The decision to remove Kuipers from their list was not taken lightly. UEFA conducted its own internal investigation and considered all available evidence before arriving at this conclusion. By removing Kuipers from their roster, UEFA sent a clear message that they take allegations of misconduct seriously and are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity in football.
In hindsight, the decision to sell the "East-facing House" and buy the "West-facing House" was not just a practical choice but a transformative one. The switch in orientation brought about a shift in perspective, energy, and lifestyle that was unexpected yet welcomed. It served as a reminder that sometimes, the most significant changes come from the simplest of decisions – a change in direction, a shift in perspective, a new beginning. As we bask in the glow of the setting sun in our new west-facing house, we are reminded that each day is a journey from east to west, from dawn to dusk, from beginnings to endings, and that the contrasts between the two can be just as beautiful as they are stark.Bills vs. 49ers Under Snow Weather Warning for NFL Week 13; 2-3 Feet in Forecast
Introduction:One of the key issues at the center of the investigation is NVIDIA's proposed acquisition of Arm, a British semiconductor design company that licenses its technology to a wide range of companies, including NVIDIA's competitors. The deal, valued at $40 billion, has faced scrutiny from regulators around the world, including the UK and China, amid concerns that it could stifle competition and innovation in the semiconductor industry.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was one of several senior executives at the company under investigation by the Department of Justice when he was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday. Thompson — who was killed in what police called a targeted shooting outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown — exercised stock options and sold shares worth $15.1 million on Feb. 16, less than two weeks before news of the federal antitrust probe went public, according to a Crain’s New York Business report from April. The stock price dropped sharply after the revelation that the DOJ was investigating whether the company had made acquisitions that consolidated its market position in violation of antitrust laws, a source familiar with the probe told the outlet. Thompson’s stock options reportedly had several years until expiration, and the sale of shares was his first since assuming the helm of parent company UnitedHealth’s insurance division in 2021. Thompson, 50, along with UnitedHealth Group chairman Stephen Helmsley, Chief People Officer Erin McSweeney and Chief Accounting Officer Tom Roos, sold a combined $101.5 million in shares, with Helmsley personally netting just shy of $85 million, according to the report. Charles Elson, founding director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, told Crain’s that share sales by firm principals are typically scrutinized by a company’s general counsel, who can determine whether any additional disclosures to the market may be required before the trades are executed. Earlier this year, UnitedHealth was hit by one of the largest healthcare data breaches in US history, the company estimating as many as one-third of Americans’ private data — potentially including Social Security numbers — were compromised in the ransomware attack. Follow the latest on the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson : The company wound up paying the hackers a $22 million ransom, CEO Andrew Witty told a Congressional panel in May. The massive firm — with annual revenue of around $372 billion — later said it estimated its financial cost as a result of the hack to be around $705 million, Reuters reported.
Black Friday could not have come soon enough for some CE and appliance retailers as they look to reignite tepid demand from value and discount minded shoppers. Several appliance retailers who are surviving on replacement appliance business, are looking to Black Friday revenue to bolster sales ahead of what could be a “poor” holiday sales period” said a Deloitte analyst. getting a good deal appears to be the order of the day with big brands such as Samsung, Sony, LG Electronics moving to strip share away from mass retailers with major deals offered if consumers buy direct from their own e commerce portals. Last week LG Electronics who have grown their direct sell sales this year, was out spruiking Black Friday deals on their web site for TV’s and appliances. A 65-inch LG OLED evo C4 4K Smart TV which was selling for $4,299 is now being offered at 50% discount, while a Samsung Frame TV was reduced from $4,999 to $3,460. “These are deals that won’t go through a high street retailer, and if you couple the direct sell by major brands with what Amazon are selling and you have a clear picture of how much business retailers are losing in store traffic” said a Harvey Norman franchisee. Brands such as Lenovo who are offering 58% off PC’s and HP who are offering 50% off notebooks are offering direct sell Black Friday deals in an effort to avoid having to give retailers a 40+ margin. LG Electronics splash banners spruiking Black Friday Deals Samsung, splash banners spruiking Black Friday Deals Retailers claim that are consumers are continuing to pull back on discretionary purchases of consumer electronics such as smartphones and appliance, instead they are sticking with older model devices. Another issue facing retailers and brands selling direct is that Google has been accused of “de-indexing” publishers web pages in the lead-up to Black Friday, amid concerns the search visibility of some e-commerce publishers who have revenue generating deals with big retailers will be greatly diminished. “It hasn’t happened in Australia yet but is tipped to hit before Black Friday one source told The Australian. “It’s a big power move by Google.” said one impacted organisation. By de-indexing news sites, the media outlets lose the passive income as fewer readers are engaging in e-commerce on their sites. An Australian spokesman for Google said they were unaware of the allegations levelled against the company according to News Corp who sells sponsorship deals to e commerce sites and brands such as LG Electronics. Black Friday, which falls on November 29 this year, has become the busiest shopping day in Australia in recent years, making it more lucrative for some retailers than the week before Christmas. US media has already reported titles such as Forbes, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fortune, and Time affiliate businesses had seen their search visibility fall dramatically, thus compromising their capacity to capitalise on their e-commerce deals with retailers and brands selling direct who have sponsorship deals with media Companies as opposed from buying direct from Google. Some observers claim that the coming Black Friday weekend is facing the real possibility of being less important after severing retailers started spruiking Black Friday in the second week of November. In the US this has already had an effect on some big retailers with Target stock being taken down 21% because of the effect of early Black Friday deals. “Consumers tell us their budgets remain stretched and they’re shopping carefully as they work to overcome the cumulative impact of multiple years of price inflation,” Target Chief Executive Brian Cornell told analysts last week. Several retailers including Big W, Walmart and Target have extended their one-day seasonal Black Friday discount offers into a sales event lasting weeks in a bid to tempt consumers to keep spending, as data suggests that their spree which has driven economic growth is beginning to falter. This is not unique to Australia, in the USA where Black Friday originated and inflation is lower than in Australia the practise is starting to have an impact on Black Friday sales. “We’re seeing this drag-out of incentives to try to widen the window within which retailers can draw in more consumers,” said Gregory Daco, chief economist at adviser EY Parthenon. “The likely reality in this holiday season is that we see fairly subdued sales because volumes are growing, but at a moderate pace — and [retailers have] much less pricing power.” Retailers were “incentivising via discounts and different forms of promotions” for those at the lower end of the income spectrum while also “trying to grab higher-income individuals to make purchases during this wider window”, he said.Ministers will not set an arbitrary cap on the number of civil servants amid reports more than 10,000 jobs could be lost as the result of a spending squeeze. Sir Keir Starmer has been warned by a trade union not to impose “blunt headcount targets” for the size of the Civil Service but Government sources insisted there would be no set limit, although the number “cannot keep growing”. Departments have been ordered to find 5% “efficiency savings” as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending review, potentially putting jobs at risk. The size of the Civil Service has increased from a low of around 384,000 in mid-2016, and the Tories went into the general election promising to reduce numbers by 70,000 to fund extra defence spending. Any reduction under Labour would be more modest, with the Guardian reporting more than 10,000 jobs could be lost. A Government spokesman said: “Under our plan for change, we are making sure every part of government is delivering on working people’s priorities — delivering growth, putting more money in people’s pockets, getting the NHS back on its feet, rebuilding Britain and securing our borders in a decade of national renewal. “We are committed to making the Civil Service more efficient and effective, with bold measures to improve skills and harness new technologies.” Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect trade union said: “We need a clear plan for the future of the civil service that goes beyond the blunt headcount targets that have failed in the past. “This plan needs to be developed in partnership with civil servants and their unions, and we look forward to deeper engagement with the government in the coming months.” A Government source said: “The number of civil servants cannot keep growing. “But we will not set an arbitrary cap. “The last government tried that and ended up spending loads on more expensive consultants.” The Government is already risking a confrontation with unions over proposals to limit pay rises for more than a million public servants to 2.8%, a figure only just over the projected 2.6% rate of inflation next year. Unions representing teachers, doctors and nurses have condemned the proposals. In the face of the union backlash, Downing Street said the public sector must improve productivity to justify real-terms pay increases. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It’s vital that pay awards are fair for both taxpayers and workers.” Asked whether higher pay settlements to staff would mean departmental cuts elsewhere, the spokesman said: “Real-terms pay increases must be matched by productivity gains and departments will only be able to fund pay awards above inflation over the medium-term if they become more productive and workforces become more productive.” TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “It’s hard to see how you address the crisis in our services without meaningful pay rises. “And it’s hard to see how services cut to the bone by 14 years of Tory government will find significant cash savings. “The Government must now engage unions and the millions of public sector workers we represent in a serious conversation about public service reform and delivery.”
