen . ... and when COVID hit he lost his shop, he lost his apartment, he lost his dignity and ended up on the streets ... and he just turned to social services for assistance a few months ago,” Pollock said. Nova Scotia announced on Oct. 11, 2023, it was investing $7.5 million for a village of Pallet shelters — self-contained units to be used as temporary housing. Pallet shelters have been installed in Halifax and Kentville, N.S., but Pollock and Porter said these aren't available yet in their community. There are almost 530 shelter beds across the province, with about 400 of them in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Kimm Kent, director of Peer Outreach Support Services and Education in Windsor, said, "we need supported housing ... the reality is nobody should be having to sleep outside and not everybody can manage an apartment by themselves." Alyse Hand, a spokeswoman for the Department of Community Services, said in an email that the province is working with municipalities and non-profit support groups to help homeless people. "Our focus is on creating long-term, sustainable housing supports and solutions that meet people where they are," she wrote. In Windsor, she said, the province is working with the Portal Youth Outreach association, which operates six units of supportive housing, and the West Hants Family Resource Centre, where the province funds one full-time housing support worker. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024. — Story by Michael Tutton in Halifax. The Canadian Press

As the world continues to embrace AI as a transformative technology with far-reaching implications, the MarsCode AI Programming Challenge serves as a platform for programmers to explore the limitless possibilities that AI offers in driving innovation, solving complex problems, and enhancing creativity. By participating in the challenge, individuals can not only hone their programming skills but also contribute to the advancement of AI technologies and inspire the next generation of AI programmers.Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger steps down as chipmaker struggles with layoffs and competitionMoreover, the lower competition in county towns compared to major cities has enabled Lululemon to establish a strong foothold and build brand loyalty among local consumers. By offering premium products coupled with personalized shopping experiences, the brand has been able to differentiate itself and create a niche market in these regions.

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In conclusion, Incremental Policy 2.0 holds great promise as a new paradigm for driving economic recovery and growth in the post-pandemic era. By embracing flexibility, collaboration, and innovation, governments and policymakers can harness the power of incremental change to create a more resilient, dynamic, and sustainable economy for the future. As the world eagerly awaits the implementation of Incremental Policy 2.0, the media will continue to play a crucial role in shaping public discourse and understanding of this transformative approach to policymaking.

Eric Trump, the second son of former President Donald Trump, recently made headlines with his bold statement on the future of banking. In a provocative speech at a financial conference, Eric Trump declared that traditional banks are becoming obsolete in the face of rapidly evolving technology, and that the United States must lead the way in embracing the crypto wave. He emphasized the urgent need for the government to develop a clear regulatory roadmap for the crypto industry.Furthermore, China's robust infrastructure development plays a vital role in driving economic growth and connectivity both domestically and internationally. The Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to enhance infrastructure connectivity and promote trade and investment along the ancient Silk Road routes, continues to drive economic cooperation and development across Asia, Africa, and Europe. The expansion of high-speed rail networks, ports, and airports within China also facilitates efficient transportation and logistics, supporting domestic and international trade.

Just_Super ETF Overview iShares U.S. Tech Independence Focused ETF ( BATS: IETC ) invests in U.S. technology companies that derive a significant portion of their technological capabilities, revenues, and production from within the United States. The result is a portfolio of nearly 120 large-cap U.S. technology Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of MSFT, GOOGL, AMZN either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.1. Listen actively and empathetically to their concerns and experiences.

The recent breakthrough in the domestic BCI field represents a significant milestone in terms of both technological advancement and medical innovation. While details about the specific nature of the breakthrough remain undisclosed, experts speculate that it could involve improvements in signal processing algorithms, miniaturization of hardware components, or enhancements in user interface design. Whatever the case may be, the implications of this development are far-reaching.

ATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son for federal crimes, with some calling the move misguided and unwise after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. The president pardoned Hunter Biden late Sunday evening, reversing his previous pledges with a grant of clemency that covers more than a decade of any federal crimes his son might have committed. The 82-year-old president said in a statement that his son’s prosecution on charges of tax evasion and falsifying a federal weapons purchase form were politically motivated. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Gas Detection Equipment Market in 2024: Integration Of IOT And AI Technologies Driving Advancements Of Market

Analysts have pointed to a number of factors that may be influencing the downward trend in gold prices. These include a strengthening US dollar, which typically has an inverse relationship with the price of gold, as well as concerns surrounding inflation and rising interest rates. Geopolitical tensions, such as trade disputes and political instability in key regions, are also contributing to the uncertainty in the market.Title: Chris Evans' Return in Avengers 5 and Reunion with Robert Downey Jr.

Sora is a gentle and ethereal being, with eyes that hold the wisdom of centuries and a voice that soothes even the most troubled dream. She watches over the Dreamwood with care and love, ensuring that every dream finds its rightful place and every dreamer finds solace in their slumber.However, their impressive run has come at a cost for other European giants, as the prospect of facing Liverpool in the knockout stages looms large. Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus are among the teams who are in danger of missing out on a spot in the quarter-finals, as they struggle to keep pace with the rampant Reds.In a stunning turn of events, a day trader hit the jackpot by raking in a whopping $1.38 billion USD in profits in a single day. This trader decided to put their money where their mouth is by leveraging their bets on a bullish position in Chinese ETFs, a move that paid off handsomely as Chinese concept stocks defied market trends and surged.

The confluence of these three signals – surging trading volume, increased market volatility, and a reevaluation of risk appetite – painted a picture of a market in flux. Investors were left grappling with the suddenness of these developments, unsure of how to interpret and respond to the changing market dynamics. Some saw opportunities for profit amid the chaos, while others retreated to the sidelines, waiting for more clarity before reentering the market.On the other hand, Tencent Video is not the only platform taking steps to combat account sharing. Another major player in the streaming industry, iQIYI, has also announced plans to crack down on account sharing by limiting the number of devices that can be logged in simultaneously. This move is in line with efforts to protect the rights of content creators and ensure that subscribers are paying for the content they consume.