As the countdown to The Game Awards begins, all eyes are on Xbox to see how they will make their mark on the event. With the promise of a lineup of blockbuster titles, potential new game announcements, and updates for existing titles, Xbox has the opportunity to steal the spotlight and captivate audiences around the world. Whether you're a die-hard Xbox fan or simply a casual gamer, one thing is clear: the excitement and anticipation surrounding Xbox's presence at TGA are palpable, and all signs point to an unforgettable showcase of gaming greatness.
Despite these difficulties, there is still hope among Manchester United fans that the club can turn things around and return to the summit of English and European football. The recent appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager has been met with cautious optimism, with many hoping that his experience and tactical acumen can help stabilize the team and lay the groundwork for future success.The graduate, named Jack, had always been a diligent and dedicated student during his time at the university. His passion for justice and desire to serve his community led him to pursue a career in law enforcement. His hard work paid off when he successfully passed the rigorous exams and training to become a police officer.
As the season progresses and the race for the top of the chances created chart heats up, fans can expect to see more thrilling displays of creativity and skill from the talented playmakers in the English Premier League. With players like Palmer, B-Sek, and Kulu at the forefront, the competition for creating opportunities on the field promises to be intense and captivating until the final whistle blows.Conceived of by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey in 2019 and spun out of Twitter in 2022, just before Elon Musk took over, Bluesky came out of beta in February 2024 and found an eager, if relatively small audience. The social media platform—which, at first glance, looks remarkably similar to X—had amassed roughly 13 million users by the end of October. Then Donald Trump was reelected, with an assist from Elon Musk. Now, the site has more than 21 million users . [Photo: Bluesky] Bluesky is built on a decentralized protocol, which allows it to offer users appealing new features and flexibility—and... Yasmin Gagne
Major poll puts Ireland’s lead parties near neck-and-neckSt. Xavier's Chase Herbstreit, son of Kirk Herbstreit, signs with MichiganIt shows that support for the Fianna Fail party is at 21% ahead of polling day, only slightly ahead of their coalition partners Fine Gael and the largest opposition party Sinn Fein, who were neck-and-neck at 20%. The Red C-Business Post poll showed support for Fianna Fail unchanged, while Fine Gael had a slide of two percentage points and Sinn Fein gained two. The near dead-locked poll results came on Wednesday as fears over future economic threats took centre stage in the final stretch of the campaign. Taoiseach Simon Harris said he is taking a “project truth” approach to calling out Sinn Fein’s spending pledges as election results on the other side of the Atlantic put Ireland’s economic model into sharp relief. Donald Trump’s presidential election victory in the US has brought heightened concern around what his proposals for corporation tax and tariffs could mean for Ireland. Mr Harris, leader of Fine Gael, has argued Ireland and other EU countries need to prepare for the possibility of trade shocks as he criticised the scale of Sinn Fein’s spending pledges as well as their saving plans. He said: “I think that is irresponsible, I think it is dangerous and I think it is reckless.” He accused Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald of not being able to say what her party was prepared to do in the event of an economic crash, adding that Fine Gael would borrow and stop putting money towards a rainy-day fund. Asked if the party was engaging in “project fear” to dissuade voters against Sinn Fein, Mr Harris said: “I call it ‘project truth’. It’s telling people what’s being discussed right across European capitals.” Ms McDonald told an RTE interview on Wednesday morning that a Sinn Fein government would also be prepared to start borrowing in the event of an economic downturn. Both Mr Harris and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, who were partners in the last coalition government in Ireland, have made clear they will not countenance Sinn Fein as a potential partner in the next administration in Dublin. One day after the only three-way debate featuring the leaders of the main parties, Mr Martin accused Sinn Fein of being “dishonest” about how they will fund their manifesto plans. Speaking in Dublin on Wednesday, he said he is anxious to get clarity on the issue. “I think Sinn Fein have been very dishonest, frankly, in terms of the funds, because if you go through their figures, and this is a matter of fact, not opinion, they’re predicting a surplus of a billion in 2026, a billion in 2027. “Even in 2025, they’re talking about a mini budget, which would mean reducing the surplus that we’re anticipating in 2025. “There’s a legislative obligation now on any new government to put 0.8% of GDP to one side, and into the funds. There’s no way you can do that with a surplus of a billion in 2026 or 2027, and we would argue they would not have enough funds next year either to put into the funds.” He added: “It means they have no room to manoeuvre if things go wrong, if there’s headwinds come externally, or there are shocks internationally, Sinn Fein is not allowing any headroom at all in terms of room to respond or to move it.” Ms McDonald accused the other two parties of conspiring to keep Sinn Fein out of government and prevent change in Ireland. She said the two men were now “indistinguishable” from each other as she claimed they were suffering “acute amnesia” in regard to their records in government. On a visit to Naas fire station in Co Kildare, she said: “To listen to them, you’d imagine they had just arrived on the scene and that they were going to come up with all of these solutions. “They have had ample chances, ample opportunity, to make things better, and they have failed, and in between the two of them I make the case that now we ask for our chance, with our plans, with our team, to demonstrate how change can happen, how your community, your family, yourself, can be supported when the government is actually on your side.” Mr Martin’s and Mr Harris’ coalition partner Roderic O’Gorman, the leader of the Greens, issued a warning to the public over a future government without his party. On Wednesday, he said it is looking likely that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael will be returned to government – but cautioned they may not want the Greens to continue “fighting hard” on policies. He told reporters: “My sense is certainly the mood music from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael is that they’d like an easier life in the next government – and my concern is they use these small populist parties and right-wing independents.” Mr O’Gorman argued that the Greens could continue to provide stability to government at a time when economic shocks may be around the corner. As the Green leader suggested that relying on independents would be unstable, Mr Martin has also argued that “too much fragmentation would lead to incoherence in government”. Reflecting on Tuesday night’s debate, the Fianna Fail leader said the race remained “too close to call” while Mr Harris said it is “all to play for”. The leaders of Ireland’s three main political parties clashed on housing, healthcare and financial management in the last televised debate before Friday’s General Election. The tetchy debate, which was marked by several interruptions, saw the parties set out their stalls in a broadcast that commentators said did little to move the dial before polling day. After the 2020 general election delivered an inconclusive result, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, two parties forged from opposing sides of Ireland’s Civil War of the 1920s, agreed to set aside almost a century of animosity and share power – with the Greens as a junior partner. From 2016 to 2020, Fianna Fail had supported Fine Gael in power through a confidence-and-supply arrangement from the Opposition benches in the Dail parliament. Sinn Fein won the popular vote in 2020 but a failure to run enough candidates meant it did not secure sufficient seats in the Dail to give it a realistic chance of forming a government.
Dividend stocks come in many different shapes and sizes, but one incarnation stands head and shoulders above them all: The Dividend King. Dividend Kings have increased their dividends annually for 50 consecutive years, or longer. It's an elite pool from which to fish. Right now, Dividend Kings PepsiCo ( PEP 1.03% ) , Nucor ( NUE 1.29% ) , and Black Hills ( BKH 1.61% ) are all worth a closer look. That's true even if you already own them, as they could even be worth doubling up on. PepsiCo is a diversified food giant From a dividend perspective, PepsiCo ticks off a lot of important boxes. For example, it has increased its dividend annually for 52 consecutive years. That indicates a reliable business and a commitment to returning value to shareholders over time. The dividend yield is around 3.4% right now, which is up near levels last seen during the Great Recession . That suggests that PepsiCo is on the sale rack. However, the most compelling data point might be the annualized dividend growth rate of nearly 9% over the past decade, which is more than twice the historical growth rate of inflation. That's all backed by a large and industry-leading consumer staples maker. PepsiCo's namesake brand lives in its beverage division, which is the No. 2 player in that food niche. The Frito-Lay division, meanwhile, is the No. 1 player in the salty snacks space. Then there's Quaker Oats, which isn't a leader in the packaged food space, but competes well in the product categories within which it does compete. Overall, PepsiCo is one of the most diversified food makers you can buy and an important partner to retailers around the world. Given that the stock looks relatively cheap today, dividend investors might want to buy it, or even add to their positions if they already own it. Nucor's shares have fallen fast Dividend King Nucor has increased its dividend annually for 51 consecutive years. While PepsiCo's dividend streak is impressive, Nucor's is even more so because it operates in the highly cyclical steel industry. Indeed, commodity-driven steel markets tend to rise and fall along with economic activity, since steel is used to make long-lasting products, from buildings to appliances. Consumers and businesses usually pull back on buying big items when their finances are strained. That said, Nucor's stock has fallen around 25% from its 52-week high. That hints that right now is the time to start looking at this stock. Nucor is one of the most diversified North American steel companies you can buy. It has a long history of investing for growth, particularly when the steel industry is in a downturn. That ensures that Nucor gets the most bang for its buck on the spending front, and that it comes out of the downturn in a stronger position than when it entered it. With that background, long-term investors will be interested to know that earnings have fallen by about 50% year over year through the first three quarters of 2024, while the company's capital expenditures have increased by around 50%. It sounds like Nucor is, once again, using the playbook that has worked out so well historically. Nucor's yield is a bit miserly at 1.5% or so, but given the history of dividend growth, it's still worth a close look for investors willing to own cyclical fare . Black Hills is small but mighty Black Hills is probably the least exciting stock of this trio. It's a fairly typical regulated natural gas and electric utility , which benefits from having a monopoly in the regions it serves but has to get its rates and capital spending plans approved by the government. Slow and steady growth is the name of the game for this modestly sized utility (its market cap is just $4.5 billion or so). That said, it's one of just a small handful of utilities that have managed to achieve Dividend King status. While annualized dividend growth over the past decade is only around 5%, that's more than enough to grow the buying power of the dividend over time. Now add in a 4.1% dividend yield , near the highest yield levels over the past decade, and you can see why conservative income investors might want to double up on Black Hills today. Aside from the yield and dividend growth, conservative income investors will appreciate one other fact. The markets that Black Hills serves have seen population growth that's nearly three times that of the U.S. average. That's a very positive statistic to have on the company's side when it goes to regulators to ask for rate hikes and spending approvals. Essentially, more customers means more need for the capital investment in the systems supporting those customers. More customers and more spending both lead to more revenues. Sure, Black Hills is a tortoise of a company, but if you like boring dividend stocks, you'll probably be happy loading up on this one. Different and attractive dividend options Boring and reliable Black Hills will likely appeal to conservative income investors. Nucor will attract those willing to take a somewhat contrarian dividend investment approach. And PepsiCo will probably appeal most to dividend growth investors. But given where all three of these dividend stocks trade today, they are each worth a deep dive right now.The ten participating departments include the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Department of Education, the Department of Finance, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Department of Health, the Department of Culture and Tourism, the Department of Public Security, and the Department of Emergency Management. By pooling their resources and expertise, these departments are committed to driving forward the digital transformation of Liaoning Province and propelling its economy into the future.
While the exact release date of "GTA 6" remains shrouded in mystery, rumors and speculation continue to swirl within the gaming community. This uncertainty has only heightened the vigilance of developers and publishers who are closely monitoring any new developments to inform their own release strategies.Georgian tennis sensation Mamadashvili has been dealt a major blow as he has sustained a serious injury to his right quadriceps muscle, forcing him to sit out the remainder of the matches scheduled for this year. The young athlete, who has been making waves in the tennis world with his exceptional skills and remarkable performances, will now have to focus on his recovery and rehabilitation to come back stronger in the next season.
Morning Bid: China inflation, global political uncertainty bubbling up - Reuters
Labour plans to make spiking a specific offence and has laid out plans for venue staff to be trained in relation to spiking, with a pilot to begin within weeks before a wider rollout next year. Ms Davies-Jones, asked about why it was worthwhile to make spiking a new offence when it is already illegal, said: “Spiking is a crime already. “A lot of people don’t realise that it is a crime already, which is part of the problem.” She said there were around 6,000 reports of spiking last year but that because it is an underreported crime, it is not clear how big of a problem it is. 'Legislation won't fix this on its own...this is about a culture shift' @SophyRidgeSky challenges Minister for Victims @AlexDaviesJones on the govt plan to change the spiking law even though it is already a criminal offence. #PoliticsHub https://t.co/GlTNastFii 📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/Zb65c6KnOM — Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge (@SkyPoliticsHub) November 25, 2024 “Part of the problem we’ve got is around the data collection, so you don’t know if you’ve been spiked with a drink, a needle, a vape, for example,” she told Politics Hub on Sky News. Modernising the offence and giving police the tools to get accurate data allows a clearer picture of where, how and how often spiking is happening, she said. It is about “clarifying it, modernising it, making sure that people know exactly what this is...the law isn’t quite, it isn’t up to date. “It isn’t modern enough.” Sir Keir Starmer earlier said he hopes the change will give people “the confidence to come forward”, in a meeting of police bosses, transport figures and hospitality executives in Downing Street. Spiking will be made a criminal offence. My government was elected to take back our streets, central to this mission is making sure women and girls can feel safe at night. Perpetrators of spiking will feel the full force of the law. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) November 25, 2024 Ms Davies-Jones and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper were among the attendees at the round-table discussion on Monday morning. Labour pledged in its manifesto to introduce a new offence for spiking, but there was no detail in the King’s Speech this year about a specific crime, though it promised to ensure an improved police response to cases. According to information published by the Metropolitan Police, spiking offences are currently covered by more than one law, but most come under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Sir Keir told the meeting: “There are a number of measures that we are setting out this morning – we want to talk it through with you. “The first is to make spiking a specific offence so that it counts, it’s reported.” He said that such a measure would mean that it “enables everybody to have the confidence to come forward” and also “it allows perpetrators to know that it’s a specific offence”. Detailing the training scheme, he went on: “We’re beginning the piloting of training for staff in venues.” He said the scheme would be “partly to spot what’s happening, but also to know what to do in the event that there is an incident in a venue”. “That will start in December with a pilot then it will be rolled out from March of next year,” Sir Keir added. He also said that the “final” point of discussion for the morning was “police indexing – (the) way that we count it across different police forces”. Sir Keir added: “At the moment it’s quite hard to get your arms around the pure numbers.” Plain clothes officers are being deployed in areas around bars and clubs to spot predatory behaviour. The text-to-report number, 61016, that allows women to contact British Transport Police to report harassment on the train, is due to be relaunched. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Spiking is a disturbing and serious crime which can have a damaging and long-lasting impact on victims. “That’s why today we are taking decisive action to prevent this devastating crime and to crack down on perpetrators, by introducing a new criminal offence for spiking and launching specialist training for thousands of bar staff nationwide. “People shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinks on a night out. “These changes are about giving victims greater confidence to come forward, and ensuring that there is a robust response from the police whenever these appalling crimes take place.”
Title: "A Letter to My Younger Self: A 28-Year-Old Independent Woman's Journey of Retribution and Healing Childhood Regrets"
In addition to the physical demands, the mental strain of playing high-stakes matches week in and week out can also affect the players' performance. The pressure to perform well in every game, coupled with the anxiety of potential injuries, can weigh heavily on the minds of the players, impacting their focus and decision-making on the pitch. The coaching staff must not only manage the players' physical workload but also help them stay mentally sharp and motivated throughout this challenging period.Political commentator Ezra Levant suing Toronto police after arrest for ‘breaching the peace’ at anti-Israel protestFurthermore, BlueStacks Air offers seamless compatibility with a vast array of Android games, from popular multiplayer battle royales to indie gems. Its advanced emulation technology ensures that games run flawlessly on ARM Mac devices, providing a truly immersive gaming experience. Whether you're a casual gamer looking to relax or a competitive player seeking adrenaline-pumping battles, BlueStacks Air has you covered.
