j'arriverais ou j'arriverai 。

The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on the founder of Georgia’s ruling political party, which has steered the country away from a pro-Western stance and towards Russia, US officials said. The US State and Treasury departments said they hit Georgian Dream party founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili with penalties “for undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation”, according to a statement. The designation of Mr Ivanishvili is the latest in a series of sanctions the US has placed on Georgian politicians and others this year. Those sanctions include freezes on assets and properties those targeted may have in US jurisdictions or that might enter US jurisdictions as well as travel bans on the targets and members of their families. “We strongly condemn Georgian Dream’s actions under Ivanishvili’s leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures,” the State Department said in a statement. “The United States is committed to promoting accountability for those undermining democracy and human rights in Georgia.” Mr Ivanishvili is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and served briefly as Georgia’s prime minister. In 2012, he founded Georgian Dream, Georgia’s longtime ruling party. Critics have accused Georgian Dream of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted towards Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBT+ rights, prompting the European Union to suspend Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely. In October, Georgian Dream won another term in a divisive parliamentary election that has led to more mass protests. Last month, the country’s prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced a four-year suspension of talks on Georgia’s bid to join the European Union, fuelling further public outrage.How powerful can male friendships be and do we need to rethink what being a mate is all about? Watch Insight's episode Bromance, on SBS On Demand . Stream free On Demand Bromance episode • Insight • Current Affairs • 52m episode • Insight • Current Affairs • 52m Tommy Herschell was often the first one at the pub and the last one to leave. He says his need for connection was a 'bucket to fill'. But he admits his craving wasn't always healthy. Tommy's parents separated when he was 10 years old, and alcohol helped to dull his pain. "For so long, I just didn't process any of my emotions," he told Insight. "And I probably didn't have people around me that allowed me to do that. I had a lot of mates that enabled me to do all the silly things and be the life of the party." Tommy says he acted like "the life of the party", but his behaviour was hiding insecurities. Source: Supplied Over time, Tommy realised the crowd he enjoyed hanging out with weren't good for him. "None of the boys that I was with would really challenge me. From the outside, I was that bloke that was a bit rude, cheeky ... always over the top, probably telling stories that weren't always too true, seeking attention ... because I was so bloody insecure." One night, Tommy said he drunk so much he "lost the plot". "[I] sort of smashed around the house and caused a lot of chaos." His wife urged him to call his close mate Neil, who called him out on his drinking. READ MORE I was an only child with a superiority complex. Until my six children humbled me For Tommy, the rebuke came as a shock. "I thought, wow, that's my first mate that's dogged me," he said. "There's that rule, you don't dog your mates. You leave them alone ... you don't snitch on them. And he did the opposite." The next day Tommy contacted a rehab facility, and was soon in counselling to process the pain from his past. "[Neil] pulled me up and he saved my life and saved my family," Tommy said. 'The moment the activity went... Nicolas Zoumboulis , Julia Abbondanza , Caroline Riches

Lisa Weston has announced her candidacy for La Crosse’s District 12 city council seat, challenging long-time incumbent Doug Happel’s bid for reelection. District 12 begins at state Highway 33 and follows Pammel Creek to Hintgen Elementary School. Weston Weston has spent much of her adult life in La Crosse. She graduated with a degree in secondary education from UW-La Crosse in 2005 and later returned to the area after earning her master's degree from the University of Northern Iowa. She is an as an associate director of residence life at UW-L and wants to continue making a difference in the community. “La Crosse is a great, family friendly place to live and work,” said Weston. “I have always been civically engaged, as I grew up with parents who role-modeled the importance of giving back to the community and doing the hard work of public servants. Even as a teenager, I knew a great deal about how the school board, fire department, and church decisions were made because of how my parents spent their time.” This background has influenced her decision to run, and if elected, she hopes to use her experience to make a difference in La Crosse. “I value collaboration, effective communication, and being a problem solver. I care a great deal about ensuring that community members can share their voice, feedback, and ideas,” said Weston. “I know that most La Crosse residents want a sense of belonging, safety, and a variety of opportunities for social interaction and meaningful work. We want our children to have the same in this community. And I know, first hand, that many college students who come here to study at our institutions of higher education, experience this, and often want to stay.” While Weston has not previously run for elected office, she has a history of community involvement. Currently, she volunteers at several local organizations including the Mormon Coulee Lion’s Club, State Road PTO, and the English Lutheran Church. The spring election for La Crosse mayor, council members in districts 7-13, and a special election for the District 5 seat will take place Tuesday, April 1. All positions are elected to four-year terms. The deadline to file ballot documents is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, at the city clerk’s office.Winners, losers as Eagles rout Rams 37-20 on Sunday Night FootballNorthView Acquisition Corporation Announces Receipt of Notice from Nasdaq Regarding Failure to ...2024: A Year of Shocking Revelations and Unforgettable Moments

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Farm tax row as Labour forced to deny plans to U-turn over inheritance raidFATF is not the panaceaj'essayerais ou j'essaierais 。

Mounties in Richmond, B.C., say a man has been arrested for allegedly uttering threats against police while livestreaming on a social media platform. RCMP say they received the complaint about the man on Friday morning as he stood outside Richmond City Hall. Police say officers flooded the area and made an arrest without any incident. Insp. Michael Cohee, with RCMP investigative services, says they commend the person who recognized the potential risk and called police. He says they take public safety and threats of violence “very seriously,” whether they are online or in person. Police haven’t said what charges are being considered but say the investigation is ongoing.AKOOL Announces Strategic Bollywood Partnership to Revolutionize AI in Digital Immersion and Video Markets

KENORA — A tragic accident outside Kenora on Monday morning has left two people dead. Ontario Provincial Police said a multi-vehicle collision at about 9 a.m. on Highway 17A resulted in the deaths of the drivers of two transport trucks. A third tractor-trailer was also involved in the collision, which occurred between Beryl Winder Road and Highway 596. Police said the driver of the third transport truck suffered minor injuries. Video posted on social media showed one of the vehicles on fire. The collision forced an extended closure of the highway in both directions between Highway 658 and the west junction with Highway 17. OPP are asking anyone with pertinent information about the collision to contact Kenora OPP at 1-888-310-1122, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. A cash reward of up to $2,000 may be available. Motorists are advised to check Ontario 511 for updates on the status of the road closure.

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Thane: The state excise department seized a huge cache of liquor being illegally brought into Thane district, allegedly for sale and consumption ahead of the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations . The collective worth of the seized contraband, ferried under the guise of paint boxes, is around Rs 55 lakh, officials informed. Officials stated that a truck carrying around 710 boxes containing Indian-made foreign liquor intended for sale in Himachal Pradesh, along with foreign liquor and beer manufactured in Goa, was intercepted by the flying squad of the Thane excise department late Friday near Shilphata in Mumbra. The seizure is considered a major crackdown on the transportation of illegal liquor within the metropolitan region ahead of the festive season. Officials said they will investigate to track the sender and the local consignee to know if a racket was operative in the region. "We were tipped off about this consignment so we kept vigil at the spot and as per our information, our teams spotted a truck bearing a Karnataka state registration number, following which we intercepted it. The driver showed us papers which said the truck was carrying paint boxes, but on checking, we found it to be loaded with liquor bottles," informed Praveen Tambe, Superintendent, State Excise Thane. The driver was arrested under relevant sections of the Bombay Prohibition Act and presented before the court, which sent him to three-day custody. Officials said they would investigate the consignor and the recipient of the illegal stock and take further action. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

How to teach your kids right from wrong without laying the groundwork for them to become a complete pushover in later life? That’s the conundrum explored in Hsaio Ya-chuan’s Old Fox , the Taiwanese submission for the Best International Feature Oscar . Set in 1990, at the height of Taiwan ’s economic bubble, it concerns an 11-year-old boy named Liao Jie (Bai Run-yin), who lives with his widowed father Liao Tai-Lai (Liu Kuan-Ting). Liao Tai-Lai is a gifted musician who dreams of opening his own barber shop but cannot afford it. By chance, Liao Jie comes to befriend his neighborhood’s notorious landlord, Mr. Xie (Akio Chen), and the difference between the two men — one kind but poor, the other ruthless but rich — forces the youngster to wonder which might be the most effective role model. “The inspiration actually came from the questions that my kids asked me when they were about the same age as Liao Jie,” Hsaio at said Deadline’s Contenders International award-season event. “They asked me questions about whether there is fairness and justice in this world, and I couldn’t answer those questions easily. So I kept on asking myself, ‘Is there? And what should I teach my kids?’ Those questions just stayed with me, and that’s how I came to make this film, by trying to answer those questions.” RELATED: Best International Feature Film Oscar Winners Through The Years: Photo Gallery Significantly, the film takes place during a specific period in Taiwan’s recent history. “So, a little background about 1990 and Taiwan,” said Hsaio. “In 1987, martial law was finally lifted. After that, a lot of the regulation changed for the stock market, and the market started to boom drastically. ... That was when the gap between the poor and the rich started to change so much, and that’s why I chose that time period for the story. Back then, some people got super-rich because of the stock market. Back in my college days, the whole street [I lived on] belonged to one person — the same landlord.” Unusually for a film of this kind, Old Fox is subtle about the lessons that Liao Jie learns; Hsaio’s story is more concerned with the way the boy considers his options. “I think it’s about making a moral choice, which is really, really universal,” said Hsaio. “Even nowadays, in 2024, we still experience the same situation. The gap between the rich and the poor didn’t disappear. It actually became even more drastic. The rich are definitely way richer, and the poor are way poorer. So, we are still in this same situation.” RELATED: Contenders International — Deadline’s Complete Coverage The inequality between rich and poor won’t go away any time soon, and Hsaio is realistic about his film’s chances of changing the status quo. “I definitely think it’s hard to have an impact on a massive global impact in such a short time and just with a movie,” he said, “But what we can do is that we can start [the conversation] within ourselves. So that’s one reason also I’m making this film, to have this dialogue with my children about the choices you make, if you want to be more like Boss Xie or if you want to be more like Liao Tai-Lai or if you can find your own way, somewhere in the middle, to be a little selfish but also have a heart — to be able to care about others and not harm them in a very bad way. With this movie, I can plant some seeds in the audience’s head. Although they might not change overnight, they can definitely start to think about this topic.” Check back Monday for the panel video. RELATED: The 2025 Oscars: Everything We Know So Far About The Nominations, Ceremony, Date & Host

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 5:24 p.m. ESTBEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters.

Palantir Technologies ( PLTR 1.56% ) shares have soared by 285% this year, while Nvidia ( NVDA 2.15% ) shares have advanced by 175%. Both companies play important roles in the burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) economy, but several billionaire fund managers sold some of their Palantir stakes and bought more shares of Nvidia during the third quarter. Cliff Asness of AQR Capital Management sold 99,140 shares of Palantir, cutting his position by 16%. Meanwhile, he added 719,710 shares of Nvidia, upping his position by 5%. Nvidia is now the largest position in AQR's portfolio. Ken Griffin of Citadel sold 5.1 million shares of Palantir, reducing his stake by 91%. Meanwhile, he bought 4.7 million shares of Nvidia, increasing his stake by 194%. Nvidia is the second largest position in Citadel's portfolio, excluding options contracts and index funds. Steven Schonfeld of Schonfeld Strategic Advisors sold 60,384 shares of Palantir, closing his position in it completely. Meanwhile, he added 703,192 shares of Nvidia, increasing his stake by 217%. Nvidia is the largest holding in Schonfeld's portfolio, excluding index funds. Palantir Technologies: The stock some billionaires were selling Palantir provides data analytics software. Its core Gotham and Foundry platforms integrate information and machine learning (ML) models into an ontology -- a digital layer that defines the relationships between real-world objects. Using prebuilt and custom analytics tools, businesses can query the ontology layer to surface insights that improve decision-making. Palantir also has an artificial intelligence platform called AIP, which brings generative AI support to its core products, letting users engage with that software using natural language. For instance, procurement teams managing supply chains with Foundry can simply ask the platform to review problems and propose solutions as they arise. While many vendors sell AI and analytics tools, Palantir believes it is unique in its ability to operationalize AI. In other words, Palantir says its software lets clients move prototype use cases to production more effectively than other solutions. There may be a bit of posturing in that belief, but analysts have recognized Palantir as a leader in AI/ML platforms. Palantir reported excellent financial results in the third quarter, beating estimates on the top and bottom lines. Revenue increased 30% to $725 million, and non-GAAP net income surged 43% to $0.10 per diluted share. Management attributed its strong performance to momentum with AIP. "Our unchallenged ability to channel and guide the demand for integrating AI seamlessly with essential data, distribution, and decision-making structures is what truly sets us apart," CEO Alex Karp wrote in his letter to shareholders. That confidence is undoubtedly encouraging for Palantir shareholders, but the company's valuation has become a significant problem. Wall Street expects Palantir to grow its adjusted earnings at an annualized rate of 27% through 2025. That makes the current valuation of 188 times earnings look absurdly expensive. Those figures give it a price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 7, and conventional wisdom says anything trading at a PEG above 2 is expensive. Prospective investors should avoid this stock for the time being, and current shareholders should consider trimming large positions. Nvidia: The stock some billionaires were buying Dan Ives at Wedbush Securities says Nvidia is the "foundation of the AI revolution." The company designs the most coveted graphics processing units (GPUs) in the computing industry. Nvidia accounted for 98% of data center GPU shipments in the last two years, and it has about 80% market share in AI accelerator chips. That leadership is reinforced by CUDA, a robust ecosystem of software development tools. An article in The Wall Street Journal recently explained how CUDA contributed to the rise of Nvidia: "Year after year, Nvidia responded to the needs of software developers by pumping out specialized libraries of code, allowing a huge array of tasks to be performed on its GPUs at speeds that were impossible with conventional, general-purpose processors like those made by Intel and AMD ," wrote that newspaper's Christopher Mims. Nvidia reported excellent financial results in the third quarter, beating estimates on the top and bottom lines. Revenue rose 94% to $35 billion, and non-GAAP net income jumped 103% to $0.81 per diluted share. Investors have good reason to think that momentum will continue. Nvidia is currently ramping up production of its next-generation Blackwell GPUs, and CFO Colette Kress recently told analysts, "Demand is staggering." Looking ahead, Wall Street expects Nvidia's adjusted earnings to increase at an annualized rate of 52% through its fiscal 2026, which ends in January 2026. That consensus makes the current valuation of 52 times adjusted earnings look quite reasonable. Those figures give a PEG ratio of 1, which makes Nvidia far cheaper than Palantir. Patient investors should be comfortable buying a position in this stock today.

DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — Kinkead Dent threw for 246 yards and ran for another 56 yards and a touchdown as UT Martin rolled to a 41-10 win over New Hampshire in an FCS first-round game on Saturday. The Skyhawks (9-4) advance to face unbeaten and top-seeded Montana State (12-0) in the second round. UT Martin's rushing game amassed 236 yards on 52 carries and five different backs reached the end zone. Meanwhile, the Skyhawks limited New Hampshire to 124 yards of total offense and held the Wildcats' run game to just 53 yards on 16 carries. Rashad Raymond scored from 4-yards out midway through the first quarter to put UT Martin on the board first and All-Big South/OVC first-team running back Patrick Smith added a 3-yard scoring run in the second to take a 17-7 lead. Dent capped an eight-play, 80-yard drive by nosing in from the 2 and Jaren Van Winkle kicked field goals from 30- and 36-yards to make it 24-7 at intermission. Trevonte Rucker scored from the 4 to start the fourth quarter and Glover Cook III punched in from the 1 to complete the scoring. Dent Completed 17 of 26 passes without an interception. Rucker caught nine passes for 98 yards and DeVonte Tanksley caught four for 81, including a 56-yard reception. Smith carried 15 times for 71 yards. Glover had 12 carries for 56. Seth Morgan was held to 14 of 35 passing with an interception for New Hampshire (8-5). Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Butler 69, Mass.-Lowell 44Tensions between Jake and Logan Paul amidst recent reports linking them both to a Conor McGregor fight are temporarily on hold for Christmas . It’s been a wild week for the Paul brothers as they prepare to enjoy the Christmas holiday. After Logan was initially linked to fight talks with UFC superstar Conor McGregor , the internet nearly broke earlier this week after reports surfaced that Jake was also in talks for a boxing match with the former UFC champ. While details surrounding the firestorm fight talks remain cloudy, McGregor is eying a combat sports return in India for a boxing fight with either Paul brother. McGregor hasn’t fought since snapping his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. The narrative that Jake and Logan were trying to snipe the McGregor fight from the other was further fueled after a series of cryptic social media posts from all parties involved. Despite the confusion surrounding the fight talks with the Paul brothers and McGregor, that didn’t stop the brothers from shooting some stunts while with family for Christmas. READ MORE: Legendary UFC featherweight champion outlines gameplan to beat Alex Pereira despite 60lb weight difference Jake and Logan Paul share humorous clips together amidst Conor McGregor fight talks In a collaborative Instagram post, Jake and Logan can be seen sliding on icy terrain in Ohio while spending time with family for Christmas. “We do our own stunts, unsuccessfully lol,” Jake posted Tuesday. “So grateful for family and fun this Christmas. Never grow up kids. That’s the key. Love you all from the Pauls.” Jake and Logan were linked to a similar tension-filled scenario last year during an episode of Logan’s IMPAULSIVE podcast. During Episode 390, Jake and Logan got into a heated argument over their boxing careers and the perception that Jake sniped a fight with Nate Diaz from Logan. Cooler heads eventually prevailed, and Jake defeated Diaz in the ring by unanimous decision. Logan returned to the ring last year against former Bellator fighter Dillon Danis, earning a disqualification victory. A Jake Paul vs. Diaz rematch has also been floated around after Diaz implored Jake to ‘sign the contract’ in a recent social media post. UFC CEO Dana White teased a ‘surprise’ announcement during the UFC Tampa post-fight press conference, which many speculated had to do with McGregor and the Paul brothers. But as of this writing, nothing has been formally announced regarding a fight, although a proposed timeframe is reported for Summer 2025. READ MORE: Ryan Curtis wins Fighter of The Year award as he returns to the mats less than one year after being told he might ‘never walk again’ Christmas precedes potentially messy Paul vs. McGregor fight talks Jake most recently defeated heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson in the ring just months ago for his fifth consecutive win. A rematch with Tommy Fury, who handed Jake his first career defeat last year, has also been proposed as a potential next fight for the polarizing boxer. The new year could feature plenty of wild headlines featuring the Paul brothers and McGregor. For now, the Paul brothers seem on good terms as reported fight talks between both of them and McGregor move along. READ MORE: Ilia Topuria’s callout of Khabib Nurmagomedov rubbished as truth behind UFC legend’s dominance is explained

live fast die hard meaning If you were fascinated by The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, a historical fiction novel that beautifully intertwines the life of Rani Jindan Kaur with the politics of 19th-century British India, you are likely craving more novels that explore similar themes of powerful women, historical drama, and complex political landscapes. Here are 8 books that will appeal to fans of The Last Queen. 1. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni If you loved The Last Queen, you’ll want to explore more of Divakaruni's evocative storytelling. In The Palace of Illusions, Divakaruni retells the story of Draupadi, the fierce and enigmatic princess from the Mahabharata. The novel is set in ancient India and combines mythology with the personal journey of a woman navigating her place in the world. It explores themes of power, destiny, and love, much like The Last Queen, but in a completely different historical context. The rich narrative of self-discovery and resistance will resonate with readers drawn to strong female protagonists. 2. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See This historical novel blends family drama with cultural history, much like The Last Queen’s portrayal of royal intrigue. Set in the remote mountains of China, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane tells the story of Li-yan, a young girl from an Akha ethnic minority, who grows up learning the ancient art of tea cultivation. As the narrative unfolds, it reveals her struggles with her heritage, the weight of tradition, and the complexities of family relationships. Like The Last Queen, it is a powerful story of women fighting for agency in a world that often marginalizes them. 3. The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman For readers who enjoyed The Last Queen's historical backdrop and its exploration of resilience, The Zookeeper’s Wife is an excellent choice. Based on a true story, this novel tells the tale of Antonina and Jan Żabiński, who risked their lives to save hundreds of Jews during World War II by hiding them in their zoo in Warsaw. While the story is set in a different time and place, it shares The Last Queen's exploration of extraordinary women facing dangerous circumstances while making profound contributions to history. 4. The Daughters of Yalta by Catherine Grace Katz If you enjoyed The Last Queen’s focus on the intersection of personal lives with monumental historical events, The Daughters of Yalta will keep you equally engrossed. This non-fiction book explores the lives of three young women who were pivotal players at the Yalta Conference in 1945. They were daughters of Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin, and the book examines their influence on the post-war world, much like how The Last Queen sheds light on the life of Rani Jindan amidst British colonial rule. 5. Atonement by Ian McEwan For readers who enjoyed the emotional depth and political undertones in The Last Queen, Atonement is a perfect choice. This novel spans several decades, beginning in the 1930s, and revolves around a lie told by a young girl that forever alters the lives of those involved. Set during World War II, Atonement explores themes of guilt, love, and the impact of personal decisions on larger historical events. Like The Last Queen, it reveals the personal consequences of political and historical forces. 6. The Mistry of Women by Nandini Sengupta This novel blends history with the lives of strong women navigating complex political landscapes. The Mistry of Women is a historical novel that unfolds in the backdrop of India’s independence movement. Much like The Last Queen, the story captures the courage and strength of women who must navigate the often treacherous political environment, with romance, betrayal, and intrigue woven throughout. Sengupta’s gripping narrative of historical events offers a deep dive into India’s past through the lens of women’s struggles. 7. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory Philippa Gregory’s The White Queen is the first book in her War of the Roses series, which delves into the tumultuous period of English history marked by the power struggle between the houses of Lancaster and York. This book, focusing on the life of Elizabeth Woodville, who became Queen of England, will appeal to readers of The Last Queen who enjoy complex female characters in royal settings. Like Rani Jindan Kaur, Elizabeth Woodville is a woman navigating the dangerous and competitive world of royalty, where loyalty and betrayal often collide. 8. Circe by Madeline Miller For fans of historical fiction that blends mythology with strong female characters, Circe by Madeline Miller offers a compelling narrative. The novel tells the story of Circe, the enchantress from Homer's Odyssey. It explores her transformation from a neglected daughter of a god to a powerful woman in her own right. Like The Last Queen, it delves into themes of empowerment, transformation, and resilience against oppressive forces, making it a must-read for those who loved the portrayal of Rani Jindan's strength and determination. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Features, Lifestyle and around the world.

DOZENS of channels have disappeared from boxes in the last 12 months - and an expert warns more are likely to follow. UK broadcasting giants including Sky and Virgin have oversaw huge shifts in 2024 with the continued growth of streaming. Big closures this year include the end of several music channels, with The Box, 4 Music, Kiss, Kerrang and Magic disappearing in June. The Box had been on air for 32 years. At the start of the year, entertainment channel E! went off air in the UK . Numerous shopping and international channels have also gone. And a big chunk of old SD (standard definition) channels closed on satellite too to make way for HD (high definition) only, including BBC, ITV and Channel 4. As a result, Sky and Virgin Media have embraced so-called FAST - free ad-support TV - that are beamed into homes via the internet. There have been a huge expansion in FAST channels this year as a free alternative to Netflix, Prime and other streaming giants. Even the traditional big players in broadcasting are taking a more streaming first approach, with ITV making Corrie and Emmerdale available on ITVX first every morning ahead of their evening slot on ITV1. Meanwhile, Freeview is preparing for an internet-based TV future, launching Freely earlier this year which can work without an aerial. An industry expert told The Sun that more channel closures are likely in 2025 and beyond as the trend continues. "This is inevitable, more broadcasters will cull broadcast/linear TV channels as viewers are flocking to streaming services," Paolo Pescatore from PP Foresight said. "The big TV switch off is around the corner, with all programming set to be delivered via the internet. "Viewers are now spoilt for choice with how and where they watch the TV shows they love across a range of connected devices. "To respond, broadcasters need to be prepared and work more closely with telecom providers to ensure a seamless experience for users." Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun CBBC and BBC Four are big names at risk for 2025. The BBC announced in 2022 that the pair would disappear as traditional linear channels in a few years and go digital only via iPlayer. When Channel 4 announced the closure of The Box and other music channels it owned in January, the broadcaster hinted that more could come. At the time the company said it was proposing to "close small linear channels that no longer deliver revenues or public value at scale, including the Box channels in 2024 and others at the right time". So which could the "others" be? It really depends what Channel 4 considers "small" but its other channels include More4, E4, E4 Extra, Film4 and 4Seven.

In 2018, two children in Samoa died after receiving measles vaccines, because the nurses who administered them had mistakenly mixed the vaccine powder with a muscle relaxant. Local vaccine skeptics seized on the tragedy, and the government temporarily suspended its immunization program. Children's Health Defense, an organization chaired by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., posted about the events on Facebook, where the group was one of the largest purchasers of anti-vaccine advertisements. The Samoan government reinstated the program, following an investigation. But immunization rates remained perilously low, with less than a third of infants getting vaccinated, and, a few months later, the country experienced a devastating measles outbreak. Nearly six thousand people were infected, and more than seventy children died. Kennedy, who had meanwhile visited the island, sent the Prime Minister a letter raising the "regrettable possibility that these children are casualties" of vaccination—not of a lack of it. He later called the outbreak "mild," and branded a Samoan vaccine opponent a "medical freedom hero." President-elect Donald Trump has now nominated Kennedy to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If confirmed, he will oversee thirteen operating divisions, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. His reach would extend into virtually every corner of the nation's health-care infrastructure, from messaging on public health and investment in biomedical research to the approval of new drugs and the delivery of medical care. Trump, who in April called Kennedy a "Radical Left Lunatic," recently encouraged him to "go wild" on health, medicines, and "the food." Kennedy seems poised to oblige. In the past few months, Kennedy has indicated that he intends to reëxamine safety data for approved vaccines, advise municipalities not... Dhruv KhullarThe Nedumangad police arrested eight goons, including ‘Stumper’ Anish, on the charge of attacking a police party on Sunday. Nedumangad Circle Inspector Rajesh Kumar and sub-inspectors (SIs) Santhosh Kumar and Austin sustained injuries and needed medical attention. Mr. Santhosh Kumar was still in hospital, Mr. Rajesh Kumar said. Anish who was jailed twice after being detained under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA) had organised a birthday party for his sister’s son, and invited goondas from across the district to it. On receiving information about the party, in which presence of drugs was suspected, a team of 15 police personnel tried to thwart it. But the personnel were attacked with stones, metal wires, and so on. They, however, managed to overcome the attackers and arrested eight alleged goondas, including Anish. The police suspect the presence of arms but were not able to recover them from the accused. Published - November 25, 2024 12:21 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp RedditSports icon Alex Scott has revealed vile trolls threatened to throw acid in her face as they attacked her over her work. The 40-year-old former England player has built an impressive presenting career since hanging up her football boots - regularly hosting the BBC's The One Show and offering pundit skills on BBC Sport. But the star has been the target of vicious social media trolls who have bombarded her with racist abuse and threatened to attack her in real life. Alex - who has been dating pop beauty Jess Glynne since 2023 - has revealed she the abuse against her reached a terrifying new level when it was rumoured she would take over the hosting of sporting based game show A Question Of Sport. The long-running BBC show had been hosted by Sue Barker from 1997 until her exit in 2021. Rumours circled that Alex would be the star to take over the main host chair - however, the rumours turned out to be false as Paddy McGuinness took over the show. However, Alex was threatened with physical violence after the speculation reached a new high ahead of the 2021 season. Recounting her ordeal with The Times, Alex said: "I was scared to go out of the house because these trolls were saying they were going to throw acid in my face." She added: "There are negatives to fame. I’ve had plenty of racism, abuse and even death threats." Alex went on to explain that she has been routinely targeted negatively over her TV career following her 2017 retirement from professional sport. She said: "People were saying, 'She’s only on TV because she’s black, female and younger. She’s just ticking boxes'... Luckily there are other people who keep me smiling. They’ll come up to me in my local shop and say, 'Keep going,' and that’s what I do." When Paddy took over A Question of Sport, he sparked a furious backlash from fans as many noted he had no sporting qualifications of his own. The backlash appeared to impact ratings of the show - which sharply declined and the long-running game show was axed by the BBC in 2023 after it had been on the air for 55 years. The axe swung down on the series just two years after Paddy took up the reigns. In May 2021, Alex was unveiled as a host of Football Focus - making history by becoming the show’s first permanent female host in its 46-year history. Sharing her joy over the announcement at the time, Alex said in a statement: "When I was a kid, I would never have watched television and thought someone like me could be presenting a programme like Football Focus. For the BBC to trust me with this role and allow me to be my true, authentic self means a lot. To say I’m the Football Focus presenter feels surreal. I’ve had some amazing messages and an incredible reaction on social media - I want to thank everyone for their support." Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.Jim and John Harbaugh's parents have a very good reason for missing their sons' Ravens-Chargers matchup

Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, has died

Astonishing highs and lows of Australia's insane property market as the eye-popping sums paid for the most expensive AND cheapest homes are revealed Australia's most expensive home sold for $51.5million on Sydney Harbour By STEPHEN JOHNSON, ECONOMICS REPORTER FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 08:36 EST, 25 December 2024 | Updated: 08:36 EST, 25 December 2024 e-mail View comments Australia's most expensive house in 2024 sold for an eyewatering $51.5million - with that astronomical sum buying incredible views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Briana and Ben Voltz, the Melbourne-based co-founder of e-commerce marketing technology company Rokt, bought the Federation house in Point Piper with eight bedrooms and six bedrooms in March. The Wolseley Road mansion, built in 1904, was previously owned by racehorse breeder Tom Magnier. The mansion cost 51 times the price of a typical capital city home and 2,710 times the price of Australia's cheapest house that sold for $19,000. The property is only a short walk from former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's Wunulla Road home, and was one of five homes in Sydney's eastern suburbs that made the top 10 list of Australia's most expensive real estate in 2024. Sydney's Mosman and Palm Beach had two other spots, along with Melbourne's Toorak, plus Noosa and the Gold Coast in Queensland. Domain chief of research and economics, Nicola Powell, said buyers of Australia's most expensive real estate generally weren't too concerned about high interest rates as they generally want water views regardless of the cost. 'The price points are eyewatering - when you're getting to this type of price, the performance of these properties is not influenced by the cash rate,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Australia's most expensive house in 2024 was 142 Wolseley Road in Point Piper, which sold for sold for $51.5million 'It tends to always be the eastern suburbs of Sydney with a few in Melbourne as well, such as Toorak. 'It showcases the premium nature of some of these ocean-front locations where the properties are highly sought-after, they're highly unique and there's only so many of these types available and this is why they continue to command such eyewatering price tags. 'Everything is about location and there's only so many homes that have that prime views as well - if you're looking at the Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, that just adds to the value.' But Australia's second most expensive property didn't have water views after a house in Toorak sold for $40million in February. The park-style mansion with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a tennis court and views of the city skyline last sold for $23.3million in 2014. Australia's second most expensive house was located in Melbourne's Toorak and sold for $40million This Rose Bay house on Rawson Road sold for $38.5million in July A house in Vaucluse on Wentworth Road sold for $31.75million in September, only six years after selling for $19.6million Read More Why thousands of Aussie Millennials are ditching Sydney - here's where they're going to raise kids Meanwhile, the next five most expensive homes were back in Sydney. Lowes menswear co-owner Jeffrey Mueller snapped up a $38.5million property on Rawson Road in Rose Bay in July. The property has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a four-car garage with panoramic views of the Harbour Bridge and the city skyline from the dining room and kitchen. A house in Vaucluse on Wentworth Road in sold for $31.75million in September. Mei Peng, the wife of Chinese mining executive Zhian Zhang, bought a house on Wentworth Road in Vaucluse for $31.7million in September. The property, with five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a 12 car parking space and views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, last sold for $19.6million. In nearby Fitzwilliam Road, also in Vaucluse, a four-bedroom, five-bedroom house with a privat jetty sold for $30.38million. On the other side of the harbour at Mosman, on Sydney's lower north shore, ZRL Capital director Enquan Zhen bought a a six-bedroom house with seven bathrooms and a five-car garage sold for $30million in March. Home care tycoon Jon Kontopos bought a five-bedroom, four-bathroom, four-car garage house metres from the beach at Rose Bay for $30million in April. In nearby Fitzwilliam Road, also in Vaucluse, a house right on Sydney Harbour but without views of the famous bridge and the Opera House, sold for $30.38million On the other side of the harbour at Mosman, on Sydney's lower north shore, a six-bedroom house with seven bathrooms and a five-car garage sold for $30million The same money - $30million - bought a five-bedroom, four-bathroom, four-car garage house at Rose Bay, just metres from the beach A four-bedroom, four-bathroom house with its own jetty on a canal at Noosa Heads on Queensland's Sunshine Coast also sold for $30million in May. The Gold Coast entered the list in ninth place with a four-bedroom, four-bathroom house with a six-car garage selling for $28million in February to billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer and his wife Anna. Palm Beach on Sydney's northern beaches rounded out the top 10 with a six-bedroom, six-bathroom house with room for four cars selling for $26.5million in June to car dealer Paul Warren. The Pacific Road house on the southern end of Palm Beach has views of the Pacific Ocean and Barrenjoey Lighthouse. At the other end of the real estate spectrum, Australia's cheapest properties sold in 2024 were nowhere near an ocean breeze, and cost the same as a used car. This four-bedroom, four-bathroom house at Noosa Heads also sold for $30million The Gold Coast entered the list in ninth place with a four-bedroom, four-bathroom house at Mermaid Beach selling for $28million in February Palm Beach on Sydney's northern beaches rounded at the top 10 with a six-bedroom, six-bathroom house selling for $26.5million in June The outback opal mining town of Andamooka, population 262 and located 600km north of Adelaide, was the home to the nation's cheapest house in 2024. A one-bedroom, one bathroom stone and corrugated iron home, set on 2,185 square metres of land, sold for $19,000 in August. The silver and zinc mining city of Broken Hill, in the far west of New South Wales, was home to the second cheapest property with a three-bedroom house selling for $40,000 in November. And a four-bedroom home in Coolgardie, 560km northeast of Perth, came in third place after selling for $56,000 in early 2024. The cheapest house in Australia for 2024 sold for $19,000 and was located in the outback opal mining town of Andamooka, 600km north of Adelaide A three-bedroom house selling for $40,000 in November in Broken Hill, far west New South Wales, was the second cheapest house in 2024 This four-bedroom house selling for $56,000 in Coolgardie, 560km north-east of Perth, was the third cheapest property Australia's most expensive houses sold in 2024 1. $51,500,000: 142 Wolseley Road, POINT PIPER, Sydney's east in March 2024 2. $40,000,000: 14 St Georges Road, TOORAK, Melbourne's east in February 2024 3. $38,500,000: 1 Rawson Road, ROSE BAY, Sydney's east in July 2024 4. $31,750,000: 1 Wentworth Road, VAUCLUSE, Sydney's east in September 2024 5. $30,388,000: 81 Fitzwilliam Road, VAUCLUSE, Sydney's east in March 2024 6. $30,000,000: 46 The Grove, MOSMAN, Sydney's lower north shore in March 2024 7. $30,000,000: 7 Collins Avenue, ROSE BAY, Sydney's east in April 2024 8. $30,000,000: 43 Witta Circle, NOOSA HEADS, Queensland's Sunshine Coast in May 2024 9. $28,000,000: 41-45 Hedges Avenue, MERMAID BEACH, Queensland's Gold Coast in February 2024 10. $26,250,000: 83 Pacific Road, PALM BEACH, Sydney's northern beaches in June 2024 Source: Domain Melbourne Queensland Share or comment on this article: Astonishing highs and lows of Australia's insane property market as the eye-popping sums paid for the most expensive AND cheapest homes are revealed e-mail Add commentlucky slot bet 。

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ALLO Fiber today announced a fiber broadband project installing a 10 Gigabit network in Flagstaff, AZ. This fiber connection will enable world-class internet, broadband, cybersecurity, managed services, telephone, and video services for residents and businesses. Construction is scheduled to begin in March 2025 . This $65 million project will employ 75 local professionals, with many more involved during the construction phase. Flagstaff residents and businesses will soon be able to take advantage of award-winning customer service and internet speeds. Through this 100% fiber-optic network, students can improve how they learn, and employees can work efficiently from the office or home. The fiber network will feature up to 10 Gigabit speeds for residents and up to 100 Gigabit speeds for businesses, providing equal upload and download speeds optimized by ALLO's world-class Wi-Fi 7 routers. Additionally, Flagstaff residents, businesses of all sizes, and governmental entities will be supported by ALLO's fiber-rich network, delivering active and passive solutions without installation fees or restrictive contracts. Internet, data transport, cloud connectivity, video, and voice are included in ALLO's comprehensive communications, entertainment, and business products. Businesses can access ALLO's managed services, next-generation firewalls, phone systems, and cybersecurity offerings before the fiber network is built. The community will also have access to a community-wide network providing ultra-reliable and extensive internet bandwidth. ALLO Arizona General Manager Mike Horton stated, "As we expand our coverage across Arizona , we are excited to begin construction in the City of Flagstaff . We understand that with continued growth in the region, the value of essential communications infrastructure and advanced technology is an important asset for the city and surrounding communities. We look forward to offering ALLO Fiber services to Flagstaff and continuing to create local jobs in the process." Flagstaff is the seventh Arizona community that ALLO serves. ALLO began developing our first Arizona Gigabit community in Lake Havasu City in September of 2021, followed by the Kingman , Yuma , San Luis , Somerton , and Sierra Vista markets. ALLO is also operating Middle Mile projects in Yuma and Mohave Counties. For more information about ALLO in Flagstaff , please visit AlloFiber.com/ Flagstaff and AlloFiber.com/careers. About ALLO Communications ALLO Communications, a leader in providing fiber-optic services, has been dedicated to delivering world-class communications and entertainment services since 2003. With a commitment to building Gigabit communities, ALLO serves over 50 communities across Nebraska , Colorado , Arizona , Missouri , Iowa , and Kansas . ALLO is known for its reliable fiber networks and customized technology solutions that support businesses of all sizes. For more information, visit AlloFiber.com . Contact: Tanna Hanna Vice President of Marketing [email protected] 308-633-7815 SOURCE ALLO CommunicationsStruggling Bears can find optimism in thriving connection of rookies Williams and Odunze

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By CHRISTINE FERNANDO CHICAGO (AP) — As Donald Trump’s Cabinet begins to take shape, those on both sides of the abortion debate are watching closely for clues about how his picks might affect reproductive rights policy in the president-elect’s second term . Trump’s cabinet picks offer a preview of how his administration could handle abortion after he repeatedly flip-flopped on the issue on the campaign trail. He attempted to distance himself from anti-abortion allies by deferring to states on abortion policy, even while boasting about nominating three Supreme Court justices who helped strike down the constitutional protections for abortion that had stood for half a century. In an NBC News interview that aired Sunday, Trump said he doesn’t plan to restrict medication abortion but also seemed to leave the door open, saying “things change.” “Things do change, but I don’t think it’s going to change at all,” he said. The early lineup of his new administration , including nominations to lead health agencies, the Justice Department and event the Department of Veterans Affairs, has garnered mixed — but generally positive — reactions from anti-abortion groups. Abortion law experts said Trump’s decision to include fewer candidates with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement could indicate that abortion will not be a priority for Trump’s administration. “It almost seems to suggest that President Trump might be focusing his administration in other directions,” said Greer Donley, an associate law professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Karen Stone, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood Action Fund , said while many of the nominees have “extensive records against reproductive health care,” some do not. She cautioned against making assumptions based on Trump’s initial cabinet selections. Still, many abortion rights groups are wary, in part because many of the nominees hold strong anti-abortion views even if they do not have direct ties to anti-abortion activists. They’re concerned that an administration filled with top-level officials who are personally opposed to abortion could take steps to restrict access to the procedure and funding. After Trump’s ambiguity about abortion during his campaign, “there’s still a lot we don’t know about what policy is going to look like,” said Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law. That approach may be revealed as the staffs within key departments are announced. Trump announced he would nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department, which anti-abortion forces have long targeted as central to curtailing abortion rights nationwide. Yet Kennedy shifted on the issue during his own presidential campaign. In campaign videos, Kennedy said he supports abortion access until viability , which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks, although there is no defined timeframe. But he also said “every abortion is a tragedy” and argued for a national ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a stance he quickly walked back. The head of Health and Human Services oversees Title X funding for a host of family planning services and has sweeping authority over agencies that directly affect abortion access, including the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The role is especially vital amid legal battles over a federal law known as EMTALA, which President Joe Biden’s administration has argued requires emergency abortion access nationwide, and FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. Mini Timmaraju, president of the national abortion rights organization Reproductive Freedom for All, called Kennedy an “unfit, unqualified extremist who cannot be trusted to protect the health, safety and reproductive freedom of American families.” His potential nomination also has caused waves in the anti-abortion movement. Former Vice President Mike Pence , a staunch abortion opponent, urged the Senate to reject Kennedy’s nomination. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said the group had its own concerns about Kennedy. “There’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary,” she said. Fox News correspondent Marty Makary is Trump’s pick to lead the FDA, which plays a critical role in access to medication abortion and contraception. Abortion rights groups have accused him of sharing misinformation about abortion on air. Russell Vought , a staunch anti-abortion conservative, has been nominated for director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was a key architect of Project 2025 , a right-wing blueprint for running the federal government. Among other actions to limit reproductive rights, it calls for eliminating access to medication abortion nationwide, cutting Medicaid funding for abortion and restricting access to contraceptive care, especially long-acting reversible contraceptives such as IUD’s. Despite distancing himself from the conservative manifesto on the campaign trail, Trump is stocking his administration with people who played central roles in developing Project 2025. Trump acknowledged that drafters of the report would be part of his incoming administration during the Sunday interview with NBC News, saying “Many of those things I happen to agree with.” “These cabinet appointments all confirm that Project 2025 was in fact the blueprint all along, and the alarm we saw about it was warranted,” said Amy Williams Navarro, director of government relations for Reproductive Freedom for All. Dr. Mehmet Oz , Trump’s choice to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a former television talk show host who has been accused of hawking dubious medical treatments and products. He voiced contradictory abortion views during his failed Senate run in 2022. Oz has described himself as “strongly pro-life, praised the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade , claimed “life starts at conception” and referred to abortion as “murder.” But he also has echoed Trump’s states-rights approach, arguing the federal government should not be involved in abortion decisions. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders, letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves,” he said during a Senate debate two years ago. An array of reproductive rights groups opposed his Senate run. As CMS administrator, Oz would be in a key position to determine Medicaid coverage for family planning services and investigate potential EMTALA violations. Related Articles National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president National Politics | Donald Trump doesn’t appear to measure up to Prince William’s 6′ 3′′ National Politics | Man in custody had a gun, mask and writings tying him to killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO, police say As Florida’s attorney general, Pam Bondi defended abortion restrictions, including a 24-hour waiting period. Now she’s Trump’s choice for attorney general . Her nomination is being celebrated by abortion opponents but denounced by abortion rights groups concerned she may revive the Comstock Act , an anti-vice law passed by Congress in 1873 that, among other things, bans mailing of medication or instruments used in abortion. An anti-abortion and anti-vaccine former Florida congressman, David Weldon, has been chosen to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which collects and monitors abortion data across the country. Former Republican congressman Doug Collins is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs amid a political battle over abortion access and funding for troops and veterans. Collins voted consistently to restrict funding and access to abortion and celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “This is a team that the pro-life movement can work with,” said Kristin Hawkins, president of the national anti-abortion organization Students for Life.

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ASP Isotopes (ASPI) Accused of Deceiving Investors with Bogus Nuclear Tech Claims– Hagens BermanRutgers looks to pick up steam in clash vs. Seton HallSyrian rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad on Dec. 8, ending his family’s more than 50 years of rule in the country. Assad reportedly fled to Russia, where he was granted political asylum. One image shared across social media appears to show Assad and his wife arriving in Russia after fleeing Syria. A video shared thousands of times appears to show the aftermath of his plane after it crashed. A graphic image of a man being tortured has been shared with claims it shows a real scene from inside one of the notorious prisons in Syria. Does this image show Assad and his wife arriving in Russia? Syria Stream video from Feb. 10, 2023 RevEye , a reverse image search tool No, this image doesn’t show Assad and his wife arriving in Russia. It’s from February 2023 and was taken in Syria. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed to TASS, a Russian news agency, that Assad and his family were granted political asylum in Russia, but VERIFY has been unable to find any photographic evidence of their arrival in the country. The image being shared is nearly two years old. Using RevEye, VERIFY conducted a reverse image search and found the image was lifted from this video posted to YouTube on Feb. 10, 2023 by Syria Stream , a channel that posts Syrian news footage. The video shows Assad visiting a hospital in Aleppo, Syria, on Feb. 10, 2023, after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the region. When comparing the viral image and the 2023 video, Assad and his wife are wearing the same outfits, standing with the same people and walking through the same hallway. Does this video posted on social media show the aftermath of Assad’s plane crash? Video posted to X on Sept. 3, 2024 Indian Air Force X post from Sept. 2, 2024 InVid and RevEye , video and photo forensics tools No, this video doesn’t show the aftermath of Assad’s plane crash. The video predates Assad’s ousting from the Syrian government. This video doesn’t show the aftermath of Assad’s plane crashing. It shows a different plane crash and is unrelated to the recent events in Syria. Using InVid , a video forensics tool, VERIFY analyzed the video and conducted a reverse image search of each frame. The same video was posted to X on Sept. 3, 2024 , appearing to show an Indian Air Force plane crash near the Indian border with Pakistan. The original post says, “A MiG-29UPG of the #India 's Air Force crashed last night near the border with #Pakistan , tallying at the 6th crash of the IAF in 2024 till date.” The Indian Air Force confirmed the crash , saying the IAF MiG-29 crashed after a malfunction and the pilot was able to eject safely. TASS, a Russian news agency, reported that Assad and his family members arrived in Moscow, and did not die in a plane crash. Does this image show a real scene of torture under Assad’s reign in Syria? Dana News and Akharin Khabar , Persian news sites Egrat Museum’s Instagram page RevEye , a reverse image search tool No, the image doesn’t show a real scene of torture under Assad’s reign. It is actually a wax museum exhibit in Iran. Human rights organizations have long accused Assad and the Syrian government of torture, but this image does not show that. It’s actually an image of an exhibit at the Ebrat Museum in Tehran, Iran. The museum, a former prison, uses wax mannequins to portray human rights abuses carried out by the SAVAK, Iran’s pre-revolution intelligence agency. Nearly identical images from the exhibit, featured in Persian news articles about the museum, match the scene falsely claimed to depict Syria. The museum has posted images of similar wax figures on Instagram. What we can VERIFY about the ‘TikTok ban’ bill Yes, an Italian village is offering $1 homes to Americans following the election What we can VERIFY about Enron’s return to the internet The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter , text alerts and our YouTube channel . You can also follow us on Snapchat , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok . Learn More » YouTube Snapchat Instagram Facebook TikTok Text: 202-410-8808

ECB would welcome a weaker euroArticle content Mayor Olivia Chow says she never got the emails — but the Toronto Sun got ’em. Recommended Videos Dozens of pages worth of emails, released to the Sun after a freedom-of-information request, appear to show at least two messages about the Oct. 7 vigil were delivered to Chow’s inbox well before the event took place. The vigil, hosted by the United Jewish Appeal Federation in North York, was held one year after the attack on Israel by Hamas to honour the 1,200 people who were slain. Several politicians attended, including city councillors and Premier Doug Ford, but not Chow. Arianne Robinson, who until recently was Chow’s press secretary, told the Sun ’s Joe Warmington shortly after the vigil that the mayor’s office “didn’t receive an invitation.” The documents released to the Sun tell a different story. On Sept. 6, the Jewish humanitarian group Ve’ahavta sent its newsletter to a list of email addresses that included Chow. That email ended with a link to register for the UJA vigil. On Oct. 1, Marni Blustein, director of strategic community initiatives and engagement with the UJA, was more personal — and direct. “Enough is enough!” Blustein began the email. “On Oct. 7, my community has organized a peaceful vigil in honour of the victims. Countless counter-protests are already been (sic) organized — what are you going to do to keep us safe? Whose side are you on?” Chow does not appear to have replied to either message. However, other emails lend credence to Chow’s story that an invitation, sent Sept. 23, was lost to the digital ether. Michelle Stock is a vice-president with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which worked with the UJA on the invitations for the vigil. In October, she shared with the Sun an email sent to the mayor’s office on Sept. 23 that invited Chow to the event. She said that message followed emails to Chow on Sept. 3 and 10. A series of emails show that Sara King, Chow’s executive assistant, was in touch with the city clerk’s office’s IT department on Oct. 8 and 9 regarding that invitation. “I’m still having issues with this email that supposedly was sent to me. The sender insists I would have received it,” King wrote. “Could you do whatever is in your IT power to check if any incoming mail was rejected (or) bounced back from my inbox on Sept. 23 at 14:24?” That evening, King was told: “The results indicate that the email did not reach the city servers. The messaging team will look into this further, and will report back to me tomorrow. I’ll keep you posted.” It’s unclear if anything else came of the matter, and the Sun can’t rule out that Chow’s office did receive the CIJA emails. That’s because of the 135 pages of emails disclosed to the Sun , all but 44 are fully redacted — nothing but blank grey pages. “An unjustified invasion of privacy” was cited as the reason. (Bradley Hammond, Chow’s new director of communications, referred a question about these pages back to the office of the city clerk, which made the redactions.) Blustein’s email wasn’t the only one from the UJA that Chow received over the time span — all of September and the first 10 days of October — covered by the Sun ’s freedom-of-information request. About an hour before Blustein’s message, Florence Glickman, a donor relations representative for the UJA, urged Chow to do more about “hate” — presumably referring to anti-Israel protests. “I am asking for your help in ensuring that the city of Toronto be a safe place. Hate has no place in Toronto. We implore you to have the appropriate steps to ensure police monitor these events for incitement and hate speech,” Glickman wrote. (Chow also did not appear to respond to this email.) In a statement, Chow told the Sun she “should have been at the Oct. 7 vigil hosted by UJA.” “My lack of attendance hurt members of the Jewish community,” Chow added, “and I have offered my deepest apologies. I am very sorry and take full responsibility for missing such an important event. “As mayor, I should have been there to show the Jewish community how much I care about their safety and well-being in this city, especially during this time of rising antisemitism and hate. Antisemitism and acts of hate have no place in Toronto.” Councillor James Pasternak has said he personally asked Chow before the vigil if she would attend. In a statement to the Sun , he acknowledged that feelings were hurt, but “the mayor has apologized and it’s time to move on.” “That being said,” he added, “when a part of our mosaic in Toronto, in this case the Jewish community, is in grief and under siege it is vital that the mayor remain a source of healing, unity and collective safety no matter what the blowback is in social media or on the streets. These hateful mobs do not represent the vast majority of Torontonians.” Representatives with the UJA and CIJA declined to get into specifics about the emails, echoing Pasternak’s comment about the mayor having already apologized. jholmes@postmedia.com RECOMMENDED VIDEOph slotbet 。

Eight students from across Northeast Tennessee recently completed the Hospitality & Tourism Certificate program offered in partnership with East Tennessee State University’s Office of Professional Development and the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association. This certification was the 2022 recipient of the Association for Continuing Higher Education South Award. The first of its kind in the region, the program has grown over the last six years to include an alumni network of nearly 70 graduates. The students participated in classes held at Hands On! Discovery Center and Gray Fossil Site, hearing from more than 30 nationally recognized professionals in the industry, as well as representatives from city and county tourism departments and Main Street programs. “Tourism is a major economic driver for our region, with visitors spending $867 million annually,” said Alicia Phelps, executive director of the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association. “By investing in workforce development through education and training, we can further strengthen the hospitality and tourism sectors. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ETSU and offer this valuable certification program. Our region boasts a wealth of expertise and renowned institutions, and this program provides unique opportunities for participants to learn from industry leaders and gain hands-on experience.” 2024 Northeast Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Certification Graduates: Session II Completion, Continuing Studies: The Hospitality & Tourism Certificate will be offered again in August 2025, with enrollment beginning in the spring. The certificate program is designed for those interested in expanding their skills and knowledge for personal and professional development, including tourism and hospitality professionals, graduate students, and others seeking to enhance their expertise in areas such as management, public relations, current technology, and social trends. The program prepares graduates for entry or advanced management positions in culinary, food and beverage, lodging, attractions, and tourism-related industries. Students gain insights into regional and international facets of the hospitality and tourism industry, with topics ranging from marketing, financial management, safety, strategic planning, and employee management in the local billion-dollar tourism industry. A strong emphasis is placed on applied skills, with students having access to industry leaders, as well as experienced faculty and staff from East Tennessee State University. For more information, including cost and enrollment details, visit NortheastTennessee.org/HTC or call 423-439-8084.Dembélé's contract with Barcelona is set to expire in June 2022, and as per the rules of the Spanish Football Federation, Barcelona must register him for the remainder of the season before the end of January. Failure to do so would mean that Dembélé will be able to negotiate with other clubs as a free agent starting in January, with the potential to leave Barcelona without the club receiving any transfer fee.

If You Invested $1,000 In Bitcoin When Trump Said US Will Be 'Crypto Capital Of The World,' Here's How Much You'd Have TodayS&P/TSX composite down Monday, U.S. stock markets mixed

Amazon has reduced the price of a handful of its own-brand devices in a surprise sale ahead of Christmas. For a limited time only, shoppers can make savings on three of its best-selling household tech devices, including the Echo Pop , Fire Stick 4K and a Ring Doorbell . There are considerable savings to be made, with more than half off a selection of devices. For instance, you can get 55% off the Echo Pop (newest model) , now on sale for less than $20. Before we get into the Amazon offers, other retailers and brands are offering reductions on similar products. Over at Walmart, you can save $20 on a Beats Pill Portable Bluetooth Speaker — slashed from $149.95 to $129.95. Meanwhile, Home Depot has the Blink Video Doorbell Plus Sync Module 2 for $69.99. Anthropologie offering an extra 40% off sale including sweaters, home decor, and gifts Best Christmas gifts from Oodie for the whole family under $50 Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K streaming device (newest model) is now almost half off, having been slashed from $49.99 to $27.99. The best-selling 4K Fire Stick can be inserted into the back of your TV or projector. Use it to stream thousands of films and shows , as well as watch all of your favorites from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and more (subscription fees may apply). It is the only streaming media player with the Xbox app, Amazon claims. The Fire TV Stick comes with an Alexa-Voice control remote. The device has more than 46,000 reviews. One rated it five stars, writing: "The 4K Fire Stick provides spectacular viewing. I set it up on my smart TV — the directions that came with the product were easy to follow . As an Amazon Prime customer with a registered account, all my information and apps were restored to the new Fire Stick, with no issues. After a final Prime Video update, and adding the other apps I subscribe to, I was enjoying movies and TV in 4K — a feast for the eyes! It never ceases to amaze me that so much incredible technology can be wrapped up in this small device!" Another mentions it's a cost-cutting device, they wrote: "Easy to hook-up and it offers more features than my earlier version. You should also note that Amazon has a trade in policy for older units that aren't quite up to speed. I found this out after I ordered the new one, but there was still a credit applied to my account. I haven't had cable in quite some time and with the Firestick & Prime membership, I do not miss it at all and save a considerable amount of money each month." Not all buyers were happy, with one saying they had issues with the volume settings. They explained: "For some reason the volume on this is very quiet. In order for it to be usable I have to turn my TV volume up way higher than normal, then when I switch to another source it's deafening." Shoppers can get 55% off this Echo Pop just in time for Christmas. Available in four colors — charcoal, white, lavender and teal — the smart Bluetooth speaker with Alexa features a full sound that's great for bedrooms and small spaces. Ask Alexa to play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from your favorite providers like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and more. Have Alexa set timers, check the weather, read the news, re-order paper towels, make calls, answer questions , and more. A pleased buyer said: "The Echo Pop (Newest Gen) is a fantastic little smart speaker! Despite its small size, it delivers full, clear sound that fills the room. The Glacier White color is sleek and looks great in any space." "Alexa responds quickly, and it's easy to set up with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options. I'm impressed with the sound quality for the price, making it a perfect addition to any room for music, smart home control, or casual listening. Highly recommend this compact yet powerful speaker!" A second rated it two stars after having trouble getting it to connect to Spotify, they said: "I have five other devices that can be used through Spotify. Even when I have this device running a radio station, it won't work with Spotify. Intermittently problem, so even more infuriating. Both apps and the device repeatedly restarted, and data caches cleared. I'm returning it." With the Ring Battery Video Doorbell you'll know who is on your property whenever your Video Doorbell is pressed, or motion is detected. Charge it up, click into place, and stay connected right from your phone. The Ring app lets you connect all your devices, adjust their settings and use modes to 'Arm or Disarm' your devices when you're home or away. You can also add pre-recorded voice messages to your Ring Doorbell that play whenever someone presses the bell. On the latest version, one pleased customer said: "I’m shocked with the new (2024) Ring Doorbell Camera! The 180-degree field of view and head-to-toe visibility are amazing. I can see everything —from packages left on the stoop to the entire front yard and the driveway, stretching well over 100 feet. This version is such a vast improvement over previous models. I might even whisper that it's better than the floodlight camera I had installed a few years ago." Another impressed customer shares: "Living in an apartment complex can be interesting. The best way to feel safe in your environment is to have access to who is at your front door. This product not only provides great fish eye camera but also great camera quality, sensitive microphone, and motion Detection. Would buy again." One customer rated it a lowly one-star saying the Wi-Fi connection drops frequently: "Had to get a replacement and it did the same thing. Battery drains really fast. It also doesn't charge to 100%. And lastly, the unit disconnects at will from Wi-Fi and leaves you without security and a doorbell."Barcelona fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the winger, who is set to bring a new dimension to the team's attacking play. With his speed and trickery, he is expected to terrorize opposition defenders and provide a constant threat in front of goal.

Despite the initial concern surrounding these changes, Tencent Video's new membership plan still offers access to a wide range of exclusive content, popular TV shows, movies, and live sports events. Subscribers can continue to enjoy high-quality streaming services and entertainment options, albeit with the adjusted screen and device limitations.

69 Best Gifts for Wives That'll Make Her Feel Special 2024

The recent rally in growth stocks can be attributed to a combination of factors, including favorable regulatory changes, increased funding for research and development, and a growing appetite for disruptive technologies. Companies that are able to leverage these trends and capitalize on emerging opportunities are poised to benefit from the current market dynamics.As the NBA season progresses and the playoffs draw nearer, the Clippers will eagerly await Beverly's return, knowing that his presence and impact on the court are irreplaceable. In the meantime, the team will rally together, drawing strength from each other and striving to continue their pursuit of championship contention.

In conclusion, the city of Damascus is currently experiencing a period of relative calm in terms of large-scale fighting, but small-scale disturbances and clashes persist. The situation remains fragile and unpredictable, and the ultimate resolution of the conflict in Syria is still uncertain. As the city navigates this complex and challenging landscape, the resilience and perseverance of its people will be crucial in shaping its future.

Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’Nepo baby Meghan McCain complains about ‘nepo baby’ Hunter Biden’s pardon

World Cup selection drives US sevens star Maher's move to Bristol

ARLINGTON, Va. , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) approved an increase of 2% in the Company's quarterly common stock dividend, from $0.1725 per share to $0.17595 per share, beginning in the first quarter of 2025. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

ATLANTA — Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats grappled Monday 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. “He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. She, along with Biden and other White House officials, insisted for months that Hunter Biden would not get a pardon. That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats, angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump, who argues that indictments and a conviction against him were a matter of Biden and Democrats turning the justice system against him. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wrote on social media. Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., posted: “This wasn’t a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies and was convicted by a jury of his peers.” Certainly, the president has Democratic defenders who note Trump’s use of presidential power to pardon a slew of his convicted aides, associates and friends, several for activities tied to Trump’s campaign and first administration. “Trump pardoned Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, as well as his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner — who he just appointed US ambassador to France,” prominent Democratic fundraiser Jon Cooper wrote on social media. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said there “is no standard for Donald Trump, and the highest standard for Democrats and Joe Biden.” Harrison pointed to Trump’s apparent plans to oust FBI Director Christopher Wray and replace him with loyalist Kash Patel and suggested the GOP’s pursuit of Hunter Biden would not have ended without clemency. First lady Jill Biden said Monday from the White House: “Of course I support the pardon of my son.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!Unrealistic pressure steals childhood: OmarIn response to the alarming situation, the municipal government of Zhengzhou issued a public safety advisory urging all bathing centers to conduct thorough inspections of their heating systems and ventilation equipment to prevent any further incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning. Health officials also advised customers to be vigilant and report any symptoms of dizziness, nausea, or fainting immediately to seek prompt medical attention.Jaland Lowe, Pitt charge past LSU in second half to move to 6-0

satbet login U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian made the decision in a written ruling following a bail hearing last week, when lawyers for the hip-hop mogul argued that a $50 million bail package they proposed would be sufficient to ensure Combs doesn’t flee and doesn’t try to intimidate prospective trial witnesses. Two other judges previously had been persuaded by prosecutors’ arguments that the Bad Boy Records founder was a danger to the community if he is not behind bars. Lawyers did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the decision. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years, aided by associates and employees. An indictment alleges that he silenced victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. A federal appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan considers his bail request. Prosecutors have insisted that no bail conditions would be sufficient to protect the public and prevent the “I'll Be Missing You” singer from fleeing. They say that even in a federal lockup in Brooklyn, Combs has orchestrated social media campaigns designed to influence prospective jurors and tried to publicly leak materials he thinks can help his case. They say he also has contacted potential witnesses through third parties. Lawyers for Combs say any alleged sexual abuse described in the indictment occurred during consensual relations between adults and that new evidence refutes allegations that Combs used his “power and prestige” to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers known as “Freak Offs.”

( MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN - The crown prince Foundation (CPF) on Sunday concluded activities of the "Foundation in the Governorates" campaign, which was launched in October to enhance direct contact with youth nationwide. The campaign witnessed a "wide" turnout, as over 7,000 youth engaged in the sessions, while its activities via live streaming service on social media platforms topped 1 million views, according to a CPF statement cited by the Jordan News Agency, Petra. Featuring 15 ad hoc dialogues in 12 public Jordanian universities, the campaign saw the participation of more than 63 experts from various fields to discuss various issues in entrepreneurship, innovation, sports, media, tourism, technology, and artificial intelligence, as well as highlighting youth success stories for participants in the CPF programmes. The CPF provided information-driven platforms within Jordan's public universities with the participation of over 70 volunteers, aimed to offer information about the foundation's action paths and programmes, its opportunities and mechanisms for accessing its offices across the Kingdom. The campaign also aimed to enhance access to "quality" opportunities for youth and provide an "empowering" environment to acquire new expertise and skills that contribute to developing their capabilities. To achieve this goal, universities were picked as the main platforms for engaging with youth due to their "vital role" in bringing together students from different backgrounds. The foundation announced that the campaign will continue next year, calling on youth to follow its official channels via its website and social media platforms to learn about participation in upcoming events. MENAFN08122024000028011005ID1108969411 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail a third time as he awaits sex trafficking trial( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) SimpSide, a pioneering force that launched a revolutionary all-in-one trading platform, addresses the pressing challenges in the world of financial trading DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To address the latest approach, SimpSide introduces an all-in-one trading platform that delivers an entirely new and efficient user experience. The platform is poised to redefine the users' experience in the trading universe. The platform's exceptional features and its functionalities, provide traders with a comprehensive toolkit to navigate the dynamic world of trading. By fostering transparency and security, SimpSide is committed to user security and privacy. The platform never stored users' information or shared it with third parties, except in extreme cases such as combating money laundering or terrorism. SimpSide's feature ensures that users retain complete control over their data and can trade with absolute peace of mind. In addition, the platform prioritizes speed and work efficiency. SimpSide eliminates the challenges with its state-of-the-art trading engine, which executes trades up to 12 times faster than traditional platforms. Even during times of extreme market volatility, SimpSide maintains a stable and fast performance. The platform's this initiative allows users to act on investment opportunities in real-time, without worrying about delays or missed chances. By leveraging innovative features, the unified platform provides simultaneous access to stocks, cryptocurrencies, and forex markets. The platform brings everything together in one seamless, user-friendly interface, enabling users to manage their entire portfolio from a single location. SimpSide's approach saves time and reduces costs but also significantly enhances the user experience. Furthermore, SimpSide's efficient commitment does not help in solving existing problems in financial markets; it's about setting new standards in the industry. By combining robust security measures, lightning-fast speed, and market integration, the trading platform empowers users to trade with confidence and convenience. SimpSide has emerged as a step toward a better future in financial trading. About SimpSide: SimpSide, a leading platform, concerns about data security, trade delays, or limited market access become a thing of the past. The platform has been designed to meet all the needs of modern traders and provide a seamless, worry-free investment experience. SimpSide is the answer to the challenges of today's financial markets and the bridge to a simpler, faster, and safer tomorrow. CONTACT: Official Website: Simpside.com X: SimpSide CEO: Pharxam Shahmirzadi Email: ... Ad d ress: Al Maktoum Street, Port Saeed, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Disclaimer: This content is provided by SimpSide. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: MENAFN28122024004107003653ID1109038231 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs, losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama of the SEC but one fewer loss. The inaugural 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta. Alabama left out of playoff as committee rewards SMU's wins over Crimson Tide's strong schedule The College Football Playoff committee took wins over strength of schedule, taking SMU over Alabama for the final at-large spot in the field. The field was expanded from four to 12 teams this season, but that didn’t save the committee from controversy. SMU showed it could compete against a traditional power, losing to Clemson 34-31 on a 56-yard field goal in the ACC title game on Saturday. Alabama had some ups and downs in its first season under coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide had quality wins against Georgia and South Carolina, but lost at Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Big Ten wins playoff selection derby, followed by SEC despite notable Alabama omission College football’s conference shakeup left concerns about two super conferences dominating the playoff field. They weren’t totally unfounded, or 100% born out. The Big Ten, not the Southeastern Conference, was the biggest winner. The ACC scored, too. The Big Ten led the initial 12-team playoff field with four making the cut, topped by a No. 1 Oregon team that was part of the Pac-12 exodus. Then came the SEC — and one notable omission. ACC runner-up SMU got the nod over college football blue-blood Alabama, another blemish in Kalen DeBoer’s first season as Nick Saban’s championship-or-bust successor. Darnold delivers for Vikings with career-high 347 yards and 5 TDs to beat Falcons, Cousins 42-21 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, and the Minnesota Vikings pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 for their sixth straight victory. Darnold added another highlight to his brilliant first season with the Vikings following Cousins' departure in free agency to Atlanta with a 22-for-28 performance and no turnover-worthy plays despite heavy first-half pressure. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Cousins threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in his return to Minnesota. Saquon Barkley sets Eagles season rushing record and has Dickerson's NFL mark in his sights PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley has broken LeSean McCoy's Eagles franchise record for rushing yards in a season. Barkley has 1,623 yards. He surpassed McCoy's mark of 1,607 yards with a 9-yard run in Sunday's 22-16 win over Carolina. Barkley finished the game with 124 yards, within a yard of his season average. He has four games left and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's 40-year-old NFL record of 2,105 yards. Dickerson set that record in a 16-game season and Barkley has one more game. Eagles fans serenaded Barkley with “MVP!” chants and McCoy congratulated him on social media. Saints QB Derek Carr injures left hand on dive in 4th quarter of win over Giants EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr injured his left hand late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 14-11 victory over the New York Giants when he went airborne while trying for a first down and crashed to the turf. Carr tried to leap over a Giants tackler and landed at the New Orleans 39-yard line, extending his non-throwing hand to break his fall. He was on the turf for a minute or two before walking to the medical tent. He was examined and slowly walked to an area where X-rays are done. The injury could hurt the already slim playoff hopes of the Saints. Tamar Bates scores 29 points to help Missouri beat No. 1 Kansas 76-67 COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Tamar Bates had 29 points and five steals to help Missouri beat Hunter Dickinson and No. 1 Kansas 76-67. Mark Mitchell scored 17 points in Missouri’s first win over Kansas since a 74-71 victory on Feb. 4, 2012. Anthony Robinson II had 11 points and five steals for the 8-1 Tigers. Dickinson had 19 points and 14 rebounds, but he also committed seven turnovers. The 7-2 Jayhawks have lost two straight on the road after falling 76-63 against Creighton on Wednesday night. Scottie Scheffler ends his big year in the Bahamas with his 9th victory NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler ended his biggest year with another victory. Scheffler was coming off a two-month break and looked as good as ever. He shot 63 in the Hero World Challenge and set tournament records at Albany with a 72-hole total of 263 and a six-shot victory. Tom Kim was the runner-up and Justin Thomas finished third. Scheffler ends his year with nine victories in 21 tournaments. That includes the holiday tournament in the Bahamas and the Olympic gold medal in Paris. It's the third-highest winning percentage in the last 40 years. Tournament host Tiger Woods had two better years. Lindsey Vonn is encouraged by how close she is to being competitive in ski racing return at age 40 COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — Lindsey Vonn is encouraged by how close she is to being competitive again in her ski racing return at 40 years old. Vonn is still getting her ski equipment dialed in and getting used to going full speed again on her new titanium knee. That’s why all that she's reading into being more than two seconds behind in a pair of lower-level super-G races Sunday is that she’s right there. This after nearly six years away from ski racing and an abbreviated prep period. She was 2.19 seconds behind in the first race and 2.06 in the second. Both were won by her American teammate Lauren Macuga. Plane circles MetLife Stadium with message to co-owner John Mara to fix the Giants' 'dumpster fire' EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — A small plane circled MetLife Stadium roughly 90 minutes before New York was to play host to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, asking Giants co-owner John Mara to overhaul the team that has made the playoffs twice since winning the Super Bowl in February 2012. “Mr. Mara, enough. Please fix this dumpster fire!” the message read as it was towed behind the rear of a small plane.Sujeet Indap in New York and Stephen Morris in San Francisco Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. A judge in Delaware rejected Tesla’s attempt to restore Elon Musk’s record $56bn pay package after previously striking it down as a breach of the fiduciary duty of the electric-car maker’s board, dealing a blow to the world’s richest man. Judge Kathaleen McCormick wrote that Tesla’s unprecedented effort to push the 2018 pay package through a second time, four months after she first struck it down, was “creative”. But the board “had no procedural ground for flipping the outcome of an adverse post-trial decision based on evidence they created after trial,” she wrote. The decision from the Delaware Court of Chancery tees up an expected appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court, which will decide how much weight the decision by Tesla’s shareholders to approve it has at a moment when Musk’s social and political power is at its peak. Musk has gained the ear of US president-elect Donald Trump after spending more than $100mn on his re-election campaign. In return, Musk has gained sway over crucial cabinet appointments and made co-head of an advisory body that has vowed to dramatically shrink the federal budget. The pay package of just over 300mn Tesla shares would only vest if the company hit a series of difficult stock price and operational targets. McCormick, in her original ruling in February, said the Tesla board that approved the package six years ago was too cozy with Musk, and that her analysis of the pay award showed that it could not be justified on any reasonable metric. Tesla stock has surged 44 per cent this year, much of that coming after Trump’s election victory on November 5. That means the stock options in Musk’s pay package have soared in value to $108bn. If it is ultimately granted, the package would increase his ownership stake from just under 13 per cent to more than 20 per cent. After McCormick struck down Musk’s pay package the first time, Tesla put identical terms — with enhanced disclosures — to a shareholder vote in June. It passed with 72 per cent support. Shareholders also approved a separate plan to reincorporate the company from Delaware, where the vast majority of big public US companies are listed, to Texas, where several other Musk-controlled companies are based. Since the February decision, Musk has loudly complained about the Delaware corporate law court and has moved all of his companies incorporations to either Nevada or Texas. Delaware’s status as the premiere destination for public companies’ legal domiciles has since become a lingering issue for the state. Recommended Last month, Musk posted on his social media platform X: “When there are egregiously wrong legal judgments in a single state that substantially harm American citizens in all other 49 states, the Federal government should take immediate corrective action.” Lawyers for the shareholder who brought the original suit were also awarded $345mn in fees, instead of the $5.6bn in Tesla shares that they had requested, according to Monday’s decision. Lawyers at the firm Bernstein Litowitz, who had represented the Tesla shareholder who brought the suit, had said that based on the $56bn value of the cancelled stock grant, they were owed $5.6bn in shares. McCormick rejected that, however. She said that the lower amount of $345mn, payable in cash or Tesla stock, was sufficient, estimating that the value returned to shareholders was closer to $2.3bn, pointing to an accounting charge it took in 2018.

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NEW YORK , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The language training market in india size is estimated to grow by USD 7.55 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 14.37% during the forecast period. Growing emphasis on continuous professional development is driving market growth, with a trend towards integration of technology in learning and training, such as e-learning platforms, virtual reality (VR), and simulations. However, high cost of accessing quality training programs, educational resources, and technology infrastructure poses a challenge. Key market players include Alliance Francaise Paris ile de France , Babbel GmbH, Berlitz Corp., British Council, Cambridge Institute, Cosmolingua, EF Education First Ltd., Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH and Co. KG, Goethe-Institut, Henry Harvin Education Inc., IFLAC, INaWORD, inlingua International Ltd., Institute of Universal Languages and Education, ITESKUL, IXL Learning Inc., Language Services Bureau, LetsTalk Academy of English and Foreign Languages, Nile, Pearson Plc, ReSOLT EdTech LLP, and Winsome Translators Pvt. Ltd., Alliance Francaise Paris ile de France , Winsome Translators Pvt. Ltd., Apex Language Academy, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chandigarh Language Academy, Diploma in Foreign Languages, English and Foreign Languages University, Foreign Language Learning Pvt. Ltd., Language Training Institute, and India International Language Academy AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered End-user (Institutional learners and Individual learners), Learning Method (Classroom-based, Online, and Blended), Language (English, French, German, Spanish, and Others), Business Model ( B2B, B2C, and B2G), and Geography (APAC) Region Covered India Key companies profiled Alliance Francaise Paris ile de France, Babbel GmbH, Berlitz Corp., British Council, Cambridge Institute, Cosmolingua, EF Education First Ltd., Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH and Co. KG, Goethe-Institut, Henry Harvin Education Inc., IFLAC, INaWORD, inlingua International Ltd., Institute of Universal Languages and Education, ITESKUL, IXL Learning Inc., Language Services Bureau, LetsTalk Academy of English and Foreign Languages, Nile, Pearson Plc, ReSOLT EdTech LLP, and Winsome Translators Pvt. Ltd, Alliance Francaise Paris ile de France , Winsome Translators Pvt. Ltd., Apex Language Academy, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chandigarh Language Academy, Diploma in Foreign Languages, English and Foreign Languages University, Foreign Language Learning Pvt. Ltd., Global Language Training Institute, and India International Language Academy Key Market Trends Fueling Growth The language training market in India has experienced significant growth due to advanced technology integration. E-learning platforms like Babbel offer personalized learning paths and multimedia content. VR technology provides language practice experiences. Simulations offer practical learning scenarios for real-life language use. Institutions use digital language resources and language lab systems for comprehensive learning. These factors increase demand for language training, driving market growth. The Language Training Market in India is experiencing significant growth, with a growth in demand for proficiency in various languages. Skills like Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese are in high demand. Companies are looking for employees with multilingual skills to cater to their global clientele. E-learning platforms are playing a crucial role in making language training more accessible and affordable. Chatbots and virtual assistants are also being used to enhance the learning experience. The use of technology is transforming the way language training is delivered in India . The trend is towards more interactive and personalized learning methods. The future looks bright for the language training industry in India. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! Market Challenges Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This language training market in India report extensively covers market segmentation by 1.1 Institutional learners- The language training market in India serves a substantial group of learners in academic institutions, vocational centers, and corporations. These learners aim to boost their language abilities for academic, professional, and personal reasons. In academia, universities like JNU and EFLU provide specialized language courses for students and educators. Vocational training centers, such as NITHM, offer language programs for those entering industries like tourism and international trade. Corporate initiatives, including Wipro, Infosys, and Deloitte, provide language training for professional growth and intercultural communication. Digital language learning platforms, like Coursera for Campus and Rosetta Stone for Enterprise, cater to the unique needs of academic institutions, vocational centers, and corporations. These factors are driving the demand for language training among institutional learners in India . Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) Research Analysis The Language Training Market in India is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing demand for multilingual talent in multinational firms. Specialized courses in E-learning platforms are becoming increasingly popular, offering flexibility and affordability. Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration, through speech recognition and chatbot assistance, is revolutionizing language education. Qualified language instructors provide in-person tutoring to address linguistic gaps. Flexible pricing models cater to various budgets. AI-powered social robots are also being used to enhance language learning experiences. Language start-ups are emerging, offering innovative solutions in digital tutoring for English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Korean. Market Research Overview The Language Training Market in India is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing globalization and the rising demand for multilingual workforce. The market caters to various sectors such as BPOs, KPOs, IT, and education. English language training holds the largest market share, followed by other languages like French, German, Spanish, and Chinese. The market is driven by factors such as increasing foreign investments, growing tourism industry, and the need for effective communication in international business. The Indian government and several educational institutions are also promoting language training through various initiatives. The market is expected to continue its growth trajectory in the coming years. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/language-training-market-in-india-size-is-set-to-grow-by-usd-7-55-billion-from-2024-2028--growing-emphasis-on-continuous-professional-development-to-boost-the-revenue--technavio-302315110.html SOURCE Technavio

The festive season is a time when the gap between the haves and have-nots is most pronounced. In Singapore, one of the most affluent nations in the world by gross domestic product per capita, entire families still live out of tiny one-room or two-room rental flats , and struggle to afford basic needs. Mental health issues such as loneliness are more prevalent, particularly among our ageing population . It is not that we lack social service organisations to address the wide spectrum of needs – Singapore has many hundreds of social service agencies, and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) supports over 500. Yet, there remain gaps in support for those among us who need it most. Given that the end of the year is typically a time when people think about giving back to the community, it felt particularly apt to sit down for a conversation with Tan Li-San, the chief executive officer of NCSS, on what could make a real difference to Singapore’s communities in need. A volunteer since she was 15, Tan said the challenges are whether charities can fully meet the needs of people and families with multifaceted needs, ensuring that social service agencies are well equipped, and rousing both corporates and individuals. Her vision for NCSS: Beyond a membership body or a funder, she hopes to grow the statutory board into a “sector developer” in the true sense of the word, “putting together strategic frameworks and supporting systems in order to allow our charities to better meet the needs of Singaporeans”. MEETING COMPLEX NEEDS Despite there being so many social service agencies, some vulnerable families and persons still fall through the gaps. “Usually, the families that require the most support have multiple needs, and the needs are quite multifaceted,” Tan explained. For example, one such family may have an incarcerated father, a mother working multiple jobs, children within the family from different fathers who may not be going to school or have their basic needs met because parents are absent or too busy, she said. These problems are too complex for a single agency or programme to tackle alone. Such a family might benefit from the Singapore Prison Service’s rehabilitation and reintegration programmes; Family Service Centres’ support in acquiring financial assistance, counselling services, family and employment support; as well as the Singapore Children Society’s support for children and youth in need. With social service agencies, there is a “tendency to look after that one slice (they are responsible for),” Tan explained. “The fact that the family has to go to different places to seek help... there’s some loss of dignity in that.” Tan sees NCSS’ role as taking a more integrated approach, providing a continuum of care from multiple agencies working together for more holistic support. For instance, NCSS spearheaded the collaboration between Montfort Care, Fei Yue Community Services, and Yong-en Care Centre to set up JiaYou, which was launched in August this year. Located at Chinatown Point, this centre supports seniors and caregivers across Singapore via community engagement, dementia care, caregiver counselling, a caregivers’ cafe, an active ageing programme and workshops on palliative care management. “The idea behind it is that instead of funding singular services or silo services, we create a centre where a particular group, in this case, seniors, should be able to get all their needs met,” she said. BETTER SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES Sometimes, Tan said, social service agencies lack the organisational capacity to work optimally. She sees NCSS’ role as building the right support systems to boost the efficiency of agencies. Joining NCSS in January 2020, Tan witnessed firsthand the importance of this when Singapore went into the circuit breaker three months later, in April. “(Social services) is a sector that’s not been very much digitalised. Not every staff had a computer, their networks were slow, there was no business continuity in place,” she said. During the period of virtual meetings, this became extremely challenging. “Not all the social service agencies had the creativity or the agility to transform the way they serve so there was that period of messiness and chaos,” she said, adding that this was also a period of isolation for some seniors and persons with disability, which may have impacted developmental progress. The silver lining was that the pandemic gave Tan’s team the impetus to help agencies better develop their technology, digital capacities and human resources capacity. “We amalgamated all these different initiatives into one scheme that really helps social service agencies to focus on diagnosing what areas they should invest in, what would make greatest impact, and then providing the funding and support for them to build these capabilities,” she said. Manual tasks such as note-taking and transcribing are now automated, freeing up time for social workers to focus on their clients, Tan said. In some cases, real-time data can be collected so that rehabilitation programmes can be personalised. She urged the public and donors to adopt this view when thinking about their donation dollars: That funds are also needed for developing an agency’s organisational capacity. “Among donors, they come with the lens that all their donation dollars must go to the service user or programmes that directly benefit the service user,” Tan noted. When a portion of donor funds are channelled towards technology, digitalisation and human resources, it can amplify the impact of social service agencies, she said. GALVANISING THE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER Another common misconception is that social services are only for low income and disabled persons. But in time to come, these services are likely to impact larger segments of society, said Tan. “Society is changing. Demographics are changing. Mental health issues are becoming far more salient. I think this is partly because of the pains of life – work is more stressful, change is faster,” Tan said. “There’s going to be a whole sandwiched middle class who still can’t afford to pay S$200 a pop for counselling sessions. How do you support families like these, including sandwiched families who are also caregivers for elderly and children?” she said. “People are also staying single, not having kids, and there’ll be more isolation going forward,” she added. “At our recent board retreat, someone talked about how, in the future, the whole definition of what is family might change. Maybe you can no longer rely on family as a first line of support anymore. Maybe your “family” is your neighbour or your volunteer that you see every other day,” she said. How can we tackle these changes as a society? “It requires every Singaporean to be looking out for each other, to be thinking about how they can support each other, to be empathetic and look at who around you might need support and help,” said Tan. Another rising issue is the impact of climate on social support. “Around our region, many have already succumbed to heat stress and heat exhaustion. In Singapore, thankfully, this has not happened yet. But is it a matter of time? Is it the most vulnerable populations who are susceptible? I think these are some of the things that we’re thinking about,” she said. Because these issues affect everyone, Tan believes all Singaporeans should get involved. And she sees NCSS’ integral role in rousing communities and corporates to do more, and in an impactful and holistic way. “Corporates tend to want to come in at Christmas to run a Christmas party. But actually, what they want to do is not always what the charity needs,” said Tan. To encourage corporates to contribute more meaningfully, Tan and her team have created a sustainable philanthropy framework to help organisations measure their social impact based on how much they donate, volunteer and adopt socially-inclusive business practices, as well as the outcomes of their efforts. The mother of three teenagers also encouraged Singaporeans in general to be more active in volunteering and helping those in need around them. Having started her volunteer journey in her teens, one incident that remains etched in her memory is visiting a tiny HDB rental flat at the age of 15 and witnessing a mother on the floor with her immobile teenage son, who suffered from a form of muscular dystrophy. “Clearly, the mother loved the child very much, but didn’t have the resources, maybe the knowledge, to really support the child. What struck me then was those of us who are in a position to help should do so,” she reflected. “It is more than just about people giving time or money. It’s really also about building that stronger sense of solidarity amongst Singaporeans,” said Tan. CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues and ideas to share with us, email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg .In mere months – March, to be exact – cult comedian Kate Berlant will complete her first-ever trip to Australia to perform. What she’ll perform when she gets here, though, she’s not yet sure. At this stage, she doesn’t even have the title. “What is the show?” Berlant deadpans, looking skyward as though contemplating a philosophical quandary she has no literal answer to. “That’s a really good question ... I mean, it’s just standup. I’m really just going to be doing standup.” Anyone familiar with Berlant’s comedy – her taped special , for example; or her decade-long partnership with outlandish foil John Early (including their sketch special ); even her podcast (a play on GOOP) with fellow comedian Jacqueline Novak, and its spin-off – would understand that “just standup” is a loaded concept with Berlant. Although well-recognised from her acting work – she’s starred in films including , and , and on TV in , and – her cerebral comedy, an act of onstage pomposity that folds the form in on itself with absurdist, and delightfully silly, abandon (“intellectual vaudeville”, a critic once branded it), has made Berlant a beatified icon of alt-comedy. If the fact she hasn’t got her new show sorted four months out from her booked dates fills you with secondhand anxiety, fear not: this is how Berlant works, working bits out on stage with the improvisational acuity of a surgeon. Since February, she’s been regularly taking the stage at Largo’s in Los Angeles, her hometown club, to riff on “themes of contemporary alienation”, with the goal of putting together a new hour. “Relying so much on improvisation is terrifying and oftentimes I’ve been doing standup and thought, wow, it would be so nice to just know what you’re gonna say every night,” says Berlant of her process. “But so much of standup is about hiding the work, hiding the fact that you’ve said this thing a million times, and I’ve always struggled with that because it’s just hard to keep up that performance in a way that feels authentic.” It’s a dry autumn afternoon in Los Angeles when we speak over Zoom, and the twilight sun splashes through Berlant’s bedroom window (not to mention her incredible curls) like Cheezel dust. She’s spent the day dealing with a sudden and, at 37, completely unexpected allergic reaction to tomatoes and nightshade. “If I sound a little weird it’s because my mouth is inflamed,” she offers apologetically. And yet, she’s eager to discuss her return to standup because for the past couple of years she’s been focused entirely on her play, . Berlant ended in February after a string of sold-out runs across New York, Los Angeles and London. A one-woman show about a flailing actor’s desperate bid to be taken seriously, the conceit went deep. Shows reportedly featured Berlant herself mingling in crowded foyers before doors opened, holding a sign saying “Ignore me”. It premiered off-Broadway in September 2022, and earned rave reviews for its metatextual skewering of artistic self-indulgence. labelled it the “one-woman show to end all one-woman shows”. Berlant says it was her biggest success yet. Which begs the question: why did she end it? Why is she not just bringing to Australia? “Again, a really good question,” Berlant jokes. “It’s not that I’ll never do it again, but I do think it’s healthy to step away from things. I think things ripen and they absolutely rot. It just felt to me like it was time to do something else, just for my own brain.” She very well could have kept going, Berlant concedes. But her hope is that, as the show operates in a separate universe to her standup, she can revive it a year from now, or two years from now, or even five years from now, and the material will organically grow with her. In the meantime, she’s been in discussions with her director, Bo Burnham, to potentially film and release it. “But that’s something for down the line. Because the show is extremely meta, it’s not just a show you throw a camera in front of,” says Berlant. “I just wanted to step away from it for a second and get back to what I really love doing the most, which is standup.” When I speak to Berlant, it’s the week after Donald Trump’s crushing win in the US election – a desolate new landscape in America made real. “It’s scary, it’s dark, it’s intensely depressing, and kind of just surreal. It’s such a bizarre time to be alive,” Berlant says, staring into the camera, eyes like saucers to underscore the understatement. “It’s a really bizarre, rather depressing time.” Is that mood already affecting her new standup? “I’m reacting to it maybe in, like, a subtextual way, but not directly,” says Berlant. “No, certainly the show I’ll be doing will not be about me wrestling with, like, how to live in America under Trump. Like, I would sooner die.” It’s for the best. Because if there’s a through line to Berlant’s work, it’s that her performances have always been about the act of performing. Onstage, whether in a scripted play or in a standup set, she’s Kate, but she’s also “Kate”. The persona she’s made her own is of the self-serious artist desperate for attention, for fame, to be noticed as special. A piss take of the narcissism inherent in showbiz, it’s also a well-wrought personification of today’s wider condition, where social media has given everyone main character syndrome. “It just turns out that way with everything I do. My comedy is often about comedy and my performance is usually about performance, and so inevitably with my standup it’s hard for me to ignore how bizarre standup is when I’m doing standup, and it’s hard for me to not kind of call out how inherently strange the dynamic is and how strange it is as a form,” says Berlant. “The idea of a person standing there and just talking about what’s on their mind, it denies that standup is such a highly constructed persona and performance, down to the shoes you wear. I’ve always looked at the conditions of performance as being really bizarre and also funny. And also just the fact that performance is, of course, a naked plea for attention and adoration. I can’t pretend that that’s not what’s going on in the room, you know?” The focus on performance is never far from Berlant; she’s been thinking about it forever (she even has degrees in the cultural anthropology of comedy and performance studies from New York University). A child actor, she scored her first onscreen gig at 15, playing Student #2 in an episode of , and believed it would set her on a path to screen stardom (it didn’t). There was enough self-awareness in her failure to fuel another mode of expression: when she started doing comedy at 17, she quickly found that her standup landed on a self-referential conceit. “I would end up kind of talking about standup in the standup. Which sounds awful,” Berlant laughs. “But, I mean, just talking about the encounter between performer and audience, and how performing is inherently embarrassing and, I would say, something to be avoided if you can.” She’d experienced something similar to that indescribable ick in her upbringing, too, as the only child of two artists – her father Tony Berlant is a prominent US sculptor; her mother Helen Mendez performed in experimental theatre before becoming a set designer. In an episode of Netflix’s , she portrayed an insufferable Marina Abramović type, lampooning the pretentious art world egos she’d witnessed growing up. “The self-importance of the art world, like the self-importance of Hollywood, there’s almost nothing to comment on because it’s so in plain sight,” Berlant says. “From an early age, I think I was aware of performance as not just being something people do on stage, but just as a child watching adults perform: perform being smart, perform being interesting, perform the performance of being an artist. “I mean, if you call yourself an ‘artist’ ...” she glances into the camera with an stare. “That’s quite a part to play.” Is she never not aware of the performance? Like, even in this interview: me, playing the role of the politely probing interviewer, trying to dig at some defining childhood trauma; she, the subject, playing at being revealing, as if she’s never considered these stories before. “Yeah, it’s hard to separate, I think I’m always aware of it,” says Berlant. “But what I really find funny are people who don’t know that we can see them performing. We live in a world now where everyone’s a performer, even people who aren’t performers are used to performing for social media. So there’s been a huge breakdown in those terms and in their definitions.” Complicating Berlant’s obsession with the artifice of authenticity in comedy and theatre is a sincere love of live performance. In a world where standup careers can thrive exclusively through crowd-work clips on TikTok, she still craves the sacredness of the club. “When I started standup, the only way to get good or build a career was to perform, do shows, as many shows as you could do. Even just, like, spiritually, I feel so lucky that was how I came up,” she says. “So I do think that in today’s world, it’s still very exciting when people show up physically to see a show. I think that’s something that will persist, but it is feeling more and more rarefied and less valued.” It’s why Berlant is excited for the set she’ll be bringing to Australia, whatever shape it ends up taking. After her journey with , a return to the spontaneous possibilities of her standup has been calling. “There’s something that feels good about just being like, okay, this is where I am right now in my life, this is how I’m reacting to it, and not being too precious about it or spending years crafting it. I think that’s what makes it feel alive, for me and the audience.”

Brittany Mahomes' Thanksgiving Post Catches AttentionJones alleges fraud and collusion marred the bankruptcy auction in which The Onion was named the winning bidder on November 14 over a company affiliated with him. US bankruptcy judge Christopher Lopez had been scheduled to hear an emergency motion to disqualify The Onion’s bid, but decided to put it off until either December 9 or December 17. That is also when the judge will hear arguments on a request to approve the sale of Infowars to The Onion. Mr Lopez said similar arguments are being made in both requests. He could allow The Onion to move forward with the sale, order a new auction or name the other bidder as the winner. At stake is whether Mr Jones gets to stay at Infowars’ studio in Austin, Texas, under a new owner friendly to him, or whether he gets kicked out by The Onion. The other bidder, First United American Companies, runs a website in Mr Jones’s name that sells nutritional supplements. Regardless, Mr Jones has set up a new studio, websites and social media accounts that would allow him to keep airing his show. His personal account with 3.3 million followers on the social platform X was not part of the sale, although Mr Lopez will be deciding whether it should be included in the liquidation and sold off later. In a new court filing on Monday, lawyers for X objected to any sale of the accounts of both Mr Jones and Infowars, saying X is the owner of the accounts and that it has not given consent for them to be sold or transferred. Mr Jones has praised X owner Elon Musk on his show and suggested that Mr Musk should buy Infowars. Mr Musk has not responded publicly to that suggestion and was not among the bidders. Mr Jones’ bankruptcy and the liquidation of his assets came about after he was ordered to pay nearly 1.5 billion dollars (£1.19 billion) to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Mr Jones was found liable for defamation and emotional distress damages in lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas for repeatedly calling the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators a hoax staged by actors to increase gun control. Proceeds from the liquidation are to go to Mr Jones’s creditors, including the Sandy Hook families who sued him. Mr Jones alleged The Onion’s bid was the result of fraud and collusion involving many of those families, the humour site and a court-appointed trustee who is overseeing the liquidation. First United American Companies submitted a 3.5 million dollar (£2.7 million) sealed bid, while The Onion offered 1.75 million dollars (£1.3 million) in cash. But The Onion’s bid also included a pledge by Sandy Hook families to forego some or all of the auction proceeds due to them giving other creditors a total of 100,000 dollars (£79,400) more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, said that made The Onion’s proposal better for creditors and he named it the winning bid. He has denied any wrongdoing. Mr Jones and First United American Companies claimed that the bid violated Mr Lopez’s rules for the auction by including multiple entities and lacking a valid dollar amount. Mr Jones also alleged Mr Murray improperly cancelled an expected round of live bidding and only selected among the sealed bids that were submitted. Mr Jones called the auction “rigged” and a “fraud” on his show, which airs on the Infowars website, radio stations and his X account. In a court filing, Mr Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process”. Mr Lopez’s September order on the auction procedures made a live bidding round optional. It gave broad authority to Mr Murray to conduct the sale, including the power to reject any bid, no matter how high, that was “contrary to the best interests” of Mr Jones, his company and their creditors. Hi friends! I wanted to give a quick update on The Onion’s purchase of InfoWars, which we can’t wait to relaunch as the dumbest site on the internet. Long and short of it: We won the bid and — you're not going to believe it — the previous InfoWars folks aren't taking it well. — follow @bencollins on bluesky (@oneunderscore__) November 16, 2024 But at a November 14 hearing, Mr Lopez said he was concerned about the process and transparency. “We’re all going to an evidentiary hearing and I’m going to figure out exactly what happened,” he said. “No one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction.” The assets of Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, that were up for sale included the Austin studio, Infowars’ video archive, video production equipment, product trademarks, and Infowars’ websites and social media accounts. Mr Jones is appealing the 1.5 billion dollar (£1.19 billion) in judgments citing free speech rights but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened. Mr Jones has brought in millions of dollars a year in revenue by hawking nutritional supplements, clothing, survival gear and other merchandise from his Infowars Store website, according to court documents. Many of Mr Jones’ personal assets, including real estate as well as guns and other personal belongings, also are being sold as part of the bankruptcy.

IT’S been a hell of a year for travel. The Sun team has ventured all over the globe, hunting out the best bargain getaways that will save our readers dosh, ticking off the lesser-known attractions that are loved by locals and sailing on record-breaking ships. We share our favourite moments of 2024 . . . ICON OF THE SEAS WHILE my last trip of the year was a lazy few days in Lanzarote , the start of 2024 saw me clock up 13,000 steps in just eight hours as I explored the world’s biggest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. Heading to the luxury liner’s home port of Miami, I was among the first to experience this leviathan of a ship. Longer than the Shard or Eiffel Tower are tall, at full capacity it can accommodate 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew across 20 dazzling decks. The $2billion giant has seven pools — including the largest at sea — as well as 40 places to eat and drink spread across eight distinct neighbourhoods. New is the AquaDome, sitting proud at the front of the ship. This multi-deck glass marvel is a tranquil oasis by day, with floor-to-ceiling ocean views and a 55ft waterfall tumbling into a pool that by night features aerial acrobatics and daring dives. But the highlight of my visit was the Crown’s Edge — a terrifying walk-the-plank adventure where you’re strapped in and then step out 16 decks above the ocean across a series of tiny platforms, before reaching the final spot where the floor gives way and you’re flying over the sea and back on board. While the ship has been sailing the Caribbean in 2024, it will be joined by sister liner Star of the Seas in August next year, giving cruisers yet more to enjoy. See royalcaribbean.co.uk DEVON THIS may surprise some readers but my most cherished trips this year were not on my bucket list – although an oyster-fuelled adventure along Australia’s eastern coast was epic. Instead, they were the ones that didn’t involve hopping on a plane. The South West of England, with its jaw-dropping coastlines, is where I can truly unwind. No airport stress. No time-strict schedule. No “where shall we go for dinner tonight?”. Just a cosy self-catered stay in a quiet seaside village where you can snuggle down with a book, potter to the local chippy or whip up a feast of fresh seafood caught by the local fishermen early that morning. I’m in this neck of the woods at least once or twice a year (partly thanks to local friends) but hadn’t ever visited the peaceful town of Lynton on the Exmoor coast until a few months ago. It’s got buckets of charm and the dog-friendly apartments at Tors Park offer unbeatable views of a windswept bay. I took up running earlier this year and my dog Dora and I relished the chance to explore some of the most scenic coastal paths in the UK – with a few pub pit-stops along the way, too, of course. For those planning to visit Cornwall, the 18-mile Camel Trail is a must. If you’re not a runner, walk it or hire a bike from one of the rental stores in Wade-bridge, close to the trail. PARIS IT has been a few years since I paid a visit to Paris and after a weekend break this August, I’m delighted to say the city is more exciting than it has been in years. Yes, the traditional hotels and brasseries are still there, but so are many cool and innovative new bars, shops and more. Staying in the Molitor on the outskirts of town was a prime example — it’s a posh place but not old-school-Paris stuffy, with an amazing art deco pool and a lively rooftop bar and restaurant. We were there to attend the annual summer music festival Rock En Seine, with the UK producer Fred Again headlining on the night we attended, and the buzz of the twenty and thirty-something Parisians was that of a city that knows it has its mojo back. Following some of their recommendations, we headed into the previously overlooked 11th and 18th arrondissements on our second night — the cool, Shoreditch-like parts of the city. We dined on fusion tapas at Pantobaguette where the DJ is as good as the food, and Bambino, a chic restaurant-cocktail bar where records line the walls. We topped off our trip with a visit to one of Paris’s legendary flea markets on the edge of the city, Marche aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves, for extremely affordable vintage jewellery and homeware, that, thanks to the Eurostar, we could lug back home without extra baggage charges. THAILAND I SPENT most of 2024 stomping through European cities such as Stockholm , Vienna , Ljubljana and Florence . But while Europe has my heart, I also left a slice in Khao Sok National Park after a dream trip to Thailand with TUI in March. Specifically, I’ll never forget the moment I came face to face with an elephant at Elephant Hills. The luxury tented jungle camp has its own elephant sanctuary where holidaymakers can meet these magnificent creatures in a safe and protected environment. Visitors prepare a medley of snacks such as bananas, sugar canes and pineapple wedges for the elephants to eat before watching them bathe and lounge in the safety of the sanctuary. The whole experience feels almost otherworldly. Elephant Hills puts on other activities, too, such as a jungle trek, a kayak tour along the Sok River and an excursion to Cheow Lan Lake to visit the Lake Camp, where you can paddleboard, kayak and swim. And nothing felt strenuous because I spent my free time relaxing in a rather bougie glamping tent. It had an outside porch with a hammock and wicker rocking chairs as well as an en-suite bathroom. There was also a huge dining area where guests gathered to eat meals and a small pool to cool off in the heat. Put simply, my trip was heaven on earth and I don’t think it will be topped for a long while. AMSTERDAM FOR me, 2024 was a mix of long-awaited bucket-list destinations — and revisiting old favourites. In South Korea, I stocked up on skincare and make-up by Renowned brand K-beauty, while on safari in Kenya I got up close with lion cubs, and in Hawaii I marvelled at the beaches. But one destination where I was reminded of how fantastic the place is was Amsterdam. Returning to the Dutch city after ten years, I escaped the crowds by checking out its Noord district, which is a quick, free ferry ride from the main train station. It’s here that I found a fantastic bar scene — set to be the next big thing, or so I’m told — as well as a thriving art community and even the neighbourhood’s own “beach” behind a trendy warehouse restaurant. Dubbed the Brooklyn of Amsterdam, this is a place that makes you feel cooler than you really are, while surrounded by red-brick galleries and giant murals. And you don’t even have to brave the airport in order to get there. It has become my favourite lesser-known place to suggest friends visit.