jili777 download apk latest version ios The Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC), India on Sunday proposed the introduction of a "faceless" GST audit system to boost ease of doing business in the country. The apex engineering exports promotion body's proposal comes following the successful implementation of 'faceless assessment' by the Income Tax department. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for "The faceless GST audit system, by using technology and ensuring anonymity, will reduce compliance costs. A faceless system will streamline procedures allowing MSMEs to focus on growth and innovation," said Pankaj Chadha, chairman of EEPC India . The proposal is a part of EEPC India's Budget 2025 recommendation. By introducing a "faceless" GST audit system, India can further improve its ranking in the Ease of Doing Business index, making it a more attractive destination for foreign investors, it said. It also proposed that Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM) related liabilities should be eligible for the 'Amnesty Scheme' to address challenges faced by exporters, who may be unaware of foreign bank charges and foreign business services. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is December 31, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It's a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It's all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person's response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn't happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It's not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn't respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I'm hoping it's slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.” ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Kim Kwan-jin, who served as the Defense Minister under the previous administration, has been under investigation for allegedly using his influence to secure lucrative government contracts for his acquaintances. The allegations also include accusations of embezzlement and the illegal use of classified information for personal gain.

On the other hand, reports suggest that Arsenal have identified Dan Ashworth as a potential target for the role of sporting director. Ashworth, who currently serves as technical director at Brighton & Hove Albion, is highly regarded in the football industry for his expertise in player recruitment and development.‘World at dawn of third nuclear age’, armed forces chief warns

Michael Strahan is probably glad November is over. For much of the month, the football player-turned-broadcaster was attacked by critics who treated him like an enemy of the state because he didn’t place his hand over his heart during a nationally-televised rendition of the national anthem. What a crock. The fallout followed a special Fox Sports broadcast from Naval Base San Diego honoring U.S. soldiers ahead of Veterans Day. As his post-game partners stood with their hands over their hearts, Strahan held his hands near his waist as a military band played “The Star-Spangled Banner.” With all the controversy that followed, you would think that Strahan had dropped his pants and mooned the flag after setting it on fire. Hardly. The Giants legend says he simply got “caught up in the moment” of watching “all these young sailors” who had made the commitment to serving the nation and securing our freedoms. But Strahan’s attackers did not see it that way, pursuing him with the same intensity he once used to sack quarterbacks. “What’s wrong with Strahan @NFLonFOX?” one user wrote on Twitter. “Blatant disrespect for the men and women he is surrounded by protecting his rights and freedoms.” Another added: “Strahan couldn’t put his hand over his heart? HAPPY VETERANS DAY TO EVERYONE EXCEPT MICHAEL STRAHAN!! NO CLASS!!” “Fire Michael Strahan!” another wrote. “This is unacceptable!” Strahan, a Hall of Famer, had tough battles on the field. But this was unnecessary roughness. Strahan, whose father served in the U.S. Army for more than two decades, said he wasn’t protesting anything. “I have nothing to protest, I have no statement to be made,” Strahan said on Instagram. “The only statement that should be made that I want to make is I love the military, I’ve always loved the military and I will always love the military. I do so many programs to help veterans and soldiers. I grew up on a military base with a father who was a major in the army. My brother, my sister, my cousins, they all served in the military — I’m a military brat. “And so the fact of somebody saying that, you know, I’m unpatriotic, couldn’t be any further from the truth.” Strahan made a noble defense of his actions, but I would have been more impressed if he had told his critics to kick rocks. Why? Because this is America, where songs inspire, flags are symbols and patriotism speaks for itself. Strahan is no more obligated to cover his heart with his hand during the national anthem than politicians are to wear flag pins in their lapels. “I decided I won’t wear that pin on my chest,” Barack Obama said in 2007 when he first ran for president. “Instead, I’m going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testament to my patriotism.” It was a strong statement at the time. It was also short-lived. Obama soon went back to wearing the pin. If Strahan was guilty of anything it was for losing his head when the contrived controversy got out of hand. When Strahan was confronted about the anthem by a reporter outside his home, Strahan became the villain, snatching the reporter’s phone and tossing it in a nearby bush. “Don’t come to my house, man!” he yelled before grabbing the phone. Strahan later admitted he went too far. “I’m not proud of the way I handled that whole situation,” he said. “You’ve got to protect your family, and you’ve got to protect your home, which is what I felt like I needed to do in that moment.” Even if Strahan had been making a statement during the anthem, he would have been doing it quietly and respectfully. But this was no Colin Kaepernick moment. It wasn’t even close. Greene writes for the New York Daily News: nydailynews.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!Biden calls Bashar Assad's fall in Syria a 'fundamental act of justice' — but warns of 'moment of risk'

MINNEAPOLIS — Debbie Bury is a hardcore Minnesota Vikings fan. This past summer, after having some vision issues, she found out she had stage 4 brain cancer. The very week she found out her diagnosis, she won a Vikings-theme scratch-off worth $100,000 . After our story aired, the cancer got even more aggressive. The Vikings called WCCO and said they wanted to treat Bury to her first game at U.S. Bank Stadium. So on Sunday, Dec. 1, as the Vikings played the Arizona Cardinals, Bury got to watch. She now uses a wheelchair. Her pain is palpable, but that didn't keep her from bringing her trademark positivity with her to the stadium. "I think they are gonna do it, I think they are gonna impress me," she said. Her Vikings in front of her, her family beside her — it was a true escape from a truly hard time. "We appreciate this so much because it's been something for her to look forward to," said her daughter, Melissa Cryer. "If we weren't here, she'd just be in bed." But she's here, fighting alongside her favorite team. "If you don't stay positive, your body's not gonna stay positive, it's not gonna go the way you want. You have to think positive, be positive," Bury said. That's an attitude that's gotten her a long way in life. "When I tell people what's going on and I was invited to the Vikings, people are just like, 'Who are you?' I don't know who I am, but it's good!" she said. So in the the worst of times, she created the best of memories. She dabbed her eyes saying she felt the love. And on this good day, the Vikings won, and Bury brought the luck. "I'm very blessed, I'm very blessed," she said. Bury says her favorite part of the day was feeling her late father's spirit, he was also a loyal fan who used to work with the team. Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield loves sharing the good news. She hosts a show on Sunday mornings based on local "positivity and empowerment," leading right into CBS Sunday Morning.We need to help De Bruyne through tough schedule, says GuardiolaCeltic manager Brendan Rodgers praised Cameron Carter-Vickers and his side’s mentality after they dug out a Champions League point following the defender’s disastrous own goal against Club Brugge. The normally reliable centre-back passed the ball into his own net in the 26th minute after failing to spot goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel’s positioning. But a brilliant turn and finish on the hour mark from Daizen Maeda changed the game and ultimately earned the Scottish champions a 1-1 home draw. On the opener, Rodgers said: “Mistakes happen and it was just unfortunate. He’s played that pass a million times and it’s gone back and then we’ve been able to play forward. It was just one of those unfortunate moments in the game that happens. “But he’s a really, really tough character. He’s a great guy, he picked himself up. He was really strong and aggressive again in the game and got on with it and had a real bravery in the second half, because he was the one carrying the ball forward for us to start the attack.” Despite the gift, Brugge were worthy of their lead and Rodgers admitted his side were too passive in their pressing in the opening half. Some tactical tweaks – and the introduction of Paulo Bernardo – helped Celtic dominate after Maeda’s equaliser, although Brugge had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside. “I can only credit the players for the second half, because we had to fight,” Rodgers said. “And we’re still one of those teams that’s really pushing to try and make a mark at this level. So to make the comeback, score the goal, play with that courage, I was so pleased. “You want to win but I’ve been here enough times to have lost a game like that, but we didn’t. We showed a real strong mentality and we kept pushing right to the very end and the players did well. “I thought they showed great courage in the second half because we weren’t at our level in the first half. Sometimes a game like that can get away from you, but it didn’t. “We stayed with it, showed that determination, showed that mentality, never to quit, to keep going. And then we were much, much better, much freer in the second half. “So we’re on eight points, nine to play for. We’re still very much on course to get to where we want to get to and still three games to go.” Rodgers added: “It’s 20 games now and we’ve won 16 and drawn three and lost one, so it shows you the mentality is there, and especially at this level, you need to have that.”

Take a seat, Josh Allen, there's no more need to play in the regular season You wouldn’t expect to use as a reference point for a potential NFL Most Valuable Player, but this is 2024 and, well, things are weird. Barely a day after Miami’s Cam Ward opted to sit for the second half of the Pop-Tart Bowl to protect his future options, Buffalo’s Josh Allen faces a similar question in Week 18 of the NFL regular season. No, Allen isn’t trying to protect his NFL standing; he’s got that pretty well locked down. Allen is chasing two career-defining milestones, an MVP award and a Lombardi trophy. Buffalo’s Week 18 game against the Patriots might help him burnish his chances at the former, but it will do absolutely nothing for the latter quest. Allen led Buffalo to a 40-14 annihilation of the New York Jets that was as thorough and merciless as anything short of a stadium demolition. Allen wasn’t spectacular – 16 of 27 for 182 yards and two touchdowns, plus another on the ground — but he didn’t need to be. Buffalo led 40-0 deep into the fourth quarter, and the destruction was so complete that even Mitchell Trubisky got some run at quarterback for the Bills. Next week, he ought to get a whole lot more. The only regular-season game left on Buffalo’s slate is a road contest against New England, and there’s absolutely nothing at stake for the Bills — or, for that matter, for the Patriots, who were eliminated from the playoff hunt back around the Fourth of July. Buffalo is locked into the second spot in the AFC playoffs, meaning the Bills are going to welcome the Chargers, Steelers or Broncos to chilly Orchard Park, New York, in a couple weeks. There’s no outcome of the Patriots game that changes Buffalo’s seeding. And there isn’t even any “best effort”/fair play concern for the Patriots, since there’s no scenario where that game means anything to the final teams in the hunt for the last AFC playoff spot. The Bills, in fact, have been playing with house money for awhile now. Buffalo clinched the AFC East with five weeks remaining in the year, the first team since the 2009 Colts to grab a divisional championship that early. (In a good omen for Buffalo, that Colts team would go on to reach the Super Bowl; in a familiar omen, the Colts lost that Super Bowl to New Orleans.) In other words, from a team perspective, there’s no reason for Allen to play next week. From an individual perspective ... maybe? Allen is, by all accounts and metrics, the runaway favorite to win his first MVP. BetMGM has him listed at -350, with Lamar Jackson well behind at +250 and Saquon Barkley at +2500. Yes, — two passing TDs, one rushing TD — and has a chance to prettify his stats even further with a regular season finale against the Browns. But is it worth risking Allen’s health on the road in search of an award he may already have won? After Sunday’s game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott stated his case succinctly and effectively: “I think Josh Allen continues to show why he should be the MVP.” McDermott declined to say whether Allen would play in Week 18, instead indicating that the team would discuss how to handle rest later this week. Allen, for his part, punted like it was fourth-and-long, saying of the decision to play, “That’s up to coach. I’ll do whatever is asked of me.” That’s the right answer from a political perspective, but from a Super Bowl-chasing one, there’s an obvious play here. It’s time for Allen to watch Buffalo-New England from the closest spot in Gillette Stadium. For him and Buffalo, there’s plenty of work left to do after Week 18.Jimmy Carter, the United States’ longest-lived president, was never afraid of speaking his mind. Forthright and fearless, the Nobel Prize winner took pot-shots at former prime minister Tony Blair and ex-US president George W Bush among others. His death came after repeated bouts of illness in which images of the increasingly frail former president failed to erase memories of his fierce spirit. Democrat James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr swept to power in 1977 with his Trust Me campaign helping to beat Republican president Gerald Ford. Serving as 39th US president from 1977 to 1981, he sought to make government “competent and compassionate” but was ousted by the unstoppable Hollywood appeal of a certain Ronald Reagan. A skilled sportsman, Mr Carter left his home of Plains, Georgia, to join the US Navy, returning later to run his family’s peanut business. A stint in the Georgia senate lit the touchpaper on his political career and he rose to the top of the Democratic movement. But he will also be remembered for a bizarre encounter with a deeply disgruntled opponent. The president was enjoying a relaxing fishing trip near his home town in 1979 when his craft was attacked by a furious swamp rabbit which reportedly swam up to the boat hissing wildly. The press had a field day, with one paper bearing the headline President Attacked By Rabbit. Away from encounters with belligerent bunnies, Mr Carter’s willingness to address politically uncomfortable topics did not diminish with age. He recently said that he would be willing to travel to North Korea for peace talks on behalf of US President Donald Trump. He also famously mounted a ferocious and personal attack on Tony Blair over the Iraq war, weeks before the prime minister left office in June 2007. Mr Carter, who had already denounced George W Bush’s presidency as “the worst in history”, used an interview on BBC radio to condemn Mr Blair for his tight relations with Mr Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. Asked how he would characterise Mr Blair’s relationship with Mr Bush, Mr Carter replied: “Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient. “I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world.” Mr Carter was also voluble over the Rhodesia crisis, which was about to end during his presidency. His support for Robert Mugabe at the time generated widespread criticism. He was said to have ignored the warnings of many prominent Zimbabweans, black and white, about what sort of leader Mugabe would be. This was seen by Mr Carter’s critics as “deserving a prominent place among the outrages of the Carter years”. Mr Carter has since said he and his administration had spent more effort and worry on Rhodesia than on the Middle East. He admitted he had supported two revolutionaries in Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo, and with hindsight said later that Mugabe had been “a good leader gone bad”, having at first been “a very enlightened president”. One US commentator wrote: “History will not look kindly on those in the West who insisted on bringing the avowed Marxist Mugabe into the government. “In particular, the Jimmy Carter foreign policy... bears some responsibility for the fate of a small African country with scant connection to American national interests.” In recent years Mr Carter developed a reputation as an international peace negotiator. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, his work with human rights and democracy initiatives, and his promotion of economic and social programmes. Mr Carter was dispatched to North Korea in August 2008 to secure the release of US citizen Aijalon Mahli Gomes, who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labour after being found guilty of illegally entering North Korea. He successfully secured the release of Mr Gomes. In 2010 he returned to the White House to greet President Barack Obama and discuss international affairs amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Proving politics runs in the family, in 2013 his grandson Jason, a state senator, announced his bid to become governor in Georgia, where his famous grandfather governed before becoming president. He eventually lost to incumbent Republican Nathan Deal. Fears that Mr Carter’s health was deteriorating were sparked in 2015 when he cut short an election observation visit in Guyana because he was “not feeling well”. It would have been Mr Carter’s 39th trip to personally observe an international election. Three months later, on August 12, he revealed he had cancer which had been diagnosed after he underwent surgery to remove a small mass in his liver. Mr Obama was among the well-wishers hoping for Mr Carter’s full recovery after it was confirmed the cancer had spread widely. Melanoma had been found in his brain and liver, and Mr Carter underwent immunotherapy and radiation therapy, before announcing in March the following year that he no longer needed any treatment. In 2017, Mr Carter was taken to hospital as a precaution, after he became dehydrated at a home-building project in Canada. He was admitted to hospital on multiple occasions in 2019 having had a series of falls, suffering a brain bleed and a broken pelvis, as well as a stint to be treated for a urinary tract infection. Mr Carter spent much of the coronavirus pandemic largely at his home in Georgia, and did not attend Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in 2021, but extended his “best wishes”. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Mr Carter during his term as US president, died in November 2023. She had been living with dementia and suffering many months of declining health. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Mr Carter said in a statement following her death. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”

Furthermore, it was discovered that the village had received substantial government subsidies earmarked for agricultural development projects. These subsidies were intended to support farmers in improving their crop yields, adopting modern farming techniques, and enhancing overall agricultural productivity. However, if the claims of fraudulent practices were proven true, it would mean that the villagers had deceived the authorities to obtain financial benefits under false pretenses.

On December 19th, the controversial case of Yu Huaying went through a second trial, with Yang Nuohua responding to the appeal made by the human trafficker Yu Huaying. This case has once again stirred up public interest and concern about human trafficking and justice.

Seattle, WA — In a groundbreaking move that is set to revolutionize the landscape of small business operations, Amazon (AMZN.US) has announced a strategic partnership with financial software giant Intuit (INTU.US). The collaboration aims to provide enhanced financial tools and resources to empower millions of small businesses around the world.

As the 2024 election draws closer, the spotlight on Trump's intentions and actions will only intensify. Speculation over his candidacy, potential challengers, and the future direction of the Republican party will dominate headlines and political discourse in the coming months. Zelensky's cautionary words serve as a reminder that until Trump officially declares his candidacy and goes through the rigorous campaign process, his status as a presidential contender remains uncertain.Title: Foreign Media: White House Considering Pardoning Criminals, Seeking Public Input to Push Pardons

Sarah, who had initially been captivated by Max's charismatic demeanor, now found herself torn between empathy and skepticism. On one hand, she admired Max's ambition and determination to succeed as a graduate student. On the other hand, she could not ignore the nagging feeling that something about his story did not quite add up.