The Millers’ Mafia has won another battle, a very decisive one at that. It has been able to coerce the mighty NPP government into increasing the maximum retail prices (MRPs) of all varieties of rice except keeri samba by Rs. 10. By opting for an upward price revision, the government has unwittingly justified the millers’ unlawful practice of selling rice at prices above the MRPs previously. What it has chosen to do is like hurling a chunk of umbalakada (‘Maldives fish’) at a cat that is running away with a piece of fish, as a local saying goes. We hear champagne corks popping in rice mills, especially in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, at a meeting with a group of rice millers in Colombo over the weekend, announced the government’s decision to increase the MRPs for rice. He appeared to be reading the millers the riot act, but in the end the latter had the last laugh—as always. It has been reported that the rice millers agreed to adhere to the revised MRPs and release adequate rice stocks to the market, but whether they will go on doing so or ask for further price increases, after a while, remains to be seen. President Dissanayake has indicated that noncompliance will be severely dealt with. One can only hope that he will match his words with deeds and ensure that the interests of consumers and farmers are safeguarded. Taming the powerful rice millers, who have become a law unto themselves, is a stupendous task that not even war-winning President Mahinda Rajapaksa was equal to. He gave in to their pressure and allowed them to do as they pleased. Former frontline combat officer-turned President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whom his political opponents made out to be an autocrat, also chose to touch his forelock to the Millers’ Mafia. Successive governments have capitulated to the millers, who have demonstrated their ability to make politicians eat out of their hands. Political leaders go ballistic on election platforms, vowing to take tough action against those who exploit the public, but their roars give way to mews after being ensconced in power. This is why politicians and their parties must be made to reveal whether they have benefited from the slush funds of the millers and other members of the mudalali fraternity given to exploitative practices. The owner of ‘Araliya Rice’, Dudley Sirisena, who is one of the powerful millers blamed for manipulating the rice and paddy markets and profiteering, in an interview with Hiru TV, on 02 Dec., claimed that the current rice shortage had come about because rice was used for manufacturing beer. Claiming that the beer companies preferred nadu to other varieties of rice, he sought to deflect blame for the current rice shortage. Interestingly, he was among the millers who met President Dissanayake the other day, and agreed to make all varieties of rice, including nadu , available at the revised prices. If the rice shortage has been caused by the beer companies, as Sirisena has claimed, how come the millers have undertaken to release rice to the market? Are they going to turn beer into rice? However, Sirisena’s tall tale is not without an iota of truth; it is public knowledge that beer companies use rice as a raw material although they cannot be blamed for the current rice shortage, which is mostly due to hoarding by a cartel of unscrupulous millers. The government must take action to ensure that rice is eaten and not ‘drunk’ (in the form of beer). Curiously, the government has reportedly decided to sell imported nadu rice at the previous MRP (Rs. 220 a kilo). Rice to be imported from India is believed to cost only about Rs. 110 a kilo, and the 100-rupee markup on a kilo of imported rice is nothing but unfair. It is unbecoming of the State Trading Corporation and Sathosa, tasked with importing rice, to make such unconscionable profits. Worse, some large-scale millers responsible for market manipulations are among the rice importers; they are known to take imported rice all the way to their mills in North Central Province, and release it to the market after rebranding and repackaging it. They will now be able to sell a kilo of imported rice at Rs. 230 and earn a profit of Rs. 120 besides fleecing the public by keeping the prices of locally produced rice artificially high. They will get the best of both worlds!aaa jili slot game 。

New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns

NEW YORK — Stocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones industrial average notched another record high. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 0.3%. The benchmark index’s 1.7% gain for the week erased most of its loss from last week. The Dow rose 1% and nudged past its most recent high set last week, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the run-up to elections in November, then surging after Donald Trump’s victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. It’s now within about 0.5% of its all-time high set last week. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, said in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 12.8% after handily beating analysts’ third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 2.2% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.8% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company’s Dish Network unit. Smaller-company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 gained ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.2%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest factors in whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6-trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.7%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.7% after a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class-action investor lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. All told, the S&P 500 rose 20.63 points to 5,969.34. The Dow climbed 426.16 points to 44,296.51, and the Nasdaq picked up 42.65 points to close at 2,406.67. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny of consumer spending habits heading into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rate. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It’s still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers’ inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the Conference Board, a business group, releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, and this will be the last PCE reading before the central bank’s meeting in December. Troise and Veiga write for the Associated Press.

Too early to celebrate – Arne Slot keeps leaders Liverpool focusedOne day before Texas and Georgia face off in the Southeastern Conference championship game, the Longhorns earned a surprising victory over the Bulldogs on the recruiting trail. Justus Terry, a defensive lineman from Manchester, Georgia, announced Friday he would be leaving his home state to play for Texas next year. Terry, who also was considering Georgia and Auburn, had been the nation’s top remaining uncommitted 2025 prospect. The addition of Terry gives Texas the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by “We’re super pumped about this recruiting class,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday, before Terry had announced his decision. “This is a very talented group of players that I think not only fit the physical characteristics of what we’re looking for by position in our program, but I think meet the character and are going to fit nicely into our culture.” Although there will be an additional signing period in February, 247Sports officials said Texas should maintain its No. 1 standing. The overwhelming majority of Power Four recruits already finalized their college plans this week. The top 11 classes as of Friday afternoon include eight Southeastern Conference schools and three Big Ten programs. Alabama is second, with Georgia third, Oregon fourth and Ohio State fifth. Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M, Michigan and Tennessee round out the top 10. Florida is 11th. The highest-rated recruiting classes outside the SEC and Big Ten are Notre Dame at No. 12 and Miami at No. 14. Terry is the nation’s No. 2 defensive lineman and No. 10 overall prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite. His decision gives Texas nine of the 247Sports Composite’s top 66 prospects. Texas’ other recruits rated 66th or better include safety Jonah Williams (No. 8), wide receivers Kaliq Lockett (No. 22) and Jamie Ffrench (No. 32), defensive lineman Lance Jackson (No. 25), all-purpose athlete Michael Terry III (No. 43), cornerbacks Kade Phillips (No. 54) and Graceson Littleton (No. 65), and linebacker Elijah Barnes (No. 66). “I think it’s a really versatile class with a variety of positions, highlighted by high-level players,” Sarkisian said. “As always, we really pride ourselves on recruiting the high school ranks. We think when we can get players in here young, then immerse them into our culture, into our off-season conditioning program, develop them as we go throughout their career, that’s when we really reap the benefits of having these guys in our program. This class is no different.” With the early signing period concluding Friday, the focus on college roster construction now turns to transfers. The transfer portal window officially opens Monday, though numerous college players already went to social media this week to announce their intentions to transfer. The early signing period was moved up a few weeks this year so that high school seniors could get their decisions out of the way before the opening of the transfer portal window. This marked the first signing period since the demise of the that prospects had sent in the past after signing with their respective schools. Athletes now are signing their names to a financial aid agreement that can include name, image and likeness agreements along with the standard tuition and room and board details. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: and

Kings fire coach Mike Brown less than halfway through his 3rd season, AP source says

Thousands of Afghans on Thursday attended the funeral of the refugees minister, AFP journalists saw, after he was killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul the day before in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, was killed on Wednesday afternoon in a suicide bombing at the ministry's offices in the Afghan capital. Thousands of men, many of them armed, gathered for Haqqani's funeral in his home village of Sarana, in a mountainous area of Paktia province, south of Kabul. The funeral included heavy security, with armoured vehicles, snipers and personnel manning the area and the road from Kabul, which was jammed with hundreds of cars as mourners travelled from surrounding provinces. Senior Taliban officials, including the Chief of Army Staff Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, and Maulawi Abdul Kabir, political deputy of the prime minister's office, attended the funeral, according to an AFP team on site. The deceased's nephew, the powerful interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, also attended, along with foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. In a speech there, Muttaqi said the latest IS attacks had been planned "abroad", denouncing, without naming them, "countries harbouring" the organisation. "We call on all nations to work together to stop the common enemy, which does not recognise any kind of morality." In September, the Taliban authorities said IS had training camps in Balochistan province of Pakistan, which also regularly faces jihadist attacks. Haqqani, the highest ranked member of the Taliban government to be killed in an attack since their return to power, "was a big loss for us, the system and the nation", said Paktia resident Hedayatullah, 22. "May God protect our other leaders and keep them victorious." "Our leader... who had his life brutally taken away, achieved martyrdom," said Bostan, 53, haranguing the "cowardly attack" that killed Haqqani. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan condemned the attack on Thursday, offering condolences to the victims' families. "There can be no place for terrorism in the quest for stability," the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on X. The European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also condemned the attack, along with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran. Haqqani -- who is on US and UN sanctions lists and never appeared without an automatic weapon in his hand -- was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the feared Haqqani network responsible for some of the most violent attacks during the Taliban's two-decade insurgency. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying a bomber detonated an explosive vest inside the ministry, according to a statement on its Amaq news agency, as translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. Taliban authorities had already blamed IS for the "cowardly attack" -- the first targeting a minister since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Violence has waned in Afghanistan since the Taliban forces took over the country that year, ending their war against US-led NATO coalition forces. However, the regional chapter of IS, known as Islamic State Khorasan, is active in Afghanistan and has regularly targeted civilians, foreigners and Taliban officials with gun and bomb attacks. bur-qb-sw/nroB.C. drummers help John Stamos perfect Beach Boys drum solo

United, Apple rolling out new way to track lost luggage with AirTagsNetizens believe Filipina American singer-songwriter and actress Olivia Rodrigo is an ARMY! In October, she visited the Philippines for her GUTS World Tour 2, exciting her fans. Videos from her time in the country are now being shared. A post shared by Olivia Rodrigo (@oliviarodrigo) Celebrity chef JP Anglo shared videos featuring the singer as they prepared delicious Filipino food and gifts for her. We Filipinos can’t help being proud of the success of other Filipinos, whether they were born in the motherland or not. Likewise, we are always proud to share our food whether it’s Sisig, Inasal or bagnet. What better way then to celebrate the talent and accomplishment of our fellow Filipino, @Olivia Rodrigo , than with a good old boodle fight. Here’s to you Olivia, and all things Pinoy. @sarsa_mnl @American Express #filipinofoodforward #filipinofood #filipinoforward #oliviarodrigo #oliviarodrigophilippines #oliviarodrigoedit #oliviarodrigofanpage #oliviarodrigofan #oliviarodrigosupremacy #oliviarodrigosour ♬ original sound – jpanglo – jpanglo When @Olivia Rodrigo visited us at @sarsa_mnl we asked helped from my nieces. Kassie & Ally designed the Sarsa x OR shirts while Oraia, the daughter of my sister, gifted her with a brown bag with goodies inside she crocheted herself. So so proud of you TEAM! 🇵🇭💙🤜🏽 boodle fight. Here’s to you Olivia, and all things Pinoy. 🇵🇭💙🔪 @sarsa_mnl @americanexpress @movefilms #filipinofoodforward #filipinofood #filipinoforward #boodlefight #oliviarodrigo #oliviarodrigophilippines #oliviarodrigoedit #oliviarodrigofanpage #oliviarodrigofans #oliviarodrigosupremacy ♬ get him back! – Olivia Rodrigo Eagle-eyed netizens noticed in both her vlog and his videos that she had a cute keychain accessory on her bag. It appeared to be none other than KOYA , BTS RM ‘s koala character from the group’s LINE FRIENDS collaboration. The exact product is the “KOYA MINI MININI VEGGIE keywring.” omg olivia rodrigo has a koya veggie keyring???!!!! pic.twitter.com/XtA6u7OAsv — maddy (@googiejar) December 6, 2024 olivia has a orange koya keyring omg? pic.twitter.com/dcNk6bbVCl — ur grandaddy star7 (@rorosfirstlove) December 6, 2024 Singer Olivia Rodrigo with the BT210KOYA MINI MININI VEGGIE keywring. pic.twitter.com/6HrgOn23Np — Kim Namjoon Source (@KNJsSource) December 6, 2024 Olivia Rodrigo has previously fangirled over BTS, revealing herself to be ARMY. bts and olivia stans fighting? here’s olivia fangirling over bts pic.twitter.com/SxBn7NuMYk — nour (@favcrimeliv) May 23, 2021 Yet, Olivia Rodrigo has a past connection with another BTS member: V . They shared a “moment” at The 2022 GRAMMYs (also known as The 64th GRAMMY Awards ). Read more below. BTS’s V Tells All On His Viral Moment With Olivia Rodrigo At The 2022 GRAMMYs What's Happening Around The World BTS V’s Duet With Bing Crosby Praised For Avoiding AI Technology Bruno Mars Gets “Jealous” Of BLACKPINK Rosé’s New Man Why f(x)’s Krystal Jung Keeps Her MBTI A Secret KATSEYE’s Megan Captures Attention Of Hit-Making Disney Producer View All (1921)

Revolutionary Transparent Antenna with Ultra-Thin Copper Circuit Technology SEOUL, South Korea , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CIT Co. Ltd., a leading startup in advanced materials, has been awarded the CES 2025 Innovation Award in the Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility category for its revolutionary transparent antenna, "Dolphin." Inspired by a dolphin's ability to detect a wide range of frequencies, Dolphin represents a groundbreaking innovation in the field, supporting the broadest range of frequencies among transparent antennas. Meeting the Needs of Next-Generation Vehicles The automotive industry is rapidly transforming with autonomous driving technologies and the rise of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs), often described as "smartphones on wheels." These advancements demand fast and reliable data transmission, yet existing transparent antennas are limited in frequency range and application. CIT's Dolphin addresses these challenges with a design that combines unparalleled performance and flexibility. Dolphin operates across six frequency bands, from L-band to K-band, and supports frequencies up to 20 GHz, making it uniquely suited for 5G communication. Its exceptional frequency coverage significantly surpasses that of conventional antennas, meeting the needs of modern connected vehicles. Transparency and Sustainability at Its Core Dolphin achieves an extraordinary 90% transparency using ultra-thin copper circuits less than 10 nanometers thick—1,000 times thinner than a human hair. This innovative design ensures the antenna is virtually invisible when integrated into car windows or other glass surfaces. In contrast, traditional antennas rely on copper circuits 5 to 10 micrometers thick, which cannot match Dolphin's sleek and flexible design. In line with CIT's commitment to sustainability, Dolphin is manufactured using recycled copper wires, reducing its carbon footprint to just 1/1000th of that of traditional antennas. This eco-friendly approach supports CIT's goal of environmentally responsible production. Expanding Applications Beyond Vehicles Dolphin's potential extends far beyond automotive applications. It can be utilized in smart building windows, streetlights, and bus stop glass panels, enabling innovative solutions for urban infrastructure. Additionally, CIT's advanced material technology has been applied to create transparent displays. These displays use ultra-thin copper circuits that are invisible to the human eye, delivering a clear and seamless viewing experience. Transparent displays are increasingly popular in digital signage, exhibition halls, commercial spaces, and transportation systems such as cars, buses, and trains. Showcasing Innovation at CES 2025 CIT will present its award-winning transparent antenna, Dolphin, alongside its transparent display technology at CES 2025 in Las Vegas . Visitors can experience these innovations firsthand at the Venetian Expo, Halls A-D, Booth #50769. For additional details about CIT's CES 2025 Innovation Award-winning transparent antenna, Dolphin, visit CIT's Innovation Award Site. To learn more about Dolphin's groundbreaking technology and applications, watch the product introduction video: Discover Dolphin. About CIT CIT is a leading advanced materials startup founded in 2023. Since its foundation, the company has been growing quickly and steadily, specializing in innovative materials like low-dielectric FCCL (Flexible Copper Clad Laminate), transparent antennas, and transparent displays. These advanced products are used in industries such as automotive, smart buildings, and AR/VR technology. CIT has earned recognition for its innovative technology by winning major awards, including the CES 2025 Innovation Award, the FLY ASIA Advanced Manufacturing Award (2024), and the Public Technology Commercialization Innovation Award (2024). The company also focuses on sustainability by using recycled copper wires to manufacture its products, reducing carbon emissions to 1/1000 of traditional methods. By collaborating with global companies, CIT is working to bring its groundbreaking products to market and striving to become a global leader in advanced materials for next-generation technologies. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cit-wins-ces-2025-innovation-award-for-transparent-antenna-302339322.html SOURCE CIT Co. Ltd.Veterinary Services Market Poised for Tremendous Growth from 2024 to 2032

MPs impeach acting S Korea president Han

73% of small business owners optimistic about 2025 economyDespite opening the year with a door plug blowout whose fallout reverberated throughout the industry, U.S. airlines had a pretty good year in the stock market. Bloomberg reports that the S&P Supercomposite Airlines index rose 57% this year, beating the S&P 500 by more than 30 percentage points — the biggest such gap in a decade. The year had some particularly big Wall Street flops among carriers, with the now-bankrupt Spirit Airlines coming to mind. Its shares were delisted by the New York Stock Exchange and now trade among so-called penny stocks ; they have lost nearly all their value. But after that late-in-the-year hiccup, various airlines have been upgrading their internal forecasts and pointing to an acceleration in customer demand. One name in particular has had an especially good 2024. United Airlines ( UAL -1.81% ) , which competes with Delta Air Lines ( DAL -1.86% ) as the preeminent domestic name in the space — the two companies are dueling to see who can build the country’s biggest airport lounge — has seen its stock rise nearly 140%. When a so-called “capacity crisis” of unsold seats depressed airfares, United told investors that it saw the headwind coming and cut down on supply in order to turn the situation into a major tailwind . 📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.India's longest bull market has more room to run - Morgan Stanley

United Airlines travelers with lost luggage have a new tool to track their bags. If the lost bag has an Apple AirTag in it, that information can now be passed directly to United, the airline announced Thursday. The new feature, called Share Item Location, allows travelers with an AirTag or other Find My network accessory to share the location with the airline’s customer service team to help locate their luggage in the event it’s misplaced. United says more than 99% of its customers pick up their luggage without a hitch. The feature is now available with iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2 or macOS 15.2. “Apple’s new Share Item Location feature will help customers travel with even more confidence, knowing they have another way to access their bag’s precise location with AirTag or their Find My accessory of choice,” said David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer. Travelers on United whose bags do not arrive at their destination can file a delayed baggage report with United and share the link to the item’s location either through the United app or via text message. After the report has been submitted, customer service agents will be able to locate the item on an interactive map alongside a timestamp of a recent update. The shared location will be disabled after a customer has the bag, and customers can also stop sharing the location of the item at any time on their own. The location link will also automatically expire after seven days. Using AirTags or other tracking devices on luggage is increasingly popular among frequent travelers, with a significant boom following the 2022 Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown , which displaced thousands of travelers over Christmas and into 2023, alongside much of their belongings. United says lost bags are rare, with more than 99% of its customers arriving with their bags. It says the new technology will help those with lost bags to recover them more quickly because the airline will have more information about them. Apple previously announced the new service will also be integrated at other air carriers, including Delta Air Lines. Others include Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Vueling. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!Middle East latest: Israeli strikes kill a hospital director in Lebanon and wound 9 medics in GazaOG Maco, Georgia rapper known for 'U Guessed It,' dead at 32

Archbishop of Douala Deems Biya’s 2025 Presidential Bid ‘Unrealistic’ in RFI Interview