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#Z34bTN+u.ͣ"ӷ~Pu8HsIOHeIyXFMJ4%О9Ixܽ?YÀI8iq:N>i! Gӳ}xiEփUp4a)ə1 b"g?¾|>l\W2yG:p#E}/g11cL*o?a/'*h'C+㍕ ~=\uyyUaʊ>uZDpZBax LPBlo}FLYHT Announces Shareholder Approval of its Acquisition by Firan Technology Group CorporationLittler, who won the Grand Slam of Darts last week, hit checkouts of 170, 164 and 136 as he threatened to overturn an early deficit, but Humphries held his nerve to win the last three legs. “I’m really, really proud of that one to be honest,” Humphries told Sky Sports. “I didn’t feel myself this week playing-wise, I felt like I was a dart behind in a lot of the scenarios but there’s something that Luke does to you. He really drives me, makes me want to be a better player and I enjoy playing him. “He let me in really early in that first session to go 4-1 up, I never looked back and I’m proud that I didn’t take my foot off the gas. These big games are what I live for. “Luke is a special talent and he was right – I said to him I’ve got to get these (titles) early before he wins them all. “I’d love to be up here and hitting 105 averages like Luke is all the time but he’s a different calibre, he’s probably the best player in the world right now but there’s something about me that never gives up. “This is a great way to go into the worlds.” Littler, who lost the world championship final to Humphries last year, said: “It was tough, missed a few doubles and if you don’t take chances early on, it’s a lot to come back. “I hit the 170 and the 164 but just didn’t have enough in the end. “It’s been a good past two weeks. I just can’t wait to go home, chill out, obviously practice at home for the worlds. That’s it now, leading up to the big one.”Mikel Arteta ready to put trust in Arsenal's Bukayo Saka replacement - 'He loves it!'
Hunt for CEO’s killer yields new evidenceLONDON — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. The woman said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men returned the verdict after deliberating for about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. The former UFC champion later posted on his X social media account that he planned to appeal the decision . McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. The woman’s voice and hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. “She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice,” the woman said. “I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. “He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.” The woman had to take several breaks in her emotional testimony as she said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter. A paramedic who examined the woman the next day, testified that she hadn’t seen someone with that intensity of bruising. The woman said McGregor put her in a chokehold several times and later told her, “Now you know how I felt in the Octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to an Oct. 6 fight at UFC 229 in Las Vegas when he lost via submission to lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov , followed by a wild post-fight brawl . She feared she would die and never see her daughter again. “He let me go and I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she said. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. Police investigated the woman’s complaint, but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor said the two had sex that was athletic and vigorous, but not rough. He said “she never said ‘no’ or stopped” and testified that everything she said was a lie. “It is a full-blown lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. “How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings.” McGregor’s lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. “You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise,” attorney Remy Farrell said. “I’m not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.” The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor’s arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked “happy, happy, happy.” McGregor said that when he was first questioned by police, he read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions.BMW uses cooking-oil diesel, direct battery-waste recycling in Germany
Mend ways or face more curbs: RBI to banks, NBFCs2 accused of raping minors
Registered initially in 1958 by CIBA-GEIGY, atrazine has been a major agricultural herbicide in the US for more than 30 years. Manufactured by Swiss-based agrochemical giant Syngenta, it is a chlorinated triazine systemic herbicide. Pesticide products containing atrazine are registered for use on “field corn, sweet corn, sorghum, and sugarcane, wheat, macadamia nuts, and guava, as well as non-agricultural uses such as nursery/ornamental and turf.” Around 80 million pounds (over 36 million kilograms) of atrazine are What’s Wrong with Atrazine? The compound’s “chemical properties make it susceptible to leaching and runoff, especially during heavy rains,” according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Atrazine lingers in soil for months, or years in some types of soil, and can reach groundwater through runoff, research carried out by German scientists and in 2010 showed. A study published in 2014 found that in Germany, “even 20 years after the ban of atrazine, the groundwater concentrations of sampled [observation wells] remain on a level close to the threshold value of 0.1 μg l−1 without any considerable decrease.” Around 30 million Americans in 28 states have some level of atrazine in their drinking water, a report by the Environmental Working Group in 2018. Screenshot showing container of weed killer atrazine. © Photo Is It Dangerous for Humans? Short answer: . Atrazine (ATR) can cause as well as and , a study of Kentucky counties in 1997 published in and Chinese research featured in in 2023 . There was a “statistically significant increase in breast cancer risk with medium and high levels of triazine exposure,” researchers at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 1997. Atrazine can increase proliferation rate of according to featured in ScienceDirect in 2023. Atrazine exposure causes , including , and more. US researchers found that “higher county levels of atrazine were associated with infant diagnoses of gastroschisis,” a rare birth defect where an opening in the newborn’s abdomen wall causes the intestines to spill outside the body, published in in 2024. Children of mothers with high levels of exposure to atrazine “had nearly a two-fold increase in risk for choanal atresia or stenosis,” which lead to life-threatening respiratory symptoms, said a Texas the National Library of Medicine in 2014. Endocrine disruption, interrupting regular hormone function, irregular estrogen levels and menstrual cycles, decreased sperm count in men, abnormal birth weight and unexplained infertility are all linked to the compound, as substantiated by international studies, were laid out in the International Journal of Ecosystem in 2011, and by Canada's Bureau of Reproductive and Child Health. Atrazine may cause , US research titled “ ” published by the National Library of Medicine in 2016 . of atrazine “align with pathological characteristics in Parkinson’s disease,” and studies support “a strong evidence base that low-concentration ATZ exposure during development can elicit increased risk of neurodegeneration,” a January 2024 study showed. Screenshot of publication on reapproval of atrazine by US EPA in 2020. © Photo : Despite the overwhelming science linking atrazine use to severe illness, the US EPA in 2020 for another 15 years. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that atrazine is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans, allowing its continued use with new requirements. Why Was It Reapproved & Who Lobbied For Atrazine? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) openly acknowledges in its September 1994 that banning atrazine would impose “costs on farmers and consumers” ranging between “$517 million and $665 million.” US agrochemicals giant (acquired by Germany’s Bayer in 2018) also had a finger in the pie. While not a primary manufacturer of atrazine, its flagship product, Roundup, contains the toxic weed killer ingredient . Monsanto invested $4.6 million to influence agricultural policy and pesticide regulations in 2016, . Monsanto coordinated its lobbying strategies at the national, EU, and international levels with atrazine-maker Syngenta, according to Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO). Ex-Monsanto staff got powerful positions in government, while scientists were paid to act as mouthpieces, . During the US EPA review of atrazine in 2003, industry lobbyists reportedly participated in with EPA regulators. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is entwined financially with large agribusiness corporations. Its insurance affiliates have bought stock in companies like the US multinational food corporation Cargill, wrote in 2012. Cargill Inc. $1,060,000 lobbying in 2024. Screenshot showing annual lobbying by Cargill Inc. © Photo : Center for Responsive Politics Farm groups including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, and Agricultural Retailers Association, along with state farm bureaus and grower groups and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, with the EPA in 2022 urging to refrain from restricting the use of atrazine. They argued that this would " ." From 2005 to 2010, ten leading agribusiness interests spent $127 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies, fielding 159 lobbyists in 2010, with Monsanto and the American Farm Bureau leading the pack, by Environment Maryland in 2012 showed. Syngenta spent $260,000 lobbying the Environmental Protection Agency and other government officials, an Associated Press showed in 2004. The EPA, tethered to the interests of the pesticide industry, has since recalculated the level of concern for atrazine as 9.7 μg/L measured as a 60-day average (July 2024) following a peer review. Its cumulative on atrazine “ .” 24 June 2020, 20:14 GMTFEMA sends $1 billion to Florida storm victims, but some are still waiting on the agencyDrop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-pandemic levels’
Pam Bondi, Donald Trump's pick to be attorney general, is a staunch ally of the former president, defending him against impeachment during his first term and pushing his false claims of election fraud as he sought to cling on to the White House. The 59-year-old former Florida attorney general, if confirmed by the Senate, will now serve as the top law enforcement official in a second Trump administration. "For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans -- Not anymore," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. "Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again." Bondi's nomination means the top ranks of the Justice Department will be filled by Trump loyalists, as the president-elect has named three of the lawyers who defended him in his multiple criminal cases to its other high-ranking roles. Trump tapped Bondi to be attorney general on Thursday after his first pick, firebrand ex-Florida lawmaker Matt Gaetz, dropped out amid sexual misconduct allegations and doubts that he could obtain Senate confirmation. A graduate of the University of Florida with a law degree from Stetson University, Bondi served as a prosecutor for 18 years before being elected attorney general of the "Sunshine State" in 2010, the first woman to hold the post. Bondi, a native of Trump's adopted home state of Florida, was reelected to a second term in 2014. As attorney general, Bondi notably fought opioid addiction and human trafficking while taking a tough stance on crime and supporting the death penalty. She sued BP for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and obtained more than $2 billion in economic relief for Florida, according to her biography page at Ballard Partners, a powerful lobbying firm where she has worked after leaving office. While serving as attorney general, Bondi was drawn into a controversy involving Trump when she declined in 2013 to join a multi-state prosecution accusing Trump University of fraud. It emerged later that Bondi's reelection committee had received a $25,000 donation from the charitable Trump Foundation. Both Trump and Bondi denied any wrongdoing. Bondi joined Trump's legal team during his first impeachment trial, in which he was alleged to have pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to find political dirt on his 2020 election opponent, Democrat Joe Biden. Trump was impeached by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives but acquitted by the Republican-majority Senate. After the 2020 election, Bondi made television appearances on behalf of Trump and pushed to de-legitimize vote counting in battleground states as part of the push by the former president to overturn the results of the vote. Bondi has also criticized the criminal cases brought against Trump, appearing in solidarity at his New York trial, where he was convicted of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star. At Ballard Partners, Bondi has done work for Amazon, General Motors and Uber and as a registered lobbyist for the oil-rich Gulf nation of Qatar, according to press reports. She is also a member of the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned right-wing think tank. cl/dwLight & Wonder, Inc. Announcement: If You Have Suffered Losses in Light & Wonder, Inc. ...
‘History will indeed remember you kindly’: Allies, former colleagues pay tributes to Manmohan SinghRethink the universitySeattle Seahawks receiver is DK Metcalf is just fine when he doesn't have the the ball because it means he gets to showcase his blocking skills. “I just look at it as a sign of respect that I’ve gained from other defensive coordinators and just continue to do my job with it as blocking or being a decoy,” the two-time Pro Bowler said. While opposing defenses have keyed in on Metcalf, other aspects of Seattle's offense have surfaced during its four-game winning streak. The run has the Seahawks (8-5) sitting atop the NFC West heading into Sunday night's game against the visiting Green Bay Packers (9-4). Geno Smith's new top target is second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who needs 89 receiving yards for his first career 1,000-yard season. Smith-Njigba has 75 catches for 911 yards and five touchdowns, while Metcalf, often dealing with double coverage, has 54 catches for 812 yards and two scores. Metcalf says he feels the pride of a “proud parent or a big brother” when it comes to Smith-Njigba's success. Seattle's offense also got a boost from the ground game in a 30-18 victory over the Arizona Cardinals last weekend . Zach Charbonnet, filling in for the injured Kenneth Walker III, ran for a career-best 134 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks face another hot team in the Packers (9-4), who have won seven of nine. Green Bay's two losses over that stretch have come against NFC-best Detroit (12-1), including a 34-31 victory by the Lions on Dec. 5, which means the NFC North title is likely out of reach for the Packers. The Packers are well-positioned for a playoff berth, but that almost certainly won't come this weekend. They would need a win, a loss or tie by the Atlanta Falcons and a tie between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. Metcalf, who learned to block from his father, former Chicago Bears offensive lineman Terrence Metcalf, says he tries to take blocking seriously to set himself apart from other receivers. His priorities are simple when he's getting double-teamed and the ball goes elsewhere. “Trying to block my (butt) off and trying to get pancakes on defensive backs,” he said. When the Packers surged their way into the playoffs last season, quarterback Jordan Love was a major reason why. He had 18 touchdown passes and one interception during Green Bay's final eight games. During the last four games of this season, Love ranks third in the NFL with a 118.9 passer rating with six touchdowns, one interception and a league-best 10.3 yards per attempt. “I always feel like I can put the ball where I want to — and that’s part of it, too, having that confidence to be able to throw those passes,” Love said. “There’s always like I said a handful of plays that might not come off or be in the exact spot that you wanted it to or the throw might be a little bit off. So, that’s where you’ve just got to try to be at your best every play, be consistent and accurate as possible.” Green Bay’s pass defense has been picked apart the last two weeks. First, it was torched by Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins in a Packers win. Next, it allowed Jared Goff to complete his final 13 passes as the Lions rallied to victory. It won’t get any easier this week. Smith is second in the NFL in attempts, completions and passing yards and is fifth in completion percentage. “It’s been a remarkable turnaround for him in terms of just where he started,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “It’s not always where you start, but where you finish. And it tells me a lot about the person in terms of his resiliency and ability to fight through some adversity. He’s a dangerous quarterback.” The potential return of former All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) could help the Packers. Will the Packers break out their head-to-toe white uniforms? The last time Green Bay wore the winter white look was in a 24-22 win over Houston in October. The Packers asked fans to weigh in on social media . As for the Seahawks, they'll be sporting their “Action Green” uniforms. Metcalf is a fan. “I would say this about the Action Green, I love them personally in my opinion, but the big guys hate them. I don’t know why, don’t ask me," he said. “Hopefully, the Packers wear all white, so it’ll be a fun-looking game.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Joseph Pinion had 22 points and eight rebounds, Dyondre Dominguez added 19 points and Arkansas State built a double-digit first-half lead to beat No. 16 Memphis 85-72 on Sunday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Joseph Pinion had 22 points and eight rebounds, Dyondre Dominguez added 19 points and Arkansas State built a double-digit first-half lead to beat No. 16 Memphis 85-72 on Sunday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Joseph Pinion had 22 points and eight rebounds, Dyondre Dominguez added 19 points and Arkansas State built a double-digit first-half lead to beat No. 16 Memphis 85-72 on Sunday. Pinion was 7 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 11 from outside the arc, giving the Red Wolves their second straight win and their first over a ranked team since 1991. Taryn Todd finished with 17 points for Arkansas State (7-3). PJ Haggerty led Memphis (7-2) with 29 points, and Dain Dainja finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Arkansas State held a double-digit lead for most of the game and led 68-57 with 8 minutes left. That was enough for the Red Wolves to defeat the Tigers, snapping a seven-game losing streak to Memphis. Takeaways Arkansas State: The Red Wolves certainly got the nationally ranked Tigers’ attention in the first half after they shot 7 of 18 from 3-point range and built an 18-point lead. The lead got to single digits a couple of times in the second half, but Arkansas State answered the pressure. Memphis: The Tigers suffered through a miserable first half, shooting under 20% late in the half. They turned up their defensive pressure, which cut into the lead, but Memphis never made a serious threat. Key moment Memphis got within 60-53 with 11 minutes left, but Arkansas State went on a 12-6 run that included 3-pointers from Pinion, Todd and Kobe Julien to stretch the Red Wolves’ lead to 75-60 with 6:29 left in the game. Key stat Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Arkansas State’s last win over a ranked team was when it defeated then-No. 21 New Orleans 76-65 in 1991. Up next Arkansas State hosts UT-Arlington on Thursday, and Memphis travels to Clemson on Saturday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball Advertisement AdvertisementGravity Agrees to Sell Water Midstream Business to Delek Logistics
