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As 2024 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the year and revisit the projections made at its outset regarding investment opportunities in the blockchain industry. At the beginning of the year, our forecasts highlighted three key areas expected to experience significant financial growth. Now, as we review and analyse the events of 2024, it’s only fitting to evaluate these predictions. Did they materialise as anticipated, or were the projections off the mark? Join us as we delve into the developments of the year to assess how reality measured up to expectations. Did DApps Do it? At the start of the year, Decentralised Applications (DApps) were predicted to experience significant financial growth. These applications, which operate on blockchain or peer-to-peer networks rather than centralised servers, were expected to revolutionise various industries. This year, decentralised applications (dApps) have continued to grow in popularity and usage, with AI-powered dApps becoming a leading force in the Web3 space. In the third quarter of 2024, DApps industry saw a 70% increase in usage compared to the previous quarter, with 17.2 million daily Unique Active Wallets (UAWs). AI-powered dApps became the most active category in the DApp space, accounting for 28% of the industry’s activity.The NFT sector also had its best quarter since Q1 2023, with a trading volume of $4 billion from 14.9 million sales. One of the most groundbreaking advancements of 2024 has been the increasing interoperability between blockchain platforms. Decentralised applications (DApps) that connect ecosystems like Ethereum, Solana, and others are empowering users to seamlessly access the benefits of multiple networks, breaking free from the constraints of isolated blockchains. It is safe to say that the predicted rise in both the value and importance of Decentralised Applications (DApps) within the blockchain ecosystem has become a reality. The Growth of Fractional Ownership of High value assets In 2023 the concept of fractional ownership through tokenisation was still gaining traction, primarily within niche markets like luxury assets (art, collectibles) and select real estate projects. Investor awareness was limited, and platforms were in the early stages of proving their models. At the start of the year, this column predicted significant growth for the industry, fueled by a surge in investor interest in tokenisation. In 2024, we saw such expansion significantly in real estate. Tokenised assets now include a wider variety of properties, ranging from commercial spaces to residential apartments, as well as other illiquid assets like fine art and exotic cars. Platforms like Lofty and RealT have seen a notable increase in user base. Improved regulatory frameworks in multiple jurisdictions have boosted investor confidence. For instance, the US and EU introduced clearer guidelines for tokenised securities, making the process more accessible for institutional and retail investors. Global expansion has become more evident, with markets in the Middle East (e.g.Dubai) and Latin America actively participating. The market size has further grown significantly. While the global market for fractional ownership on the blockchain was estimated at under $1 billion in 2023, today, the market value has crossed several billion dollars, supported by rising investor interest and a greater variety of tokenised assets. Self-Sovereign Identity Market sees financial success as Predicted The final area highlighted to experience a financial boom was the self-sovereign identity market. The self-sovereign identity (SSI) market, which focuses on secure methods of identity verification for banks, cross-border travel, medical records, and more, is experiencing rapid expansion. Leveraging blockchain technology, SSI is providing tamper-proof systems for verification and tracking, fulfilling predictions about its potential. Recent data confirms this growth. The global SSI market size surged from USD 951.36 million in 2023 to USD 1.8 billion in 2024, highlighting its rising importance. Increasing concerns over identity theft, deepfake fraud, and cybercrime have driven demand for robust solutions. Governments worldwide have also played a key role, launching initiatives to promote digital identity frameworks. These efforts have not only ensured secure digital identities for public services but also spurred innovation and investment in the field. As the need for secure, reliable identity systems intensifies, the SSI market is poised to remain a critical player in fostering trust and security in the digital age. Did 2024 Live Up to Expectations? Looking back, the blockchain industry rose to the occasion in 2024. The growth of DApps, fractional ownership, and SSI markets proves blockchain continues to meet and often exceed expectations. This is just part of the story. A comprehensive recap of 2024s achievements and surprises is still to come. For now, the key takeaway is clear: our predictions were on point, and the industry delivered.

Multi-sport stadiums are global hubs of glory, hosting iconic events and uniting diverse fans. Each venue tells a unique story, blending historic roots with modern design and versatile facilities. Top multi-sport stadiums worldwide, such as Wembley and Mercedes-Benz Arena, offer cutting-edge, versatile experiences. Stadiums are more than just architectural marvels; they’re the beating hearts of sports. But some venues go beyond serving a single event—they become iconic arenas for multiple disciplines, showcasing their versatility and grandeur on the global stage. From roaring football finals to nail-biting cricket clashes, pulsating rugby battles to high-flying athletic feats, multi-sport stadiums are where legends are made and dreams come alive. Each of these venues tells a unique story. Some boast historic roots, standing as timeless monuments to athletic excellence, while others push the boundaries of modern design with state-of-the-art facilities. They’ve witnessed everything from World Cups to Olympic Games , uniting fans of all backgrounds under their vast roofs in a celebration of human achievement and passion. In this list, we explore the 10 Greatest Multi-Sport Stadiums in the World—venues that have transcended their original purpose to become global hubs of sporting glory. Whether it’s the thundering roars of packed crowds or the adaptability to host events as diverse as concerts and esports, these stadiums embody the spirit of versatility and spectacle. The most incredible football stadiums on the planet - ranked in order. 10 Eden Park Eden Park is renowned as one of the most formidable fortresses in international rugby union, striking fear into visiting sides. The iconic home of New Zealand's All Blacks , the venue has witnessed an extraordinary unbeaten streak spanning 50 consecutive test matches since 1994 - a testament to the team’s dominance on this hallowed turf. Yet, while rugby reigns supreme here, Eden Park is far from a single-sport venue. During the summer months, the stadium transforms into a cricketing arena, having played a pivotal role in the 1992 and 2005 Cricket World Cups. Beyond sports, Eden Park has also embraced its status as a cultural hub, hosting electrifying performances by global superstars such as Coldplay, Billy Joel, and Guns N' Roses, turning the historic ground into a stage for unforgettable moments both on and off the field. 9 FNB Stadium FNB Stadium, also known as Soccer City or The Calabash, is a major football and rugby stadium in Nasrec, near Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. Managed by Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA), it serves as the home ground for Kaizer Chiefs F.C. in the South African Premier Soccer League and hosts key matches for the South African national football team. The stadium hosted Nelson Mandela's first speech in Johannesburg following his release from prison in 1990 and was later the venue for his memorial service on December 10, 2013. However, sports fans will recognise it best as the home of the 2010 World Cup final, when Andres Iniesta scored the winning goal . The stadium's exterior is designed to resemble an African pot, with a mosaic of fiery and earthy colours adorning its cladding. A ring of lights encircles the base, creating the effect of fire glowing beneath the pot. Inside, every spectator is seated within 100 meters (330 feet) of the field, ensuring unobstructed views for all. And so, while it may be one of the best multi-sport stadiums, it's also one of the most beautiful venues , too. 8 Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), often referred to as "The G," would no doubt be much higher on this list if it was ranked on how iconic each venue was. Located in Melbourne, Australia, it is primarily celebrated as a cricketing mecca, hosting international Test matches, One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and T20 games, including the annual Boxing Day Test and marquee tournaments like the ICC Cricket World Cup and T20 World Cup finals. Beyond cricket, though, the MCG is a pivotal venue for Australian Rules Football (AFL), serving as the home of the AFL Grand Final and hosting numerous high-profile matches during the season. It has also welcomed football, including international friendlies and domestic competitions, as well as rugby union and rugby league, such as State of Origin clashes and international tests. Crowds can have a huge impact in football and help to drive their team towards victory. Here are the best stadium atmospheres in world football. 7 Wembley Stadium Forever regarded as the home of football, both for England and worldwide, Wembley Stadium has evolved into much more since replacing its twin towers with the iconic arch in 2001. In addition to hosting the annual FA Cup final, the Champions League finals in 2011, 2013, and 2024, and most of England’s home matches, it has become a hub for a variety of sports. Major boxing events, such as the 2017 Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko fight have been held at Wembley, and the stadium regularly hosts rugby and American football games. It has also become a key stop for top musicians, with artists like Taylor Swift and Oasis selling out the venue in recent years. As far as iconic stadiums go, the 90,000-seat Wembley stands at the top, in a world of its own. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Wembley Stadium has 2,618 toilets, more than any other venue in the world. 6 Mercedes Benz Arena Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the most versatile and modern sports and entertainment venues in the world, renowned for its multi-purpose functions. Opened in 2017, the stadium has become a central hub for both MLS outfit Atlanta United and NFL franchise Atlanta Falcons. With its state-of-the-art facilities, including the world’s first retractable roof (which can be retracted within eight minutes) with a 360-degree digital board, Mercedes-Benz Stadium offers unmatched versatility. Whether it’s sports, music, entertainment, or community events, the stadium stands out as one of the most cutting-edge multipurpose venues in the world. In its short existence, it has already hosted college basketball, the 2024 Copa America , the AMA Supercross Championship, and Super Bowl LIII, as well as being named as one of the stadiums in use for the 2025 World Cup. 5 Santiago Bernabeu A decade-long renovation to Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu has seen the stadium evolve into a multi-functional colosseum. The existing building has been largely retained and enclosed with a new wraparound facade made of stainless steel louvres. The addition of a retractable roof allows the facility to adapt to weather conditions, while a retractable lawn gives way to a fixed ground slab that allows for a wide range of events beyond football. Not only is the Bernabeu home to 15-time Champions League winners Real Madrid, it has also hosted four finals of such kind, the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final, as well as the final matches for the 1964 European Nations' Cup and the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Aside from football, the venue is scheduled to host its first NFL match in 2025 as part of the International Series. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: The Santiago Bernabeu is the first (and only) stadium to host the two most important premier continental cup finals (UEFA Champions League and Copa Libertadores). 4 Stadium Australia The purpose-built Stadium Australia was designed to seat 110,000 spectators during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and was completed three months prior to the contract. After the Olympics, using technology not previously applied at an Australian sporting venue, the Stadium’s seating arrangements were reconfigured to accommodate differently shaped sporting grounds and provide 80,000 seats. These reconfiguration works, completed by Multiplex, also transformed the Stadium into a true multipurpose arena. As well as playing centre stage for the 2000 Olympics, the stadium has hosted the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, the 2015 AFC Asian Cup final, as well as numerous games in the 2023 Women's World Cup , which saw the Matildas reach the semi-final, before crashing out to England. 3 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium As the newest stadium to be built in the Premier League and one of the most expensive , the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is, to many fans, the perfect venue for football. There isn't a single seat in the house that doesn't have a nigh-on perfect view, and because of how steep either end is, the Tottenham fans have no problem generating and maintaining an electric atmosphere. However, what really sets this 62,850-seater bastion apart from its predecessors is its transformational pitch. Its two different surfaces mean it is the first and only stadium to be designed specially for NFL games outside of North America and is officially the home of the NFL in the UK. See the full process below: Stadiums are an essential part of any team in any sport and new ones are being built at a quick rate. Just which new stadiums are nearly completed? 2 Sapporo Dome The Sapporo Dome, situated in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, is a remarkable stadium that opened in 2001 but has all the elements of a stadium of the future. Designed to accommodate football and baseball games, it features a unique system where the pitch can be switched between grass for football and an artificial surface for baseball, while its seats are also moveable. Its dome-shaped structure is an architectural marvel, providing a weather-proof environment for a variety of events, including concerts and exhibitions, alongside sports. A set of main bowl seats on one end of the dome also retracts, and the football pitch is slid into the stadium. The lower bowl is then rotated 90 degrees. The conversion from football to baseball occurs in reverse. Due to the retraction of seats, the Stadium has a capacity of 40,476 for baseball games, while it can house just over 42,000 spectators for football. See the remarkable process below: 1 Kai Tak Sports Park In the world of multi-purpose stadiums, Kai Tak Sports Park feels like a bit of a cheat code. Rising on the site of the old Kai Tak Airport, the state-of-the-art complex has transformed the landscape into a vibrant sporting metropolis. With an area of around 28 hectares, it is set to be the largest sports venue in the world when it opens in the first quarter of 2025. Costing HK$30 billion (£3.026b) it will have a 50,000-seat Main Stadium with a retractable roof, a 10,000-seat Indoor Sports Centre, and a 5,000-seat Public Sports Ground. The facility has been designed to meet the standards of major international events with customisable staging and seating configurations that cater to various events and crowd sizes. From bowling to badminton to swimming and football, the complex is geared to take all the best bits from the stadiums before it and take it to a whole new level.A look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaul

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Closing the gap in overseas remittances for FilipinosHJ Shipbuilding & Construction (HJSC) is setting new standards in the eco-friendly shipping industry. The company announced that it has obtained Approval in Principle (AIP) from Lloyd’s Register (LR) in the UK for the design concept of an 88,000m3 Very Large Ammonia Carrier (VLAC), marking a significant advancement in next-generation decarbonization vessel development. Ammonia, a clean fuel with no carbon dioxide emissions, is garnering attention alongside hydrogen as a key fuel for the carbon-neutral era. Building on its technological expertise gained through developing LNG dual-fuel (LNG DF) and methanol-fueled container ships, HJSC successfully completed the basic design for the ammonia carrier, meeting all design load conditions required by the classification society. In July, HJSC and Lloyd’s Register signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly develop the next-generation ammonia carrier. Over six months of intensive research led to the creation of a design that meets classification society requirements, opening a new chapter in eco-friendly shipbuilding technology. With this AIP for its design concept, HJSC plans to actively respond to the growing demand in the decarbonization vessel market. Beyond ammonia-powered ships, the company aims to lead the market by focusing on developing diverse eco-friendly vessels, including carbon capture and storage (CCS) ships, hydrogen-powered ships, and liquefied carbon dioxide carriers. HJSC CEO Yoo Sang-chul remarked, “The development of eco-friendly fuel-powered container ships aligned with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2050 carbon-zero goals has translated into tangible orders, receiving positive market feedback. Moving forward, we will continue to enhance our technological capabilities through ongoing research and development, cementing our position as a leader in the green shipping industry.”1:1 Bonus Issue Soon By Maruti Suzuki Company: Should You BUY India's Largest Auto Stock? PL Sets Rs 13,000 TP

Dec 30 (Reuters) - Talking points from the week in Asian football: Auckland FC returned to winning ways on Saturday with a 4-1 win over Central Coast Mariners to open up a four-point lead in Australia. The New Zealanders took full advantage of Adelaide United's 3-2 loss to Western Sydney Wanderers to extend their advantage at the summit while Melbourne Victory remain third after a 3-0 defeat by Sydney FC. Joe Lolley scored a brace at Sydney Football Stadium but the home side's celebrations were muted by a hamstring injury to marquee signing Douglas Costa. Defending champions Iraq crashed out of the Gulf Cup on Saturday after a 3-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia saw them miss out on a place in the semi-finals. The Saudis took second place in Group B behind Bahrain, who retained top spot despite a 2-1 loss to Yemen. Bahrain face hosts Kuwait in the last four while Saudi Arabia play Group A winners Oman. Vietnam will face either Thailand or the Philippines in the Asean Championship final after they defeated Singapore 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals. The Vietnamese, champions in 2008 and 2018, beat Singapore 2-0 at Jalan Besar Stadium in the first leg before following up with a 3-1 victory in Viet Tri in the return. Defending champions Thailand will need to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg in Manila if they are to move past the Philippines and progress to an 11th Asean final. Brazilian playmaker Oscar confirmed his departure from Shanghai Port after more than seven seasons with the Chinese Super League champions. The 33-year-old announced on social media on Christmas Day that he would not be renewing his contract with the club he joined from Chelsea in 2017 and where he won three CSL titles. Oscar, who has signed a contract with Sao Paulo, arrived at in Shanghai during the height of Chinese football's spending boom and led his team to the title in 2018, 2023 and 2024. Sign up here. Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Peter Rutherford Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabThe team that President-elect Donald Trump has selected to lead federal health agencies in his second administration includes a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All could play pivotal roles in fulfilling a political agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans' health — from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. In line to lead the Department of Health and Human Services secretary is environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump's choices don't have experience running large bureaucratic agencies, but they know how to talk about health on TV . People are also reading... Centers for Medicare and Medicaid pick Dr. Mehmet Oz hosted a talk show for 13 years and is a well-known wellness and lifestyle influencer. The pick for the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, and for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, are frequent Fox News contributors. Many on the list were critical of COVID-19 measures like masking and booster vaccinations for young people. Some of them have ties to Florida like many of Trump's other Cabinet nominees: Dave Weldon , the pick for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, represented the state in Congress for 14 years and is affiliated with a medical group on the state's Atlantic coast. Nesheiwat's brother-in-law is Rep. Mike Waltz , R-Fla., tapped by Trump as national security adviser. Here's a look at the nominees' potential role in carrying out what Kennedy says is the task to “reorganize” agencies, which have an overall $1.7 trillion budget, employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials, and effect Americans' daily lives: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Atlanta-based CDC, with a $9.2 billion core budget, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. Kennedy has long attacked vaccines and criticized the CDC, repeatedly alleging corruption at the agency. He said on a 2023 podcast that there is "no vaccine that is safe and effective,” and urged people to resist the CDC's guidelines about if and when kids should get vaccinated . The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past 50 years, and that 100 million of them were infants. Decades ago, Kennedy found common ground with Weldon , 71, who served in the Army and worked as an internal medicine doctor before he represented a central Florida congressional district from 1995 to 2009. Starting in the early 2000s, Weldon had a prominent part in a debate about whether there was a relationship between a vaccine preservative called thimerosal and autism. He was a founding member of the Congressional Autism Caucus and tried to ban thimerosal from all vaccines. Kennedy, then a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, believed there was a tie between thimerosal and autism and also charged that the government hid documents showing the danger. Since 2001, all vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market and routinely recommended for children 6 years or younger have contained no thimerosal or only trace amounts, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine. Meanwhile, study after study after study found no evidence that thimerosal caused autism. Weldon's congressional voting record suggests he may go along with Republican efforts to downsize the CDC, including to eliminate the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which works on topics like drownings, drug overdoses and shooting deaths. Weldon also voted to ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs as an approach to reduce overdoses, and the National Rifle Association gave him an “A” rating for his pro-gun rights voting record. Food and Drug Administration Kennedy is extremely critical of the FDA, which has 18,000 employees and is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and other medical products, as well as overseeing cosmetics, electronic cigarettes and most foods. Makary, Trump’s pick to run the FDA, is closely aligned with Kennedy on several topics . The professor at Johns Hopkins University who is a trained surgeon and cancer specialist has decried the overprescribing of drugs, the use of pesticides on foods and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators. Kennedy has suggested he'll clear out “entire” FDA departments and also recently threatened to fire FDA employees for “aggressive suppression” of a host of unsubstantiated products and therapies, including stem cells, raw milk , psychedelics and discredited COVID-era treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Makary's contrarian views during the COVID-19 pandemic included questioning the need for masking and giving young kids COVID-19 vaccine boosters. But anything Makary and Kennedy might want to do when it comes to unwinding FDA regulations or revoking long-standing vaccine and drug approvals would be challenging. The agency has lengthy requirements for removing medicines from the market, which are based on federal laws passed by Congress. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services The agency provides health care coverage for more than 160 million people through Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, and also sets Medicare payment rates for hospitals, doctors and other providers. With a $1.1 trillion budget and more than 6,000 employees, Oz has a massive agency to run if confirmed — and an agency that Kennedy hasn't talked about much when it comes to his plans. While Trump tried to scrap the Affordable Care Act in his first term, Kennedy has not taken aim at it yet. But he has been critical of Medicaid and Medicare for covering expensive weight-loss drugs — though they're not widely covered by either . Trump said during his campaign that he would protect Medicare, which provides insurance for older Americans. Oz has endorsed expanding Medicare Advantage — a privately run version of Medicare that is popular but also a source of widespread fraud — in an AARP questionnaire during his failed 2022 bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania and in a 2020 Forbes op-ed with a former Kaiser Permanente CEO. Oz also said in a Washington Examiner op-ed with three co-writers that aging healthier and living longer could help fix the U.S. budget deficit because people would work longer and add more to the gross domestic product. Neither Trump nor Kennedy have said much about Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income Americans. Trump's first administration reshaped the program by allowing states to introduce work requirements for recipients. Surgeon general Kennedy doesn't appear to have said much publicly about what he'd like to see from surgeon general position, which is the nation's top doctor and oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members. The surgeon general has little administrative power, but can be an influential government spokesperson on what counts as a public health danger and what to do about it — suggesting things like warning labels for products and issuing advisories. The current surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, declared gun violence as a public health crisis in June. Trump's pick, Nesheiwat, is employed as a New York City medical director with CityMD, a group of urgent care facilities in the New York and New Jersey area, and has been at City MD for 12 years. She also has appeared on Fox News and other TV shows, authored a book on the “transformative power of prayer” in her medical career and endorses a brand of vitamin supplements. She encouraged COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, calling them “a gift from God” in a February 2021 Fox News op-ed, as well as anti-viral pills like Paxlovid. In a 2019 Q&A with the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation , Nesheiwat said she is a “firm believer in preventive medicine” and “can give a dissertation on hand-washing alone.” National Institutes of Health As of Saturday, Trump had not yet named his choice to lead the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research through grants to researchers across the nation and conducts its own research. It has a $48 billion budget. Kennedy has said he'd pause drug development and infectious disease research to shift the focus to chronic diseases. He'd like to keep NIH funding from researchers with conflicts of interest, and criticized the agency in 2017 for what he said was not doing enough research into the role of vaccines in autism — an idea that has long been debunked . Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz and Matt Perrone and AP editor Erica Hunzinger contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. This story has been corrected to reflect that the health agencies have an overall budget of about $1.7 trillion, not $1.7 billion. Build your health & fitness knowledge

Renowned Human Biologist and Longevity Expert Gary Brecka Files $100M Defamation Claim Against Elena Cardone and Lawsuit Against Cardone Ventures in Response to Questionable Business Practices

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde said Europe’s continuing struggle to innovate and the souring geopolitical backdrop make it even more imperative to unite its capital markets. Addressing the Frankfurt European Banking Congress yesterday, she said the region’s inaction has cost it valuable time since she appeared at that same event in 2023 with much the same message. “Since last year, Europe’s declining innovation position has come more clearly to light,” she said. “The technology gap between the United States and Europe is now unmistakable. The geopolitical environment has also become less favourable, with growing threats to free trade from all corners of the world.” Since that 2023 speech, Donald Trump has regained the White House, while repeated European Union efforts to revive its longstanding initiative for a Capital Markets Union have effectively stalled. Now both its two biggest economies, Germany and France, face political stasis, with Berlin inching toward elections early next year. “The urgency to integrate our capital markets has risen,” Lagarde said. “This growing urgency has not been matched by tangible progress.” She recounted a tale of Brussels quagmire over the project, with “55 regulatory proposals and 50 non-legislative initiatives” devoted to the matter since 2015. “Breadth has come at the expense of depth,” she said. “It has allowed CMU to be picked apart by national vested interests that see one or another initiative as a threat.” This sentiment was echoed later at the same event by Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel. “While I know the devil is in the detail here, it is still frustrating to see how slow progress has been,” he said, criticising “member states’ reluctance to subordinate national interests to the common cause.” “We have to overcome this mindset and tear down the invisible walls obstructing financial market integration,” he said. The current backdrop is one where Europeans still save about a third of their total financial assets, compared with a 10th in the US, making them “much less wealthy than they could be,” Lagarde said. The region’s financial markets are “extraordinarily fragmented,” she observed, noting that last year the EU had 295 trading venues. The ECB president showed a map of them to leaders at a recent summit. “Some of them were flabbergasted,” she said. “If leaders can bypass the vested interests that are protected like a fortress in the ancient ages, we might have a chance.” Alongside creating a “European SEC,” Lagarde said that regulatory fixes could emulate the two-tier supranational approach adopted for competition or banking supervision. Another option would be to create “a separate EU legal regime that firms can opt into sitting alongside the various national regimes.” Nagel and Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau also wrote a joint op-ed for the Friday editions of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Le Monde to urge action in Europe. Lagarde also said that Europe needs to “fully harness the potential of our public development banks, especially the European Investment Bank, to pool risks and crowd in private capital.” “More can be done to unlock the EIB’s potential and enable us to catch up with our peers faster,” she said. “In particular, the EIB should be allowed to use its resources more effectively and provide a wider variety of instruments to support breakthrough innovations, especially when it comes to supporting early-stage startups.”

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami probably was one win away from getting into the College Football Playoff. Iowa State definitely was one win away. Their consolation prize of sorts: playing one another. The Hurricanes and Cyclones — a meteorological matchup — have accepted bids to the Pop-Tarts Bowl, to be played Dec. 28 in Orlando, Florida. Iowa State (10-3) is looking for its first 11-win season in the program’s 133-year history, and Miami (10-2) is seeking its first 11-win season since 2003. Miami’s loss at Syracuse to close the regular season wound up being the game the Hurricanes could point to as the reason they missed out on the CFP. Iowa State could have played its way in and lost the Big 12 title game to CFP-bound Arizona State on Saturday. “I think everyone that doesn’t get in feels disappointment,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “We feel the onus of just doing better. Just do better, go forward, have an opportunity to get better.” It’s essentially the same task for both teams: regrouping after seeing the playoff slip away. “I think that’s what’s made Iowa State football really special is our ability to have great resiliency,” Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. “And I know our kids are super-excited about the opportunity to finish off. Obviously (Saturday) was disappointing. But this group and this football team has the opportunity to just continue to fight.” RELATED COVERAGE No. 16 Iowa State falls short in Big 12 title game again, this time with CFP at stake Arizona State makes College Football Playoff with 45-19 win over Iowa State in Big 12 title game Big 12’s Yormark brings up hard choices for fans before sparsely attended title game A big question for Miami: whether quarterback Cam Ward will play. The likely Heisman Trophy finalist has thrown for 155 touchdown passes in his career at Incarnate Word, Washington State and Miami. That’s tied for the most by anyone in Division I (FBS and FCS) history; Case Keenum threw 155 in his career at Houston. Many draft-bound players not in the playoff will be opting out of bowl games over the coming weeks. There’s been no indication from Miami yet that Ward or any other draft-bound player has made a decision. “I think it’s important that our guys, anyone playing and closing out the season, understands the importance of that next step for a program like ours,” Cristobal said. “And I think our guys do.” ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballSherwin-Williams SVP Mary Garceau sells $6.3 million in stockTCS Share Price Live blog for 30 Dec 2024

Adam Pemble, an Associated Press video journalist who covered some of the biggest global news of the past two decades, from earthquakes and conflicts to political summits and elections, has died. He was 52. Pemble died Thursday in Minneapolis surrounded by friends and family, according to his friend Mike Moe, who helped care for him in the final weeks of his fight against cancer. Known for bringing stories alive with his camera, Pemble epitomized the best of television news traditions, casting a curious and compassionate lens onto the lives of the people and communities whose stories he told. He joined the AP in 2007 in New York before moving to Prague in 2011 to help launch AP’s first cross-format operation combining photography, text stories and video. He enhanced Eastern European news coverage, creating distinctive stories highlighting the region’s culture and society. “Adam was an incredibly talented and passionate journalist and an empathetic storyteller. He had this amazing ability to get anyone to talk to him on camera, which I attribute to the Midwestern charm he embodied throughout his life.” said Sara Gillesby, AP’s Director of Global Video and Pemble’s former manager in New York when he joined the AP. “He was the best of us.” Pemble was born in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, in 1972 and grew up in Minneapolis. After graduating with a degree in mass communications from Minnesota State University Moorhead, he started his journalism career in 1997 at KVLY, a television station in Fargo, North Dakota, and later worked at WCCO in Minneapolis. “He had the skills of the old-school camera people to meet a deadline and turn a beautiful story,” said Arthur Phillips, a cameraman who worked with Pemble at WCCO. “But he had a calling for greater things.” Moving to New York, Pemble covered some of the biggest stories in the city, including the trial of Bernie Madoff, interviews with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and with then-real estate developer, now U.S. president-elect, Donald Trump. He went to Haiti to cover the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, where he captured shocking images of devastation. A few weeks later he was in Vancouver, covering the Winter Olympics. With his transfer to Prague, Pemble quickly became the go-to video journalist deployed to the biggest news events in Europe, interviewing government leaders, covering violent protests, the aftermath of terror attacks and numerous national elections across the continent. “An inquiring mind, a keen eye and a healthy skepticism for those in power who tried to spin away from the truth all combined to make Adam’s stories as rich in colour as he was in character,” said Sandy MacIntyre, former AP head of global video. “Time and again he was asked to do the impossible and without fail he delivered the exceptional.” ”But more than all of that, he was the colleague and friend you wanted by your side because if Adam was there we knew we were going to be the winning team.” As civil unrest rocked Ukraine in 2014, Pemble reported from Kyiv and later Donetsk, where he covered the first Russian-backed demonstrations before spending weeks in Crimea during Russia’s annexation of the strategic peninsula. His video reports included the last remaining Ukrainian sailors loyal to Kyiv, who had finally abandoned their ship and came ashore. With the Russian national anthem playing from a car in the background, his final shot showed two distraught sailors heckled as they walked away. Pemble returned to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of the country in 2022. Among his many assignments was March 2023 AP interview by Executive Editor Julie Pace with across Ukraine to cities near some of the fiercest fighting. “Adam showed up to every assignment with enthusiasm, creativity and commitment to his work and his colleagues. He loved what he did, and so many of us at AP are better for having worked alongside him,” Pace said. When not deployed overseas, set his camera’s gaze on his new home in the Czech Republic, offering insight into the traditions and unique stories of Eastern Europe. From Christmas carp fishing at sunrise to graffiti artists in Prague to the intimate story of a Slovak priest challenging the celibacy rules of the Catholic Church, he brought his unmistakable style. He worked with a traditional large broadcast camera in an era where many video shooters shifted to smaller, lighter cameras. He always put himself in the right place to let reality unfold like “an old school analog painter in an often fast and furious digital age,” former AP cameraman Ben Jary recalled. Pemble’s interest in visual storytelling led to experimenting with new technologies, including aerial videography. In 2015, he was the first major news agency camera operator to film live drone footage when reporting on the migration crisis in the Balkans. An avid gardener who planted trees and chilis on his rooftop in Prague, he was adventurous in the kitchen and especially proud of his vegan “meatloaf,” friends said. He loved a seedy dive bar as much as a Michelin restaurant and foods as varied as charcoal choux pastry with truffle creme and his favourite road trip junk food, Slim Jim’s jerky and Salted Nut Rolls. Pemble’s wit, wisdom, energy and positivity enriched the lives and experiences of those around him, friends and colleagues recalled. “If someone asked me to see a picture of quiet strength and courage, dignity and grace, and most of all kindness, I would show them a picture of a man for all seasons,” said Dan Huff, a Washington-based AP video journalist, “I would show them a picture of Adam Pemble.”NoneGE Aerospace has successfully demonstrated a one-megawatt hybrid electric propulsion system as part of a $5.1 million research and development contract with the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory (ARL). Under the Applied Research Collaborative Systematic Turboshaft Electrification Project (ARC-STEP) contract, GE Aerospace researched, developed, tested, and evaluated a megawatt (MW) class electrified power plant. This work aimed to identify and enhance technologies applicable to future Army air vehicle propulsion systems and military electrified ground vehicles. “GE Aerospace has a nearly 50-year legacy as the powerplant for Army Aviation from the proven T700 engine to the new revolutionary T901 engine,” said John Martin, Director of Turboshaft Advanced Programs at GE Aerospace. “ARC-STEP builds on that legacy and refines technologies along a path for hybrid electric propulsion for both the US Army and the world.” Hybrid electric propulsion system The successful demonstration featured a CT7 turboshaft engine paired with an electric machine and power electronics produced by GE Aerospace. During the testing conducted at the GE Aerospace Research Center in Niskayuna, New York, experts from both the US Army and GE Aerospace collaborated to investigate and integrate technologies that enable the development of lightweight, efficient, reliable, and safe hybrid-electric propulsion systems. The effects of hybrid electric propulsion on the efficiency and effectiveness of different platform types were also analyzed during the demonstration. “It’s exciting to see the successful demonstration of ARC-STEP, which has enhanced our understanding of the potential for MW-class series hybrid systems to power future Army air and ground vehicles,” Dr. Mike Kweon, program manager of DEVCOM ARL’s Versatile Tactical Power and Propulsion Essential Research Program (VICTOR ERP), said. “Often, power and propulsion systems are significant bottlenecks in advancing transformational capabilities. I look forward to seeing how ARC-STEP will shape the direction of power systems for the Army’s future air and ground vehicles.” The efforts associated with this Army contract support GE Aerospace’s work in hybrid electric propulsion. This includes the Hybrid Electric Experiment (HEX) program in collaboration with Sikorsky and the NASA Electric Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project. The goal is to develop a megawatt-class integrated hybrid electric powertrain and demonstrate its flight readiness for single-aisle aircraft. ARC-STEP, HEX, and EPFD are helping GE Aerospace continue building extensive experience with hybrid electric systems and power generation. CT7 turboshaft engine GE Aerospace has highlighted the operational versatility of its CT7 family of turboshaft and turboprop engines, which are utilized globally in various aviation environments. The company notes that the CT7-2 engine, offering 2,000 shaft horsepower, is recognized for its durability, fuel efficiency, and adaptability. It serves helicopters in multiple roles, including executive transport, firefighting, and rescue missions. Additionally, the CT7-8 engine family, with shaft horsepower ranging from 2,500 to 3,000, is tailored to meet the rigorous demands of modern medium-lift helicopters. This engine suits executive transport, search and rescue, passenger transport, and the oil and gas sectors. The efforts associated with this Army contract support GE Aerospace’s work in hybrid electric propulsion. This includes the Hybrid Electric Experiment (HEX) program in collaboration with Sikorsky and the NASA Electric Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project. The goal is to develop a megawatt-class integrated hybrid electric powertrain and demonstrate its flight readiness for single-aisle aircraft. To date, GE Aerospace has delivered over 1,500 CT7 engines, collectively accumulating 30 million flight hours, underscoring their reliability and performance in the field.