North Korea, Russia defence treaty comes into force

Need some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "Pass the eggnog" — is pretty clearly Christmas themed, but how? Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #296, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #296, so read on if you need a little help. Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #296. Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints The official theme for NYT Strands #296 is... "Who on earth...?" And here's an unofficial hint from me: "And you are?" If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens: Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with N and ends with S. Scroll down to find out what it is... It's NATURENAMES. Today's Strands answers So, what are today's Strands answers for game #296? Drumroll, please... ...and the spangram was NATURENAMES. Strands #296 “Who on earth ...?” 🔵🔵🔵💡 🔵💡🔵🟡 🔵 Hi Strands fans. This was a toughie! "Who on earth...?" is a clever theme, but I'm afraid I didn't figure out how clever until my penultimate move. I actually stumbled across a few answers without knowing what I was looking for. I found HOLLY in the top-right corner, followed by BROOK in the bottom right. I then found RIVER on the left. But despite being three answers down, I still had no idea what the connection between the three words was, so I used a clue. Then another one. These revealed LAUREL in the bottom left and WILLOW on the right-hand side. It was then that I finally made the connection when I stumbled across the "nature" part of the spangram: NATURENAMES. These are all words that can both describe something from the natural world and be a person's name! With that in mind, getting the last one was trivial. I connected CLEMENTINE in the top-left corner, and completed the puzzle. Yesterday's Strands answers Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #295 right here .eBay Inc. stock rises Wednesday, still underperforms marketSAN DIEGO , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: HRTX) ("Heron" or the "Company"), a commercial-stage biotechnology company, announced today the relocation of the Company's headquarters from San Diego, California to Cary, North Carolina , effective January 1, 2025 . A majority of Heron's Management Team and corporate employees work from the Cary office, which is near the Research Triangle Park ("RTP"), one of the most prominent high-tech research and development parks in the United States . The growing biotech community in Cary and its surrounding areas provides ample space for growth and expansion. "We are excited to move our headquarters to Cary, North Carolina , which represents a significant milestone in Heron's journey," said Craig Collard , Chief Executive Officer of Heron. "This move will not only strengthen our ability to support our employees by centralizing our operations and resources, but also positions us in an excellent location from which we can continue making strategic partnerships as we growing our existing portfolio focused on improving the lives of patients in the acute and oncology care settings. This is an exciting chapter for Heron, and we look forward to the continued success and partnerships that lie ahead." The new address for Heron's corporate headquarters is 100 Regency Forest Drive, Suite 300, Cary, NC 27518. About Heron Therapeutics, Inc. Heron Therapeutics, Inc. is a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing and commercializing therapeutic innovations that improve medical care. Our advanced science, patented technologies, and innovative approach to drug discovery and development have allowed us to create and commercialize a portfolio of products that aim to advance the standard-of-care for acute care and oncology patients. For more information, visit www.herontx.com . Forward-looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Heron cautions readers that forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this news release and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are set forth in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the caption "Risk Factors." Forward-looking statements reflect our analysis only on their stated date, and Heron takes no obligation to update or revise these statements except as may be required by law. Investor Relations and Media Contact: Ira Duarte Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Heron Therapeutics, Inc. iduarte@herontx.com 858-251-4400 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heron-therapeutics-announces-corporate-headquarters-relocation-to-cary-north-carolina-302338528.html SOURCE Heron Therapeutics, Inc.

OTT releases this week: 'Squid Game' S02, 'Singham Again'Wall Street stocks surged to fresh records Wednesday on hopes about easing US monetary policy, shrugging off political upheaval in South Korea and France. All three major US indices scored records, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing above 45,000 for the first time. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Clubs from across the football pyramid are “alarmed” by the lack of consultation on legislation which could “fundamentally affect the future of English football”, West Ham vice-chairwoman Karren Brady has said. The Apprentice star also argued that a lack of clarity from the Government on the ownership test is causing “significant uncertainty” for potential investors. This came as the House of Lords continued its scrutiny of the Football Governance Bill, which seeks to establish an independent regulator for the top five tiers of the men’s game. In the upper chamber, Baroness Brady said: “We are creating legislation which will profoundly affect 160 quite unique institutions, from Premier League clubs through to the National League community clubs, but it is important for everyone to understand that the consultation with these affected businesses by the current Government has been remarkably limited, almost unbelievably so. “Just seven Premier League clubs, I was one of them, was granted a brief half-hour meeting with the Secretary of State over the summer. “And following this cursory engagement, significant decisions were made that could fundamentally affect the future of English football, most notably with the inclusion of parachute payments within the backstop mechanism. “This is particularly concerning given that fundamental issues still remained unresolved, we still lack any clarity on Uefa’s position on state interference, for example, this clearly creates profound uncertainty for clubs competing in or aspiring to European competition, as well as our national teams.” “We don’t know what the ownership test will look like, this causes significant uncertainty for potential investors as to whether they are able to own a club,” she added. Lady Brady continued: “I have spoken to many of my colleagues across all of the football pyramid, we are all alarmed about and puzzled by the lack of discussion on the Bill with ministers. “Would the minister agree that we all want to get the detail of this Bill right? And can she see any downsides to providing meaningful opportunities to hear from all clubs across the football pyramid affected by the legislation?” Prior to this, Tory shadow sports minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay had tabled an amendment which he said would allow clubs to “make their views known on this legislation” by including specific competitions on the face of the Bill. Labour frontbencher Baroness Twycross told the upper chamber: “I don’t think the leagues are confused either on which leagues this legislation will apply to.” She added: “This power is both reasonable and the result of evidence-based consultation with all key stakeholders in the industry. “This power ensures that the competitions in scope can be amended in a timely manner and ensures the scope of the regime remains relevant.” The peer later said: “Over the past three years there have been countless opportunities for all affected and interested parties to make representations.” Lady Brady also raised concerns about the financial distribution backstop, which she said is “clearly designed as a mechanism to gain direct access to, and apportionate Premier League revenue, and no-one else’s”. “I might add the backstop will allow the IFR (Independent Football Regulator) to do this even if it was against the Premier League clubs’ will, or even without the clubs’ agreement, even if it was to have a detrimental effect on the clubs and the overall competition it removes revenue from,” she added. The backstop would allow the new IFR to intervene in the distribution of Premier League broadcast revenue down the leagues as a last resort. It could be triggered by the Premier League, English Football League (EFL) or National League to mediate the fair financial distribution of this revenue if they are not able to come to an agreement. Conservative peers later raised concerns over the cost implications to clubs of establishing the regulator, although they faced claims of “filibustering” – wasting time by making overlong speeches in a bid to delay progress. Watching opposition benches blatantly filibustering to destroy the Football Governance Bill is nothing short of sporting vandalism.Football is broken. Clubs are struggling. Now those seats have been lost, do they no longer care about likes of Reading or Southend? @FairGameUK — Niall Couper (@NiallCouper) December 4, 2024 Labour peer Lord Watson of Invergowrie questioned why Lord Parkinson was showing “confected outrage” at the Bill when the former culture minister would have been defending a similar proposal had the Tories remained in power. Lord Parkinson, in his reply, said: “We want to see this regulator established, we want to see it doing its work and doing so effectively, but we also see before us a Bill that is different because of the election that was called and the result that happened, and we’re interrogating particularly closely the changes that the Government have made to the Bill – of which there are many. “And we have more concerns on these benches than we did before the election from my colleagues behind me about the way we do it.” The Tory peer pointed to Labour frontbenchers fulfilling their duties to “properly scrutinise” then-government legislation when they were on the opposition benches. Lady Twycross, in an intervention, said: “While I agree that (Lord Parkinson) is correct that I would scrutinise legislation when I was sitting on those (opposition) benches, I have never sought to filibuster a Bill to which my party had committed, which my party had laid before Parliament, and intended to filibuster it to the point of getting us stuck in treacle.” Lord Parkinson replied: “That is not what we’re doing.” Niall Couper, chief executive of the campaign group Fair Game, wrote on social media site X: “Watching opposition benches blatantly filibustering to destroy the Football Governance Bill is nothing short of sporting vandalism.”

With just 63 more votes than his opponent, former Cupertino Planning Commissioner Ray Wang has won a spot on the City Council, ending a lengthy contest — that included a recount — against Rod Sinks to fill the second open seat. Wang finished the contest with 7,641 votes, or 18.5% of the vote while Sinks got 7,578 votes or 18.4% of the vote. The numbers by the Santa Clara County Register of Voters ended on Monday, the county confirmed. The final results will be certified on Friday. “We’re super excited, it shows how every vote counts,” Wang said. “We do the hard work, we read the stuff. I’m really looking forward to working with (Moore). Our goal is to bring the community together.” Sinks said he is disappointed by the loss, but looks forward to serving on other nonprofit boards and “contributing to the community in different ways.” A recount is triggered when the margin of victory between two candidates is less than 0.25% of all ballots cast, or less than 25 votes. A candidate only needs to win by a simple majority once a recount is finished. The Cupertino candidates were previously separated by 65 votes, which the Register of Voters recognizes as meeting the 0.25% requirement. Wang will in leading the city for the next four years. Moore won the first seat with 10,344 votes or 25.14% of the vote. Moore and Wang ran on a joint platform to promote a “resident first” council by advocating for more fiscal accountability and responsible development in the city. Moore refers to herself as a “smart watch dog” when it comes to dealing with council affairs and proposed new city developments. Sinks ran a campaign aimed at expanding transportation services and eco-friendly practices in the city. He also advocated for turning The Rise, the site of the former Vallco Mall, into a vibrant business-friendly downtown for Cupertino. Sinks and Councilmember Hung Wei closely supported each other during the race, which was complicated by Wei’s stage four lung cancer diagnosis. “We ran a very strong campaign,” Sinks said. “Unfortunately for two people, we’re running against five people for the two seats.” Sinks said he is concerned at how the newly-elected leaders will impact the city’s developments plans for The Rise and downtown areas. Mayor Sheila Mohan, Vice Mayor J.R. Fruen and Wei have favored pro-development. But with the addition of Moore and Wang, who have been more critical of council approval of large projects, the city’s leaders could embark on a less development-friendly route. Aside from Sinks, Moore and Wang, four other candidates were in the race to fill Cupertino’s two open council seats this election season, including incumbent Wei, former mayors Gilbert Wong and Barry Chang and political newcomer Claudio Bono.

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Cryptocurrency may have started as a rebel yell against traditional finance, but its future is increasingly converging with it. And with the news Wednesday (Dec. 4) that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate Paul Atkins as chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), observers are hopeful that the crypto-friendly move could turn the industry from a volatile gamble into a stable powerhouse. Atkins, if confirmed by lawmakers, would succeed the current SEC chair Gary Gensler, who for years was considered by industry insiders to be the crypto sector’s public enemy number one. If the SEC under his leadership adopts a more cooperative crypto tone, it could unlock new opportunities for Web3 innovation. The shift comes at a critical moment, with several high-profile lawsuits — like those involving Coinbase and Ripple — reshaping how crypto companies operate in the U.S. A regulatory framework that balances investor protection with the sector’s need for experimentation could establish the U.S. as a global hub for crypto — something the industry has been clamoring for. Still, that’s not to say that crypto’s wild west days are far behind it. Regulators still need to keep an eye out for bad actors and fraud. News also broke this Wednesday that the United Kingdom’s national crime agency had uncovered a multibillion-dollar money laundering scheme run out of London, Moscow and Dubai that enabled bad actors such as Russian spies and European drug traffickers to evade sanctions using cryptocurrency. That’s part of why the next phase of the sector’s maturation will be so crucial. The Ongoing Evolution of the Crypto Landscape The convergence of Web3 and payments continues to pick up steam. Nuvei on Wednesday launched a blockchain-based payment solution for merchants across Latin America, saying it enables these businesses to make faster cross-border B2B payments and settlements. The new solution allows businesses to use a Visa -supported physical or virtual card to make payments using stablecoins from a digital asset wallet anywhere Visa is accepted. And with one of President-elect Donald Trump’s businesses, Trump Media & Technology (TMTG), reportedly eyeing getting into the crypto payments game, shopping with crypto is increasingly for more consumers than digital asset diehards and technophiles. Thanks to expanding merchant acceptance and dedicated payment processors, crypto holders can use their assets to purchase a variety of goods and services, ranging from food, airline tickets, jewelry, cars and houses . But trading and investing the digital assets remains their top use case, and one that crypto companies are innovating to cater to. On Wednesday (Dec. 4), cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase upgraded its Coinbase One subscription program and launched a new tier called Coinbase One Premium. Two days earlier, on Monday (Dec. 2), digital assets solutions provider BitGo debuted a dedicated retail platform , designed to offer retail customers access to BitGo’s digital asset trading, staking, wallets and qualified custody services. Still, it was reported Friday (Nov. 29) that retail investors may not be embracing the ongoing crypto boom the same way they did during the pandemic, perhaps because they’re recalling how quickly that 2021 bubble popped. Stablecoins and the Future of Finance Stablecoins have surged north of a $190 billion market capitalization, jumping 46% year over year. For example, Tether , issuer of USDT — the world’s largest stablecoin — has seen its stablecoin token’s circulation rise to almost $133 billion, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the stablecoin market. But, as a result of the European Union’s landmark Markets in Crypto-Assets Act (MiCA), Tether, which has faced controversy throughout its history, is pulling issuance and operational support for its euro-pegged stablecoin, EURT, in the region. Still, rather than pursuing EU’s MiCA compliance directly, Tether is reportedly pivoting its European strategy toward its Hadron platform , which will support MiCA-compliant stablecoins issued by other entities. Elsewhere, on Monday (Dec. 2), the blockchain-based payments solutions company Orbital announced the launch of its Stablecoin Payments Dashboard . “Stablecoins are transforming global commerce, but businesses lack clarity on how to leverage them effectively,” Orbital said in a news release . Still, with the news Monday (Dec. 2) that the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) reportedly aims to prevent centralized exchanges from allowing their users to withdraw stablecoins to self-custodial wallets, it’s worth reiterating that a lot of the economics behind stablecoins and their monetization comes from interest income and is predicated on users holding, not using, their stablecoins. That’s why PYMNTS unpacked how , while the promise of stablecoins is immense, their adoption comes with nuanced considerations. For finance professionals , an understanding the operational benefits, regulatory landscape and strategic implications is critical for integrating stablecoins into modern treasury operations. After all, FinTech and crypto investor Marc Andreessen kicked off a firestorm over the weekend by alleging , on Joe Rogan’s podcast, that those two sectors — and dozens of companies backed by his namesake firm, Andreessen Horowitz — were being fundamentally “debanked” by U.S. financial institutions (FIs). But while the tech investor’s remarks may resonate with the frustrations of many in the cryptocurrency and FinTech sectors, the reality could be far more nuanced than an SEC or political assault on crypto and FinTech — and could be one that requires a particular eye toward compliance as a growth engine, rather than cost center.

Microchip Technology Inc. stock falls Wednesday, underperforms marketListing on the London stock market is 'not rational', says Revolut boss as he takes another swipe at the UK By CALUM MUIRHEAD Updated: 22:00, 3 December 2024 e-mail View comments The City watchdog has set the scene for the approval of Shein’s controversial £50billion flotation. Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said the decisions on listings are based on company disclosures and not ‘every aspect of their corporate behaviour’. This will be a blow to the human rights groups who are lobbying the FCA to rebuff the Chinese fast fashion retailer’s float, planned for next year, amid concerns over its supply chain. ‘What parliament has not asked us to do is to be a broad regulator around every aspect of corporate behaviour and every company listed in the UK, everywhere around the world,’ Rathi told the Financial Times. Complaints: Revolut's boss Nikolay Storonsky (pictured), said the British market was ‘much worse’ than its counterpart in the US He used the example of miners listed in London, which ‘find themselves facing legal difficulties in many different parts of the world’. Shein faces allegations that forced labour from China’s Xinjiang region is used to make the cotton in its garments. It insists it has a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to forced labour. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next French political turmoil a boost for London as government in... Reeves must unlock the magic of AI if she wants to meet her... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AJ Bell AJ Bell Easy investing and ready-made portfolios Learn More Learn More Hargreaves Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown Free fund dealing and investment ideas Learn More Learn More interactive investor interactive investor Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month Learn More Learn More Saxo Saxo Get £200 back in trading fees Learn More Learn More Trading 212 Trading 212 Free dealing and no account fee Learn More Learn More Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Compare the best investing account for you Share or comment on this article: Listing on the London stock market is 'not rational', says Revolut boss as he takes another swipe at the UK e-mail Add comment Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence. More top stories

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