how much is the mega worth now Canadian ministers meet Trump’s team on tariffsThe India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Srinagar station had forecast light rain and snowfall for the region on December 27 and 28, but the valley experienced over two feet of snow in some areas, catching residents, authorities, and travellers completely off guard. The failure of weather models to predict this intense spell of snow has raised serious questions about the accuracy and preparedness of the meteorological forecasting system in the region. The inaccurate forecast by the Meteorological Department (MET) in Jammu and Kashmir has created chaos on the ground with many travellers especially tourists found themselves stranded in life-threatening situations. People largely blame the weather department and its current incharge in Jammu and Kashmir Mukhtar Ahmad for the inaccurate prediction that caught everyone off guard. The MET had predicted light rainfall and scattered snowfall in some areas on Friday, but as the day proceeded the plains of Kashmir witnessed heavy snowfall in the afternoon that continued throughout the night leaving people stranded on all the major roads. Meteorologists and independent weather forecasters acknowledged gaps in prediction models, saying the surprise snowfall was due to the region's unique and variable weather patterns. Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, senior scientist at the IMD, said they rely on global models from Europe, the US, Japan and others for forecasting. “None of the models, whether Indian or global, indicated snowfall of this magnitude,” Dr Mukhtar Ahmad admitted. He said models indicated some precipitation in the Jammu and Chenab Valley regions, but there was no significant indication of such heavy snowfall in south Kashmir. “No model suggested heavy snowfall for KMR Div even yesterday. As per f/c,Rain was expected for plains of JAMMU & light snow over middle & higher reaches of Chenab valley & South KMR & didn't expect that much moisture flow over South & Central KMR,” Dr. Mukhtar wrote on X. Sonam Lotus, a senior most official in the Weather Department (IMD) in an X post, said,“Yes, we underestimated this #WesternDisturbance. Will investigate what we Missed & Grow.” The inaccurate and unpredicted weather conditions caught travellers and the administration off guard, leading to significant inconvenience and safety concerns. The heavy snowfall caused roadblocks, particularly on high-altitude routes like Sonamarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam, where tourists were unprepared for the sudden weather shift. At many places, the local villagers had to unlock mosques and their homes to provide shelter to the stranded travellers.“At some places babies are found in cars without milk and other essential supplies,” as per the social media reels and videos. Around 2000 vehicles were stranded on the vital Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the valley's lifeline due to the snow accumulation. Similarly, the flight operations at Srinagar International Airport were affected, leaving visitors stuck without proper accommodations. The failure of the MeT Department to predict the intensity of snowfall has drawn severe criticism from both locals and tourists on social media. The Hoteliers and travel agencies expressed frustration, stating that better forecasts could have allowed for more preparation and minimized disruption. People took to the social media platforms to express their frustration and backlash against the MET. Those stuck on several roads shared their ordeals, with some posting pictures of being stranded in snowbound vehicles or makeshift shelters. Others tagged the MET department and government authorities, demanding accountability for the oversight. Faizan Arif, an independent weather forecaster, called for enhanced infrastructure and investment in modern meteorological technology to avoid such forecasting errors in the future. “Advanced meteorological infrastructure and technology are urgently needed in the region,” said Arif. He said the absence of state-of-the-art equipment limits the ability to accurately predict such extreme weather events. Arif said this forecasting lapse highlights the need for better weather prediction tools and enhanced preparedness for extreme climatic conditions, especially in a region as vulnerable as Kashmir. Meanwhile, experts have attributed this weather anomaly to La Niña, which often brings unpredictable weather systems, saying increased moisture flow from the Arabian Sea is a contributing factor. “This unseasonal snowfall is a blessing for water resources but highlights the urgent need for better preparedness,” Dr Mukhtar said. With weather forecasts indicating improved weather conditions in the coming days, independent weather forecaster Faizan Arif said this incident serves as a stark reminder of the region's vulnerability to sudden weather changes. It also underscores the pressing need for robust meteorological advancements for upgrading weather prediction infrastructure in the region, he said. “This is a wake-up call for the government to invest in advanced technology for accurate forecasting,” Arif said, highlighting the gap between local capabilities and global standards. Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group : Join Now Be Part of Quality Journalism Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. CLICK FOR DETAILS MENAFN28122024000215011059ID1109038099 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.

The expanded Big Ten is poised to be a major player in this season's College Football Playoff. The 18-team conference had three of the top-four teams in the AP poll this week — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State. A one-loss Indiana team is ranked 10th but is still very much a contender to make the playoff, given how many Southeastern Conference teams have three defeats or more. Indiana's rise has been perhaps the Big Ten's biggest story this season. Much of the spotlight was on newcomers Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, but aside from the top-ranked Ducks, that foursome has struggled to impress. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games under new coach Curt Cignetti before losing at Ohio State last weekend. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 back in October, and if the Buckeyes beat rival Michigan this weekend, they'll earn a rematch with the Ducks for the Big Ten title. People are also reading... And it's entirely possible another matchup between those two teams awaits in the CFP. Star power Dillon Gabriel has quarterbacked Oregon to an unbeaten record, throwing for 3,066 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. But don't overlook Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and his 21 rushing TDs, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been a big part of Indiana's improvement. Penn State's Abdul Carter has eight sacks and two forced fumbles and could be one of the top edge rushers drafted this year. Going bowling Oregon (11-0, 8-0), Ohio State (10-1, 7-1), Penn State (10-1, 7-1), Indiana (10-1, 7-1), Illinois (8-3, 5-3), Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Michigan (6-5, 4-4), Minnesota (6-5, 4-4), Washington (6-5, 4-4), Southern California (6-5, 4-5), Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) and Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) have already reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) and Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) can join them. Hot seats There may not be many firings in general at the top level of college football. The prospect of sharing revenue with athletes in the future might lead schools to be more judicious about shedding one coach and hiring a new one. Who should be most worried in the Big Ten? Well, Lincoln Riley is struggling to stay above .500 in his third season at USC. Purdue is 1-10, but coach Ryan Walters is only in his second season. Maryland's Mike Locksley has been there six years and his Terrapins are 4-7, but this was his first real step backward after guiding the team to three straight bowl wins. Cignetti has shown it is possible for a coaching change to push a previously moribund program to some impressive heights in a short amount of time — but the improvement has been more incremental at Michigan State following Jonathan Smith's arrival. Sherrone Moore wasn't a completely unknown commodity at Michigan after he won some massive games in place of a suspended Jim Harbaugh last year. But in his first season completely at the helm, the Wolverines have declined significantly following their national title a season ago. Youth movement The Big Ten is home to one of the most dynamic freshmen in the country in Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He has 52 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns. Highly touted quarterback Dylan Raiola has teamed up with fellow freshman Jacory Barney (49 catches) to lead Nebraska to bowl eligibility. Recruiting watch Ohio State is on track to land the Big Ten's top class, according to 247 Sports, but the big news recently was quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan. If the Wolverines do in fact keep Underwood in his home state, that would be a big development for Moore. Get local news delivered to your inbox!World Economic Forum 2025: Several Union Ministers, Chief Ministers to join world leaders in Davos for meet

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Blake Lively has sued her It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment and what she claims is a coordinated effort to destroy her reputation. The director-actor duo did not look eye to eye during promotions and their rift has been confirmed with Blake's move. Amid all this, actor Michele Morrone has expressed his support for Blake Lively. Morrone, who is set to star alongside Lively in the upcoming A Simple Favor sequel, shared a heartfelt video on Instagram supporting the actress. Michele Morrone stands in support of Blake Lively In the video, Morrone can be heard saying, "So it’s usually not my thing to make these types of videos, but I think it’s time to stand up for a person I really love and this person is Blake Lively. I personally met Blake during A Simple Favor 2, we shot this incredible film together, and I felt something was wrong, and I felt the pain and then we had the opportunity to talk, me and her." Michele even added that Blake "was in pain. And I’m really tired to see those kind of cruel and bad comments about her without knowing the situation. So that’s why I want to link right here the article [from] The New York Times so that you can understand before commenting, what happened." According to the Daily Mail, Morrone concluded the video with "That’s all I ask. That’s what I want you to do. Blake, I love you so much. Keep it up and we’re going to see each other very, very soon. Love you." Blake Lively sues Justin Baldoni According to TMZ, the actress cited incidents including inappropriate comments about weight, discussions of sexual topics, and references to Baldoni's "pornography addiction" in front of her and other cast members. She also alleged that Baldoni showed her explicit images and made comments about the cast and crew's genitalia. The suit further claims that Lively demanded certain boundaries during a meeting attended by figures including her husband, Ryan Reynolds. The demands according to the lawsuit cited by TMZ, addressed in the meeting included "no more showing nude videos or images to Blake," "no more adding sex scenes outside the approved script," and "no further comments about Blake's late father." According to TMZ, Sony Pictures, the film's distributor, approved Lively's requests. However, she alleges in the lawsuit that Baldoni later began a "social manipulation" campaign to damage her reputation. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Hollywood, Entertainment News and around the world.The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said on Tuesday (December 24, 2024) that they have launched a counter-offensive against the Ankara-backed Syrian National Army to take back areas near Syria’s northern border with Turkiye. The SDF is Washington’s critical ally in Syria, targeting sleeper cells of the extremist Islamic State group scattered across the country's east. Since the fall of the totalitarian rule of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, clashes have intensified between the U.S.-backed group and the SNA, which captured the key city of Manbij and the areas surrounding it. The intense weekslong clashes come at a time when Syria, battered by over a decade of war and economic misery, negotiates its political future following half a century under the Assad dynasty’s rule. Ruken Jamal, spokesperson of the Women’s Protection Unit, or YPJ, under the SDF, said that their fighters are just over seven miles away from the center of Manbij in their ongoing counter-offensive. She accused Ankara of trying to weaken the group’s influence in negotiations over Syria’s political future through the SNA. “Syria is now in a new phase, and discussions are underway about the future of the country,” Ms. Jamal said. “Turkiye is trying, through its attacks, to distract us with battles and exclude us from the negotiations in Damascus.” The Britain-based opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says since the SNA’s offensive in northern Syria against the Kurds started earlier this month, dozens from both sides have been killed. Ankara sees the SDF as an affiliate of its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which it classifies as a terrorist organisation. Turkish-backed armed groups alongside Turkish jets for years have attacked positions where the SDF are largely present across northern Syria, in a bid to create a buffer zone free from the group along the large shared border. While the SNA was involved in the lightning insurgency — led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — that toppled Mr. Assad, it has continued its push against the SDF, seen as Syria’s second key actor for its political future. On Monday (December 23, 2024), the SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami said the group's forces pushed back the Turkish-backed rebels from areas near the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates, a key source of hydroelectric power. He said the SDF also destroyed a tank belonging to the rebels southeast of Manbij. The British-based war monitor said on Tuesday (December 24, 2024) that the Kurdish-led group, following overnight fighting, has reclaimed four villages in the areas near the strategic dam. Turkish jets also pounded the strategic border town of Kobani in recent days. During Syria’s uprising-turned-conflict, the Kurds carved out an enclave of autonomous rule across northeastern Syria, never fully allying entirely with Assad in Damascus nor the rebels trying to overthrow him. Even with the Assad family out of the picture, it appears that Ankara’s position won’t change, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s landmark visit to Syria maintaining a strong position on the Kurdish-led group in his meeting with de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa of HTS. “It has turned the region into a cauldron of terror with PKK members and far-left groups who have come from Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Europe," Mr. Fidan said in a news conference after the meeting. “The international community is turning a blind eye to this lawlessness because of the wardenship it provides (against IS).” With the ongoing fighting, SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi has expressed concern about a strong IS resurgence due to the power vacuum in Syria and the ongoing fighting, which has left the Kurdish-led group unable to carry out its attacks and raids on the extremist group’s scattered sleeper cells. Tens of thousands of children, family members, and supporters of IS militants are still held in large detention centers in northeastern Syria, in areas under SDF control. Published - December 24, 2024 11:05 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit World / Syria / TurkeyAfter institutions for people with disabilities close, graves are at risk of being forgotten

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Horoscope Today: Astrological prediction for December 25, 2024Of the many things I admire, near the top would be the art of the witty insult or the elegant put-down. It takes restraint, imagination and a certain clever bent of mind. We’re not all capable of it but those who are I would call special. After all, repartee is not easy. To do it stylishly requires effort and skill. So, as the year ends and we prepare for the next, let me share a few gems. Now some of the best put-downs are attributed to Churchill vis-à-vis Lady Astor and George Bernard Shaw. But they’re too well-known to bear repetition. Let me, instead, choose others as searing but less familiar. First, the put-the-famous-in-their-place comment. Noel Coward once met Edna Ferber at the Algonquin Hotel in New York. “Miss Ferber, you look almost like a man.” She promptly shot back: “And so do you, Mr Coward.” Whilst Howard Hughes thus described Clark Gable: “His ears make him look like a taxi cab with both doors open.” And David Susskind had this to say of Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra: “Overweight, overbosomed, overpaid and under-talented, she set the acting profession back a decade.” My favourite is the scorching reply when you don’t want to accept an invitation. Invited by David Frost to dinner, Peter Cook responded: “Hang on, I’ll just check my diary... oh dear, I find I’m watching television that night.” And this is what David Niven said when Errol Flynn stood him up yet again: “You can count on Errol Flynn. He’ll always let you down.” Of course, there’s nothing like being rude with such panache that your target will probably end up smiling. Heinrich Heine, the poet, said: “I bequeath all my property to my wife on condition that she re-marry immediately. Then there will be at least one man to regret my death.” Or Disraeli on his great political rival Gladstone: “The difference between a misfortune and a calamity is this: If Gladstone fell into the Thames, it would be a misfortune. But if someone dragged him out again, that would be a calamity.” Again, my favourite is the most succinct one. “How can they tell?” asked Dorothy Parker on being told US President Calvin Coolidge was dead. In fact, Parker’s wit could be excruciatingly sharp. Of the famous actress Katharine Hepburn, she hissed: “She ran the gamut of human emotions all the way from A to B.” Put-downs are often not about individuals but general comments about countries or about life itself. Jeremy Clarkson once said: “Life is never so bad that Germany is better.” Isaac Asimov commented on the sort of people who irritate all of us: “People who go around claiming they know everything are very annoying for those of us who do.” WH Auden said of academics: “A professor is one who talks in someone else’s sleep.” Whilst Nancy Astor thus pronounced on marriage: “I married beneath me – all women do.” Women, for some reason, have often been the subject — not just victims — of put-downs. “Being a woman is a terribly difficult trade since it consists principally of dealings with men,” said Joseph Conrad, who wrote Heart of Darkness . The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche claimed, “Woman was God’s second mistake.” The first was Adam. And JB Priestley, I presume a misogynist, maintained that “Marriage is a long, dull meal with pudding as the first course.” I wonder how many of you agree? Amongst the most piercing are the put-downs authors use for their rivals. William Faulkner, who didn’t like Ernest Hemingway, said this of him: “He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.” In turn, Hemingway riposted: “Does he really think big emotions come from big words?” I’ll leave you with a put-down we could all profitably use, though remember Churchill said it first of Attlee: “A modest man with much to be modest about.” Incidentally, this sort makes the best friends. Happy New Year. Karan Thapar is the author of Devil’s Advocate: The Untold Story.The views expressed are personal

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After closures in some other states, institutions’ cemeteries were abandoned and became overgrown with weeds and brush.Americans are more optimistic about 2025 than they were about 2024 — in large part because of President-elect Donald Trump, according to new polling. In a December CBS News/YouGov poll, 57% of respondents said that, when looking ahead to 2025, they feel more hopeful than discouraged . Meanwhile, 23% said they feel more discouraged, and 20% said they feel both equally. In contrast, a poll taken during December 2023 found that 47% of respondents were hopeful about 2024 — marking a 10-point difference. An additional 22% said they were discouraged, and 31% said they felt both equally. The latest poll — fielded between Dec. 18-20 with a sample of 2,244 adults — asked the hopeful respondents what makes them feel mostly optimistic about the new year. It provided them with seven options. Sixty percent said “Trump becoming president” made them feel mostly hopeful, making it the most popular choice. Following that, 55% said family and personal relationships, 51% said personal finances and opportunities, and 51% said the U.S. economy, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points. Slightly less than half, 47%, said personal health, 34% said American politics generally and 33% said “the state of the world.” The poll, using the same seven choices, then asked the discouraged respondents what makes them feel mostly pessimistic about 2025. The vast majority, 85%, said Trump becoming president made them mostly disheartened, again making it the most popular choice. Meanwhile, 74% said American politics generally, 71% said the state of the world and 58% said the American economy. Less than half, 46%, said personal finances and opportunities, while 28% said personal health, and 17% said family and personal relationships. The responses were largely skewed based on partisan affiliation, with 85% of Republicans saying they feel hopeful and 38% of Democrats saying the same.

Bruce Willis' family shares special holiday moments, hoping for a Christmas miracle

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BOSTON — Forty years ago, Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie rolled to his right and threw a pass that has become one of college football’s most iconic moments. With Boston College trailing defending champion Miami, Flutie threw the Hail Mary and found receiver Gerard Phalen, who made the grab while falling into the end zone behind a pair of defenders for a game-winning 48-yard TD. Flutie and many of his 1984 teammates were honored on the field during BC’s 41-21 victory over North Carolina before the second quarter on Saturday afternoon, the anniversary of the Eagles’ Miracle in Miami. “There’s no way its been 40 years,” Flutie told The Associated Press on the sideline a few minutes before he walked out with some of his former teammates to be recognized after a video of The Play was shown on the scoreboards. It’s a moment and highlight that’s not only played throughout decades of BC students and fans, but around the college football world. “What is really so humbling is that the kids 40 years later are wearing 22 jerseys, still,” Flutie said of his old number. “That amazes me.” That game was played on national TV the Friday after Thanksgiving. The ironic thing is it was originally scheduled for earlier in the season before CBS paid Rutgers to move its game against Miami, thus setting up the BC-Miami post-holiday matchup. “It shows you how random some things are, that the game was moved,” Flutie said. “The game got moved to the Friday after Thanksgiving, which was the most watched game of the year. We both end up being nationally ranked and up there. All those things lent to how big the game itself was, and made the pass and the catch that much more relevant and remembered because so many people were watching.” There’s a statue of Flutie winding up to make The Pass outside the north gates at Alumni Stadium. Fans and visitors can often be seen taking photos there. “In casual conversation, it comes up every day,” Flutie said, when asked how many times people bring it up. “It brings a smile to my face every time we talk about it.” A week after the game-ending Flutie pass, the Eagles beat Holy Cross and before he flew off to New York to accept the Heisman. They went on to win the 49th Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day. “Forty years seem almost like incomprehensible,” said Phalen, also standing on the sideline a few minutes after the game started. “I always say to Doug: ‘Thank God for social media. It’s kept it alive for us.”’ Earlier this week, current BC coach Bill O’Brien, 55, was asked if he remembered where he was 40 years ago. “We were eating Thanksgiving leftovers in my family room,” he said. “My mom was saying a Rosary in the kitchen because she didn’t like Miami and wanted BC to win. My dad, my brother and I were watching the game. “It was unbelievable,” he said. “Everybody remembers where they were for the Hail Mary, Flutie pass.”Authorities in Ayodhya are preparing for an influx of devotees during January and February, as many people visiting the Maha Kumbh-2025 in Prayagraj are also likely to come to the temple town to seek blessings of Ram Lalla . According to the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation , around 2.5 crore devotees are likely to visit the town from January 13 to February 12. 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 Authorities of the civic body are also expecting a footfall of about three to five lakh devotees in the temple town on the New Year's Day. "We are expecting that around 10 per cent of devotees visiting the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj will come to Ayodhya to have a glimpse of Lord Ram. "As the Maha Kumbh is likely to witness 25 crore people, so we believe that 2.5 crore to 3 crore devotees will be visiting Ayodhya during the period from Paush Poornima (January 13, 2025) to Maghi Poornima (February 12)," Ayodhya Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi told PTI on Sunday. Currently, 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh people are turning up in Ayodhya daily, Tripathi said, adding that on the New Year's Day (January 1) three to five lakh people will be visiting the town. 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When asked about the measures taken in view of the prevailing cold weather conditions in the region, Tripathi said that a proposal for establishing a Tent City (in Ayodhya) having a capacity to hold 5,000 people has been sent to the tourism department. Apart from this, temporary 'rain baseras' (shelter homes) have been set up and arrangements for bonfire at several places made, he said. "So, we hope that we will be able to take on the challenges of the prevailing cold weather." Mahak Kumbh-2025 will take place at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh from January 13 to February 26. Elaborating on the Maha Kumbh, Prayagraj-based Ashutosh Varshney, the convenor of Raam Naam Bank, said that bathing in holy water at the Maha Kumbh Mela is the most significant ritual. At the Triveni Sangam (confluence of rivers), millions of pilgrims come together to participate in this sacred practice, he said. In addition to the bathing ritual, pilgrims also engage in worship along the banks of the Ganga, Varshney told PTI on Sunday. "After taking a dip in the Ganga during the Maha Kumbh period, if a devotee gets an opportunity to have a glimpse of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, then it will definitely be an additional divine moment for them," he said. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

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Shares of packaging machinery manufacturer Mamata Machinery Limited (NSE: Mamata), which made a remarkable debut on Friday, December 27, opened in negative today, December 30, in early trade. Mamata Machinery Limited (NSE: Mamata) saw a decline of INR 31.50 from the previous day's closing of INR 630. The initial public offering of Mamata Machinery Limited (NSE: Mamata) fetched a whopping 194.95 times subscription on the final day of the share sale on Monday, December 23. The stock of Mamata Machinery Limited (NSE: Mamata) has listed with a huge premium of nearly 147 per cent against the issue price of INR 243. Transrail Share Price Today, December 30: Transrail Lighting Limited Stock Opens in Green Today After Making Debut With Nearly 37% Premium. (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter (X), Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)By MELINA WALLING Associated Press BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. It’s a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still deeply unsatisfied but some hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. World Resources Institute president and CEO Ani Dasgupta called it “an important down payment toward a safer, more equitable future,” but added that the poorest and most vulnerable nations are “rightfully disappointed that wealthier countries didn’t put more money on the table when billions of people’s lives are at stake.” The summit was supposed to end on Friday evening but negotiations spiraled on through early Sunday. With countries on opposite ends of a massive chasm, tensions ran high as delegations tried to close the gap in expectations. Here’s how they got there: What was the finance deal agreed at climate talks? Rich countries have agreed to pool together at least $300 billion a year by 2035. It’s not near the full amount of $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, and that experts said was needed. But delegations more optimistic about the agreement said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future. The text included a call for all parties to work together using “all public and private sources” to get closer to the $1.3 trillion per year goal by 2035. That means also pushing for international mega-banks, funded by taxpayer dollars, to help foot the bill. And it means, hopefully, that companies and private investors will follow suit on channeling cash toward climate action. The agreement is also a critical step toward helping countries on the receiving end create more ambitious targets to limit or cut emissions of heat-trapping gases that are due early next year. It’s part of the plan to keep cutting pollution with new targets every five years, which the world agreed to at the U.N. talks in Paris in 2015. The Paris agreement set the system of regular ratcheting up climate fighting ambition as away to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The world is already at 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) and carbon emissions keep rising. What will the money be spent on? The deal decided in Baku replaces a previous agreement from 15 years ago that charged rich nations $100 billion a year to help the developing world with climate finance. The new number has similar aims: it will go toward the developing world’s long laundry list of to-dos to prepare for a warming world and keep it from getting hotter. That includes paying for the transition to clean energy and away from fossil fuels. Countries need funds to build up the infrastructure needed to deploy technologies like wind and solar power on a large scale. Communities hard-hit by extreme weather also want money to adapt and prepare for events like floods, typhoons and fires. Funds could go toward improving farming practices to make them more resilient to weather extremes, to building houses differently with storms in mind, to helping people move from the hardest-hit areas and to help leaders improve emergency plans and aid in the wake of disasters. The Philippines, for example, has been hammered by six major storms in less than a month, bringing to millions of people howling wind, massive storm surges and catastrophic damage to residences, infrastructure and farmland. “Family farmers need to be financed,” said Esther Penunia of the Asian Farmers Association. She described how many have already had to deal with millions of dollars of storm damage, some of which includes trees that won’t again bear fruit for months or years, or animals that die, wiping out a main source of income. “If you think of a rice farmer who depends on his or her one hectare farm, rice land, ducks, chickens, vegetables, and it was inundated, there was nothing to harvest,” she said. Why was it so hard to get a deal? Election results around the world that herald a change in climate leadership, a few key players with motive to stall the talks and a disorganized host country all led to a final crunch that left few happy with a flawed compromise. The ending of COP29 is “reflective of the harder geopolitical terrain the world finds itself in,” said Li Shuo of the Asia Society. He cited Trump’s recent victory in the US — with his promises to pull the country out of the Paris Agreement — as one reason why the relationship between China and the EU will be more consequential for global climate politics moving forward. Developing nations also faced some difficulties agreeing in the final hours, with one Latin American delegation member saying that their group didn’t feel properly consulted when small island states had last-minute meetings to try to break through to a deal. Negotiators from across the developing world took different tacks on the deal until they finally agreed to compromise. Meanwhile, activists ramped up the pressure: many urged negotiators to stay strong and asserted that no deal would be better than a bad deal. But ultimately the desire for a deal won out. Some also pointed to the host country as a reason for the struggle. Mohamed Adow, director of climate and energy think tank Power Shift Africa, said Friday that “this COP presidency is one of the worst in recent memory,” calling it “one of the most poorly led and chaotic COP meetings ever.” The presidency said in a statement, “Every hour of the day, we have pulled people together. Every inch of the way, we have pushed for the highest common denominator. We have faced geopolitical headwinds and made every effort to be an honest broker for all sides.” Shuo retains hope that the opportunities offered by a green economy “make inaction self-defeating” for countries around the world, regardless of their stance on the decision. But it remains to be seen whether the UN talks can deliver more ambition next year. In the meantime, “this COP process needs to recover from Baku,” Shuo said.High-ranking members of the organised crime group received sentences earlier this year - the ECHO has looked back at the gang's plot The presence of two local men charged alongside leading Kinahan Cartel gang members was the latest indication that Merseyside's underworld has connections with Ireland's. Key figures of the Kinahan Cartel - a major Irish organised crime syndicate synonymous with the supply of global drug shipments - were sentenced this year after their elaborate plot was foiled by the National Crime Agency (NCA) . The plot saw Thomas "Bomber" Kavanagh and Liam Byrne - high-ranking members of the syndicate, originally forged in Dublin but now with links around the world - plot to create a fake arms cache to weaken a sentence the former was already serving . The men, who worked in partnership with Liverpool man Shaun Kent , looked to lead the NCA to the fake weapons caches across Northern Ireland. But the plot was rumbled and Kent was arrested in Liverpool, while Byrne, who is Kavanagh's brother-in-law, was extradited from Spain. The men all admitted the offences put before them on the eve of the trial in September this year. Another Liverpool man, Daniel McLoughlin, was accused of supplying firearms to the Kinahan members but had the charges dropped against him . Kavanagh's son Jack was also charged and appeared before the courts at a later date, but was released following his sentencing due to time served on remand. Merseyside and Dublin underworlds The plot was the latest that tied together Merseyside's and Dublin's underworlds. The Kinahan Cartel is led by Christy Kinahan and his sons Daniel and Christopher Jr. The men are currently at large and are believed to be in Dubai. In April 2022, the United States State Department announced $5m rewards under the Narcotics Rewards Programme for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Kinahan family members. However, it's believed the crime syndicate for decades have been involved in significant drug trafficking, bringing huge consignments into Europe before distributing to their various partners. One of these partners is believed to have been the Huyton Firm - a leading Merseyside gang led by Vincent Coggins that was finally toppled in 2020. It's previously been reported that the Huyton Firm, based out of Stockbridge Village but who also controlled the surrounding territories of West Derby , Croxteth and Dovecot, forged links with their Irish counterparts to flood the streets of Merseyside with drugs. Much of the two organisations' work was conducted in secret, very rarely being dragged into the light. However, there have been other times when violent, bloody events involving Liverpool-born criminals have been carried out in the public's eye. Liverpool-born David Hunter was one of two men who stormed Dublin bar Sunset House and shot dead Michael Barr . Hunter, dressed in a boiler suit and wearing a Freddie Krueger-type mask, murdered Mr Barr inside the busy bar in April 2016. He was linked to the murder after police found his DNA on a mask in the back seat of the killers' getaway car. Irish media suggested that the cold-blooded murder was part of an ongoing feud between the Kinahan Cartel and their rivals the Hutch gang . The Dublin-based crime groups fell out several years ago and since then several people have been murdered in the turf war. The role played by Liverpool-born Hunter in the gangland shooting has highlighted the links between Liverpool and Irish crime gangs. In 2020 the ECHO revealed how Liverpool drug boss Liam Cornett was heavily linked to the Irish drug gang, who are also known simply as 'The Cartel'. In December 2019 Cornett was jailed for 26 years for heading up a wholesale drugs operation , flooding the UK with cocaine, heroin and amphetamines. The ECHO was told that the well-known north Liverpool criminal struck up a successful relationship with the Irish gang while in Spain, who agreed to supply him with Class A drugs. Sources previously told the ECHO 'The Cartel' supplies many of Liverpool's gangs with class A drugs due to the attractive business proposals. It was previously claimed the Irish offer a share of the profits but penalise Liverpool bosses if the drugs are seized by authorities. One of the more recent pieces of technology that would have connected criminals both in Merseyside and Ireland was the encrypted messaging platform EncroChat . However, the technology would also prove many to be their downfall after European law enforcement hacked the platform in the early months of 2020. The Huyton Firm's boss Coggins was one of dozens of Merseyside criminals entrapped by the investigations into the technology, which was used by thousands of criminals worldwide to traffic drugs and weapons. Some of those criminals included the Kavanaghs, Byrne and Kent - and like many of their counterparts, the encrypted messaging platform proved to be their downfall. Fake gun caches for a lesser sentence Kavanagh Sr is described by the NCA as a high-ranking member of the Irish network involved in drug supply, firearms and money laundering, and acted as the figurehead of the organisation in the UK. He lived with his family in a fortified mansion, complete with reinforced doors and bulletproof glass, in Tamworth in Staffordshire from where he ran his criminal empire. But in 2020 he was in custody facing a lengthy jail term for trafficking cocaine and cannabis into the UK . It was at this point he hatched a plot to fool the NCA and secure a reduced sentence so called in those loyal to him. The NCA said while on remand Kavanagh Sr "set in motion a series of events that he hoped would result in a significant discount to any sentence he was likely to get at the end of his trial". He sought the assistance of “trusted associates” Kent and Byrne , who used the EncroChat names "Gargler" and "ThaiLive", directing them via a fellow inmate in prison to purchase firearms and ammunition and bury them, so he could reveal their whereabouts to NCA investigators. Over 18 months, Kent and Byrne began contacting associates to acquire weapons and ammunition. The group amassed a haul of 11 firearms, including three Skorpion submachine guns, three Heckler and Koch, and a Uzi submachine gun and ammunition from the UK, the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland . Messages recovered by the NCA revealed the nicknames they had for each other - such as "liquid Byrne" and "Gargle", while others showed the pair discussing at length how to get hold of the weapons and where to bury them. One message from Kent to Byrne showed the desperation of Kavanagh, with him saying "Try get as many of them as you can...only chance he's got on getting good result out of this case mate" . An “increasingly frustrated” Kavanagh was also pressuring associates to secure weapons by whatever method possible - and Kent had even warned Byrne that their boss would “start cracking heads” if they didn’t find them. Kavanagh had hoped the ruse would lead the NCA to commend him for helping them and look favourable to the court. Kavanagh had first approached the NCA in December 2020. He went on to claim in an interview in April 2021 that he had intelligence about an arms cache of between 10 and 20 weapons, said to have come from Holland . Through his solicitor, he provided a map with instructions and an X marking the spot in Newry, Northern Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland, assisting the NCA operation, went to a farmer’s field where they found buried, just beneath the surface, two holdalls containing the guns and ammunition. At the time, the NCA said the guns were in good condition and ready for use. Having reviewed the EncroChat data in greater detail , the NCA concluded Kavanagh’s tip-off was a put-up job and withdrew its cooperation. The plot draws striking similarities to that of Liverpool gangster John Haase , who in 1995 was believed to be an informant of the highest quality to police and customs officials when he drip-fed information to his handlers about an "awesome array" of weapons while awaiting sentence for heroin charges. The weapons, which had in fact been planted by Haase and an associate, were used as a bargaining tool to have their sentences slashed for the heroin plot. The very judge who sent Haase down for 18 years for the heroin plot wrote a letter to the then-Tory Home Secretary recommending a royal pardon. However, Kavanagh and his associates weren't so lucky. The NCA swoop in Shaun Kent was the first man to be arrested in March 2021 - and officers at the time recovered £5,000 in cash . Kavanagh was then arrested at HMP Norwich in August 2021 and he and Kent were charged with firearms offences and perverting the course of justice in August 2023. In March 2022, Kavanagh was sentenced to 21 years in prison at Ipswich Crown Court. NCA investigators had linked Kavanagh and others to large-scale drug shipments worth around £30m at UK street value, as well as movements of cash and firearms. The NCA also pursued Byrne - but the mobster fled and a major effort was then launched to arrest him in the Alcudia area of Mallorca in June 2023 . He spent six months in prison there fighting his extradition - before being sent back to the UK and escorted by officers straight to court. After appearing before court for sentencing, Kavanagh Sr was sentenced to a further six years in prison, Byrne received five years in prison and Kent received six years in prison when they appeared in court in October. No evidence was offered against Liverpool man McLoughlin, who was arrested and charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon . He however is already serving an extensive sentence for other EncroChat offences. NCA branch commander Ty Surgeon said: "At the instruction of their leader Thomas Kavanagh, Shaun Kent and Liam Byrne orchestrated a cynical and dangerous plot to plant a cache of weapons so Kavanagh could direct the NCA to them and reduce his time in prison. "These weapons were viable and deadly weapons that were in the hands of a criminal gang, loaded and ready for use in criminality. What this group didn't know is their Encrochat messages had been unveiled for law enforcement to see, showing every detail of their plan. The NCA's mission is to protect the public from serious and organised crime, and as this case shows, we will pursue every avenue, including overseas, to ensure criminals are brought to justice." The ECHO also reported that Kavanagh's on Jack - a trainee accountant - was also involved in the plot to engineer a lighter sentence for his dad . Jack Kavanagh was arrested in May 2023 at Malaga Airport by officers from the Spanish National Police while he was travelling from Dubai to Turkey. He was extradited to the UK where he pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess firearms and ammunition. He was described by Judge Philip Katz KC, who presided over all of the sentencings, as more of an “enthusiastic messenger” than an “organiser” as he sentenced him to three years and one month in prison. He appeared in the dock alongside serving inmate Peter Keating, who was jailed for four years and eight months for the same offences as well as a count of plotting to pervert the course of justice . He is expected to be returned to Ireland where he is already serving 12 years for directing a criminal organisation. He was said to have been acting under direction and was put under pressure by those higher up the chain than him. Although the sentences handed down to the conspirators demonstrate some of the most definitive action taken against members of the Kinahan Cartel, they also represent some of the lowest given to criminals convicted of an EncroChat offence. Once the time spent on remand is factored in, as well as the fact only half of the sentence will be served in prison, Byrne will only be inside a matter of months. Perhaps more worryingly for the organisation, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau confirmed earlier this year that the Kinahans are “no longer the primary organised crime group in this jurisdiction".

Hearn drops Joshua’s retirement hintWordle Help, Hints & Clues for Today, December 30

Progressing through Palworld and coming into contact with higher-level Pals and enemies means only one thing – you need weapons. Whether you’re a fan of Melee combat or want to cause high damage from afar, here’s how you unlock every weapon currently in Palworld. With each update to Palworld , more weapons are added, allowing you to expand your armory and do huge amounts of damage to new high-level Pals. Each new weapon recipe is unlocked via the Technology Ladder , with the levels for each noted below. It goes without saying that the higher level you need to be to unlock a weapon, the more damage it will do, but the harder it will be to make. Melee Weapons If you want to get up close and personal in order to see the life drain from the eyes of your enemies, Melee weapons are the way to go. As you progress further through the game and your level increases, they might be the only chance you have of inflicting just enough damage to a Pal in order to catch it without outright killing them with one shot. Ranged Weapons All the way from a Bow and Arrow to the massively powerful Rocket Launcher, these weapons do a large amount of damage and are perfect for defeating the Tower bosses or higher-level Pals. Here’s how to get them and what Ammunition you need in order to use them. Grenades It’s always a good idea to stock up on grenades, which now come in a range of different varieties as of the Feybreak update of December 2024. They do a high amount of damage of the same type as their name, making them really strong if a certain Pal has a weakness to any of the Grenades you’re carrying, and can be very useful if you’re low on ammo for your chosen main weapons.Jimmy Carter: A brief bio

Mumbai, Nov 30 (IANS): After heavy selling, it now appears that foreign institutional investors (FIIs) are likely to turn out consistent buyers when the market corrects further and valuations become attractive, market watchers said on Saturday. A perplexing feature of the recent FII activity is their highly erratic nature. For instance, in the three days from November 23-25, FIIs were buyers. But in the next two days, they again turned sellers, having sold equity for Rs 16,139 crore in the Indian market. "FII selling in November is lower than that of October. In October, the total FII selling through stock exchanges was Rs 113,858 crore. In November, this had come down to Rs 39,315 crore," an expert said. This can be partly attributed to the reduced valuations caused by the correction in the market. Earlier this week, FIIs made a substantial comeback, injecting Rs 11,100 crore into Indian equities over three sessions. This could signal renewed confidence in India's growth story amid global headwinds, providing hope for market stability in the near term, said Vikram Kasat, Head-Advisory, PL Capital-Prabhudas Lilladher. The trend of FII buying through the primary market continues. In November, FIIs bought stocks for Rs 17,704 crores through the primary market. According to experts, if we take the period up to November 29, the total FII selling for the year stands at Rs 118,620 crore. On Friday, the Indian stock market closed in green, as both the equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty witnessed a strong rally. Sensex closed at 79,802.79 after a gain of 759.05 points or 0.96 per cent. Nifty closed at 24,131.10 after a gain of 216.95 points or 0.91 per cent. The domestic stock market increased due to better investor sentiment and stock-specific activities. According to experts, "a large-cap-driven, broad-based rally ensued in the domestic market. Discretionary sectors performed well, benefiting from the festive season". Technically, the market remains in a consolidation phase, with little change in chart structure. "Traders are advised to avoid aggressive bets and be selective. It’s also crucial to monitor global factors closely, as they could influence market direction ahead of the weekly expiry," said Rajesh Bhosale, equity technical analyst, Angel One.Hannah Kobayashi, Hawaii woman missing for nearly a month, is found safe, her family saysTORONTO — Darko Rajakovic cut straight to the chase in his pre-game news conference: yes, Scottie Barnes is back. Barnes was inserted into the Toronto Raptors starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scotiabank Arena. He had been out since Oct. 28 with a fractured right orbital bone. "I don't want Scottie Barnes to be anything outside of Scottie Barnes," said Rajakovic in his pre-game news conference. "I just need him to be best version of himself and when he's that, he's really raising the people around him to another level. "He's making everybody around him better." Barnes was injured in the fourth quarter of Toronto's 127-125 overtime loss to the Nuggets on Oct. 28 when he caught an errant elbow from Denver centre Nikola Jokic. Barnes was expected to be out at least three weeks with the injury but came back slightly ahead of schedule. The 23-year-old all-star forward was averaging 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and six assists per game before he was hurt. Rajakovic said Barnes would play limited minutes and that he'd have to wear protective goggles. Rajakovic was coy when asked who would be moved to Toronto's bench to make space for Barnes. "Scottie will start. Who knows who won’t," laughed Rajakovic. Rookie combo guard Ja'kobe Walter was also made available for the Raptors. He had missed Toronto's last six games with a sprained right shoulder. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Pressj.co sm megamall floor 。

Seattle Seahawks CB Coby Bryant is the latest victim of NFL's label being the 'No Fun League'The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.

Southfield, Michigan, Dec. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Credit Acceptance Corporation (Nasdaq: CACC) (referred to as the “Company”, “Credit Acceptance”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) has been named one of the Best Places to Work in IT by Computerworld for the 10 th year. Credit Acceptance ranked #8 among midsize companies. This award recognizes companies with comprehensive tech-led strategies that foster an inclusive, supportive, and growth-oriented workplace. “Our Engineering team continues to be at the forefront of many key initiatives. Together, team members have shown incredible effort, dedication, and collaboration while driving change to modernize the way we work,” said Ravi Mohan, Chief Technology Officer. “As we strengthen our foundational technologies, maximize the use of automation, and bring new ideas to life, we are providing value to our customers faster and fueling business growth in service of our mission to make car ownership possible for everyone.” The contributions of Credit Acceptance’s Engineering team are deeply embedded in the Company’s focus on collaboration and day-to-day improvements that benefit everyone we serve. One example of this is the “Test Drive” program, which provides potential dealers firsthand experience with Credit Acceptance’s software, boosting dealer engagement, and expanding reach across communities. Additionally, the team continues to innovate in support of the Company’s remote-first working environment, bringing new tools and technologies forward to better enable the productivity of team members. Credit Acceptance is consistently recognized as one of the best places to work by team members. This year, the Company has received four honors from Great Place to Work ® and Fortune : we have been ranked 39 th in the 100 Best Companies to Work For ® (the tenth time we have been included on this list), 29 th in Best Workplaces for Women (the sixth time we’ve been included), 50 th in the Best Workplaces for Millennials (the eighth time we have been included), and 13 th in the 2024 Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance (the tenth time we have been included). In addition, Credit Acceptance has been named a Top Workplaces USA award winner for the fourth consecutive year, a Most Loved Workplace ® for 2024 in several categories by the Best Practice Institute, and a Newsweek America’s Top 200 Most Loved Workplace ® for 2024, among many others. About Credit Acceptance We make vehicle ownership possible by providing innovative financing solutions that enable automobile dealers to sell vehicles to consumers regardless of their credit history. Our financing programs are offered through a nationwide network of automobile dealers who benefit from sales of vehicles to consumers who otherwise could not obtain financing; from repeat and referral sales generated by these same customers; and from sales to customers responding to advertisements for our financing programs, but who actually end up qualifying for traditional financing. Without our financing programs, consumers are often unable to purchase vehicles, or they purchase unreliable ones. Further, as we report to the three national credit reporting agencies, an important ancillary benefit of our programs is that we provide consumers with an opportunity to improve their lives by improving their credit score and move on to more traditional sources of financing. Credit Acceptance is publicly traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol CACC. For more information, visit creditacceptance.com. About Computerworld Computerworld is the leading technology media brand empowering enterprise users and their managers, helping them create business advantage by skillfully exploiting today's abundantly powerful web, mobile and desktop applications. Computerworld also offers guidance to IT managers tasked with optimizing client systems—and helps businesses revolutionize the customer and employee experience with new collaboration platforms. Computerworld's award-winning website ( www.computerworld.com ), strategic marketing solutions and research forms the hub of the world's largest global IT media network and provides opportunities for IT vendors to engage this audience. Computerworld is published by Foundry.

Trump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to be ambassador to FranceNick Chubb plows through heavy snow for 2-yard TD, giving Browns 24-19 win over Steelers

Where do Black women fall in America's political hierarchy? Trump's win shakes their roleThe western third of the college football world, so often excluded from the four-team College Football Playoff, will have three representatives in the inaugural 12-team version after Boise State and Arizona State secured automatic bids Friday night and Saturday morning, respectively. The Broncos (12-1) locked up their spot with a victory over UNLV in the Mountain West championship, and the Sun Devils (11-2) did the same with a dominating performance against Iowa State in the Big 12 championship. The region’s third CFP participant, top-ranked Oregon (12-0), will make the field regardless of the outcome of the Big Ten title showdown with Penn State later today. Across the entirety of the four-team playoff era (2014-23), only three western teams participated: Oregon in 2014 and Washington in 2016 and 2023. Had the four-team event remained in place this season, the Sun Devils would have been on the outside looking in the day they lost for a second time (Oct. 19). Boise State likely would have been excluded as a one-loss team from the Group of Five. “In creating the format for the 12-team event,” former CFP executive director Bill Hancock told the Hotline on Saturday (via text message), “it was important to make sure college football thrived in every part of the country. “It is working!” Exactly where the Broncos and Sun Devils fit within the 12-team bracket, which will be revealed Sunday at 9 a.m. (Pacific) on ESPN, is unclear. Both teams want one of the opening-round byes assigned to the four highest-ranked conference champions. The fifth conference champion isn’t as fortunate and must open the CFP on the road. (The opponent is expected to be the runner up from the Big Ten or SEC, or Notre Dame.) Boise State was No. 10 in the rankings released Tuesday, five spots ahead of ASU. Was the Sun Devils’ blowout victory over No. 16 Iowa State enough to catapult them over the Broncos, who beat No. 20 UNLV by two touchdowns? “In no way should a Group of Five champion be ranked above our champion,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said earlier this week. Or could both Boise State and Arizona State receive byes — at the expense of the ACC champion? That seems unlikely if eighth-ranked SMU handles its business later today but entirely plausible if No. 17 Clemson topples the Mustangs. Arizona State’s victory brings a degree of clarity to the Pac-12’s bowl selection process, which includes all the legacy schools this season despite the breakup of the conference. With the Ducks and Sun Devils headed to the CFP, all other eligible teams will jump two spots from their natural position: — The Alamo Bowl has the first pick and is expected to select Colorado, which tied for first place in the Big 12 but lost the tiebreaker. The Buffaloes will face either Iowa State or Brigham Young, according to bowl officials. Given the Cyclones’ woeful performance in the title game — and their expected plunge in the rankings — Brigham Young is a safe bet to oppose Colorado. (The teams did not meet during the regular season.) — The Holiday Bowl has the second pick and will invite Washington State, which is protected by the Pac-12’s one-loss-down rule. It prevents bowl officials from bypassing one team for another if there is a two-game (or more) difference in losses. The Cougars are 8-4 and must be selected ahead of the three teams that finished with 6-6 records (USC, Washington and Cal), according to the Pac-12. Washington State’s opponent will be from the ACC. — Next up is the Las Vegas Bowl, which has its choice of the 6-6 teams and is expected to invite the Trojans, who began their season in Sin City with a dramatic victory over LSU. USC’s opponent will come from the SEC, which could mean a showdown against coach Lincoln Riley’s former team, Oklahoma. But we wonder if Mississippi, led by former USC coach Lane Kiffin, is more likely. — The Sun Bowl has the fourth pick and is expected to choose Washington, which has not played in El Paso since 2002. The Huskies will be matched against a team from the ACC. — That leaves the LA Bowl to select Cal, the lone remaining eligible team among the Pac-12 legacy schools. The selection makes sense in that the Bears have a large alumni base in Southern California and did not play a regular season game at USC or UCLA for the first time in eons. Cal would face an opponent from the Mountain West. The bowl pairings will become official Sunday afternoon, following the reveal of the CFP. *** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to wilnerhotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716 *** Follow me on the social media platform X: @ WilnerHotline

BETHESDA, Md. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AGNC Investment Corp. AGNC ("AGNC" or the "Company") announced today that its Board of Directors has declared cash dividends on the outstanding depositary shares 1 of the following series of preferred stock for the fourth quarter 2024: Series of Preferred Stock Ticker Per Annum Dividend Rate Dividend Per Depositary Share 1 7.00% Series C Fixed-to-Floating Rate AGNCN 10.01991% 2 $0.64016 6.875% Series D Fixed-to-Floating Rate AGNCM 9.24091% 3 $0.59039 6.50% Series E Fixed-to-Floating Rate AGNCO 9.90191% 4 $0.63262 6.125% Series F Fixed-to-Floating Rate AGNCP 6.125 % $0.3828125 7.750% Series G Fixed-Rate Reset AGNCL 7.750 % $0.48438 1. Each depositary share represents a 1/1,000th interest in a share of preferred stock. 2. The Series C Depositary Shares accrue dividends at a floating rate equal to Three-Month CME Term SOFR plus 0.26161% plus 5.111%. The dividend rate for the dividend period ending January 14, 2025 is 10.01991% per annum. 3. The Series D Depositary Shares accrue dividends at a floating rate equal to Three-Month CME Term SOFR plus 0.26161% plus 4.332%. The dividend rate for the dividend period ending January 14, 2025 is 9.24091% per annum. 4. The Series E Depositary Shares accrue dividends at a floating rate equal to Three-Month CME Term SOFR plus 0.26161% plus 4.993%. The dividend rate for the dividend period ending January 14, 2025 is 9.90191% per annum. The dividend for each series of outstanding preferred stock is payable on January 15, 2025 to holders of record as of January 1, 2025 . For further information or questions, please contact Investor Relations at (301) 968-9300 or IR@AGNC.com . ABOUT AGNC INVESTMENT CORP. Founded in 2008, AGNC Investment Corp. AGNC is a leading investor in Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (Agency MBS), which benefit from a guarantee against credit losses by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or Ginnie Mae . We invest on a leveraged basis, financing our Agency MBS assets primarily through repurchase agreements, and utilize dynamic risk management strategies intended to protect the value of our portfolio from interest rate and other market risks. AGNC has a track record of providing favorable long-term returns for our stockholders through substantial monthly dividend income, with over $13 billion of common stock dividends paid since inception. Our business is a significant source of private capital for the U.S. residential housing market, and our team has extensive experience managing mortgage assets across market cycles. To learn more about The Premier Agency Residential Mortgage REIT , please visit www.AGNC.com , follow us on LinkedIn and X , and sign up for Investor Alerts . CONTACT: Investor Relations - (301) 968-9300 View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agnc-investment-corp-declares-fourth-quarter-dividends-on-preferred-stock-302329441.html SOURCE AGNC Investment Corp. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

KASHIMA (AP) – The signs at Nippon Steel read: “The world through steel”, underlining why Japan’s top steelmaker is pursuing its USD15 billion bid to acquire United States (US) Steel. “We can’t expect demand in Japan to grow as the population is declining. We need to invest in production that leads to growth,” a company official Masato Suzuki said on Friday while giving reporters a look at a Nippon Steel plant in Ibaraki prefecture, north of Tokyo. Nippon Steel Corp has its eyes on India, Southeast Asia and the US, Suzuki said. About 70 per cent of the plant’s output is exported. The Tokyo-based company remains optimistic, although the deal is opposed by President elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and American steelworkers. During the tour, slabs of steel, glowing hot-orange at more than 1,000 degrees Celsius, rolled through the cavernous plant to become giant spools of super-thin steel. Nippon Steel officials didn’t disclose details of the fine technology they said the planned acquisition would offer US Steel. A hot rolling mill at Nippon Steel’s Kashima Plant in Kashima, Japan. PHOTO: AP The United States Steel Mon Valley Works Clairton Plant in Clairton, Pennsylvania. PHOTO: AP Under the proposed deal, first announced in 2023, US Steel would keep its name and its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, becoming a subsidiary of Nippon Steel. Nippon Steel already has manufacturing operations in the US and Mexico, China and Southeast Asia. It supplies the world’s top automakers, including Toyota Motor Corp, and makes steel for railways, pipes, appliances and skyscrapers. The American steel industry has waned as Chinese steelmakers have grown to dominate the market. Japan wants to leverage the decades-old US-Japan security and political alliance to seal the acquisition, but the outlook is uncertain. In September, an arbitration board jointly chosen by US Steel and United Steelworkers decided the proposed acquisition could proceed. But United Steelworkers union, which has 1.2 million members, have objected, citing worries about job losses and contract terms. The union has questioned Nippon Steel’s plans to transfer production locations and concerns about national security and domestic supply chains. When asked for comment, it referred to a recent letter to its members. “As a union, our primary concern is the future of our jobs and the communities we live and work in – not just this year, but also for the foreseeable future. We’ve seen job losses in the past, and we must do everything we can to avoid it in the future,” said the letter, co-signed by Mike Millsap, chairman of the negotiating committee, and its international president, David McCall. “While Japan is a political ally, it is also an economic competitor, one that has proven time and again that it is willing to promote its steel industry at our expense,” the union said. Nippon Steel is promising to “preserve the legacy” of US Steel and protect jobs, pensions and benefits, pledging that there will be no layoffs or plant closures. The deal is expected to produce an economic boost for the region equivalent to nearly USD1 billion in the first two years, create up to 5,000 construction jobs and generate almost USD40 million in state and local taxes, according to Nippon Steel. Professor of international relations and political science at Boston University William W Grimes said Nippon Steel’s commitment to keeping the US Steel factories running would help preserve US-based production of specialty steels. Nippon Steel also has also promised investments to make the factories more competitive. There is no militarily sensitive technology Nippon Steel would be able to take from the US, and the US relies on steel produced in allied countries, including Japan, Grimes said. “If Japanese companies do draw a lesson, it should be to engage unions and local politicians early in the process,” he said.

Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay Hails Galgotias University at 12th International Conference on Library and Information Science

Chelsea’s surprise defeat at home to Fulham earlier in the day had been an unexpected gift for Arne Slot’s side and they drove home their advantage by outclassing the struggling Foxes. Having overcome the early setback of conceding to Jordan Ayew, with even the travelling fans expressing their surprise they were winning away after taking just five points on the road this season, the home team had too much quality. That was personified by the excellent Cody Gakpo, whose eighth goal in his last 14 appearances produced the equaliser in first-half added time with the Netherlands international unlucky to have a second ruled out for offside by VAR. Further goals from Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah, with his 19th of the season, stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 22 matches. For Leicester, who had slipped into the bottom three after Wolves’ win over Manchester United, it is now one win from the last 10 in the league and Ruud van Nistelrooy has plenty of work to do, although he was not helped here by the absence of leading scorer Jamie Vardy through injury. It looked liked Liverpool meant business from the off with Salah’s volley from Gakpo’s far-post cross just being kept out by Jakub Stolarczyk, making his league debut after former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward was omitted from the squad having struggled in the defeat to Wolves. But if the hosts thought that had set the tone they were badly mistaken after being opened up with such simplicity in only the sixth minute. Stephy Mavididi broke down the left and his low cross picked out Ayew, who turned Andy Robertson far too easily, with his shot deflecting off Virgil van Dijk to take it just out of Alisson Becker’s reach. With a surprise lead to cling to Leicester knew they had to quell the storm heading their way and they began by trying to take as much time out of the game as they could, much to Anfield’s frustration. It took a further 18 minutes for Liverpool to threaten with Gakpo cutting in from the left to fire over, a precursor for what was to follow just before half-time. That was the prompt for the attacks to rain down on the Foxes goal, with Salah’s shot looping up off Victor Kristiansen and landing on the roof of the net and Robertson heading against a post. Gakpo’s inclination to come in off the left was proving a problem for the visitors, doing their utmost to resist the pressure, but when Salah curled a shot onto the crossbar on the stroke of half-time it appeared they had survived. However, Gakpo once again drifted in off the flank to collect an Alexis Mac Allister pass before curling what is fast becoming his trademark effort over Stolarczyk and inside the far post. Early the second half Darwin Nunez fired over Ryan Gravenberch’s cross before Jones side-footed home Mac Allister’s cross after an intricate passing move inside the penalty area involving Nunez, Salah and the Argentina international. Leicester’s ambition remained limited but Patson Daka should have done better from a two-on-one counter attack with Mavididi but completely missed his kick with the goal looming. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/IqmAsKylLR — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2024 Nunez forced a save out of the goalkeeper before Gakpo blasted home what he thought was his second only for VAR to rule Nunez was offside in the build-up. But Liverpool’s third was eventually delivered by the left foot of Salah, who curled the ball outside Kristiansen, inside Jannick Vestergaard and past Stolarczyk inside the far post.

Yale defeats Vermont 65-50McGregor speaks after verdict in rape caseBy Marco Trujillo and Dominique Vidalon , Reuters The word "Merci" was projected on to the front of Paris' Notre-Dame cathedral as it reopened, in thanks for its salvation after a devastating fire that brought the 860-year-old building close to collapse five years ago . The first responders who helped preserve the Gothic masterpiece and some of those who subsequently restored it received a standing ovation after the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, struck the doors of Notre-Dame three times with his crozier before symbolically reopening the building. "I stand before you to express the gratitude of the French nation, our gratitude to all those who saved, helped and rebuilt the cathedral," French President Emmanuel Macron said. "Tonight we can together share joy and pride. Long live Notre-Dame de Paris, long live the Republic and long live France." Minutes earlier, the cathedral's bells rang out and Macron welcomed guests including US President-elect Donald Trump. Pope Francis said it was a day of "joy, celebration and praise". In a message read aloud, the pope hoped "the rebirth of this admirable church would constitute a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France". Notre-Dame has been meticulously restored, with a new spire and rib vaulting, its flying buttresses and carved stone gargoyles returned to their past glory and white stone and gold decorations shining brightly once again. Getting Trump to attend, and organising a meeting between him and Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky at the Elysee Palace ahead of the Notre-Dame ceremony, was a coup for Macron as he faces a political crisis at home, after parliament ousted his prime minister . Trump shook hands with Britain's Prince William and heads of state and government as he made his way to the front of the cathedral. He sat next to Macron in the front row. Earlier, guests stood and applauded as Zelensky walked into the cathedral. Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, a close adviser in Trump's transition team, also attended, as did Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and former French presidents François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy. Earlier, tourists, who still cannot go inside the cathedral, snapped pictures with the restored building in the background as final preparations for the event went on inside. "It was very sad to see it burnt down and all black and ashy but amazing to see it rebuilt. Yeah, it's very special," said 26-year-old US tourist Amanda Nguyen, from Texas. Some Parisians were particularly thrilled. "What does Notre-Dame mean to me? This. Look, it's here," said careworker Pascal Tordeux, displaying a tattoo on his arm representing the cathedral. "It means everything." "I saw the construction every day from my window, the spire being brought down, being brought back. I saw it burn, I saw it rise again. I followed it day by day," said Tordeux, who lives across the river from Notre-Dame. On the evening of 15 April, 2019, dismayed Parisians rushed to the scene and TV viewers worldwide watched horrified as the fire raged through the cathedral . "The planet was shaken on that day," Macron said ahead of Saturday's event. "The shock of the reopening will - I believe and I want to believe - be as strong as that of the fire, but it will be a shock of hope." Thousands worked on restoration Would-be visitors can now book a free ticket online, on the Cathedral's website. But on Saturday, the first day bookings could be made for the coming days, all tickets were gone, a message on the site said. Group visits will be allowed next year - from 1 February for religious groups or from 9 June for tourists with guides. The Catholic Church expects the cathedral to welcome 15 million visitors each year. Thousands of experts - from carpenters and stonemasons to stained glass window artists - worked around the clock for the last five years, using age-old methods to restore, repair or replace everything that was destroyed or damaged. "Notre-Dame is more than a Parisian or French monument. It's also a universal monument," historian Damien Berne said. "It's a landmark, an emblem, a point of reference that reassures in a globalised world where everything evolves permanently," Berne said, a member of the scientific council for the restoration. The cathedral's first stone was laid in 1163, and construction continued for much of the next century, with major restoration and additions made in the 17th and 18th centuries. Victor Hugo helped make the cathedral a symbol of Paris and France when he used it as a setting for his 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame . Quasimodo, the main character, has been portrayed in Hollywood movies, an animated Disney adaptation and in musicals. So much money poured in for the renovation from all over the world - more than 840 million euros (NZ$1.52 billion), according to Macron's office - there are still funds left over for further investment in the building. - Reuters

In the two years since was first introduced to the world, they have significantly improved after delivering significant problems that made them untrustworthy to many users. However, that is not yet over as there are still tendencies that chatbots may hallucinate. Despite this, the likes of OpenAI and other learning institutions are now looking towards creating custom models that would deliver online learning for many students worldwide. Now, OpenAI is making its massive and aggressive move towards entering the education industry with its plans to create custom GPTs that are meant to teach thousands of online students, and the company thinks it can do it. The recent Coeus Collective fireside earlier this month had OpenAI joining the showcase as they discussed how to improve more of the education sector and infrastructure worldwide. According to , OpenAI's education market team member, Siya Raj Purohit addressed that OpenAI is planning on different ways to join the e-learning industry using its technology. "What I'm hoping is going to happen is that professors are going to create custom for the public and let people engage with content in a lifelong manner," Purohit said. However, Purohit clarified that OpenAI is not yet actively working on the said new custom GPTs for professors to build on, but it is "definitely" part of the company's roadmap and plans for the future. It was also revealed by Purohit that in previous observations, professors have already been uploading a "semester's worth" of content to create the said custom GPTs that are available on OpenAI's tools. After creating these said custom GPTs, they are made available for the student to access and interact with, one that helps them in their studies and tasks. Purohit regarded that the custom GPTs are already helping students learn along the way, as well as allowing them to research via the models from OpenAI's tools, one that will enable students to get more from their experiences. Earlier this year, OpenAI also released the so-called "ChatGPT Edu" which was made available to universities that bring more of the company's renowned product to schools. It was revealed by that AI's presence in the education market could lead to an $88.2 billion rise in the next decade, but there are currently struggles and challenges faced by this development. It was revealed that Khan Academy's chatbot, made in partnership with OpenAI, called Khanmingo delivered various learning experiences for all. However, Khanmingo was faced with massive controversies as it made several mistakes along the way, and it even struggled to answer basic math questions that should be easy for the renowned chatbot. Additionally, it was revealed that the Khanmingo chatbot does not correct the erroneous answers it made when asked to recheck a certain solution or answer it made. It is known that during the early days of ChatGPT's release, it was the center of controversies for by students when answering assignments, homework, tasks, or quizzes assigned to them. That being said, OpenAI has previously explored the possibility of ChatGPT's where both teachers and students may use the AI chatbot, all for the pursuit of learning.

Premier League leaders Liverpool ruthlessly exploited another slip by their title rivals to move seven points clear with a match in hand after a 3-1 win over Leicester. Chelsea’s surprise defeat at home to Fulham earlier in the day had been an unexpected gift for Arne Slot’s side and they drove home their advantage by outclassing the struggling Foxes. Having overcome the early setback of conceding to Jordan Ayew, with even the travelling fans expressing their surprise they were winning away after taking just five points on the road this season, the home team had too much quality. That was personified by the excellent Cody Gakpo, whose eighth goal in his last 14 appearances produced the equaliser in first-half added time with the Netherlands international unlucky to have a second ruled out for offside by VAR. Further goals from Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah, with his 19th of the season, stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 22 matches. For Leicester, who had slipped into the bottom three after Wolves’ win over Manchester United, it is now one win from the last 10 in the league and Ruud van Nistelrooy has plenty of work to do, although he was not helped here by the absence of leading scorer Jamie Vardy through injury. It looked liked Liverpool meant business from the off with Salah’s volley from Gakpo’s far-post cross just being kept out by Jakub Stolarczyk, making his league debut after former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward was omitted from the squad having struggled in the defeat to Wolves. But if the hosts thought that had set the tone they were badly mistaken after being opened up with such simplicity in only the sixth minute. Stephy Mavididi broke down the left and his low cross picked out Ayew, who turned Andy Robertson far too easily, with his shot deflecting off Virgil van Dijk to take it just out of Alisson Becker’s reach. With a surprise lead to cling to Leicester knew they had to quell the storm heading their way and they began by trying to take as much time out of the game as they could, much to Anfield’s frustration. It took a further 18 minutes for Liverpool to threaten with Gakpo cutting in from the left to fire over, a precursor for what was to follow just before half-time. That was the prompt for the attacks to rain down on the Foxes goal, with Salah’s shot looping up off Victor Kristiansen and landing on the roof of the net and Robertson heading against a post. Gakpo’s inclination to come in off the left was proving a problem for the visitors, doing their utmost to resist the pressure, but when Salah curled a shot onto the crossbar on the stroke of half-time it appeared they had survived. However, Gakpo once again drifted in off the flank to collect an Alexis Mac Allister pass before curling what is fast becoming his trademark effort over Stolarczyk and inside the far post. Early the second half Darwin Nunez fired over Ryan Gravenberch’s cross before Jones side-footed home Mac Allister’s cross after an intricate passing move inside the penalty area involving Nunez, Salah and the Argentina international. Leicester’s ambition remained limited but Patson Daka should have done better from a two-on-one counter attack with Mavididi but completely missed his kick with the goal looming. 🎯 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) Nunez forced a save out of the goalkeeper before Gakpo blasted home what he thought was his second only for VAR to rule Nunez was offside in the build-up. But Liverpool’s third was eventually delivered by the left foot of Salah, who curled the ball outside Kristiansen, inside Jannick Vestergaard and past Stolarczyk inside the far post.Zelensky meets Trump in Paris as Russia advances

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray told bureau workers Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job. Wray said at a town hall meeting that he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought,” roughly three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations, including two that led to separate indictments of Trump last year as well as inquiries into Biden and his son.From Maui to the Caribbean, Thanksgiving tournaments a beloved part of college basketball

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Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes officeSpaceX CEO Elon Musk reciprocated Sen. John Fetterman 's (D-PA) recent bipartisan rhetoric with friendly words about the Democratic lawmaker Friday. Although they backed different candidates during the 2024 elections, Musk said it was “hard not to like” Fetterman in a social media post over the weekend. “He puts country over party,” Musk added in an X post . His words came in response to a cordial video of Fetterman saying he would work with Musk to reduce government spending and waste through the incoming Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. President-elect Donald Trump appointed Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the department after he won a second term earlier this month. “I admire Mr. Musk,” Fetterman said Thursday in comments that noted he had played an “important” role in American society through artificial intelligence and SpaceX , among other things. “Yes, he's on a different team,” Fetterman conceded, alluding to the fact that Musk became one of Trump’s most powerful allies during his campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris, whom the senator backed. “But that doesn't make me an enemy,” Fetterman continued. “I’m not gonna automatically going to become a critic. It's like, hey, he has made it, you know, he's made our economy and our nation better and our politics are different, and I don't agree with some of the things that he might say, but that doesn't make him like I said, an enemy.” Fetterman’s words follow remarks he made to Semafor , in which he called Musk “incredibly compelling to a demographic in my state.” His comments came as he reflected on the vigorous campaigning Musk did on behalf of Trump in Pennsylvania, a battleground widely considered essential to secure in order to win the election. In the final weeks of the election, Musk held a series of town halls in Fetterman’s home state. Pennsylvania was also one of the swing states where Musk awarded a million dollars to one voter each day until Election Day if they signed a petition backing the Constitution. After Trump pulled off a clean win in Pennsylvania, Fetterman credited his victory in part to the “Elon Musk factor.” “He’s like Tony Stark. I thought it was just dumb to attack him or imply that he might be breaking the law with his $1 million checks, because, to me, that just projects weakness. And I promise you: Musk doesn’t give a s**t,” he said. It isn’t atypical for Fetterman to offer an olive branch to the other side of the aisle. On Thursday, he called on President Joe Biden to pardon Trump of all the federal crimes he has been accused of. His rhetoric on Israel and immigration also often sounds more in tune with Republicans than with some of the more progressive factions in his own party. Although Fetterman supported Harris during her bid for the White House, he often played a cautionary role in her campaign, warning that she faced falling support from union workers and deep competition from Trump in reaching the working class. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Fetterman isn’t the first Democrat to signal a willingness to work with Musk and Ramaswamy’s DOGE to slash wasteful government spending. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) became the first Democrat to join the House DOGE Caucus earlier this month. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) has also signaled that he will work with DOGE, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who caucuses with Democrats, has emerged as another surprise supporter.

'Best Thrillers Book Awards' Names 'All Mortal Greatness' Finalist in the 'Crime Thriller Genre'Stocks shook off a choppy start to finish higher Monday, as Wall Street kicked off a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 ended 0.7% higher after having been down 0.5% in the early going. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also recovered from an early slide to eke out a 0.2% gain. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Gains in technology and communications stocks accounted for much of the gains, outweighing losses in consumer goods companies and elsewhere in the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, rose 3.7%. Broadcom climbed 5.5% to also help support the broader market. Walmart fell 2% and PepsiCo slid 1%. Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan said they are talking about combining in a deal that might also include Mitsubishi Motors. U.S.-listed shares in Honda jumped 12.7%, while Nissan ended flat. Eli Lilly rose 3.7% after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first and only prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Department store Nordstrom fell 1.5% after it agreed to be taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. All told, the S&P 500 rose 43.22 points to 5,974.07. The Dow gained 66.69 points to 42,906.95. The Nasdaq rose 192.29 points to 19,764.89. Traders got a look at a new snapshot of U.S. consumer confidence Monday. The Conference Board said that consumer confidence slipped in December. Its consumer confidence index fell back to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Wall Street was expecting a reading of 113.8. Story continues below video The unexpectedly weak consumer confidence update follows several generally strong economic reports last week. One report showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The latest report on unemployment benefit applications showed that the job market remains solid. A report on Friday said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than economists expected. Worries about inflation edging higher again had been weighing on Wall Street and the Fed. The central bank just delivered its third cut to interest rates this year, but inflation has been hovering stubbornly above its target of 2%. It has signaled that it could deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than it earlier anticipated because of concerns over inflation. Expectations for more interest rate cuts have helped drive a roughly 25% gain for the S&P 500 in 2024. That drive included 57 all-time highs this year. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market's path ahead and shifting economic policies under an incoming President Donald Trump. "Put simply, much of the strong market performance prior to last week was driven by expectations that a best-case scenario was the base case for 2025," said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.59% from 4.53% late Friday. European markets closed mostly lower, while markets in Asia gained ground. Wall Street has several other economic reports to look forward to this week. On Tuesday, the U.S. will release its November report for sales of newly constructed homes. A weekly update on unemployment benefits is expected on Thursday. Markets in the U.S. will close at 1 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday for Christmas Eve and will remain closed on Wednesday for Christmas.

Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have announced plans to work toward a merger that would catapult them to a top position in an industry in the midst of tectonic shifts as it transitions away from its reliance on fossil fuels. The two companies said they signed an agreement on integrating their businesses on Monday. Smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors agreed to join the talks. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month. Japanese automakers face a strong challenge from their Chinese rivals and Tesla as they make inroads into markets at home and abroad. What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. Nordstrom to be acquired by Nordstrom family and a Mexican retail group in $6.25 billion deal Century-old department store Nordstrom has agreed to be acquired and taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. Nordstrom shareholders will receive $24.25 in cash for each share of Nordstrom common stock, representing a 42% premium on the company’s stock as of March 18. Nordstrom’s board of directors unanimously approved the the proposed transaction, while Erik and Pete Nordstrom — part of the Nordstrom family taking over the company — recused themselves from voting. Following the close of the transaction, the Nordstrom Family will have a majority ownership stake in the company. An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally. In some ways, his victory marked a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s economic stewardship and a protest against inflation. It came despite low unemployment and steady growth under the Biden administration. What lies ahead for the economy under Trump? Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics spoke recently to The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. American consumers feeling less confident in December, Conference Board says American consumers are feeling less confident in December, a business research group says. The Conference Board said Monday that its consumer confidence index fell back in December to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Consumers had been feeling increasingly confident in recent months. The consumer confidence index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market tumbled more than a dozen points to 81.1. The Conference Board says a reading under 80 can signal a potential recession in the near future. Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week Stocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda's U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The internet is rife with fake reviews. Will AI make it worse? Researchers and watchdog groups say the emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools that allow people to efficiently produce detailed and novel online reviews has put merchants, service providers and consumers in uncharted territory. Phony reviews have long plagued many popular consumer websites, such as Amazon and Yelp. But AI-infused text generation tools enable fraudsters to produce reviews faster and in greater volume, according to tech industry experts. The deceptive practice is illegal in the U.S. and becomes a bigger problem for consumers during the holiday shopping season, when many people rely on reviews to buy gifts. A tech company and watchdog group that uses software to detect fake reviews says AI-generated reviews have multiplied. Romanian lawmakers narrowly approve new pro-European coalition during period of political turmoil BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian lawmakers have voted narrowly in favor of a new pro-European coalition government led by incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The move on Monday could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in the 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party, the center-right National Liberal Party, the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. President Klaus Iohannis swore in the new government on Monday night. Government regulators close investigation into Ford Focus recalls Government safety regulators are closing an investigation into two previous recalls of the Ford Focus after determining that Ford Motor Co. has satisfied its concerns. Ford recalled around 1.5 million Ford Focus sedans from the 2012-2018 model years in 2018 because they could lose power. The issue was a malfunctioning canister purge valve and software that didn’t adequately detect when it was stuck open. Ford fixed the software in two separate recalls, but after cars continued to stall, the government opened an inquiry last year. Earlier this fall, Ford offered to replace the canister purge valve on all of the vehicles, satisfying regulators' concerns. AI will eavesdrop on world's wildest places to track and help protect endangered wildlife PUERTO JIMÉNEZ, Costa Rica (AP) — A biologist hid 350 audio monitors across Costa Rica’s tropical rainforests to spy on endangered spider monkeys in order to help protect them. But she had to go back to collect the data and feed those sounds into artificial intelligence systems that can recognize monkey calls. Now tech giant Microsoft's philanthropic arm is hoping to supercharge AI-assisted wildlife research with new solar-powered devices that can capture sounds, images and other wilderness data for a year or more without human intervention. Researchers say more AI wildlife surveillance is urgently needed to monitor the health of species at risk of extinction.The losses were made worse by sharp declines for the Big Tech stocks known as the "Magnificent 7," which can heavily influence the direction of the market because of their large size. The S&P 500 fell 66.75 points, or 1.1%, to 5,970.84. Roughly 90% of stocks in the benchmark index lost ground, but it managed to hold onto a modest gain of 0.7% for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 333.59 points, or 0.8%, to 42,992.21. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 298.33 points, or 1.5%, to 19,722.03. Semiconductor giant Nvidia slumped 2.1%. Microsoft declined 1.7%. Each has a market value above $3 trillion, giving the companies outsized sway on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. A wide range of retailers also fell. Amazon fell 1.5% and Best Buy slipped 1.5%. The sector is being closely watched for clues on how it performed during the holiday shopping season. Energy stocks held up better than the rest of the market, with a loss of less than 0.1% as crude oil prices rose. "There's just some uncertainty over this relief rally we've witnessed since last week," said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial. The S&P 500 gained nearly 3% over a 3-day stretch before breaking for the Christmas holiday. On Thursday, the index posted a small decline. Despite Friday's drop, the market is moving closer to another standout annual finish. The S&P 500 is on track for a gain of around 25% in 2024. That would mark a second consecutive yearly gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. The gains have been driven partly by upbeat economic data showing that consumers continued spending and the labor market remained strong. Inflation, while still high, has also been steadily easing. A report on Friday showed that sales and inventory estimates for the wholesales trade industry fell 0.2% in November, following a slight gain in October. That weaker-than-expected report follows an update on the labor market Thursday that showed unemployment benefits held steady last week. The stream of upbeat economic data and easing inflation helped prompt a reversal in the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy this year. Expectations for interest rate cuts also helped drive market gains. The central bank recently delivered its third cut to interest rates in 2024. Even though inflation has come closer to the central bank's target of 2%, it remains stubbornly above that mark and worries about it heating up again have tempered the forecast for more interest rate cuts. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market's path ahead and shifting economic policies under incoming President Donald Trump. Worries have risen that Trump's preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation, a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Amedisys rose 4.7% after the home health care and hospice services provider agreed to extend the deadline for its sale to UnitedHealth Group. The Justice Department had sued to block the $3.3 billion deal, citing concerns the combination would hinder access to home health and hospice services in the U.S. The move to extend the deadline comes ahead of an expected shift in regulatory policy under Trump. The incoming administration is expected to have a more permissive approach to dealmaking and is less likely to raise antitrust concerns. In Asia, Japan's benchmark index surged as the yen remained weak against the dollar. Stocks in South Korea fell after the main opposition party voted to impeach the country's acting leader. Markets in Europe gained ground. Bond yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62% from 4.59% late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury remained at 4.33% from late Thursday. Wall Street will have more economic updates to look forward to next week, including reports on pending home sales and home prices. There will also be reports on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity.

PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump joined SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son to announce plans by the Japanese company to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. Trump announced the planned investment Monday at his Mar-a-Lago resort with Son at his side, along with Howard Lutnick, head of investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and Trump’s pick for commerce secretary. “He’s doing this because he feels very optimistic about our country,” Trump said. The president-elect said that since his election, people have expressed interest in “coming in with tremendous amounts of money." The investments by Softbank, Trump said, are “a monumental demonstration of confidence in America’s future.” Son said he wanted to “celebrate the great victory of President Trump” and that he will “bring the world into peace again.” “I am truly excited to make this happen,” he said. After the president-elect noted the $100 billion was double an investment pledge Son made in 2016 on the eve of Trump's first administration, the technology mogul said he was doubling down. Trump, appearing to joke, asked him at the microphone if he would double the investment again: “Would you make it $200 billion?” Trump has in the past announced deals with companies overseas with much fanfare, though some companies in the end failed to deliver on those promised investments. Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwanese company best known for producing Apple iPhones, won Trump's praise after announcing plans in 2017 to build a $10 billion complex that would employ 13,000 people in a small town just south of Milwaukee. But Foxconn's investment has been scaled back to a fraction of that after the COVID-19 pandemic. Monday's announcement, however, is a win for Trump, who has used the weeks since the election to promote his policies, negotiate with foreign leaders and try to strike deals. He had already threatened steep tariffs for Mexico and Canada, which prompted a visit from Canada’s prime minister aIn a post on his Truth Social site last week, Trump said anyone making a $1 billion investment in the United States “will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals.”nd a call with Mexico's president. Softbank was founded in 1981 by Son, a brash entrepreneur who studied at the University of California, Berkeley. SoftBank makes investments in a variety of companies that it groups together through its capital venture fund. The company's investment portfolio includes search engine Yahoo, Chinese retailer Alibaba, and artificial intelligence company Nvidia . Earlier this year, it joined a partnership with Saudi Arabia to build a robot factory in Riyadh. After Trump won the White House the first time in 2016, he met with Son before taking office. Son then announced plans to create 50,000 jobs and invest $50 billion in U.S. startups, which Trump celebrated on social media, saying it never would have happened if he hadn’t won the election. Not all investments have panned out. The most notorious was Softbank's massive stake in the office-sharing company WeWork which sought bankruptcy protection last year. It also invested in the failed robot pizza-making company Zume. Monday's announcement comes days after Trump vowed to expedite federal permits for energy projects and other construction worth more than $1 billion.

Beneath our feet lies a world often taken for granted, yet it forms the foundation of life on earth. Soil, with its rich, fertile composition, is the unsung hero of our ecosystems. It nurtures plants, supports agriculture, regulates water, and even combats climate change. As we approach World Soil Day, celebrated annually on December 5, it is imperative to reflect on the critical role soil plays in our lives and the urgent need to preserve this vital resource. Rich soil is the lifeblood of gardening, farming, and forestry. It acts as a reservoir of nutrients, allowing plants to grow and thrive. When soil is fertile, it not only supports plant life but also sustains the billions of microorganisms that contribute to a healthy ecosystem. These organisms break down organic matter, recycle nutrients, and improve soil structure, creating an environment where roots can penetrate deeply and plants can flourish. Gardening enthusiasts know the value of rich soil. A healthy garden begins with soil teeming with nutrients and life. The right balance of organic matter, minerals, and moisture transforms barren land into a thriving oasis. Whether growing vegetables, cultivating flowers, or planting trees, the quality of the soil determines the success of the endeavour. Poor soil leads to stunted growth and weak plants, while fertile soil nurtures vibrant greenery, abundant yields, and healthy ecosystems. Feeding the world Fertile soil is essential for feeding the global population. It serves as the foundation for agriculture, enabling the cultivation of crops that sustain billions. Wheat, rice, maize, and countless other staples owe their existence to the soil beneath them. Fertile soil provides plants with essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are crucial for their growth and productivity. Livestock depends on pastures that grow from rich soil, and even fish farming benefits from plants cultivated in fertile environments. In essence, soil nourishes the entire food chain, ensuring that people around the world have access to nutritious food. Healthy soil acts as a natural sponge, absorbing and storing water. This ability reduces the risk of floods and droughts, maintaining a stable water cycle. In agriculture, well-maintained soil minimises irrigation needs by retaining moisture, making farming more sustainable. Soil also plays a vital role in combatting climate change. It acts as a carbon sink, storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide that would otherwise contribute to global warming. By maintaining healthy soil, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. Rich, well-structured soil is less prone to erosion. It binds together through organic matter and root systems, preventing the loss of topsoil due to wind or water. Without fertile soil, landscapes become barren, and agricultural productivity declines. Soil is home to an incredible diversity of life. Microorganisms, insects, fungi, and small animals all thrive in healthy soil, contributing to its fertility and functionality. This biodiversity creates a balanced ecosystem that benefits both plants and animals. World Soil Day, organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), highlights the importance of healthy soil and encourages global efforts to protect it. Each year, a specific theme sheds light on the challenges and solutions related to soil management. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the essential role of soil in sustaining life and the urgent need to combat soil degradation. The 2024 theme focuses on the preservation of soil fertility, a pressing concern as overuse and neglect threaten this invaluable resource. Unsustainable farming practices, deforestation, and urbanisation degrade soil, depleting it of nutrients and reducing its ability to support life. World Soil Day reminds us that protecting soil is not just an agricultural issue; it is a global responsibility. Modern agricultural practices, while aimed at increasing productivity, often harm soil health. Overuse of chemical fertiliser and pesticides destroys beneficial microorganisms, leaving the soil lifeless and compacted. Deforestation removes the protective cover of trees, exposing soil to erosion. Urban sprawl seals fertile land under concrete, permanently removing it from use. Climate change further exacerbates the problem. Rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns disrupt the delicate balance of soil ecosystems. As soil dries out or floods, its ability to retain nutrients and support plants diminishes. Preserving soil fertility is not just a task for farmers and policymakers; it is a collective effort that requires action from all of us. Farmers can use crop rotation, cover crops, and organic fertiliser to maintain soil health. These methods reduce nutrient depletion and improve soil structure, ensuring long-term productivity. Planting trees and maintaining vegetation cover can prevent soil erosion. Natural barriers like hedgerows and terraces also help protect soil from wind and water damage. Composting kitchen and garden waste returns valuable nutrients to the soil. It enriches soil with organic matter, improving its texture, water retention, and fertility. Limiting the use of synthetic fertiliser and pesticides prevents the destruction of soil microorganisms. Organic alternatives, such as compost and natural pest control methods, are more sustainable. Public campaigns Public campaigns and education about the importance of soil can inspire communities to take action. Simple practices, such as planting trees or starting a composting initiative, can make a significant difference. Fertile soil underpins the economies of nations reliant on agriculture and shapes the cultural and social fabric of communities. Without healthy soil, humanity would face severe challenges, including food shortages, ecosystem collapse, and intensified climate crises. As we reflect on the role of soil, it becomes clear that this resource deserves more respect and care. It is not merely dirt beneath our feet; it is the foundation of life, supporting everything from the food we eat to the air we breathe. Preserving soil fertility is an investment in the future, ensuring that generations to come inherit a planet capable of sustaining life. By recognising the importance of soil and adopting sustainable practices, we can protect this invaluable resource and reap its countless benefits for years to come. Rich soil is a treasure worth preserving, a gift to humanity and the earth itself.AP Business SummaryBrief at 3:42 p.m. EST

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X CEO Linda Yaccarino is keynoting at CES 2025, but don't expect any answersSaturday, December 7, 2024 Facebook Instagram Twitter WhatsApp Youtube Personal Finance Education Entertainment Jobs Alert Sports Hindi Technology Complaint Redressal. Fact-Checking Policy Correction policy Authors and Team DNPA Code of Ethics Onwership and Funding Cookie Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Contact US About Us More Search Home Technology Mobile Number Port: Port SIM from Jio-Airtel to BSNL sitting at home,... Technology Mobile Number Port: Port SIM from Jio-Airtel to BSNL sitting at home, this is the easiest way By Shyamu Maurya December 7, 2024 0 7 Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Telegram Mobile Number Port: Port SIM from Jio-Airtel to BSNL sitting at home, this is the easiest way BSNL is currently the company offering the cheapest recharge plans in the telecom sector. To get relief from expensive recharge plans, millions of Jio and Airtel customers have joined BSNL. If you want to port your SIM card to BSNL, then let us tell you the complete process. Mobile Number Port: After a few years of relief, recharge plans have become expensive once again. Jio had brought a big change in the telecom sector with cheap plans, but now the company’s expensive plans have become a big tension for the users. Jio had increased the prices of recharge plans drastically in July, after which users started looking for cheap and long validity plans. BSNL is the only option left for crores of mobile users for cheap plans at this time. BSNL has benefited a lot since Jio, Airtel and Vi made the plans expensive. More than 55 lakh new customers have joined BSNL since this decision of private companies. The government company itself gave this information by posting on its social media account X. To get rid of expensive plans, users are constantly porting their numbers to BSNL. BSNL has plans with long validity BSNL has a lot of plans with one month as well as long validity. The special thing is that BSNL’s 28 day plans are cheap and along with that, 150 days, 180 days, 200 days as well as 365 days and 395 days plans also come at very affordable prices. If you are tired of taking expensive plans and want to port to BSNL, then today we are going to tell you its complete process step by step. How to port number from Jio-Airtel to BSNL If you are a Jio or Airtel user and want to port number to BSNL, then first you have to apply request by sending SMS to 1900. For request, you have to write PORT in big letters in these boxes. After this, write the mobile number after giving space. Keep in mind that if you live in Jammu and Kashmir, then you have to call 1900 to port to BSNL. Now a unique code will be sent to your mobile number. Keep in mind that this code will be active for 15 days. Now you have to go to BSNL office with that unique code. Here you have to go with your Aadhar card. Along with this, other information will be asked. After giving personal details, the officer will give you a new SIM of BSNL. Keep in mind that for this you may have to pay some money as fee. Along with the new SIM card of BSNL, you will also be given a unique number. With its help, you will be able to activate your BSNL number. Let us tell you that you can get a waiting period of up to 7 days to shift from one number to another. Join Informal Newz Tags Mobile Number Port Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Telegram Previous article Disha Patani wore a deepneck transparent dress, fans said ‘Hi Garmi’ after seeing the photo Shyamu Maurya Shyamu has done Degree in Fine Arts and has knowledge about bollywood industry. He started writing in 2018. Since then he has been associated with Informalnewz. In case of any complain or feedback, please contact me @informalnewz@gmail.com RELATED ARTICLES Personal Finance Disha Patani wore a deepneck transparent dress, fans said ‘Hi Garmi’ after seeing the photo December 7, 2024 Personal Finance CBSE Board News: Big news for class 10th students! Preparations to bring dual syllabus for science and social science December 6, 2024 Personal Finance Metro Liquor Rules: Passengers will be able to travel with liquor in the metro, know the limit of bottles December 6, 2024 - Advertisment - Most Popular Disha Patani wore a deepneck transparent dress, fans said ‘Hi Garmi’ after seeing the photo December 7, 2024 CBSE Board News: Big news for class 10th students! Preparations to bring dual syllabus for science and social science December 6, 2024 Metro Liquor Rules: Passengers will be able to travel with liquor in the metro, know the limit of bottles December 6, 2024 School Holidays 2024: Schools will remain closed for this many days during Christmas and winter holidays December 6, 2024 Load more Recent Comments Gul Mohiudin on Kavita sister-in-law wore a sari without a blouse, seeing the pictures you will also be... Venkatesh on Urfi Javed crossed all limits, wore a front open hoodie top without inner, see photos and videos Gul Mohiudin on Malaika Arora came out in a backless strappy dress late at night, someone had to handle the gown and someone held her hand Gul Mohiudin on Priyanka Chopra reached award function without bra, shame had to be saved repeatedly in open jacket Venkatesh on Disha Patani shared a bo*ld picture while taking a bath, seeing Tiger Shroff’s heart beat will increase EDITOR PICKS Disha Patani wore a deepneck transparent dress, fans said ‘Hi Garmi’ after seeing the photo December 7, 2024 CBSE Board News: Big news for class 10th students! Preparations to bring dual syllabus for science and social science December 6, 2024 Metro Liquor Rules: Passengers will be able to travel with liquor in the metro, know the limit of bottles December 6, 2024 POPULAR POSTS Disha Patani wore a deepneck transparent dress, fans said ‘Hi Garmi’ after seeing the photo December 7, 2024 CBSE Board News: Big news for class 10th students! Preparations to bring dual syllabus for science and social science December 6, 2024 Metro Liquor Rules: Passengers will be able to travel with liquor in the metro, know the limit of bottles December 6, 2024 POPULAR CATEGORY Personal Finance 17837 Entertainment 17061 India 4456 News 3785 Technology 2237 Jobs Alert 787 Travel 652 Education 451 ABOUT US INFORMALNEWZ brings the Latest News & Top Breaking headlines on Politics and Current Affairs. Up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by informal Newz. 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Moreover, the document emphasizes the need to improve the employment assistance service system. It calls for strengthening the construction of online employment service platforms, improving the efficiency of job matching services, and enhancing the quality of employment guidance and vocational training services to better serve job seekers and enterprises.The Emir of Zazzau, Malam Ahmed Bamalli in Zaria has said that the decision to demolish the city’s 188-year-old Malam Abdulkarim Central Mosque was a painful decision. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bamalli, while speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the mosque’s reconstruction, said it was a decision which weighed heavily upon the Emirate Council. He said the decision was not made lightly but the emirate had no option than to take it as the safety of lives remained the Council’s top priority. “Your well-being and security have always been at the forefront of our thoughts and actions,” the Emir said. Bamalli commended the Kaduna State Government for supporting victims of the mosque’s collapse in 2023, and paying compensation for houses affected by the mosque’s expansion project, among other initiatives. He also lauded the highest donation of N2 billion by Alhaji Abdussamad Isyaka-Rabi’u through the ASR Africa and BUA Group. The Emir noted that the historic mosque, built in the 1830s, had served as a beacon of faith, community engagement and resilience. Earlier, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Abbas Tajudeen, had said the collapsed mosque was one of the biggest and largest historical heritage of building technology in Nigeria. The Speaker, who is the member representing Zaria Federal Constituency and holder of the traditional title of “Iyan Zazzau”, said the central mosque’s rebuilding has an 18-month completion period. He, however, said the resources available would only be able to reach 50 per cent completion, urging philanthropists to donate generously for the timely completion of the gigantic project. The Speaker restated the commitment of the National Assembly towards supporting the timely completion of the project. In his remarks, Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State reiterated the state government’s continued commitment to supporting the project to ensure prompt completion. He added that the state government was in touch with key stakeholders towards generating more funds for the project. NAN reports that, on Aug. 11 in 2023, the 188-year-old mosque collapsed while hundreds of worshippers were observing afternoon prayers, killing seven worshippers and injuring many others.lucky cat mega jackpot results 。

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Berlin confirmed plans to reform its legal framework make it a clear criminal offence to “facilitate the smuggling of migrants to the UK” as part of the agreement, the Home Office said. The Home Office said the move would give German prosecutors more tools to tackle the supply and storage of dangerous small boats. Both countries will also commit to exchange information that may help to remove migrant-smuggling content from social media platforms and tackle end-to-end routes of criminal smuggling networks as part of the deal. It comes ahead of the UK and Germany hosting the so-called Calais Group in London, which sees ministers and police from the two countries, alongside France, Belgium and the Netherlands, gather to discuss migration in Europe. Delegates are expected to agree a detailed plan to tackle people-smuggling gangs in 2025 at the meeting on Tuesday. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For too long organised criminal gangs have been exploiting vulnerable people, undermining border security in the UK and across Europe while putting thousands of lives at risk. “We are clear that this cannot go on. “Germany is already a key partner in our efforts to crack down on migrant smuggling, but there is always more we can do together. “Our new joint action plan with deliver a strengthened partnership with Germany, boosting our respective border security as we work to fix the foundations, and ultimately saving lives.” Nancy Faeser, German federal minister of the interior said: “We are now stepping up our joint action to fight the brutal activities of international smugglers. “This is at the core of our joint action plan that we have agreed in London. “I am very grateful to my British counterpart Yvette Cooper that we were able to reach this important agreement. “It will help us end the inhumane activities of criminal migrant smuggling organisations. “By cramming people into inflatable boats under threats of violence and sending them across the Channel, these organisations put human lives at risk. “Many of these crimes are planned in Germany. “Together, we are now countering this unscrupulous business with even more resolve. “This includes maintaining a high investigative pressure, exchanging information between our security authorities as best as possible, and persistently investigating financial flows to identify the criminals operating behind the scenes.”In light of this uncertainty, Neymar made the difficult decision to remain at PSG, where he currently plays a key role in the team's success. Despite the allure of returning to Barcelona and reuniting with familiar faces, Neymar prioritized his career and stability by choosing to stay at a club where he is guaranteed to play without facing registration issues.Title: Young People Ignite the Cute Economy Trend - Adorable Merchandise Leads Consumer Wave

The Resurgence of the New Light Bulb Incident: Don't Stick Your Watch on the High-Speed Rail GlassFinally, on the fifth day of her ordeal, a search team spotted the young woman waving frantically from a clearing in the forest. Relief swept over her family and the rescue teams as they rushed to her side, offering food, water, and much-needed medical attention. Miraculously, the woman was in relatively good health, considering the circumstances, a testament to her resourcefulness and resilience.

Rataj also had 12 rebounds for the Beavers (9-2). Damarco Minor also scored 16 points, going 5 of 11 from the floor, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and 4 for 4 from the line. Parsa Fallah shot 6 of 7 from the field and 2 for 3 from the line to finish with 14 points. The Cougars (8-3) were led by Lazar Djokovic, who recorded 13 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Derrin Boyd added 13 points for Charleston. Deywilk Tavarez also had 10 points. Oregon State took the lead with 15:29 to go in the first half and never looked back. The score was 35-26 at halftime, with Fallah racking up 13 points. Oregon State closed out the victory in the final half, while Minor led the way with a team-high 14 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

PHOENIX — Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest on Sunday in Phoenix. Panama's conservative president José Raúl Mulino, who was elected in April on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty. The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also used his comments to bask in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded budget fight on Capitol Hill where some GOP lawmakers openly defied their leader's demands. Addressing supporters at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump pledged that his “dream team Cabinet” would deliver a booming economy, seal U.S. borders and quickly settle wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. “I can proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us,” Trump said. “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.” His appearance capped a four-day pep rally that drew more than 20,000 activists and projected an image of Republican cohesion despite the past week's turbulence in Washington with Trump pulling strings from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as Congress worked to avoid a government shutdown heading into the Christmas holiday. House Republicans spiked a bipartisan deal after Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire ally, expressed their opposition on social media. Budget hawks flouted Trump's request to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, which would have spared some new rounds of the same fight after he takes office Jan. 20, 2025, with Republicans holding narrow control of the House and Senate. The final agreement did not address the issue and there was no shutdown. Trump, in his remarks in Phoenix, did not mention the congressional drama, though he did reference Musk's growing power. To suggestions that "President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon,” Trump made clear, “No, no. That’s not happening.” “He’s not gonna be president,” Trump said. The president-elect opened the speech by saying that "we want to try to bring everybody together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really give it a shot." Then he suggested Democrats have “lost their confidence” and are “befuddled” after the election but eventually will ”come over to our side because we want to have them.” A cargo ship traverses the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal on Sept. 2 in Colon, Panama. Atop a list of grievances — some old, some new — was the Panama Canal. “We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal,” he said, bemoaning that his country ”foolishly gave it away.” The United States built the Panama Canal in the early 1900s, as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter. The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by 2023 Central American droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot. With weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized. But price increases are still expected for next year. Mulino, Panama's president, has been described as a conservative populist who aligns with Trump on many issues. Panama is a strong U.S. ally and the canal is crucial for its economy, generating about one-fifth of that government’s annual revenue. Still, Trump said, that, once his second term is underway, "If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.” “I’m not going to stand for it," Trump said. "So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.” He did not explain how that would be possible. A short time after Trump's speech, Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country. Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed the president-elect's complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying that they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors. “The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements. “Panamanians may have different views on many issues” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.” The canal aside, Trump’s appearance at Turning Point’s annual gathering affirmed the growing influence the group and its founder, Charlie Kirk, have had in the conservative movement. Kirk’s organization hired thousands of field organizers across presidential battlegrounds, helping Trump make key gains among infrequent voters and other groups of people that have trended more Democratic in recent decades, including younger voters, Black men and Latino men. ”You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.” Earlier Sunday, Trump said that Stephen Miran, who worked at the Treasury Department in Trump's first term, was his choice to lead the Council of Economic Advisers. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Looking ahead, analysts expect the market to continue its upward trajectory in the coming days, as positive sentiment strengthens and economic indicators point towards a more stable growth outlook. However, it is important for investors to remain cautious and vigilant, as market volatility can persist and unexpected events may still impact the market.Body:

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As the cars came to a screeching halt, tempers flared and voices escalated. The car driver, visibly shaken but quick to deflect blame, pointed an accusatory finger at the truck driver. "How could you not hit the brakes when you saw me trying to get in?" he shouted, his face flushed with anger and frustration.The Future of Gaming is Here. Welcome to Supernicro

Ultimately, the harrowing experience of the woman who spent $18,000 on a failed leg surgery serves as a cautionary tale for anyone considering cosmetic procedures. It underscores the importance of conducting thorough research, verifying credentials, and prioritizing safety when it comes to enhancing one's appearance.ZURICH — Saudi Arabia was officially confirmed Wednesday by FIFA as host of the 2034 World Cup in men's soccer, giving the oil-rich kingdom its biggest prize yet for massive spending on global sports driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudi bid was the only candidate and was acclaimed by the applause of more than 200 FIFA member federations. They took part remotely in an online meeting hosted in Zurich by the soccer body's president Gianni Infantino. "The vote of the congress is loud and clear," said Infantino, who had asked officials on a bank of screens to clap their hands at head level to show their support. The decision was combined with approving the only candidate to host the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host in a six-nation project, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each getting one of the 104 games. The South American connection will mark the centenary of Uruguay hosting the first World Cup in 1930. The decisions complete a mostly opaque 15-month bid process which Infantino helped steer toward Saudi Arabia without a rival candidate, without taking questions, and which human rights groups warn will put the lives of migrant workers at risk. "We look forward to hosting an exceptional and unprecedented edition of the FIFA World Cup by harnessing our strengths and capabilities to bring joy to football fans around the world," Prince Mohammed said in a statement. FIFA and Saudi officials have said hosting the 2034 tournament can accelerate change, including more freedoms and rights for women, with Infantino on Wednesday calling the World Cup a "unique catalyst for positive social change and unity." "I fully trust our hosts to address all open points in this process, and deliver a World Cup that meets the world's expectations," the FIFA president said. An international collective of rights groups said FIFA made a "reckless decision" to approve Saudi Arabia without getting public assurances, and the Football Supporters Europe group said it was "the day football truly lost its mind." A fast-track path to victory was cleared last year by FIFA accepting the three-continent hosting plan for the 2030 World Cup. It meant only soccer federations in Asia and Oceania were eligible for the 2034 contest, and FIFA gave countries less than four weeks to declare a bid. Only Saudi Arabia did. The win will kick off a decade of scrutiny on Saudi labor laws and treatment of workers mostly from South Asia needed to help build and upgrade 15 stadiums, plus hotels and transport networks ahead of the 104-game tournament. Amnesty International said awarding the tournament to Saudi Arabia represents "a moment of great danger" for human rights. "FIFA's reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without ensuring adequate human rights protections are in place will put many lives at risk," said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International's Head of Labor Rights and Sport." One of the stadiums is planned to be 350 meters (yards) above the ground in Neom — a futuristic city that does not yet exist — and another named for the crown prince is designed to be atop a 200-meter cliff near Riyadh. During the bid campaign, FIFA has accepted limited scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's human rights record that was widely criticized this year at the United Nations. Saudi and international rights groups and activists warned FIFA it has not learned the lessons of Qatar's much-criticized preparations to host the 2022 World Cup. "At every stage of this bidding process, FIFA has shown its commitment to human rights to be a sham," Cockburn said. The kingdom plans to spend tens of billion of dollars on projects related to the World Cup as part of the crown prince's sweeping Vision 2030 project that aims to modernize Saudi society and economy. At its core is spending on sports by the $900 billion sovereign wealth operation, the Public Investment Fund, which he oversees. "It's amazing. The infrastructure, the stadiums, the conditions for the fans and everything. After what I see, I'm more convinced that 2034 will be the best World Cup ever," Cristiano Ronaldo said in a recorded package posted on X. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been part of Saudi Arabia's lavish spending on soccer — stunning the sport when agreeing to sign for Al Nassr in 2022 for a record-breaking salary reportedly worth up to $200 million a year. Critics have accused Saudi Arabia of "sportswashing" the kingdom's reputation. The prince, known as MBS, has built close working ties to Infantino since 2017 — aligning with the organizer of sport's most-watched event rather than directly confronting the established system as it did with the disruptive LIV Golf project. The result for Saudi Arabia and FIFA has been smooth progress toward the win Wednesday with limited pushback from soccer officials, though some from women international players. The steady flow of Saudi cash into international soccer is set to increase. FIFA created a new and higher World Cup sponsor category for state oil firm Aramco, and Saudi funding is set to underwrite the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States that is a pet project for Infantino. North American soccer body CONCACAF signed a multi-year deal with PIF, Saudi stadiums host Super Cup games for Italy and Spain, and nearly 50 FIFA member federations have signed working agreements with Saudi counterparts. Lavish spending by PIF-owned Saudi clubs in the past two years buying and paying players – including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mané – put hundreds of millions of dollars into European soccer. That influence could be key in talks to agree which months to play the 2034 World Cup. The November-December slot taken by Qatar in 2022 to avoid extreme midsummer heat is complicated in 2034 by the holy month of Ramadan through mid-December and Riyadh hosting the multi-sport Asian Games. Still, January 2034 could be an option — and likely better for European clubs and leagues —after the International Olympic Committee said it saw few issues in clashing with the Salt Lake Winter Games opening Feb. 10, 2034. The IOC also has a major commercial deal with Saudi Arabia, to host the new Esports Olympics. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Streamers Revolutionize Pokémon Card UnboxingSunday, December 22, 2024 Scotland has initiated a procurement process to upgrade its InterCity train fleet with modern, energy-efficient models. The project emphasizes enhanced passenger comfort, improved reliability, and sustainable solutions to address the increasing demand for rail travel. This development was highlighted by the railway news platform, Railway Supply. Scotland Advances Modernization of InterCity Trains for Sustainability and Comfort Scotland is making strides toward revamping its InterCity train network by phasing out aging models. The initiative is designed to deliver a greener, more comfortable, and user-friendly travel experience for passengers. The plan includes replacing 25 trains in ScotRail’s High-Speed Train (HST) fleet, which serves vital routes linking Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness. This upgrade reflects Scotland’s commitment to modernizing its rail infrastructure. The upcoming fleet aims to enhance passenger comfort and provide better accessibility, all while reducing environmental impact. The modernized designs will also focus on boosting reliability to support the increasing demand for rail travel across Scotland. Advancing Sustainability with Modern InterCity Trains in Scotland Scottish authorities have underscored the environmental advantages of upgrading the InterCity train fleet, emphasizing reduced emissions and a stronger commitment to sustainability. This initiative aligns with Scotland’s vision for a greener and more efficient transportation network. An updated Decarbonisation Action Plan, scheduled for release in spring 2025, will outline fresh targets for phasing out diesel-powered trains and adopting clean energy technologies. Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop highlighted the significance of these advancements, noting that over 4 million passengers relied on InterCity services last year. She expressed optimism that the new fleet will not only attract more riders but also lower operational costs and emissions. The project is expected to stimulate Scotland’s economy by engaging local suppliers and fostering innovation within the rail industry. It also aims to position rail as the preferred choice for both work and leisure travel by offering greater accessibility, comfort, and reliability. Contracts for the procurement process will be finalized in 2025, with delivery timelines to follow. The modernized trains are designed to meet contemporary expectations for passenger experience while establishing a sustainable foundation for future transportation needs. By investing in low-carbon solutions, the Scottish Government is setting a new benchmark for rail efficiency and environmental stewardship. These upgrades reflect a commitment to creating greener, more appealing travel options that benefit both passengers and the planet. Scotland Drives Rail Modernization for Sustainability and Efficiency Scotland’s plans to upgrade its rail network align with broader sustainability objectives, focusing on enhancing reliability, accessibility, and reducing emissions. These improvements aim to create a greener, more efficient travel system for all passengers. Updates on contract awards and project milestones are expected in 2025, as the nation takes decisive steps toward delivering a modernized rail experience that prioritizes comfort and efficiency. This investment underscores Scotland’s proactive stance in addressing environmental challenges through sustainable transportation. The project reflects a vision for cleaner, more energy-efficient mobility that benefits both passengers and the economy. Authorities anticipate that replacing aging InterCity trains with modern fleets will significantly reduce operational costs while offering an elevated travel experience. These advancements position rail as a competitive and attractive mode of transport. By adopting cleaner technologies, Scotland moves closer to achieving its ambitious environmental goals. This initiative reaffirms the government’s dedication to promoting green travel solutions and setting a benchmark for sustainable rail systems. Scotland’s modernization efforts showcase its leadership in sustainable transportation, paving the way for long-term growth. With upgraded facilities and reduced emissions, the rail network is poised to meet the demands of future generations while fostering innovation and efficiency. Through strategic investments in rail modernization, Scotland is building a future defined by sustainability, accessibility, and innovation in transportation.

Dolby Vision, renowned for its industry-leading high dynamic range (HDR) imaging technology, will transform the way movies are displayed on the big screen. With Dolby Vision, viewers can expect enhanced brightness, contrast, and color accuracy, resulting in a picture quality that is strikingly lifelike and vibrant. This means that every scene, from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights, will be rendered with astonishing detail and realism, pulling audiences deeper into the on-screen action.Title: A-Share Market Starts Bullish Rally Mode with Institutional Investors Actively Long

Maxillofacial surgery Market Current Trends, Growth Status, Top Major Players And Forecast To 2024-2031 |SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Dylan Hayman scored 23 points as Incarnate Word beat Our Lady of the Lake 93-69 on Sunday night. Hayman also had five rebounds for the Cardinals (6-5). Davion Bailey shot 6 for 11 (6 for 10 from 3-point range) and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line to add 22 points. Harrison Reede had 14 points and shot 4 for 8 from beyond the arc and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Daniel Smith led the way for the Saints with 13 points. Our Lady of the Lake, a member of the NAIA, also got 11 points from Arthur Celestin. Tommie Law had 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .4. **Kurdish Forces:** The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have capitalized on the chaos of the conflict to carve out autonomous regions in northeastern Syria. With the backing of the United States, the Kurds have emerged as a key player in the post-war landscape, asserting their demands for greater autonomy and recognition.

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Since then, business titans, political giants and global film stars have all been among those ringing the opening bell at the NYSE. Ronald Reagan rang the bell as president in 1985. Billionaire businessman and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. have also rung the bell. The list even includes famous Muppets: Miss Piggy was once a bell ringer. President-elect Donald Trump joined that list Thursday when he opened trading at the famous stock exchange on Wall Street. He was accompanied by his wife, Melania, who interestingly enough received the honor before her husband. As first lady, she rang the bell in 2019 as part of her “Be Best” program. Bell-ringers are more commonly founders and executives from a wide range of companies. Over the last few months, the guests have included executives from Alaska Air Group, Bath & Body Works, and Ally Financial. Stock trading around the location of the NYSE's current home has deep roots that trace back to the Dutch founding of New Amsterdam and when Wall Street had an actual wall. The NYSE traces its direct roots to the “Buttonwood Agreement” signed in 1792, which set rules for stock trading and commissions. The NYSE moved into its first permanent home in 1865. The first bell in use was actually a gong. The exchange moved into its current iconic building in 1903 and started using an electronically operated brass bell. That has evolved into synchronized bells in each of the NYSE’s four trading areas.Moreover, the government's commitment to sustainable and green building practices has also played a significant role in driving the recovery of the property market. By promoting energy-efficient buildings, green infrastructure, and eco-friendly development projects, the government has not only reduced the environmental impact of the real estate sector but also increased the value and desirability of green properties. Buyers and investors are increasingly seeking out sustainable properties, leading to a growing market for eco-friendly real estate and driving innovation in the construction industry.

In October, the China Corporate Credit Index was released, reflecting a continuing trend of stable improvement and consolidation in the credit landscape of Chinese enterprises. This release represents an important milestone in tracking and analyzing the health of business credit in China, offering insights into the overall economic condition and outlook of the country.

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Why Bitfarms (BITF) Is Among the Best Bitcoin and Blockchain Stocks to Buy Right NowMANAMA, Bahrain — Iran is poised to “quite dramatically” increase its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium as it has started cascades of advanced centrifuges, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned Friday. The comments from Rafael Mariano Grossi came just hours after Iran said it conducted a successful space launch with its heaviest payload ever, the latest for its program that the West alleges improves Tehran’s ballistic missile program. The launch of the Simorgh rocket comes as Iran’s nuclear program now enriches uranium at 60%, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. While Iran maintains its program is peaceful, officials in the Islamic Republic increasingly threaten to potentially seek the bomb and an intercontinental ballistic missile that would allow Tehran to use the weapon against distant foes like the United States. The moves are likely to further raise tensions gripping the wider Middle East over Israel’s continued war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip and as an uneasy ceasefire holds in Lebanon. However, Iran may as well be preparing the ground for possible talks with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who in his first term unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. Grossi, speaking to journalists in Bahrain, on the sidelines of the International Institute of Strategic Studies’ Manama Dialogue, said his inspectors planned to see just how many centrifuges Iran would be spinning after Tehran informed his agency of its plans. Get the latest breaking news as it happens. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . “I think it is very concerning,” Grossi said. “They were preparing and they have all of these facilities sort of in abeyance and now they are activating that. So we are going to see.” He added: “If they really make them turn — all of them — it's going to be a huge jump.” An IAEA statement issued shortly after Grossi's remarks said Iran had begun feeding two cascades of advanced IR-6 centrifuges with uranium previously enriched up to 20% at its underground Fordo facility. That site is located under a mountain, protecting it from airstrikes. Cascades are a group of centrifuges that spin uranium gas together to more quickly enrich the uranium. The IR-6 centrifuges enrich uranium faster than Iran’s baseline IR-1 centrifuges, which have been the workhorse of the country’s atomic program. Adding 20% uranium, as opposed to 5% uranium previously planned, further speeds up that process. “The facility’s updated design information showed that the effect of this change would be to significantly increase the rate of production,” the IAEA statement said. Iran separately will start feeding natural uranium into eight other IR-6 cascades at Fordo as well to produce 5%-enriched uranium, it added. The IAEA warned in late November that Iran was preparing to begin enriching uranium with thousands of advanced centrifuges. That came as a response to the Board of Governors at the IAEA condemning Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the preparations. The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, the launch Friday took place at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport in rural Semnan province, some 135 miles. That is the site of Iran’s civilian space program, which has suffered a series of failed Simorgh launches in the past. The Simorgh carried what Iran described as an “orbital propulsion system,” as well as two research systems to a 250-mile orbit above the Earth. A system that could change the orbit of a spacecraft would allow Iran to geo-synchronize the orbits of its satellites, a capability Tehran has long sought. It also carried the Fakhr-1 satellite for Iran’s military, the first time Iran’s civilian program is known to have carried a military payload. Iran also put the payload of the Simorgh at 660 pounds, heavier than all its previous successful launches within the country. State television carried footage of a correspondent discussing the payload just as the Simorgh lifted off into the sky, as people called out: “God is the greatest!” The U.S. military referred questions about the launch to the country’s Space Command, which did not respond. Space experts said tracking data appeared to show the launch successfully put objects in orbit. The United States has previously said Iran’s satellite launches defy a United Nations Security Council resolution and called on Tehran to undertake no activity involving ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. U.N. sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program expired in October 2023. “Iran’s work on space-launch vehicles — including its Simorgh — probably would shorten the timeline to produce an intercontinental ballistic missile, if it decided to develop one, because the systems use similar technologies,” a U.S. intelligence community report released in July said. Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons and says its space program, like its nuclear activities, is for purely civilian purposes. However, U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA say Iran had an organized military nuclear program up until 2003. Under Iran’s relatively moderate former President Hassan Rouhani, the Islamic Republic slowed its space program for fear of raising tensions with the West. The late hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, a protégé of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who came to power in 2021, pushed the program forward. Raisi died in a helicopter crash in May. Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has been signaling he wants to negotiate with the West over sanctions, has yet to offer a strategy when it comes to Iran’s ambitions in space. The Simorgh launch represented the first for his administration from the country’s civil space program. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard conducted a successful launch of its parallel program in September.

Vice President Kamala Harris rarely, if ever, brought up transgender rights during her 2024 presidential bid — but President-elect Donald Trump did, devoting . Yahoo News reporter Andrew Romano breaks down a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll that shows how that $37 million investment appears to have paid off at the ballot box.Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz is not coming back to Congress. The Florida Republican said Friday he has no intention of serving another term in the House now that he is no longer President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew as the nominee this week amid growing fallout from the allegations of sexual conduct against him. Gaetz denies the allegations. Gaetz didn't lay out his plans now that he's out of office, saying only, “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch." After Gaetz's withdrawal on Thursday, Trump named former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department. Vance takes on a more visible transition role as he works to boost Trump's most controversial picks WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role. He's been helping Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet picks try to win confirmation in the Senate, where he has served for the last two years. Vance spent part of Wednesday at the Capitol with Rep. Matt Gaetz sitting in on meetings with Trump’s controversial choice for attorney general. On Thursday, Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings over the coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn't focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race. NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik, saying it's so powerful that several of them fitted with conventional warheads could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education is optional for schools to adopt, but they’ll receive additional funding if they do so. Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum say the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds. Supporters argue the Bible is a core feature of American history and that teaching it will enrich learning. 2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand each faced four charges related to human smuggling before being convicted on Friday. Patel is an Indian national. Shand is an American from Florida. They were arrested after the family froze while trying to cross the desolate border during a 2022 blizzard. Northern California gets record rain and heavy snow. Many have been in the dark for days in Seattle FORESTVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A major storm with heavy snow and record rain that's moving through Northern California has toppled trees, closed roads and prompted evacuations in some areas after knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people in Washington and Oregon. Forecasters warn that the risk of flash flooding and rockslides will continue through Friday. The National Weather Service has extended a flood watch for areas north of San Francisco as a plume of moisture known as an atmospheric river inundates Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Up to 16 inches of rain is forecast in Northern California and southwestern Oregon. The storm system unleashed winds earlier this week that left two people dead and hundreds of thousands without power in Washington. Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya WASHINGTON (AP) — Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The research published Friday in Science Advances shows that long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatan peninsula. The ancient fish canals were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish. These structures were used for around 1,000 years — including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge. California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health officials are confirming bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced confirmatory test results on Friday. Officials say the child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering. The child’s infection brings the reported number of U.S. bird flu cases this year to 55, including 29 in California. State officials have said the child lives in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and attends day care, but released no other details. Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8.Swinney: I'd consider Australia-style ban on social media use for teenagers under the age of 16

Months of meticulous planning, development, and anticipation culminated in this pivotal moment. The team behind the project had poured their hearts and souls into creating a revolutionary platform that promised to redefine the way people interact and engage with the digital realm. With a user-friendly interface, innovative features, and a robust infrastructure, expectations were high for a successful launch.One of the key strengths of the 3D World Low-Code Platform is its seamless integration of three-dimensional elements into the application development process. Users can easily incorporate 3D models, animations, and visual effects into their applications, adding a whole new dimension of interactivity and engagement. This opens up a world of possibilities for industries such as architecture, gaming, virtual reality, and e-commerce, where immersive visual experiences are paramount.New data reveals America has tens of thousands of noncitizens from US adversary with deportation ordersVikings will be without cornerback Stephon Gilmore against Falcons

WASHINGTON: Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk’s net worth has surpassed $400 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, setting a new milestone Wednesday for the world’s richest person. The jump in wealth, the business news outlet reported, came after SpaceX and its investors agreed to purchase as much as $1.25 billion of insider shares in a transaction that valued the rocket and satellite company at about $350 billion. The transaction increased Musk’s personal wealth by about $50 billion to $440 billion, Bloomberg said. Musk’s wealth, largely based on the share price of Tesla and the valuation of SpaceX, already took a huge leap after Donald Trump won last month’s US presidential election. Tesla’s share price is up by about 65 percent since the vote in November. “What’s really crazy about this is that almost no investors wanted to sell shares even at a $350B valuation!” Musk wrote in a reply to a post on X referring to the Bloomberg report. He added that SpaceX has reduced the number of shares it bought back from employees in order to bring in some new investors. Musk has been a prominent political donor and advocate for Trump, pumping a staggering $270 million into the Republican’s campaign. He has been an ever-present sidekick for Trump since his election victory, inviting him to watch a rocket launch in Texas by his SpaceX company. Musk’s businesses all have varying degrees of interactions with US and foreign governments, and his proximity to Trump has raised concerns that Musk will be able to give advantage to his own interests. Musk is also expected to secure a reduction in regulations for Tesla as well as elimination of tax credits on electric vehicles that will punish the car-maker’s rivals. Trump has selected Musk to co-head the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which is set to deliver billions of dollars of cuts in federal spending and slash government red tape. Besides Tesla, Musk also heads brain technology startup Neuralink. Both SpaceX and Neuralink rely heavily on government regulation and policy and could benefit from a business-friendly administration. Musk also owns social media site X and tunnel builder The Boring Company. Musk is followed on the billionaires list by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos – with a net worth of $243.7 billion, while Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is in the third spot with a net worth of $223.4 billion. — AgenciesTrump names David Sacks as White House AI and crypto czar

Whether discussing their expectations for the upcoming season or participating in the "Marvel Showdown" team building activities, fans of the Overwatch League are proving once again that their love for the game transcends traditional boundaries. As the new season approaches, the excitement and anticipation among fans continue to build, fueled by the sense of community and solidarity that comes from being part of the OWL family.In conclusion, The Mail on Lera's 12 errors in judgment regarding Tengah's transformation, Ferguson's dismissal, and the welfare cuts have had far-reaching consequences for the publication. It is now up to the publication to acknowledge its mistakes, make amends, and chart a new course towards responsible and reputable journalism. The future of The Mail on Lera depends on its ability to learn from its missteps and regain the trust of its readers.

House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics reportmega dread size 。

Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, giving the market its fifth gain in a row and notching another record high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Friday. The Dow added 1%, and the Nasdaq composite tacked on 0.2%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts’ estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company’s Dish Network unit. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Stocks rose on Wall Street in afternoon trading Friday, keeping the market on track for its fifth straight gain. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% and was solidly on track for a weekly gain that will erase most of last week's loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 333 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite was essentially flat with a gain of less than 0.1% as of 3:07 p.m. Eastern. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 10.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 1.5% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.4% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 were gaining ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.3%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.6%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.8% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, Bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December. Damian J. Troise And Alex Veiga, The Associated Press

A Republican senator has blocked the promotion of a general who oversaw troops in Kabul during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to a Senate aide. The move by Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin follows threats from President-elect Donald Trump to fire senior officers and officials who oversaw the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan in 2021. It also comes as Trump’s transition team weighs possible court-martial proceedings against current and former officers involved in the withdrawal, as NBC News previously reported. Army Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue was nominated for promotion to become a four-star general and to oversee U.S. Army forces in Europe. His nomination was among more than 900 proposed nominations sent to the Senate but Donahue’s was put on hold by Sen. Mullin, according to the Senate aide. Mullin’s office declined to comment. Donahue was the last American service member to board the final U.S. military plane out of Afghanistan in 2021. A night-vision photograph of Donahue boarding a cargo plane went viral, capturing the symbolism of the end of America’s 20-year-long war. After the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan fell to Taliban militants, Donahue — then commander of the 82nd Airborne Division — was ordered to Kabul to oversee the withdrawal of U.S. forces, American embassy staff and Afghans who fought alongside American troops. Retired Gen. Tony Thomas, former head of Special Operations Command, said in a social media post that the decision was a “disgrace” and that Donahue was being treated as a “political pawn.” Heather Nauert, who worked for the State Department in Trump’s first presidential term, said in a social media post that she is a Trump supporter and likes Sen. Mullin but disagreed with the hold put on Donahue’s promotion. “Unless there are facts I don’t know, holding up military promotions bc of our disgraceful Afghanistan withdrawal is wrong,” she wrote. Donahue is currently commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. His promotion could now be at risk as the current Senate will soon go into recess and the new Republican-controlled Congress will start its work in 2025.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House shut down Democrats' efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz , pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., was the sole Republican to support the effort. Most Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It's unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers only have a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It's the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee's five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump's announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump's choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg , a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison.Financial Technology Innovation: Pramod Kumar Voola's On Automation SuccessLAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen returned to the Las Vegas Grand Prix as the defending winner of the Sin City spectacle and a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship well within his reach. The Dutchman needed only to finish Saturday night's race ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to make it four straight for the Red Bull driver. Verstappen starts fifth and Norris is sixth. Norris can additionally lose the title if he fails to outscore Verstappen by three points on the neon-lit street circuit that zips down the famed Las Vegas Strip. The race is back for a second year and again promoted by Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1. The debut event was a bit of a disaster in that locals were livid for months over ongoing construction, as well as traffic detours and delays, the inability to access many local businesses, outrageous price gouging by the tourism industry as well as LVGP ticketing, and then a loose valve cover that nearly destroyed Carlos Sainz Jr.'s Ferrari minutes into the first practice. It caused an hours-long delay for repairs, fans were kicked out of the circuit, and F1 ran practice until 4 a.m. — when it legally had to reopen the streets to the public. This year has been far less hectic, in part because all of the infrastructure headaches were a year ago, but also that last year's race was spectacular. Despite all its speed bumps, the actual running of the race was one of the best of the F1 season and could produce a similar show Saturday night. George Russell of Mercedes starts from the pole ahead of Sainz , who wants redemption after the valve-cover fiasco last year. He had to serve a penalty because his car was damaged in the incident. Ferrari is expected to be the class of the field, which could tighten the nail-biting constructer championship battle. Red Bull, the two-time reigning winners, have fallen to third in the standings behind McLaren and Ferrari. But with Las Vegas the first of the final three races of the season, McLaren is clinging to a 36-point lead for a championship worth an estimated $150 million in prize money. McLaren last won the constructor title in 1998, while Ferrari last won it in 2008. The race is the final stop in the United States for F1, which has exploded in American popularity the last five years. The trio of races in Miami; Austin, Texas; and Las Vegas are more than any other country. After the race completion, F1 next week is expected to announce it will expand the grid to 11 teams to make room for an American team backed by General Motors' Cadillac brand. The team was initially started by Michael Andretti, who could not receive approval from F1 on his expansion application. Andretti has since turned over his ownership stake to Indiana-businessman Dan Towriss and Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They would run the Cadillac F1 team that would likely join the grid in 2026. The announcement of the American team did not come during the weekend to not derail from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which is the showpiece of the Liberty Media portfolio. With one-time infrastructure costs last year, the debut event was believed to cost Liberty nearly $1 billion. Expenses are down this year, but Liberty put in as much glitz and glamour as possible, anyway. There are nightclubs around the course and on top of the paddock, an ice-skating rink, top-level musical acts and a 10 p.m. local start to make it feel like a true Las Vegas big Saturday night event. ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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StockNews.com Begins Coverage on Bio-Path (NASDAQ:BPTH)Capitals Reveal Alexander Ovechkin Will Miss Multiple Weeks With Signifcant InjuryMutual of America Capital Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Genuine Parts ( NYSE:GPC – Free Report ) by 2.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,167 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 413 shares during the period. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Genuine Parts were worth $2,398,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Genuine Parts in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in Genuine Parts in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Concord Wealth Partners raised its stake in shares of Genuine Parts by 79.3% during the third quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 269 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Genuine Parts during the second quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Genuine Parts in the third quarter valued at $44,000. 78.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have commented on GPC. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Genuine Parts to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Genuine Parts from $162.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Genuine Parts from $162.00 to $138.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Truist Financial cut their target price on Genuine Parts from $164.00 to $129.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Genuine Parts from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $139.57. Genuine Parts Price Performance Shares of GPC opened at $124.80 on Friday. Genuine Parts has a 52 week low of $112.74 and a 52 week high of $164.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market cap of $17.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.06 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $129.44 and a 200-day moving average of $137.26. Genuine Parts ( NYSE:GPC – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The specialty retailer reported $1.88 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.42 by ($0.54). Genuine Parts had a net margin of 4.67% and a return on equity of 27.23%. The business had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.94 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.49 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Genuine Parts will post 8.09 EPS for the current year. Genuine Parts Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 6th will be paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 6th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.21%. Genuine Parts’s payout ratio is currently 51.48%. Genuine Parts Company Profile ( Free Report ) Genuine Parts Company distributes automotive replacement parts, and industrial parts and materials. It operates in two segments: Automotive Parts Group and Industrial Parts Group segments. The company distributes automotive replacement parts for hybrid and electric vehicles, trucks, SUVs, buses, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, farm vehicles, small engines, farm equipment, marine equipment, and heavy duty equipment; and equipment and parts used by repair shops, service stations, fleet operators, automobile and truck dealers, leasing companies, bus and truck lines, mass merchandisers, farms, and individuals. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Genuine Parts Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genuine Parts and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans decreased its stake in shares of SPX Technologies, Inc. ( NYSE:SPXC – Free Report ) by 5.4% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 36,305 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,074 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in SPX Technologies were worth $5,789,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Crewe Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of SPX Technologies during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in shares of SPX Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of SPX Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of SPX Technologies by 965.0% during the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the period. Finally, Hilltop National Bank bought a new stake in shares of SPX Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $39,000. 92.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. SPX Technologies Stock Up 2.0 % Shares of SPX Technologies stock opened at $176.01 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The stock has a market cap of $8.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.31, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.22. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $161.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $151.13. SPX Technologies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $83.98 and a 1 year high of $176.35. SPX Technologies Profile ( Free Report ) SPX Technologies, Inc supplies infrastructure equipment serving the heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC); and detection and measurement markets worldwide. The company operates in two segments, HVAC and Detection and Measurement. The HVAC segment engineers, designs, manufactures, installs, and services package and process cooling products and engineered air movement solutions for the HVAC industrial and power generation markets, as well as boilers, heating, and ventilation products for the residential and commercial markets. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SPXC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPX Technologies, Inc. ( NYSE:SPXC – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for SPX Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPX Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Vikings withstand Bears' furious rally, win on field goal in OT

Damson Technologies inaugurates new manufacturing facility in AhmedabadGT Biopharma (NASDAQ:GTBP) Enters Investigator Initiated Clinical Trial Agreement with the University of Minnesota

How to grow tuberose – for clusters of sweetly scented blooms right through the summer seasonThrivent Financial for Lutherans lowered its position in Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF ( NYSEARCA:VOT – Free Report ) by 2.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,059 shares of the company’s stock after selling 520 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF were worth $5,371,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Planning Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Spectrum Wealth Counsel LLC purchased a new stake in Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF during the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, Angeles Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 212.5% in the 3rd quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 225 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 153 shares during the period. Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF Stock Up 1.3 % Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF stock opened at $268.67 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $249.53 and its 200 day moving average price is $237.54. The firm has a market cap of $15.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.99 and a beta of 1.15. Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF has a 52 week low of $201.72 and a 52 week high of $269.07. Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF Profile Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund, which employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the MSCI US Mid Cap Growth Index (the Index). The Index is a diversified index of growth stocks of medium-size United States companies. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VOT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF ( NYSEARCA:VOT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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StockNews.com Begins Coverage on Bio-Path (NASDAQ:BPTH)Finward Bancorp Announces Fourth Quarter Dividend

All Blacks take no chances taken as conservatism closes out seasonRock rolls out the door I never saw mommy kissing Santa Claus, but I saw Chris Rock stiff a roomful of VIPs. I was there. Saturday night. Special invitation issued months ago. The host — Anthony Pratt, executive chairman of Pratt Industries. His full-page NY Times ads run constantly. The family is Triple A in Australia. Part business/part holiday, Anthony’s Christmas party beat Biden’s piggy bank. Intertwined Mandarin Oriental hotel ballrooms. Seated dinner, multiple courses with waiters, security, wines and usual types running around. He not only values his customers but some invitees were yearslong employees. A Keith Urban concert was to follow. Mrs. Urban — also Australian — is Nicole Kidman. My seatmate? George Hamilton, 85, who looked better than I do. With the first course — a comedian named Wali Collins who peed on today’s politicians. Zingers like “Presidents don’t even mean that much” and, talking of “pregnant slaves,” he mentioned Bill Clinton. About his own mixed lineage: “My father’s black. My mother’s left-handed.” Pratt does nothing halfway. Dinner’s second course brought — surprise! — Chris Rock. No big announcement. Nobody had seen him. Nobody heard he’d be there. He’d been officially hidden. Casually dressed — but costing more than the sirloin — he said, “Our new push will be outer space. We’ll put all the Mexicans on the rockets.” Big applause. Big excitement. A very short set. Barely minutes when he saw something the audience did not. We faced the stage. He faced us. Behind us the back walls and exit doors. Whatever he saw — or thought he saw — upset him. Like he went momentarily ape and shouted something like he wasn’t supposed to be taped, videoed, reported or whatever else wasn’t supposed to happen. Didn’t complain. Didn’t explain. Didn’t do one more minute. Barrelling quickly, forcefully, through people to the exit doors, he kept bitching loudly and, without a second’s hesitation, stormed out — never to return. The stunned audience was redeemed with Keith Urban. He did an hour and a half. Everyone dancing. Audience participation — and all but Rock left happy. Who knows if Pratt will get his down payment back. Jam session Idea. Shove traffic congestion. Check license plates. Ones ending in even numbers can drive into NYC Monday, Wednesday, Friday. The others Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Lessens congestion and, like, twice a year changing the clock — that same twice a year the evens trade with the odds. You’re welcome. A cannabis company just concocted a new nicotine lollipop. They’re testing it in DC. So now it’s official. Politics sucks. Not only in New York, kids, not only in New York.mega most winning numbers 。

The Maharashtra cyber police have warned citizens about scammers sending fake wedding invitations through social media platforms and inducing unsuspecting victims to download a fake APK file containing malware. “Scammers send fake wedding invitations through WhatsApp, Instagram or other such apps with links to download a fake APK file. Installing it can add malware or steal personal information, data, and could also lead to privacy or financial losses,” the cyber police said. “Always confirm the invitation directly with the sender. Do not click on suspicious links or download un-trusted apps. Look for suspicious domains or spelling errors in links. Keep security software updated on all devices. Report suspicious messages to the platform or cyber-crime authorities,” it added. The police also issued an alert related to banking APK fraud that involves scammers tricking users into installing fake banking apps through phishing links or messages, stealing personal and financial information. “Only use Google Play Store or Apple App Store for banking apps. Look at the developer’s name and app reviews before installing. Don’t click on links from unknown emails, SMS, or social media. Add two-factor authentication for extra security on your bank account. Update your phone and apps to fix security issues,” the alert stated.West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of the opposition INDIA bloc, signaling her intent to take charge of the alliance if given an opportunity. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said she could manage the dual responsibility of running the opposition front while continuing her role as the chief minister of West Bengal. ''I had formed the INDIA bloc, now it is up to those leading the front to manage it. If they can't run the show, what can I do? I would just say that everyone needs to be taken along,'' she said in an interview with Bengali news channel News 18 Bangla on Friday. Asked why she is not taking the charge of the bloc, given her credentials as a strong anti-BJP force, Banerjee said, ''If given the opportunity I would ensure its smooth functioning.'' ''I don't want to go outside West Bengal, but I can run it from here,'' she said. The INDIA bloc, formed to counter the BJP, comprises over two dozen opposition parties. However, internal differences and a lack of coordination have drawn criticism from various quarters. Her remarks come days after her party MP Kalyan Banerjee called on the Congress and other INDIA bloc allies to set aside their egos and recognise Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the opposition alliance. The BJP delivered a stunning performance in Maharashtra, securing a record number of seats that propelled the party-led ruling Mahayuti alliance to a landslide victory, while the INDIA bloc made a strong comeback in Jharkhand, driven by a spectacular showing from the JMM. The Congress continued its losing streak, posting its worst-ever performance in Maharashtra and ending up as a distant junior partner to the ruling JMM in Jharkhand, with its role in the opposition bloc further diminishing as other allies outperformed it. On the other hand, the TMC's recent bypoll victories defeating the BJP have reinforced the party's dominance in West Bengal, despite opposition campaigns focusing on controversies like the RG Kar Medical College protests. The CPI(M)-led Left Front, its ally CPI(ML) Liberation, and the Congress, allies of the TMC at the national level in INDIA bloc, all suffered major setbacks, with their candidates losing their deposits. While Congress being the largest party of the INDIA bloc has often been perceived as the coalition's de facto leader, the TMC has consistently advocated for Mamata Banerjee to take the reins of the alliance. (This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)19 Early Walmart Black Friday DealsLAS VEGAS, Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VoxelSensors, a Belgian deep-tech startup, is excited to announce at CES 2025 its innovative solution focusing on enabling a future where AI empowers technologies like humanoid robots and smart agents to communicate with people as naturally as individuals interact with one another. VoxelSensors technology is geared at gathering ‘first person view' frontier data off of wearable devices to enable and deploy advanced contextual intelligence models to understand and assist any specific user in the context of their real-world experiences. The resulting foundational models will be capable of adopting personalized, contextual insights. Most notably, integrating non-verbal cues that are missing in current datasets and models and are essential to gaining human-level interaction. VoxelSensors leverages advanced sensing methods to gather accurate data about how individuals interact with their environment, providing smart, real-time agentic assistance tailored to the unique context of each user. Our proprietary mix of the industry's most efficient light sensing SPAES sensors and the PERCEPT inference module forms a real-time sensor-fusion system for wearable devices, enabling unparalleled data collection that is both efficient and cost-effective, collecting only the data relevant for interpreting relevant experiences. By proactively modulating data collection based on user context, VoxelSensors revolutionizes the way AI processes user data, facilitating personalized insights that enable agentic user experiences. Our SPAES sensors excel in world, spatial/3D, and gaze sensing, delivering over 10X improvements in accuracy, latency, and power consumption compared to conventional methods. Supported by leading industry innovators, VoxelSensors is poised to lead the next generation of AI contextual interaction technologies. With a team that holds decades of experience in transforming complex hardware and software into scalable products—as evidenced by our previous success in selling a sensing venture to Sony—we are uniquely positioned to drive the intelligent agent revolution. "We are collecting user point of view data with which we see the world as close as possible to the way the user does. This is achieved through our expertise in developing cutting-edge sensing technologies and data sciences. We believe this will enable the next generation of AI, offering contextual and reasoning abilities that will usher in the age of autonomous agents and superintelligence," said Johannes Peeters, CEO of VoxelSensors. Join us at CES 2025 to experience firsthand how VoxelSensors is shaping the future of human-computer interaction. Discover the potential of contextual intelligence and witness how our technology can redefine user experiences in today's increasingly connected world. For more information about VoxelSensors and our innovative solutions, please visit www.voxelsensors.com . About VoxelSensors: VoxelSensors is a Belgian deep-tech startup committed to developing advanced sensing technologies that enhance human-centered contextual interaction. With a focus on efficiency and scalability, we aim to empower AI with the necessary contextual data for smarter and more personal insights. For Press Information contact: Karina Kovalenko – Marketing and Communications Manager Email: press@voxelsensors.com Website: https://voxelsensors.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voxelsensors A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/69b41118-817d-4535-ac2c-d025d1b49eb5 © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

In years of covering product announcements and trends for Fstoppers, I’ve observed a camera industry caught between reverence for its storied past and the gravitational pull of an ever-shifting technological landscape. The last decade has introduced mirrorless revolutions, ever-higher resolutions, astonishing autofocus gains, and previously unthinkable low-light capabilities. Yet it’s clear that technical specs alone no longer guarantee relevance. The world’s visual appetite grows daily, fueled by platforms and users hungry for instant, shareable media, while the cameras in our phones leverage computational magic to produce images that once required skill, patience, and dedicated equipment. Traditional camera makers risk drifting into niche territory unless they adapt to evolving user expectations. The conversation now must extend beyond incremental improvements. These shifts are not about short-term gimmicks. They’re about ensuring that dedicated cameras remain vital companions in a world where creativity, responsibility, and accessibility define value. The push for deeper computational imaging integration addresses a fundamental issue: consumer expectations have already been recalibrated by smartphones that combine multiple frames, analyze scenes at the pixel level, and apply subtle adjustments before the user even presses the virtual shutter. There’s a difference, of course, between smartphone convenience and the purposeful craft associated with professional-grade cameras. Yet ignoring the efficiency and flexibility of computational methods risks relegating advanced camera systems to the sidelines. Integration means blending the raw image quality of large sensors and high-quality optics with in-body processing that can handle noise reduction, HDR merges, focus stacking, or dynamic tone mapping on the spot. A camera that can intelligently combine frames to reveal richer detail or broader dynamic range would elevate the baseline from which photographers operate. As visual content proliferates and deadlines tighten, fewer creators want to spend hours doing things like combing through bracketing sequences in post. By making complex image assembly seamless, camera companies can preserve the medium’s integrity while letting photographers focus on vision rather than workflows. AI-assisted shooting modes present a similar opportunity. Autofocus systems capable of recognizing faces, eyes, or animals have already reshaped how photographers approach challenging scenes. Building upon this, next-generation AI could learn from shooting habits, lighting conditions, and subject patterns, offering subtle suggestions that improve hit rates. Without dictating style, it could guide a sports photographer toward a faster shutter, or assist a portrait shooter with depth-of-field choices when time is short. Many professionals and enthusiasts operate under constraints—time, unpredictability, limited opportunities to reshoot—and a camera that anticipates these challenges helps maintain relevance in markets where speed and consistency are prized. If cameras remain simple sensor-boxes requiring manual tinkering for every scenario, they risk losing ground to computationally advanced devices that instantly adapt. AI doesn’t need to replace technique; it can complement it, raising the baseline so that skillful users move faster and novices ascend the learning curve with more confidence. There’s a legitimate concern that AI might homogenize style or push photographers toward default aesthetics. This is precisely why careful design is critical. Well-implemented AI features would allow users to toggle suggestions, refine preferences, and retain ultimate control. The point isn’t to turn the camera into an infallible oracle that dictates settings, but to have it offer actionable insights based on pattern recognition and context. By doing this, cameras stay valuable tools in a creative ecosystem full of deadlines, diverse assignments, and rapidly evolving genres. As more creators reach for devices that guarantee a certain baseline of quality and adaptability, cameras that lag behind in AI-driven support will seem archaic. Adopting these features communicates that manufacturers understand the pressures photographers face today, pressures that demand solutions more elegant than just adding another megapixel or another frame per second. The camera industry, historically focused on mechanical precision and optical excellence, has not always placed environmental responsibility front and center. Today, consumers are more conscious of the environmental impact of electronics manufacturing, distribution, and disposal. The photography community includes environmentally aware professionals documenting fragile ecosystems and enthusiasts who see creativity as part of a holistic lifestyle. Cameras that incorporate recycled materials, prioritize long-lasting components, and come with transparent guidelines for end-of-life disposal or refurbishment could stand apart. This move would not be a mere gesture; it could resonate with photographers who value authenticity and integrity not only in their images but also in the tools they wield. Sustainability can become a differentiator that bolsters brand identity in a world increasingly skeptical of disposability and waste. The photographic ecosystem now exists within a dense web of platforms, clients, collaborators, and archives. Photographers must deliver images swiftly, back them up securely, and edit them efficiently. Traditional cameras often feel isolated, requiring card readers, clunky app connections, or manual cable transfers. Meanwhile, phones upload images to cloud storage with negligible friction. If dedicated cameras cannot match or surpass that convenience, they risk feeling cumbersome. Seamless connectivity would mean the camera can upload raw files directly to cloud services, communicate wirelessly with tablets or laptops, or sync metadata in real-time. It would mean cutting down on the mechanical rituals that sap time and energy from creative processes. In an environment where clients expect rapid turnarounds and social media thrives on immediate visuals, cameras that cooperate with modern infrastructures preserve their standing as professional and enthusiast tools of choice. Achieving meaningful connectivity goes beyond slapping a Wi-Fi chip into a camera and calling it a day. It could mean integrating user-friendly interfaces that make connecting to known devices effortless, offering open protocols so that third-party developers can build powerful companion apps, and enabling intelligent file handling that prioritizes, sorts, or compresses images depending on their intended destination. The camera might learn which projects a photographer wants to back up automatically, or which clients receive instant proofs. By embracing connectivity as part of the camera’s core identity, manufacturers acknowledge that photography is rarely an isolated act. This approach would serve everyone from wedding photographers juggling extensive catalogs to photojournalists who must transmit images before the story cools, reinforcing cameras as vital instruments rather than decorative relics. Inclusive ergonomics and accessibility enhancements matter because cameras are creative tools meant for a wide range of people. Historically, design decisions have catered to a somewhat narrow demographic, assuming a particular set of physical abilities and preferences (I mean, even guitars can be left-handed). There’s growing recognition that creativity thrives when everyone can participate. This includes people with varying hand sizes, grips, visual acuity, or motor capabilities. By introducing modular grips, customizable controls, adjustable text sizes, haptic feedback, or voice commands, cameras can empower more users. A photographer with limited mobility should not find the device’s interface a barrier to expression. More inclusive design ensures that dedicated cameras don’t remain niche products for physically unencumbered enthusiasts only, but open up to broader communities. Doing so fosters goodwill, sets brands apart as empathetic innovators, and ensures that future generations see these devices as considerate companions rather than exclusionary tools. These five directions—computational imaging, AI assistance, sustainability, connectivity, and inclusive ergonomics—intersect in ways that could reshape the camera industry’s value proposition. For instance, computational imaging paired with robust connectivity might allow on-the-fly creation and transmission of stacked HDR images directly to a collaborator’s editing station. AI guidance integrated with accessible menus can help a new user, who might have once been deterred by complexity, gain confidence swiftly. Sustainable materials combined with long-term firmware support ensure a camera that remains functional and relevant for years, reducing turnover and building brand loyalty. Each of these aspects strengthens the others, crafting a holistic identity for modern cameras that transcends simplistic spec wars. This is critical for maintaining and increasing relevance at a time when consumers increasingly care about usability, ethics, adaptability, and, in particular, personal resonance. The camera industry has a history of innovation, but it has sometimes lagged in embracing broader cultural shifts. Smartphones have accustomed everyone to immediate optimization, making it harder for dedicated cameras to justify their existence without matching or exceeding that adaptability. AI-assisted modes align with a desire for efficiency in a competitive marketplace, where professionals can’t afford to miss crucial moments. Sustainability addresses growing public awareness that technology should not be disposable, and that products should reflect the values of conservation and long-term responsibility. Connectivity responds directly to the logistical headaches that too many photographers face, bridging the gap between capture and delivery, and letting them focus on storytelling rather than file management. Inclusive ergonomics recognizes that no tool should exclude voices that might offer fresh perspectives. Each of these steps meets a real-world need, ensuring cameras remain tools that serve rather than hinder. This shift also means camera manufacturers must invest in research, partnerships, and new types of expertise. Computational imaging requires skilled image scientists and software engineers working alongside optical experts. AI integration demands reliable machine learning pipelines, data sets that respect privacy and diversity, and careful interface design. Sustainability calls for transparent supply chains, modular engineering, and life-cycle planning. Connectivity might involve adopting standards from the broader tech world, collaborating with software and cloud service providers, and building robust APIs. Inclusive ergonomics means engaging with accessibility consultants, user feedback loops, and iterative design processes. Each of these investments pays off by building resilience, adaptability, and credibility. The camera brands that embrace such complexity will appear forward-thinking, dynamic, and prepared for whatever cultural or technological shifts lie ahead—and they will be. Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.BERKELEY, Calif. , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bamboo Technology , a mental health technology innovation company, is announcing its participation in Batch 19 of the prestigious UC Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program for startup acceleration. The company's HereHear AI therapist solution will be the key focus of the program, driven by the vision of revolutionizing mental health with AI-powered virtual solutions. To learn more about HereHear, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngU32WgiWf4 "HereHear is here in the US, and I am truly grateful to the Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program for recognizing its potential," noted Lynia Huang , Bamboo Technology's CEO. "As important as mental health has become in recent years, there is a shortage of mental health providers and access to support is low — and HereHear is paving the way for AI to bridge that gap as a first line of defense." A growing case for incorporating AI into mental healthcare With data showing that the US is in a mental health crisis, the CDC recently noted a dire need for public health initiatives that create environments centered around mental health. Specific to the workplace, the Society for Human Resource Management's Employee Mental Health in 2024 Research Series found that 44% of US employees feel burned out at work. The combination of a shortage of mental health providers in the US with the flourishing capabilities of AI builds a strong case for the technology to be deployed in the form of human-guided mental health solutions. HereHear's YangYang: A personalized 3D virtual therapist As organizations seek out ways to empower team members to take better care of their mental health, AI is increasingly emerging as a solution for on-demand, personalized support. Offering a more engaging interaction than chatbots, HereHear's 3D virtual therapist YangYang was launched in January 2024 and offers: YangYang has already been implemented in several therapy clinics and has helped 70% of users improve stress and depression levels by 25% within 3 months. Taking the form of a sheep further distinguishes her — this functions both to provide a 'cute' aspect lending to the warm, healing emotional support she provides, while also helping users who are struggling emotionally to keep in perspective that their interactions are ultimately not with a human. Bringing success in Taiwan to the US market Bamboo Technology's acceptance into the Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program is a major accomplishment as the platform seeks to enter the US market. Batch 19 has only 117 startups out of around 2300 applications, and the program will support HereHear to develop, pilot and launch, as well as to pitch for funding. The company aims to target the app in the human resources space—as a tool for companies to offer staff for on-demand, privacy-first mental health support. Back in Taiwan , the app already has hospitals, mental health clinics, universities, publicly listed companies, and government agencies that use it, similarly spurred by a shortage of mental health workers. About Bamboo Technology Established in November 2018 , the Taipei -based Bamboo Technology is a mental health technology innovation company that focuses on improving public mental health with voice emotion analysis technology. It embraces a belief that a universal, objective, and scientific mental health system can effectively solve the problem of deteriorating mental health in today's society — a core tenet upheld by its many psychologists; social workers; and information management, AI and big data experts. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bamboo-technologys-herehear-virtual-ai-therapist-joins-berkeley-skydeck-ipp-program-302325187.html SOURCE BAMBOO TECHNOLOGY LTD.

Dear Eric: I have an ongoing disagreement with my very polite and well-mannered husband. When we enter a venue together, he opens the door/elevator door to let me through and then holds the door so that at least two or three people and sometimes large groups can walk in ahead of him. He then follows them, and I am significantly ahead of him. Therefore, I often stand off to the side/wait or move forward/wait. For example, I often wait for a while at the hostess stand of a restaurant while he makes his way there. I would appreciate standing next to him as we enter. Should courtesy require getting the door/holding the elevator door open for strangers or moving forward with his wife so we can enter together? — Manners Dear Manners: His politeness is so extreme that it’s come around to being impolite back to you. One wonders how far he’s willing to take this. At a certain point, one stops being a random nice man and becomes a restaurant’s volunteer doorman. If he won’t stop holding the door to groups following you, you can decline to enter without him, stand next to him as he holds the door, and you could both become restaurant doormen together. Perhaps this act of polite “solidarity” will show him the mannerliness of moderation. Dear Eric: I play Mahjong with senior citizens several times a week at a local Barnes & Noble. One day our group needed two tables, and one table had stuff sitting on it, along with a backpack on the floor with no one around. I moved it to the table right next to it because we needed that specific size table and there were many other open tables around us. When the young man finally came back, he then told me it was rude to touch his stuff. Many of the ladies agreed with him, so I wonder if I was wrong. But the way I look at it is, you can’t expect someone to save a table and then walk around for an hour and expect no one to want the table. Also, I have come many times early and sat at a table to “reserve” it and never left my stuff on it expecting no one to move it if they needed the table. What do you think? — Game Play Rules Dear Rules: I think you shouldn’t have touched another person’s belongings. Coffee shops, bookstores and spaces where we gather can be catch-as-catch-can when it comes to seating. But the general rule is that if your stuff is on the table, it means you intend to come back to it in the place you left it. Your need for the table didn’t supersede his need. It would’ve been better to make-do with another table until he returned, then ask him to move. Dear Eric: One of my neighbors and I have been taking a long walk (about five miles) on most Saturday mornings since the pandemic. Recently, another woman, who also lives in the neighborhood, has expressed a desire to join us. We have both decided that we don’t enjoy this woman’s company enough to spend a couple of hours with her on a weekly basis. Any ideas what we might say to her that would not be cruel but would get the message across? — Walk Off Dear Walk Off: As this is a tradition that goes back a few years, it’s fair to tell the third neighbor that you and your friend have come to appreciate this special time together and would prefer to preserve it. Sure, it could come off as cliquish, but you’re not obligated to respond to every person who invites themselves into your plans. Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!Kinross Gold Corp. stock rises Thursday, still underperforms market

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Libfx.Com Announces Vision To Build A World-Class Financial PlatformWASHINGTON: The United States on Saturday announced a new $988 million security assistance package for Ukraine as Washington races to provide aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump’s November election victory has cast doubt on the future of American aid for Ukraine, providing a limited window for billions of dollars in already authorized assistance to be disbursed before he is sworn in next month. The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump met in Paris earlier Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said any resolution of the war with Russia should be a “just” settlement that includes “strong security guarantees for Ukraine.” The meeting was of huge importance to Zelensky, given fears in Kyiv that Trump may urge Ukraine to make concessions to Moscow. The latest aid will be funded via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, under which military equipment is procured from the defense industry or partners rather than drawn from American stocks, meaning it will not immediately arrive on the battlefield. It follows a $725 million package announced on Monday that included a second tranche of landmines as well as anti-air and anti-armor weapons. The outgoing administration of President Joe Biden is working to get as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump -- who has repeatedly criticized US assistance for Kyiv and claimed he could secure a ceasefire within hours -- takes over. Trump’s comments have triggered fears in Kyiv and Europe about the future of US aid, and Ukraine’s ability to withstand Russian attacks in the absence of further American support. “Our job has been to try and put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Saturday. In the closing weeks of Biden’s term, the goal is “a massive surge of assistance and to up the economic pressure on Russia,” he said. America ‘weaker’ alone US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday warned that failure to continue opposing Russia’s actions would have dire consequences. “We can continue to stand up to the Kremlin. Or we can let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin have his way - and condemn our children and grandchildren to live in a world of chaos and conflict,” said Austin, who like Sullivan was speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California. “This administration has made its choice. And so has a bipartisan coalition in Congress. The next administration must make its own choice.” The defense chief also emphasized the importance of US allies and partners in his remarks -- a contrast to Trump’s go-it-alone “America first” world view. “Here is the stark military fact: our allies and partners are huge force multipliers,” Austin said. “Ultimately, America is weaker when it stands alone. And America is smaller when it stands apart,” he said. “There is no such thing as a safe retreat from today’s interwoven world.” Ukraine Ready for ‘deal’ Meanwhile, US president-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is keen on a “deal” to end the war with Russia, after the pair met in Paris to discuss the future of the conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted three-way talks with Zelensky and Trump at the Elysee Palace on Saturday, as fears grow in Kyiv about the position of the incoming US administration. Trump has openly scoffed at the billions of dollars in military assistance being sent to Ukraine and once boasted he could end the conflict in 24 hours. “Zelenskyy (sic) and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse.” Hours after the trio’s meeting, the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden announced a new $988-million military assistance package for Ukraine. The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said. In Ukraine there is concern that Trump may urge domestically unpopular concessions to bring about peace. Zelensky insisted any settlement with Russia had to be equitable. “We all want peace. But it is very important for us... that the peace is just for all of us and that Russia, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin or any other aggressor has no possibility of ever returning,” Zelensky said according to the presidential website. “And this is the most important thing - a just peace and security guarantees, strong security guarantees for Ukraine,” he added. But Zelensky also thanked Trump for his “unwavering resolve” describing the talks as “good and productive”. Zelensky’s meeting with Trump, just before both attended the re-opening ceremony of the Notre Dame cathedral, was his first face-to-face encounter with the tycoon-turned-politician since his US election victory. It also offered a unique chance for Macron to gain insights into how a second Trump presidency will look when he takes office in January. The trip to Paris is Trump’s first international visit since his November 5 election win. ‘Going a little crazy’ Trump and Macron embraced and shook hands several times on the steps of the French presidential palace. Trump was given a full guard of honor despite not yet being in office. “It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now and we will be talking about that,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to sit down for the talks with Macron. Despite tensions between the two men during his first term, Trump hailed his ties with the centrist French leader, saying: “We had a great relationship as everyone knows. We accomplished a lot.” Macron told Trump it was “a great honor for French people to welcome you” for the re-opening ceremony at Notre Dame, which was devastated by a blaze in 2019 during Trump’s first term. “You were president at that time and I remember the solidarity and the immediate reaction,” Macron added, speaking in English. In his own reaction to the discussions, Macron wrote on social media: “Let us continue our joint efforts for peace and security.” — AFP