gcash fortune gems Dr Charlotte Proudman, who specialises in family law, had faced a Bar Standards Board (BSB) disciplinary tribunal over a 14-part Twitter thread criticising a judge’s ruling over a domestic abuse case, saying it echoed a “boys’ club”. However, the five charges against the 36-year-old were dropped on Thursday. In an interview with The Times, Dr Proudman described the position of Mark Neale, the board’s director-general, as “untenable” and said its chairwoman, Kathryn Stone, should also stand down. “They need a change, not just in those two individuals, though, because, of course, it seeps down to the rest of the organisation,” she said. She told the paper she “genuinely” wanted to work with the Bar Standards Board in helping them to understand how misogyny and sexism have impacted women at the bar. However, she said that “under the current leadership, it’s just not going to be possible”. The charges alleged Dr Proudman had “failed to act with integrity” in posting the tweets, that they amounted to professional misconduct, were “misleading” and “inaccurately reflected the findings of the judge” in the case. The women’s rights campaigner was also accused of behaving in a way “which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public placed in her and in the profession”, and that she “knowingly or recklessly misled or attempted to mislead the public” by making the posts. But panel chairman Nicholas Ainley found her tweets are protected under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right of freedom of expression. He said her tweets did not “gravely damage” the judiciary, which would “put them outside” of Article 10 protection, even if they “might not have been pleasant for any judge to read” or even “hurtful”. “We take the view that the judiciary of England and Wales is far more robust than that,” he said. The panel also concluded that some of the tweets were only inaccurate “to a minor degree” and not to the extent necessary for a charge of a lack of integrity. Speaking after the hearing, Dr Proudman told the PA news agency: “This ruling is a victory for women’s rights and a right to freedom of speech. “The prosecution against me brought by my regulatory body, the Bar Standards Board, should never have happened and I said that from day one. “I criticised a domestic abuse judgment. Everyone should have the right to do that, whether you’re a barrister or not. Our justice system, which I strongly believe in, is robust enough to withstand criticism from me.” She believes her tweets help “foster confidence” in the justice system, adding: “Only that way can we go about building change and a better treatment for all victims, women and children and men who are affected by domestic abuse.” Explaining that the BSB appears to have spent almost £40,000 “of barristers’ money” on instructing counsel in her case, she added: “I think it’s shameful that they’re using our money to pay for, in my view, malicious, vexatious prosecutions which I have no doubt was a personal attack against me as a woman and as a feminist, as an outspoken critic and advocate for women’s rights.” Dr Proudman called for “systemic change” within the board. “They don’t understand gender, they don’t understand diversity, I don’t think they’ve ever heard of the concept misogyny and certainly not institutional misogyny,” she said. “Until they recognise the deeply rooted, entrenched issue of bullying, harassment, sexism at the bar, for which I have suffered relentlessly... and own up to it I don’t think we’re going to see any change and I have no confidence in them.” She told of how male barristers have called her insulting names on social media and made derogatory comments about her. In the posts on April 6 2022, Dr Proudman referenced a case in which her client alleged she had been subjected to coercive and controlling behaviour by her husband, a part-time judge, meaning she had been “unable to freely enter” the couple’s “post-nuptial” financial agreement. Commenting on the ruling by Family Court judge Sir Jonathan Cohen, Dr Proudman wrote: “I represented Amanda Traharne. “She said she was coerced into signing a post-nuptial agreement by her husband (who is a part-time judge). I lost the case. “I do not accept the Judge’s reasoning. I will never accept the minimisation of domestic abuse.” She continued: “Demeaning the significance of domestic abuse has the affect of silencing victims and rendering perpetrators invisible. “This judgement has echoes of (t)he ‘boys club’ which still exists among men in powerful positions.” In the thread, Dr Proudman wrote that the judge had described the relationship of the couple as “tempestuous”, which she argued was a “trivialisation” of domestic abuse. “Tempestuous? Lose his temper? Isn’t this the trivialisation of domestic abuse & gendered language. This is not normal married life,” she wrote.

Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 05.12.2024

ASX stocks have been strong performers in 2024. The good news is that Bell Potter still sees opportunities at this side of the market for investors in 2025. The broker notes that it has a "positive or constructive view on the outlook for the technology and gaming sector." This is due to "the generally strong or above average forecast revenue and/or earnings growth" and "the easing interest rate environment which is expected to commence in Australia next year." But given that large cap tech stocks have rallied this year, the broker suspects that the cuts "could have a more positive impact on small to mid cap tech and gaming stocks." With that in mind, let's look at three mid cap ASX tech stocks that are its best buys for the year ahead: ( ) This location technology company's shares are a best buy according to Bell Potter. It likes the ASX tech stock due to its huge growth opportunity, which is being underpinned by the monetisation of its massive user base. It explains: The [Life360] app is used globally by over 75 million people and, of these, there are around 7 million paying subscribers. The penetration rate, therefore, is around 10% and the company has a stated long term target of 30% so there is the potential for the paying subscriber base to triple from here. Life360 is also adding new verticals – like advertising, pet and elderly tracking – which provide additional areas of growth. The next potential catalysts are when Life360 releases its Q4/2024 result in February – we expect a strong result towards the upper end of the guidance ranges – and the S&P/ASX index rebalance in March where we see a good chance Life360 will be added to the Top 100. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $26.75 price target on its shares. ( ) Another ASX tech stock that gets the thumbs up from the broker is gaming technology company Light & Wonder. Bell Potter believes that recent weakness has created an opportunity for investors to buy into a high quality company. It said: Light & Wonder is a leading cross-platform games company that develops and manufactures slot machines, creates free-to-play social casino games for mobile platforms, and produces online real-money gaming content for online casinos. [...] We anticipate 8-11% annual EBITDA growth rates over CY24-26, driven by further R&D investment that enhances game performance and results in market share gains across the North American premium leased market, global outright game sales markets, and online gaming markets. Additionally, we view the recent turmoil surrounding the Dragon Train preliminary injunction as an attractive entry point. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $180.00 price target on its shares. ( ) A final ASX tech stock that makes the list is Gentrack. It provides billing, CRM, and utilities software. An example of its software that many readers will have seen is the arrivals/departures board at Sydney Airport. The broker believes that the company is well-positioned to deliver strong earnings growth in the coming years. It said: Gentrack develops, provisions, and integrates its billing/CRM platform into energy and water utilities, generating up-front project revenue (from deployments/integrations) that transitions into SaaS-type recurring revenue and embeds GTK within utility tech stacks long-term due to high switching costs. Demand for modern-day utilities billing solutions is growing rapidly due to dual tailwinds in (1) an evolving energy grid generating significant amounts of data and complexity in billing and customer management, and (2) legacy tech debt incurred from historical underinvestment in the utility billing stack. GTK has a track record of upgrading and beating guidance, with the interim result in May likely to be the next catalyst potentially from lumpy, large contract wins in Southeast Asia. GTK appears expensive at ~90x/~56x FY25e/26e P/E however the valuation reflects high earnings leverage emerging, noting PEG ratios of ~1.2x and ~0.9x respectively. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $13.90 price target on its sharesInhalation Anesthesia Market Research and Analysis through 2031, Piramal Enterprises Limited, Halocarbon Products Corporation, Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC, Lunan Pharmaceutical Group, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co. Ltd., Fresenius Kabi AgFinal regular-season games loom large in determining conference championship matchups

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown, Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown, and the Cowboys pulled out a 34-26 victory Sunday that extended the Commanders’ skid to three games. Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt following a low snap. Thomas then took the kick back 43 yards as the Cowboys (4-7) ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Part of that was the play of backup Cooper Rush, who threw for 247 yards and two TDs in his third start in place of starter Dak Prescott. Part was also the defense forcing two turnovers, as Chauncey Golston ripped the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.’s hands for what was called an interception of Daniels in the second quarter, and Donovan Wilson stripped John Bates midway through the fourth. KaVonte Turpin provided the fireworks with a spinning, 99-yard kickoff return TD seconds after Daniels found Zach Ertz in the end zone and scored on a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three with 3:02 left. In the final three minutes alone, the Commanders (7-5) scored 10 points and allowed Thomas' TD. All that after the score was 10-9 through three quarters before madness ensued. Washington's playoff hopes that looked solid not long ago are now in serious jeopardy after losing to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Dallas. Before the scoring outburst late, much of this defeat had to do with Daniels and the offense not being able to find any kind of a rhythm. The Cowboys did, despite playing without their two best offensive linemen, top cornerback and starting tight end. Rush's 6-yard pass to Jalen Tolbert was Dallas' first third-quarter TD of the season, and his 22-yarder to Luke Schoonmaker came after Wilson's forced fumble. Daniels finished 25 of 38 for 274 yards, including his second interception of the game on a failed Hail Mary as the clock expired. Rico Dowdle ran 19 times for 86 yards to spring the upset for the Cowboys, who were 10 1/2-point underdogs on BetMGM Sportsbook. Injuries Cowboys: LG Tyler Smith was inactive with ankle and knee injuries. ... RG Zack Martin (ankle), CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) and TE Jake Ferguson (concussion) were ruled out prior to game day and did not travel for the game. Commanders: RB Austin Ekeler was injured on a kickoff return in the final seconds. ... Robinson left with an ankle injury in the first half, returned and then left again. ... RT Andrew Wylie was concussed in the third quarter and did not return. ... C Tyler Biadasz was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth. ... (hamstring) missed a third consecutive game at the trade deadline from New Orleans. Up next Cowboys: Host the New York Giants on Thursday in the traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas. Commanders: Host the Tennessee Titans next Sunday in Washington’s final game before its late bye week. ___ AP NFL: Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press( MENAFN - Gulf Times) The Arab League Council has condemned Israeli incursion into the buffer zone with Syria, and the areas adjacent to it in Mount Hermon, Quneitra Governorate, and Rif Dimashq. In its extraordinary session at the level of permanent delegates, the Council indicated that the Israeli incursion is a violation of the disengagement agreement concluded between Syria and Israel in 1974, stressing that the agreement remains in effect in accordance with Security Council resolution No 350 issued in the same year, and therefore that agreement is not to be affected by the Political change currently taking place in Syria. Qatar's delegation to the session was headed by ambassador to Egypt and its Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Tariq Ali Faraj al-Ansari. The council also condemned the ongoing Israeli raids on a number of Syrian civilian and military sites, stressing that the Golan Heights is Syrian Arab land and will remain so forever. It called on the international community to oblige Israel, as the occupying power, to comply with the relevant international legitimacy resolutions, especially Security Council Resolution No 497 of 1981, which calls on Israel to withdraw from the occupied Syrian Golan. The council tasked the Arab Group in New York to move to hold a special session in the Security Council to discuss the Israeli practices that threaten international peace and security, including the recent incursion of Syrian lands that Israel has seized since Dec 8. The extraordinary session of the Council was held with the aim of formulating a unified Arab position regarding the Israeli army's seizure of additional lands in the occupied Syrian Golan. MENAFN13122024000067011011ID1108992053 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.By CHRIS MEGERIAN and COLLEEN LONG WASHINGTON (AP) — In the two weeks since Donald Trump won the presidency, he’s tried to demonstrate his dominance by naming loyalists for top administration positions, even though many lack expertise and some face sexual misconduct accusations. It often seems like he’s daring Congress to oppose his decisions. But on Thursday, Trump’s attempt to act with impunity showed a crack as Matt Gaetz , his choice for attorney general, withdrew from consideration. Trump had named Gaetz, a Florida congressman, to be the country’s top law enforcement official even though he was widely disliked by his colleagues, has little legal experience and was accused of having sex with an underage girl, an allegation he denied. After being plagued by investigations during his first presidency, Trump wanted a devoted ally in charge of the Justice Department during his second. However, it was never obvious that Gaetz could win enough support from lawmakers to get confirmed as attorney general. Trump chose for a replacement Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general who defended him during his first impeachment trial and supported his false claims of voter fraud. Now the question is whether Gaetz was uniquely unpalatable, or if Trump’s other picks might exceed his party’s willingness to overlook concerns that would have sunk nominees in a prior political era. The next test will likely be Pete Hegseth, who Trump wants to lead the Pentagon despite an allegation of sexual assault that he’s denied. So far, Republicans are rallying around Hegseth , an Army veteran and former Fox News host. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the controversy over Gaetz would have little bearing on Trump’s other choices. He said they would be considered “one at a time.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, suggested otherwise, claiming “the dominoes are falling.” “The drip drip of evidence and truth is going to eventually doom some others,” he said. Trump’s election victory was a sign that there may not be many red lines left in American politics. He won the presidential race despite authoritarian, racist and misogynist rhetoric, not to mention years of lies about election fraud and his role in sparking the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was also criminally convicted of falsifying business records to pay hush money, and he was found liable for sexual abuse in a civil case. Empowered by voters who looked past his misconduct and saw him as a powerful agent of change, Trump has shown no deference to Washington norms while working to fill his second administration . The transition team hasn’t pursued federal background checks for Trump’s personnel choices. While some of his selections have extensive experience in the areas they’ve been chosen to lead, others are personal friends and Fox News personalities who have impressed and flattered Trump over the years. Several have faced allegations involving sexual misconduct . Related Articles National Politics | Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi’s felony voting ban is cruel and unusual National Politics | Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad National Politics | Trump gave Interior nominee one directive for a half-billion acres of US land: ‘Drill.’ National Politics | Trump’s team is delaying transition agreements. What does it mean for security checks and governing? National Politics | Judge delays Trump hush money sentencing in order to decide where case should go now Hegseth is facing the most scrutiny after Gaetz. Once Trump announced Hegseth as his nominee for Pentagon chief, allegations emerged that he sexually assaulted a woman in California in 2017. The woman said he took her phone, blocked the door to the hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a police report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing, the report said. However, he paid the woman a confidential settlement in 2023. Hegseth’s lawyer said the payment was made to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit. Trump’s choice for secretary of health and human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has faced allegations of misconduct too. A woman who babysat for him and his second wife told Vanity Fair magazine that Kennedy groped her in the late 1990s, when she was 23. Kennedy did not deny the allegation and texted an apology to the woman after the article was published. That isn’t the only hurdle for Kennedy; he’s spent years spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines, raising fears about making him a top health official in the new administration. Linda McMahon, chosen by Trump to be education secretary, is fighting a lawsuit connected to her former company, World Wrestling Entertainment. She’s accused of knowingly enabling sexual exploitation of children by an employee as early as the 1980s, and she denies the allegations. Tulsi Gabbard is another person who could face a difficult confirmation battle, but for very different reasons. The former Democratic representative from Hawaii has been a vocal Trump ally, and he chose her to be national intelligence director. But there’s grave concern by lawmakers and national security officials over Gabbard’s history of echoing Russian propaganda. Critics said she would endanger relationships with U.S. allies. Gaetz was investigated by federal law enforcement for sex trafficking, but the case was closed without charges and Republicans have blocked the release of a related report from the House Ethics Committee. However, some allegations leaked out, including that Gaetz paid women for sex. One of the women testified to the committee that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl, according to a lawyer for the woman. As Gaetz met with senators this week, it became clear that he would face stubborn resistance from lawmakers who were concerned about his behavior and believed he was unqualified to run the Justice Department. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction,” Gaetz wrote on social media when announcing his withdrawal. Sen. Mike Braun, an Indiana Republican, said he believed there were four to six members of the caucus who would have voted against Gaetz, likely dooming his nomination, and “the math got too hard.” He said some of the issues and allegations around Gaetz were “maybe beyond the pale.” “I think there were just too many things, it was like a leaky dike, and you know, it broke,” Braun said. Trump thanked Gaetz in a post on Truth Social, his social media website, without addressing the substance of the allegations against him. “He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect,” Trump wrote. Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Stephen Groves and Lisa Macaro contributed from Washington. Jill Colvin in New York and Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, also contributed.

Stock market today: Wall Street rallies ahead of ChristmasThe Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) has called for the standardisation of traditional medicines and their teaching in schools. Martins Emeje, the director-general of the agency, said this during a media parley organised to induct members of the media as ‘Journalists for Traditional Medicines’. The virtual media parley was themed, “The Media as Natural Medicine Ambassadors’’. Emeje said 80 percent of traditional medicines were highly effective in addressing health challenges, without pronounced side effects. He noted that allopathic medicine and its composition were being taught in Nigerian schools, stressing that the same pride of place should be accorded traditional medicines. The D-G discredited some claims that traditional medicines do not have dosage, adding that they were already applying nanotechnology to their composition. “We are in an era where we are applying nanotechnology to traditional medicine and we shall be reinforcing our research and development models. “The same way you enrol in school to learn pharmacy, we can as well learn traditional medicines in school, and it does not necessarily need to be taught by a professor with degrees,” he said. Emeje emphasised that Nigerians should be proud of their roots, adding that traditional medicines were sustained in the past, hence the need for it to be standardised. He recalled that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), recently accredited NNMDA as the awarding body for National Skills Qualification in Traditional Medicine in the country. Emeje added that NBTE was already training its staff on quality assessment and implementing a curriculum as criteria to be qualified as a traditional medicine practitioner in Nigeria. “We will be having traditional medicine database development, training of traditional medicine practitioners, training and documentation of Nigeria’s biodiversity and tackling antimicrobial resistance. “We are going to work with religious medicine practitioners and native medicine practitioners at all levels in order to enhance their practice. “There must be standardisation of natural medicine across the board, and we have to develop standards with stakeholders, and we are not going to copy any country’s style,’’ he said. The D-G said it was time to save the country from the siege of importation that was weakening its economy and ensure Nigerian traditional medicines got its security. Emeje also emphasised the need to prioritise research, science, technology and innovation which were the drivers of development in countries. He called on the media to monitor and evaluate the agency, to ensure it remained focused on its mandate toward boosting the relevance of traditional medicines.OpenAI has debuted a “research grade” version of its main artificial intelligence (AI) model. “As AI becomes more advanced, it will solve increasingly complex and critical problems. It also takes significantly more compute to power these capabilities,” the company wrote in its announcement Thursday (Dec. 5). With that in mind, OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Pro, a $200-per-month plan that includes unlimited access to the company’s smartest model, OpenAI o1, as well as to o1-mini, GPT-4o and Advanced Voice . In addition, it includes o1 pro mode, a version of o1 that uses more compute to “think harder and provide even better answers” to the most difficult problems. OpenAI said it eventually plans to add more powerful, compute-intensive productivity features to this plan. “ChatGPT Pro provides a way for researchers, engineers, and other individuals who use research-grade intelligence daily to accelerate their productivity and be at the cutting edge of advancements in AI,” the company said. OpenAI added that evaluations by external expert testers found that o1 pro mode produces more reliably accurate and comprehensive responses, particularly in areas like data science, programming and case law analysis. The launch comes one day after OpenAI announced that ChatGPT now has 300 million weekly active users, with 1 billion user messages being sent on the AI chatbot each day. In addition, 1.3 million developers have built on OpenAI in the U.S. The 300 million figure marks an increase of 50 million users in a matter of weeks. Meanwhile, this weekend saw the news that OpenAI hopes to get to 1 billion users over the next year, with the company expecting a new stage of growth fueled by new products, new data centers and its collaboration with Apple . Next year, the company “will be coming into our own, as a research lab serving millions ... hoping it can be billions of consumers around the world,” chief financial officer Sarah Friar said in an interview with the Financial Times. In other AI news, PYMNTS wrote Thursday about new research showing that AI systems employing large language models can now effectively control computer interfaces via natural interaction, autonomously navigating software, complete tasks and manipulate interfaces the way humans do. “This technology will change our relationship to software,” Joan Palmiter Bajorek , CEO and founder of Clarity AI , said in an interview with PYMNTS. “For most people, speaking is one of the most natural ways of interacting with another person. So, instead of manually clicking on buttons, interfaces that incorporate voice AI could be some of the most naturalistic we use. Instead of typing a prompt into ChatGPT, you could simply speak your request out loud.”

The Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners voted this week to approve the first stage of a three-year consolidated contract with the Washington State Department of Health, and to extend the county health officer's contract. The contract, which will begin Jan. 1, covers a number of state programs including foundational public health funding , emergency preparedness and maternal and child health. Foundational public health services are government-mandated programs and services that should be available to all residents statewide, like access to medical and oral care. The contract can also include reimbursements for some public health efforts, such as one the county received recently for treating a hepatitis B case, Deputy Health and Human Services Director Gena James said. The initial contract outlines the general terms of the agreement and does not include any dollar amounts. The county will receive amendments with information about specific funding at a later date, which the board can approve or refuse on an individual basis. Unlike some other programs, this funding stays with the county instead of passing through to community partners, James said. County Commissioner Arne Mortensen said he prefers that to passthrough funds because it's more difficult for the county to ensure all money is being used correctly when it has to deal with a third party. "That’s always made me feel uncomfortable because it’s clear you can only do an inadequate job of auditing," he said. At the same Tuesday meeting, commissioners also voted to renew County Health Officer Steve Krager's contract through Dec. 31, 2025. The contract was previously set to expire at the end of 2024. Krager was appointed to the position as an independent contractor after the board voted not to renew Cowlitz County's contract with Clark County, through which he was employed as deputy health officer. "I appreciate how he handled the transition," Mortensen said. "There was no negative fallout; in fact, there was quite the opposite." Minka Atkinson is a news reporter for The Daily News covering education, health and social services in Cowlitz County. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.Saudi Arabia banned film for 35 years. The Red Sea festival is just one sign of the industry's rise

Manchester City, Arsenal, and now Tottenham. The list of top Premier League teams beaten at Bournemouth this season is growing. Dean Huijsen took advantage of Tottenham’s weakness at set pieces to head home a 17th-minute winner in Bournemouth’s 1-0 victory on Thursday. Bournemouth climbed into ninth — a point and a place above Tottenham in the standings — and underlined its penchant for surprising high-profile visitors to Vitality Stadium. Man City’s remarkable four-game losing run in the Premier League started with a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth, while fellow title contender Arsenal’s first loss of the season also came at the Vitality, 2-0 on Oct. 19. This was Spurs' sixth defeat of the campaign. They now have as many wins as losses, highlighting the inconsistency blighting their season, and their seven away results so far make remarkable reading: aside from a 3-0 win at Manchester United and a 4-0 thrashing of Man City, Tottenham has lost four and drawn the other at relegation candidate Leicester. An inability to defend set plays continues to hurt Ange Postecoglou’s side. A week after Roma scored twice from them in a 2-2 draw in the Europa League, Huijsen roamed free in the area at a corner and headed home unmarked. Postecoglou said in May said he “wasn’t interested” about his side’s fallibility while defending set pieces, and said after losing 1-0 to Arsenal in September — after a goal from Gabriel at a corner — that “it’s my burden to carry and I’m happy to do that.” “We started well and conceded a really poor goal," Postecoglou said after the Bournemouth game. “It’s a difficult place to come when giving the opposition the opportunity to play in the manner they want.” IWOBI DOUBLE Alex Iwobi scored goals early and late in the game to lead Fulham to a 3-1 win over Brighton. The Nigeria winger intercepted a stray pass out from the back by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and slotted into an unguarded net for the opener in the fourth minute and curled home Fulham’s clinching goal in the 87th. Carlos Baleba equalized for Brighton in the 56th before Brighton midfielder Matt O’Riley – a former Fulham academy player – deflected the ball into his own net from a corner to put the home side back in front. Fulham climbed to sixth in the standings, a point and a place behind Brighton. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Vibrant urban neighbourhoods, a bustling new food hall, and a £40m skills training centre were among the new additions to Bolton in a year that saw the borough’s regeneration come to life. After years of planning, preparation and investment, 2024 marked the first time that residents and visitors could see, feel and experience the benefits of redevelopment. Not only was this the year that major projects were completed, but a number of exciting plans were also confirmed for 2025 and beyond. The year started with the official reopening of Bolton Central Library in January, following a £4.43m renovation to provide an expanded children’s area, improved social spaces, updated digital facilities and the brand-new Café Crescent. Bolton Council Leader Cllr Nick Peel and Deputy Leader Cllr Akhtar Zaman visit the newly opened homes at the Moor Lane development (Image: Bolton Council) Time kept ticking on, and in February the council intervened to repair and restore the clock tower at Bolton Train Station. While regeneration and new developments are vital, the move was said to have underscored a commitment to protecting and enhancing the borough’s many great heritage assets. Cllr Hamid Khurram, Cabinet Member responsible for Transport, with the newly restored train station clock tower (Image: Bolton Council) Elsewhere in the borough, the council is working with Heritage England, investors and other partners to bring historic buildings like Hall i’ th’ Wood, Number 1 Newport Street, and Rock Hall back into public use. In March, then Mayor of Bolton Cllr Mohammed Ayub cut the ribbon at Elizabeth Park, the town centre’s first new green space in over a century. Featuring a central lawn, broad flower beds, a rain garden, generous seating and a public performance space, the park would go on to win “Project of the Year” at the regional Civil Engineering Contractors Association awards. Regeneration is happening right across the borough, with Farnworth among the district centres benefiting from significant investment. Farnworth has previously secured funding from the Future High Street Fund and the Greater Manchester Investment Fund. This had already seen the Leisure Centre being upgraded, new homes , shops, and a community hub at Farnworth Green, as well as streetscape improvements which started in April. In May, residents were consulted on a new long term plan for Farnworth which will see £20m invested in the town, spread over the next ten years with projects and priority areas decided by local people. Bolton Market Food Hall (Image: Paul Heyes) Regeneration goes far beyond just new buildings and major investment, but also means creating vibrant communities and building a sense of pride in where people live. Bolton has a well-deserved reputation for its performing arts, major events, and cultural scene and this plays a vital role in attracting people to live, work , visit, study and invest locally. Once again, Bolton took centre stage when it was declared this year’s Greater Manchester Town of Culture in May. Announcing his decision, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: "I'm confident that we'll see the very best of Bolton over the next 12 months and that people will come from far and wide to see what this brilliant town has to offer." During the summer, work to build the £40m first of its kind, Bolton Institute of Medical Sciences was also completed ahead of welcoming its first students for the new term. (Image: Adrian Greenhalgh) Subject to approval, the Institute will become a medical school (pictured above )with the first cohort of student doctors expected in September 2025. June was a big month for food lovers as the traders at the Bolton Market Food Hall opened for businesses, just in time for live screenings of UEFA European Football Championship. Part of the wider £5.9m market transformation, the hall offers cuisine from around the world and has proved a massive hit with customers. Bolton Market offers fresh, locally sourced produce at reasonable prices, making it the ideal shopping destination for the many new residents who are expected to move to the town centre as part of the regeneration masterplan. This took a major step forward in July when local developers Watson secured land at Church Wharf to deliver a £75m project to include a hotel and 400 new homes. Watson continued to invest in the community as headline sponsors of August’s Bolton Food and Drink Festival. READ MORE: Multi-million pound development of Bolton Library Bolton's Primark store's opening day sees 500 shoppers queue The highlight of the annual event calendar, the festival showcases the very best of Bolton to a national and international audience. Food and Drink Festival (Image: Paul Heyes) After Storm Lilian put the event in doubt, council staff, local businesses and volunteers worked through the night to ensure the festival could go ahead. Major events are a key part of Bolton’s Visitor Economy Strategy, a plan to drive footfall, enhance the quality of life of residents and boost the economy. Off the back of the strategy, Bolton was chosen in September as a pilot area for the Greater Manchester Visitor Economy Accelerator Programme. The aim of the programme is to foster growth and increase collaboration within the tourism and hospitality sectors through masterclasses, workshops and one-to-one support. Wellsprings Innovation Hub (Image: Bolton Council) September also gave residents their first look at the Wellsprings Innovation Hub backed by £6.9m from the Towns Fund and a further £1.4m from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Since then, entrepreneurs and business start-ups from the creative and technology sectors have been applying for office spaces at the facility which opens in early 2025. The Wellsprings offers co-working space and meeting rooms, call pods, bike storage and kitchen facilities. October brought one of the year’s most significant announcements with news that the demolition of Crompton Place is due to start in 2025 with work already underway to appoint a developer for the site. Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Nick Peel, said: “The redevelopment of Crompton Place is a once in a generation opportunity to replace and reimagine an underused and unappealing building with something everyone in Bolton can be proud of. “It also gives us the opportunity to enhance Victoria Square and open up a direct link to Bradshawgate, with various buildings and open spaces on the site, rather than the single large building we have at present. “This will be our flagship redevelopment project, signalling to the private sector that Bolton Council is serious about regeneration and thereby attracting even more commercial investment.” The announcement followed years of work by Bolton Council to support existing tenants to relocate to other areas of the town centre, as part of a plan to consolidate a quality retail offer around the Market Place. This culminated in November with the grand opening of the shopping centre’s new Primark. Store Manager, Caroline Wood, said: “We’ve been in the heart of Bolton now for 48 years so this is an important move for us, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response already from shoppers who’ve joined us today.” In December, attention turned to the enormous potential of some of the town centre’s other buildings. During a business event, property owners and potential investors were given advice and information about converting existing buildings for residential use in the centre. This followed a similar successful event focused on the hospitality sector, and a planned event in February focusing on buildings with potential to be used as office space. The year ended with even more exciting news, as the first residents moved into their new homes at Moor Lane. Bolton at Home and Step Places have jointly developed the 214-home Neighbourhood Moor Lane development in partnership with Bolton Council. Deansgate Gardens (Image: Bolton Council) Developments like Moor Lane and the nearby Deansgate Gardens, among others, are expected to bring an additional 5,000 people to live in the town centre, creating vibrant urban neighbourhoods and supporting local businesses. Reflecting back on the year, Bolton Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Akhtar Zaman, said: “In January, I said that 2024 would be the year that Bolton residents would first see and feel the tangible benefits of regeneration. “As we come to the end of the year, we can already see the positive impact that projects like the new Food Hall and renovated library are having. “As Moor Lane and Deansgate Gardens welcome their first residents, this will boost the town centre economy and build market confidence to attract more inward investment. “Now is the time to build on this success and we look forward to more exciting announcements in 2025.”LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown, Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown, and the Cowboys pulled out a 34-26 victory Sunday that extended the Commanders’ skid to three games. Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt following a low snap. Thomas then took the kick back 43 yards as the Cowboys (4-7) ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Part of that was the play of backup Cooper Rush, who threw for 247 yards and two TDs in his third start in place of starter Dak Prescott. Part was also the defense forcing two turnovers, as Chauncey Golston ripped the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.’s hands for what was called an interception of Daniels in the second quarter, and Donovan Wilson stripped John Bates midway through the fourth. KaVonte Turpin provided the fireworks with a spinning, 99-yard kickoff return TD seconds after Daniels found Zach Ertz in the end zone and scored on a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three with 3:02 left. In the final three minutes alone, the Commanders (7-5) scored 10 points and allowed Thomas' TD. All that after the score was 10-9 through three quarters before madness ensued. Washington's playoff hopes that looked solid not long ago are now in serious jeopardy after losing to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Dallas. Before the scoring outburst late, much of this defeat had to do with Daniels and the offense not being able to find any kind of a rhythm. The Cowboys did, despite playing without their two best offensive linemen, top cornerback and starting tight end. Rush's 6-yard pass to Jalen Tolbert was Dallas' first third-quarter TD of the season, and his 22-yarder to Luke Schoonmaker came after Wilson's forced fumble. Daniels finished 25 of 38 for 274 yards, including his second interception of the game on a failed Hail Mary as the clock expired. Rico Dowdle ran 19 times for 86 yards to spring the upset for the Cowboys, who were 10 1/2-point underdogs on BetMGM Sportsbook. Injuries Cowboys: LG Tyler Smith was inactive with ankle and knee injuries. ... RG Zack Martin (ankle), CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) and TE Jake Ferguson (concussion) were ruled out prior to game day and did not travel for the game. Commanders: RB Austin Ekeler was injured on a kickoff return in the final seconds. ... Robinson left with an ankle injury in the first half, returned and then left again. ... RT Andrew Wylie was concussed in the third quarter and did not return. ... C Tyler Biadasz was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth. ... CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) missed a third consecutive game since being acquired at the trade deadline from New Orleans. Up next Cowboys: Host the New York Giants on Thursday in the traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas. Commanders: Host the Tennessee Titans next Sunday in Washington’s final game before its late bye week. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Stephen Whyno, The Associated PressA fresh coat of paint and track lighting has turned a former gender-affirming clothing shop into an art gallery, library and gathering space with a similar community-minded mission. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * A fresh coat of paint and track lighting has turned a former gender-affirming clothing shop into an art gallery, library and gathering space with a similar community-minded mission. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? A fresh coat of paint and track lighting has turned a former gender-affirming clothing shop into an art gallery, library and gathering space with a similar community-minded mission. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS From left: Revolution Wellness Centre’s Carla Taylor co-founded Matter Queer Space with spouses Bre Cristobal Calma and Nix Cristobal Calma in the basement below the centre. Matter Queer Space Manitoba — located in the previous basement home of Closet Space at 433 Graham Ave. — is a non-profit venture designed to offer LGBTTQ+ and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) Winnipeggers a welcoming place to connect over art, books and shared interests. “A lot of (hanging out) happens in bars and not all queers are into that scene.” Matter was founded by spouses Bre and Nix Cristobal Calma and friend Carla Taylor, who runs Revolution Wellness Centre on the building’s main floor. “There aren’t a lot, if any, spaces in the community right now to just come and be together,” Bre says, adding the goal is to offer barrier-free programming to visitors of all ages. “Having a queer intergenerational space, that’s a really big thing because the queer community can be segmented in some ways,” Nix says. “A lot of (hanging out) happens in bars and not all queers are into that scene.” The basement is bright and cosy, with a gallery room at one end, library shelving in the middle and seating areas throughout. There are plans to add a gender-affirming retail shop in the future. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Matter Queer Space Manitoba is a new art gallery, library and programming space for the local LGBTTQ+ and BIPOC community. In addition to art shows and workshops, the programming schedule is going to be community-driven, meaning anyone is invited to pitch and host public or private events that fit with Matter’s mandate. Ideas discussed so far include yoga classes, movie nights, craft groups and a reading club. “Not a book club, where you have to sit and talk; instead, you sit and collectively read together. You’re not necessarily forced into socialization that may be uncomfortable for some people, but it still gives you an opportunity to be out and around people that you know will accept you as you are,” Taylor explains. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS While Matter Queer Space Manitoba launches Saturday with an open house and maker’s market, the gallery space will open in January. It’s the kind of gathering that speaks to the project’s overall ethos. “We picture this space as a bit of an introvert haven,” Taylor says. Matter launches Saturday with an open house and mini maker’s market from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. featuring goods from 15 queer vendors, with sensory-friendly and mask-required shopping during the first two hours. The first art exhibit is set to open in January, featuring the work of local visual artist and muralist Cat Hues, a.k.a. Pink Panda. Matter’s founders believe it will be one of the city’s first permanent gallery spaces designated specifically for showing work by marginalized LGBTTQ+ artists. “It’s surprising it hasn’t been done yet because there are a lot of wonderful, racialized, trans, queer, non-binary artists,” says Nix, who is also a multimedia artist. “We picture this space as a bit of an introvert haven.” With every exhibit, the featured artist will be invited to host talks and art-making workshops for the public, the results of which will be turned into a group show curated by the artist. “We really want to challenge the idea of meritocracy. This idea that you have to have a degree in art curation to curate an exhibit,” Bre says. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Matter’s library — which is the continuation of a project started by Taylor and friend Renu Shonek in 2019 — is stocked with borrowable books by bell hooks, Joshua Whitehead, James Baldwin and others. A book drive by Winnipeg’s Willow Press has brought dozens of new titles into the fold and Matter is accepting donations of used books of any genre by queer BIPOC authors. “We know these books are out there, but not everyone does. It’s nice to bring them together in a collection to learn about more authors and more talent in the community, and even to encourage some of our community members in their own writing and creativity,” Taylor says. To reduce financial barriers for visitors, the programming at Matter will be offered on a pay-what-you-can basis. 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. Other than donations collected through a GoFundMe campaign, the organizers have been footing the bill for the project out-of-pocket. They hope to find sustainable, long-term funding in the future. “This has definitely been a passion project and a labour of love. The three of us are just community members, none of us have experience doing any of this — running galleries or libraries — but it’s a space that we wanted to see and we knew there was a need for,” says Bre. “Nobody else was doing it, so someone had to.” Visit for more information. eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Arts & Life department since 2019. . Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.