3 jili Will Travis Kelce propose to Taylor Swift on her birthday? What we know about the celebrationMinnesota college student hopes to comfort others with Christian-based music appMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa wouldn't want to repeat everything that was said in the Miami Dolphins' huddle Sunday when they trailed the New York Jets in the fourth quarter. “Just know we were getting after everyone inside the huddle," Tagovailoa said, "to make sure you're blocking the way you need to block, you're running the routes the way you need to be — you need to be in the right spots." Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — RJ Felton had 21 points in East Carolina's 71-64 victory over Stetson on Friday. Felton also added eight rebounds for the Pirates (5-1). Joran Riley scored 14 points while going 4 of 11 and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds. Cam Hayes shot 3 for 7 (2 for 4 from 3-point range) and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points. The Hatters (1-5) were led in scoring by Mehki, who finished with 15 points and two steals. Abramo Canka added 14 points for Stetson. Jordan Wood had 12 points. East Carolina led Stetson at the half, 39-33, with Hayes (10 points) its high scorer before the break. East Carolina took the lead for good with 6:56 left in the second half on a free throw from Felton to make it a 60-59 game. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm, the Inquirer Foundation, continues to inspire and empower Filipinos across generations. Through a variety of impactful initiatives, the foundation bridges gaps within communities, fostering partnerships and meaningful connections nationwide. Since its launch in 2019, INQskwela has reached 10 local governments, benefiting over 60,000 learners across 94 schools and strengthening ties with local governments in Eastern Samar, Manila, Davao del Sur and Baguio. Memorandum of agreement signings and culminating activities have cemented these collaborations. Designed as a response to the Philippines’ low ranking in the Programme for International Student Assessment for reading, math and science, INQskwela integrates news content into lesson plans to promote literacy, critical thinking and readership among students. Teachers enhance lessons in social studies and English using INQPlus, making education more engaging and relevant. Culminating activities have included a quiz bee held in partnership with the Baguio LGU in May, and a journalism workshop held in November at Frances National High School in Calumpit, Bulacan, led by Inquirer editors Volt Contreras and Robert Jaworski Abaño. These initiatives help enrich student learning and offer unique benefits to partner schools and communities. This year, the Inquirer Read-Along program conducted five sessions, including a festival, in partnership with organizations, such as PLDT-Smart, McDonald’s, Philippine Airlines, Metrobank Foundation and Okada Manila. Over 200 children attended in-person sessions, while thousands more engaged online via the Inquirer Facebook page. NEVER-ENDING SUCCESS STORY The longest-running Inquirer advocacy, which promotes the love of reading among children turned 17 this year, finding solid partners for its sessions like the Metrobank Foundation (above) and cool venues like the Christmas Village of Okada Manila (below). —EUGENE ARANETA The program also held a special session for senior citizens, showcasing its commitment to fostering intergenerational connections and celebrating the joy of reading with people of all ages. On its 31st year, the Inquirer Journalism Scholarship Program expanded its support for aspiring journalists in partnership with AboitizPower. Three University of the Philippines (UP) students—Andre Esguerra, Lau Bacia and Jaemie Talingdan—were awarded scholarships, which include stipends, book allowances, communication support and lodging for two academic years. This collaboration underscores the Inquirer Foundation’s dedication to nurturing future journalists who will contribute to nation-building through credible and impactful storytelling. The Inquirer ESG Edge initiative highlights the Inquirer Group of Companies’ (IGC) commitment to advancing sustainability through impactful partnerships and regional collaboration. As one of the three founding members of the Asia Sustainability Impact Consortium, alongside Malaysia’s Star Media Group and Indonesia’s Kompas Gramedia, the Inquirer is part of a pioneering cross-border alliance launched in June that collectively reaches 123 million individuals across Southeast Asia to help amplify sustainability efforts and foster regional awareness. As the Philippine representative in the consortium, IGC collaborates with 15 organizations from the business, civic, education and environmental sectors to promote sustainable practices. These esteemed partners include the Philippine Business for Social Progress, Philippine Business for Education, World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines, Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Inc., Center for Conservation Innovations PH Inc., Foundation for the Philippine Environment, Environmental Studies Institute, Philippine Initiative for Environmental Conservation, Allianz PNB Life, British Chamber of Commerce, League of Corporate Foundations, Ateneo Institute of Sustainability, Management Association of the Philippines, SustainablePH and Circularity Club 22. DEEP DIVE The first ESG Edge forum held in September tackled the state of education and gender equality, hearing from speakers who offered both insights and hard data. —EUGENE ARANETA Through these partnerships, Inquirer ESG Edge strives to educate the public and stakeholders about the importance of Environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, creating a community that shares insights and informed discussions on critical sustainability issues. As part of its advocacy, Inquirer ESG Edge publishes weekly features and specials that address pressing ESG challenges and highlight innovative solutions. These articles, enriched by contributions from partner organizations, aim to inspire action and promote best practices. The initiative also offers interactive learning opportunities through Inquirer ESG Connect, a platform for webinars, workshops and forums that bring stakeholders together. In 2024, ESG Connect hosted two notable discussions: a session on quality education and gender equality in September and a forum on hybrid energy solutions in November. These events provided participants valuable insights and fostered collaboration on sustainable development strategies. By leveraging its extensive network and commitment to ESG advocacy, the Inquirer ESG Edge initiative serves as a catalyst for meaningful change, driving progress toward a more sustainable future for the Philippines and the broader Southeast Asian region. The Inquirer Internship and Immersion Program welcomed 64 student interns from universities nationwide in 2024. Interns from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of the East (UE), University of Asia and the Pacific, University of Santo Tomas, AMA University and Colleges, Bicol University, UP Baguio, UP Los Baños, UE Caloocan, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Far Eastern University, Ateneo de Manila University, Batangas State University, FAITH Colleges, Adamson University, International School Manila, and St. Francis of Assisi gained hands-on experience across departments, such as Marketing, Information Technology, Human Resources, Lifestyle, Research, Sports, the Luzon Bureau and Distribution, preparing them for future careers while contributing to the Inquirer’s dynamic operations. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . In response to Supertyphoon “Carina” and Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine,” the Inquirer Foundation spearheaded relief efforts to support affected families. Through the generosity of donors and the collaboration of partners like the Tanging Yaman Foundation and Angat Buhay, over 320 families at Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City; Lian, Batangas; and Noveleta, Cavite, received essential supplies and assistance. AID EFFORTS The company goes beyond reporting calamities but also reaches out to the affected communities , like in the aftermath of Supertyphoon “Carina” in September (upper photo) and Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine” in November. —PHOTOS BY JONG DIZON AND TANGING YAMAN FOUNDATION These efforts exemplify the Inquirer Foundation’s abiding commitment to solidarity and community support in times of need. On its 39th year, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and its foundation remain steadfast in their mission to empower communities, enhance education and promote sustainability. Through its diverse programs and initiatives, the Inquirer continues to do its part in building a brighter future for the Filipino. INQ

Shares of United Natural Foods ( UNFI 20.02% ) were soaring today after the leading wholesaler of organic and natural foods posted strong results in its fiscal first-quarter earnings report, beating estimates on the top and bottom lines. As a result, the stock finished the day up 20%. UNFI is on the rebound United Natural Foods (UNFI) has now more than tripled from its low in the spring as investments in increased efficiency and other initiatives are paying off. In Q1, revenue increased 4.2% to $7.87 billion, easily beating estimates at $7.61 billion. Its supernatural segment, which currently consists of just Whole Foods, delivered strong growth with revenue up 13.8% to $1.84 billion. At its largest segment, chains, which consists of grocery banners with more than 10 locations, revenue rose 3.5% to $3.29 billion. The business benefited from value initiatives that attracted increased spending from existing customers like Whole Foods, and it's also optimizing its distribution network, driving profitability improvements. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ( EBITDA ) rose 14.5% to $134 million. On the bottom line, adjusted earnings per share (EPS) rose from a loss of $0.04 to a profit of $0.16, well ahead of the consensus at a loss of $0.01. UNFI CEO Sandy Douglas said, What's next for UNFI The food wholesaler also raised its guidance for the full year. It now sees revenue of $30.6 billion to $31 billion, which represents a 0.6% decline at the midpoint, and was up from its previous forecast of $30.3 billion to $30.8 billion. It also raised its adjusted EPS forecast from $0.20 to $0.80 to $0.40 to $0.80, which compares to just $0.14 in the quarter a year ago. The stock might look pricey based on that forecast, but there is a lot of room for improvement here and upside potential for this niche leader.

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tua Tagovailoa wouldn't want to repeat everything that was said in the Miami Dolphins' huddle Sunday when they trailed the New York Jets in the fourth quarter. “Just know we were getting after everyone inside the huddle," Tagovailoa said, "to make sure you're blocking the way you need to block, you're running the routes the way you need to be — you need to be in the right spots." Whatever was said helped keep Miami's slim playoff hopes alive as the Dolphins (6-7) overcame 8- and 3-point fourth-quarter deficits, as well as one of Aaron Rodgers' best games in years, to beat the Jets 32-26. Tagovailoa sealed it with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in overtime to help the Dolphins spoil Rodgers' first 300-yard passing game in nearly three years and beat the Jets for the ninth straight time in Miami. After Jason Sanders tied it with 7 seconds left in regulation with a 42-yard field goal, Tagovailoa quickly moved the Dolphins down the field. That came after Anders Carlson gave the struggling Jets (3-10) — who were eliminated from postseason contention for the 14th straight year — the lead with a 42-yarder with 52 seconds remaining. But Malik Washington put the Dolphins in great position to help set up Sanders' field goal with a 45-yard kickoff return to Miami's 46-yard line. “It was one of those moments where you make a split [second]- decision and just take it and see what happens next," the rookie Washington said, "and be a football player.” Tagovailoa was 33 of 47 for 331 yards and two TDs. He had just one incompletion on Miami's eight-play, 70-yard scoring drive that was capped by Smith's fourth touchdown of the season. Smith didn’t have a reception before catching three passes for 44 yards on the winning drive. “A win means a lot,” said Tagovailoa, who has 300 yards passing in three straight games. “It means a lot because we have no room for error to lose another game." Rodgers was 27 of 39 for 339 yards, ending a drought of 34 regular-season games without a 300-yard passing game — dating to Dec. 12, 2021, while with Green Bay — and had a TD pass to Davante Adams. But Rodgers could only watch from the sideline in overtime as the Jets never got the ball after blowing a second straight second-half lead. “A lot of different ways we’ve lost these games,” Rodgers said. “Everybody has some skin on that, but we had opportunities on offense. Whatever happens on defense doesn’t matter. We got to get to 30 [points]. We didn’t do it.” Rodgers and Adams connected for a 3-yard score in the third quarter, the pair's 79th touchdown in the regular and postseason. They passed Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown for the fourth-most by a quarterback-receiver duo in NFL history. Adams finished with nine catches and 109 yards. Down 8 at the start of the fourth, Tagovailoa found Tyreek Hill for a 4-yard touchdown, and Jaylen Waddle caught the two-point conversion to tie it at 23. Hill caught 10 passes for 115 yards, and Waddle added 99 yards on nine catches. The Jets had taken a 20-15 lead in the third on Adams' touchdown that was set up by a 42-yard pickup by Garrett Wilson, who beat cornerback Jalen Ramsey on a double move to get open. A 40-yard field goal by Carlson later stretched New York's lead to 8 after the Dolphins went scoreless in the quarter. “Actually, when we were down 23-15, when we were trotting back on the field, everybody knew what was at stake at that moment,” Hill said. “We know if we lose, it’s over. Our season is over.” The matchup pitted the Jets' No. 2-ranked pass defense against Tagovailoa, the NFL's most accurate passer, and Miami's No. 9-ranked pass defense against the four-time MVP Rodgers who has had a subpar season. Both quarterbacks were strong and the teams played rather evenly at first, with each scoring on their first three possessions. The first punt of the game was on Miami's first drive of the second half, and the Jets scored on their first five possessions. Tagovailoa had just three incompletions in the first half and was 3 for 3 on Miami's final drive of the second quarter, moving the Dolphins into field goal range in 45 seconds to set up a 57-yarder by Sanders, which tied the kicker's career best. Sanders also made kicks of 39 and 24 yards, and De'Von Achane had a 2-yard touchdown run on Miami's opening possession. Rodgers moved the Jets inside Miami's 20 three times in the first half. Isaiah Davis ran for a 17-yard score, and Carlson made field goals of 28 and 30 yards. Wilson caught seven passes for 114 yards. Jets: RT Morgan Moses injured his wrist during pregame warmups. He started, but was replaced during the game by Max Mitchell. ... WR Irvin Charles left with a knee injury. Dolphins: LT Terron Armstead left early after apparently tweaking the knee that sidelined him this week in practice. ... WR Dee Eskridge (knee) and LB Anthony Walker Jr (hamstring) were also injured. Jets: At Jacksonville on Sunday. Dolphins: At Houston on Sunday.A Baylor University student won $100,000 in tuition in buzzer-beater fashion by throwing the most footballs into an oversize Dr Pepper can during the ACC Championship game Saturday. With milliseconds on the clock, Baylor junior Miller Manguno threw his 11th accurate football into the oversize Dr Pepper can, besting his competition by one during halftime of the championship game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, between Southern Methodist University and Clemson University. The Clemson Tigers staved off a furious 17-point Mustang comeback for a 34-31 victory in the game. Manguno, a neuroscience student from Germantown, Tennessee, narrowly earned the $100,000 prize, as he and a fellow competitor were tied at 10 points apiece before Manguno’s toss as time expired. The contest, part of Dr Pepper’s 16th annual tuition giveaway, featured eight finalists across four major college football conference championship games. Each participant had 30 seconds to throw as many footballs as possible into an oversize Dr Pepper can, with the top scorer at each game receiving the six-figure grand prize. The runner up receives $20,000 in tuition money. To participate in the halftime contest, college students typically need to submit a video entry explaining why they deserve the scholarship money and how it would make a difference in their lives. Judges select finalists based on the video submissions and demonstrated need for financial aid. Dr Pepper’s tuition giveaway program has awarded more than $19 million to students across the country, according to a press release Monday . Derek Dabrowski, senior vice president of brand marketing at Keurig Dr Pepper, said the program represents a great deal of pride. “Dr Pepper celebrates college football all season long and recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding leadership and a passion for making a difference in their communities,” Dabrowski said in the press release. Manguno’s victory places him among other grand prize recipients from the weekend, including students representing Lincoln Memorial University, California State Polytechnic University Pomona and Salem State University. Baylor has seen a handful of $100,000 winners through the Dr Pepper contest in recent years, among them Reagan Whitaker in 2022 and Andrea Gathercole in 2019 . Here's the latest for Monday, Dec. 9th: Man arrested for questioning in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO; Search for clues in the killing continued in New York’s Central Park; Man acquitted in New York subway chokehold death; Syrian rebels meet with country’s prime minister Get local news delivered to your inbox! Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

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Transplant Diagnostics Industry worth $6.8 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 7.4% 12-11-2024 12:14 AM CET | Health & Medicine Press release from: ABNewswire The transplant diagnostics industry is likely to see some major advances in the near future. There are a number of new technologies and treatments being developed that will revolutionize the way transplant diagnostics are done. Browse 168 market data Tables and 44 Figures spread through 260 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Transplant Diagnostics Market by Technology (PCR, NGS, Sanger Sequencing), Product(Instrument, Reagent, Software), Application(HLA, Blood Profile, Pathogen Detection), Type (Heart, Kidney, Liver, Bone Marrow), End User, & Region - Global Forecasts to 2028 Transplant Diagnostics Market [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/global-transplant-diagnostics-market-2531061.html?utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=paidpr ] in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $4.4 billion in 2022 and is poised to reach $6.8 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2022 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets Trademark . Organ transplants have gradually improved over the past 20 years and typically produce excellent results in children and young adults. However, the proportion of elderly transplant patients with comorbidities is increasing, posing a greater challenge. When compared to dialysis, renal transplants increase patient survival, and patients with liver, heart, or lung diseases that are incurable must receive life-saving transplants. The activity of solid organ transplant programmes has been steadily increasing, but it still falls short of global needs and varies greatly between nations. Transplanting solid organs is crucial for advanced and established medical systems. Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=2531061 [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=2531061&utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=paidpr ] Molecular assay technologies segment to register a significant growth rate over the forecast period of 2022-2028 Based on Technology, molecular assay technologies are segmented to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. Molecular assay technologies are segmented into PCR-Based molecular assays and sequencing-based molecular assays. PCR-based molecular assays are further segmented into Real-time PCR, Sequence-specific primer, Sequence-specific Oligonucleotide and other PCR-based molecular assays. Sequence-specific Oligonucleotide is growing at the highest CAGR of 9.5%. The Reagents & Consumables holds the largest share in the Product and Service segment of the Transplant diagnostic market. The reagents and consumables is projected to reach USD 5,131.0 million from USD USD 3,265.2 million in 2022 with the CAGR of 7.8%. Based on End users, the transplant diagnostic market is segmented into Hospitals and Diagnostic centers, Research & Academic Institutes and Independent reference laboratories. The Independent reference laboratories segment accounted for the largest share of the transplant diagnostic market. The growing number of organ transplant procedures and growing number of diagnostic labs across emerging countries are helping the independent diagnostic centers to hold the largest share. North America to register major growth in the market during the forecast period North America transplant diagnostic market is anticipated to register the highest growth over the forecast period of 2022 to 2028. North America accounted for the largest share of 45.5% of the transplant diagnostic market in 2022. This market is projected to reach USD 3.1 billion by 2028 from USD 2.0 billion in 2022, at a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period. North America holds 45.5% share of the total antimicrobial susceptibility testing market. The large share of North America can be attributed due to the growth in the geriatric population and the increase in infectious diseases., Asia-Pacific is expected to experience significant development. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=2531061 [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=2531061&utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=paidpr ] Transplant Diagnostics Market Dynamics: Drivers: * Increasing number of transplant procedures * Technological advancements in transplant diagnostic procedures * Increasing public-private funding for target research activities * Rising prevalence of infectious diseases Restraints: * High procedural cost of NGS- and PCR-based diagnostic assays * Limited reimbursement for target procedures Opportunities: * Rising adoption of cross-matching and chimerism testing during pre- & post-transplantation * Growing public awareness about organ donation and transplantation Challenges: * Significant gap between number of organ donors and organs required annually * Procedural and technical limitations associated with donor-recipient screening Key Market Players: As of 2022, prominent players are Becton, Dickinson and Company, Biomerieux SA, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.F-Hoffman-LA-Roche, and Thermo fisher Scientific. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=2531061 [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=2531061&utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=paidpr ] Transplant Diagnostics Market Advantages: * Transplant diagnostics allow for improved accuracy in the diagnosis and treatment of organ transplant recipients. * More accurate diagnostic tests can lead to earlier detection and treatment of organ transplant complications, reducing the risk of organ rejection and other transplant-related complications. * Improved accuracy can reduce health care costs by reducing the number of unnecessary treatments and tests. * Transplant diagnostics can also help to identify the most suitable donor organs for transplantation, reducing the risk of organ rejection and improving the success rate of transplants. * Transplant diagnostics can also help to improve the quality of life for transplant recipients by providing more accurate and timely diagnosis and treatment. Transplant Diagnostics Market - Report Highlights: * The study consists of the average selling price (ASP) analysis for different products in the Transplant Diagnostic market. * The research study comprises the patent analysis of technologies/solutions used in the Transplant Diagnostic market * The new market study consists of the trends/disruptions impacting customers' businesses. * The new market study consists of information on key conferences and events in 2022-2028. * The new market study consists of the region-wise regulatory landscape. * The new market study provides details of the strategies of the top 5 players operating in the market. * The competitive landscape chapter has been updated with the market evaluation matrix. The competitive landscape also includes the market share analysis of major global players (as of 2021), updated competitive leadership mapping, and competitive situations and trends. * The new market study comprises 25 players. These companies have emerged as key market players in recent years due to their products and various strategic investments undertaken in the transplant diagnostic market. * Updated financial information/product portfolio of players: The new edition of the report provides updated financial information in the context of the medical aesthetic market from January 2020 to July 2022 (depending on availability) for each listed company in graphical representation. * Updated market developments of profiled players: The current report includes the market developments from January 2022 to July 2022. During the production cycle of the report, in-depth interviews were conducted with various primary respondents, which include key opinion leaders, subject matter experts, directors, and C-level executives of selected particle counters vendors to obtain and verify critical qualitative and quantitative information. This primary data was collected mainly through questionnaires, mails, and telephonic interviews. Media Contact Company Name: MarketsandMarkets Trademark Research Private Ltd. Contact Person: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=transplant-diagnostics-industry-worth-68-billion-by-2028-with-a-cagr-of-74 ] Phone: 18886006441 Address:1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 City: Florida State: Florida Country: United States Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/global-transplant-diagnostics-market-2531061.html This release was published on openPR.Abono party list president gunned down in Pangasinan

Anthony Albanese splashed out $62,000 on flowers and a musical performance for world leaders at a summit in Melbourne earlier this year. Documents supplied to the federal opposition through freedom of information requests show the Prime Minister’s office spent $18,000 on the flowers and $44,000 for singer Jess Mauboy. The major event was a dinner at the 50-year ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit, which brought together 11 prime ministers, presidents and sultans in Melbourne in March. Australia is not a member of ASEAN, rather a “comprehensive strategic partner”. Opposition waste spokesman James Stevens said the floral expense was “remarkable and insulting” amid cost-of-living pressures. “Albo’s flower power has cost taxpayers more than $60,000 in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis,” Mr Stevens said in a statement. “Unfortunately, this is just another example of our Prime Minister enjoying himself at the taxpayer’s expense.” The Prime Minister’s office says the expenditure was in line with similar events, including the 2018 ASEAN conference. Mr Albanese’s office also said two-way trade between Australia and the ASEAN nations totalled $183.4bn last year. The documents show the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet spent $18,513 on floral arrangements for the leaders and spouses’ dinner at the conference, including a $7000 12m dining table centrepiece. ARIA-winner Mauboy was also paid $44,000 of taxpayer money to perform. “What an honour it was to perform at the reception for the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2024 in Melbourne this week,” she posted on social media at the time. “Thank you so much for having me.” In a statement to The Daily Telegraph, the Prime Minister’s office said the summit was a “major event commemorating 50 years of our relations with ASEAN” and pointed to the economic value of Australian trade within ASEAN nations. “All procurement related to the summit was undertaken in accordance with Commonwealth procurement rules,” the statement read. “Expenditure on the summit was in line with similar-sized events, including the 2018 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney.” Separate publicly available tender documents show hiring the National Gallery of Victoria cost more than $41,000, plus $13,600 for food and drinks.

Investors planning to generate passive income in 2025 could consider top with a solid dividend payment and growth history. Notably, these Canadian are backed by well-established businesses with and a growing earnings base, enabling them to pay and increase their dividend distributions with each passing year. With this background, here are three dividend stocks from leading sectors: energy, utilities, and banking. They offer steady passive income potential and the opportunity to diversify your portfolio in 2025. ( ) is a top Canadian stock offering worry-free passive income. This energy company has consistently rewarded its shareholders with higher dividends. Enbridge transports oil and gas, and benefits from the higher utilization of its extensive liquids pipeline and low-risk growth projects. This enables the company to consistently grow its earnings and distributable cash flow (DCF) and pay higher dividends. Enbridge has paid dividends for over 69 years and raised them for 29 consecutive years. Enbridge’s resilient business model, long-term contracts, power-purchase agreements, and cost-of-service framework position it well to grow its earnings and DCF per share and offer higher payouts. Further, its highly diversified revenue stream, multi-billion-dollar capital projects, ongoing investments in its renewable energy portfolio, and growing utility footprint augur well for growth. Enbridge’s management anticipates its EPS and DCF per share growing by mid-single digits in the long run. This will enable Enbridge to increase its dividend at a similar rate. Besides higher dividends, Enbridge stock offers a compelling yield of about 6.2%. Like energy companies, Canada’s have a proven track record of solid dividend payouts. One such leading dividend stock from the utility sector is ( ), which can help generate worry-free passive income for investors in 2025. Canadian Utilities offers gas and electricity services and has an impressive record of dividend growth. Notably, it has raised its dividend for 52 consecutive years, the highest by any Canadian company. This also offers a healthy yield of about 5%. The company’s resilient payouts reflect its ability to consistently generate high-quality earnings. Canadian Utilities’ defensive business model, rate-regulated utility operations, and a growing rate base will likely drive its earnings, supporting its future payouts. Canadian Utilities continues to invest in regulated utilities, which will likely expand its rate base and boost its earnings. Thanks to low-risk earnings, the company will likely enhance its shareholders’ value through higher payouts in the coming years. Leading Canadian are renowned for their consistent dividend distribution. Canada’s top banking companies have paid dividends for over a century. One such leading bank is ( ), which stands out for its impressive dividend growth and regular payments. Toronto-Dominion Bank has continuously paid dividends for 167 years. Moreover, its dividend has increased at a CAGR of 10% since 1998, making it a reliable dividend stock for generating passive income. Toronto-Dominion Bank’s diversified revenue stream, ability to grow loans and deposits, and operating efficiency will continue to fuel its earnings and dividend payments. Further, its solid balance sheet and accretive acquisitions bode well for future growth. This Canadian banking giant also maintains a conservative dividend payout ratio of 40–50%, which is sustainable in the long term. Moreover, it offers a compelling yield of 5.2% near the current market price.

Closing marks second significant acquisition from RA Capital's Raven incubator in 2024, and first acquisition of a company built by Raven from a technology platform in-licensed from a large pharmaceutical company BOSTON , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RA Capital Management, LP (RA Capital), a multi-stage investment manager dedicated to evidence-based investing in public and private healthcare, life sciences, and planetary health companies, today announced that AbbVie has closed its $1.4 billion acquisition of RA Capital's portfolio company Aliada Therapeutics. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.kkjili casino no deposit bonus 。

Govt allocated space for Manmohan Singh's memorial, Congress playing 'cheap politics': JP Nadda

Ho ho ho, the holiday season has arrived and while it is a time of love and giving, criminals know that it is also a time of distraction. The creativity and expansion of digital access makes crime more accessible and harder to track than in years past. Old schemes take on new approaches and it is costing innocent people tremendous loss. Living in an area known for safety, our guard is down, oftentimes making us more vulnerable to the ingenuity of criminal behavior. These can take the form of outright theft of merchandise or property, to the demand for money via fear (of arrest, deportation, medical bills, loved one in trouble, etc.). Some of it is direct, such as a personal phone call or contact. Others are through seemingly innocent social media, or even coming from credible sources like a caller ID that displays a familiar number, or an email that has been “spoofed.” In phone calls, timing can work to their advantage; if made late at night, clear thinking can be clouded by exhaustion. With advancements in artificial intelligence, even amateurs can duplicate voices and images of public officials or even loved ones, to appear genuine. We are receiving complaints about phone calls listing the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office in caller ID, demanding money for an ignored arrest warrant. Here is one recent example. The caller says, “I’m calling to let you know that there is a warrant out for your arrest.” Shocked, you respond in disbelief. “What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything illegal.” They say, “You ignored a subpoena to report for jury duty and the judge has issued a warrant for your arrest. But before we come out, I wanted to allow you the opportunity to pay your bail now, to avoid having to get processed into jail in the middle of the night. We can easily take care of it with a credit card, bank transfer, or gift card.” If you receive one of these calls, please know that we will never call asking for money ... not ever! If you get a call, tell them that you need a few minutes to determine how to best send the money and call the Sheriff’s Office directly ... do not simply return their call or dial a number they provide. You don’t quite understand what’s happening, but putting up bail now, without going through an arrest in the middle of the night, and you can deal with the rest of it in the morning. They send you a text with a copy of the warrant. It looks official, right down to the emblems and signatures. I personally received one of these calls and was amazed at the amount of information they had, right down to a deputy’s name. In this case, they didn’t know that the James van Beek they called was also the sheriff. Online scams can surface everywhere, including the popular Facebook Marketplace. We just received a call that someone purchased a car advertised on the site. They met with a real person to exchange the documents, which initially checked out as legitimate, and paid cash for the truck. When they registered it, the Eagle County Recorder’s Office noticed something unusual about the title and asked that it be certified by a VIN inspector at the Sheriff’s Office. All of the VIN numbers and license plates matched, yet, the inspector discovered that the title had been altered and was fraudulent. This was a sophisticated scheme and despite the buyer’s due diligence, they ended up with no vehicle and out thousands of dollars. Another scam is the online job offer. A text or email is received from a spoofed address, offering money for remote work. They will “interview” you via text or email, then make an offer. As a new employee, they will ask for the usual employer-needed information, like your current and previous addresses and employers for verification, your social security number for taxes, your banking information for direct deposits, your next of kin for insurance purposes, and other personal details. This is all an elaborate scam for identity theft and banking access. With online ordering, if buying from an unknown source, attempt to check out the validity of the retailer before entering credit card information. Begin with a simple Google search of the name. They can be small or new and completely legitimate ... just check. Regarding deliveries, beware of porch theft. Even cameras won’t stop the theft, as most hide their faces, and by the time the owner is aware, they are long gone. Request the store or delivery service to place packages on a back porch or perhaps deliver to a neighbor who is home. Out of sight is the best deterrent. When ordering online, try to use an online credit card number. These are offered by many companies as a unique number, for a specific transaction, that will not work on any other purchase. Please contact us if you have any concerns. We wish you a safe and joyous holiday season.Holding fort in the happiest countryNone

Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records show

#jilionline (The Center Square) – The U.S. House is set to vote on a compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act which authorizes nearly $900 billion to support U.S. military service members, infrastructure, and defense capabilities during the 2025 fiscal year. The 1,813-page document released Saturday by the Senate and House Armed Services Committees outlines U.S. defense policy priorities and their costs for 2025. Most of the proposed funds, $849.9 billion out of the $895.2 billion topline, would go to programs within the Department of Defense. Though the result of a bipartisan compromise, some provisions remain a point of contention, including a Republican addition that would prohibit the military’s health program from covering any gender dysphoria treatments on minors that could "result in sterilization.” Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith, D-Wash., has urged House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to “abandon” the provision and allow the House to bring forward a bill that “doesn’t attack the transgender community.” Johnson has argued that the current NDAA will “restore our focus on military lethality and to end the radical woke ideology being imposed on our military.” If the legislation passes, junior enlisted service members would receive a historic 14.5% pay raise and all other service members a 4.5% basic pay raise. The NDAA plan would also address multiple quality of life issues for service members, highlighted in a September report from the Government Accountability Office that revealed unsanitary and rundown living conditions for military personnel. It authorizes $2.7 billion to improve housing conditions, build more housing, and increase oversight. It also increases healthcare access and childcare services for military members by cutting red tape and approving $176 million for the construction of new childcare centers and $110 million for the construction of new schools. “Funding our military is one of Congress' most important responsibilities,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority Chairman, Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said on X. “Our brave men and women in uniform and their spouses allow us to enjoy the freedoms we have today. They deserve every benefit in this bill.” The legislation authorizes hundreds of billions in defense-related infrastructure and technology investments, including approximately $17.5 billion for military base or industrial construction projects; $33.5 billion to build seven battle force ships; and more than $161 billion for innovation and technology research and related programs. Nearly $16 billion would go to the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, funding new technologies like hypersonic weapons and AI to deter the Chinese Communist Party and mitigate espionage and cybersecurity risks. Anti-terrorism initiatives in the Middle East and overseas U.S. military construction projects countering North Korea and Russia would also receive funding, as well as a U.S.-Israel missile defense program and the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. “We remain determined to confront increasingly hostile threats from Communist China, Russia, and Iran, and this legislation provides our military with the tools they need to deter our enemies,” Johnson said in a statement. “The safety and security of the American people is top priority, and this bill ensures our military has the resources and capabilities needed to remain the most powerful force in the world.” U.S. border security receives a relatively small portion of funds from the NDAA, with $90 million authorized for the construction of a new command and control facility at the U.S.-Mexico border and a $10 million increase in funding for the DOD’s counternarcotics activities. The House Rules Committee is set to vote Monday afternoon on advancing the measure to the House floor, where it can pass with a majority vote. The Senate must vote on it by the end of the month for it to take effect.

NoneJapan foreign minister planning China visit in late December

Saturday’s NHL slate will see the Carolina Hurricanes (17-8-1) take the ice against the New York Islanders (9-11-7), starting at 5:00 PM ET at UBS Arena and broadcast on ESPN+. The Hurricanes are third and the Islanders 13th in the Eastern Conference. Sign up for ESPN+ today to watch 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games, ESPN+ Hockey Night & more. Watch 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games, ESPN+ Hockey Night & more streaming all season on ESPN+. Looking for NHL tickets? Head to StubHub today and see your team live. Rep your favorite players with officially licensed NHL gear. Head to Fanatics to find jerseys, shirts, hats, and much more. Get tickets for any NHL game this season at StubHub.

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A political scientist and Professor at the Bayero University, Kano, Kamilu Sani Fagge, has lamented the impact of cabals in the government of President Bola Tinubu. The professor argued that cabals, who sometimes go by other names such as kitchen cabinet or deep state members are not peculiar to the Nigerian setting, but what operates in Nigeria is quite different. According to him, although cabals are powerful and influential across all climes, they rarely interfere with the day-to-day running of the government like what obtains in Nigeria. He recalled the activities of such cabals in the administrations of former Presidents Umar Musa Yaradua and Muhammadu Buhari , revealing that the same thing is happening in the government of President Bola Tinubu . In his submission during an interview with Daily Trust, Fagge submitted that the current crop of cabals are shielding the President from the people and exerting a lot of influence on government policies and decisions. He said most of them are personal acquaintances of the President and may include his wife, children, relatives or former political acquaintances. He said, “In many countries all over the world, there are certain formal and informal groups that exercise influence on the president. Formerly, they were known as inner or kitchen cabinet, comprising confidants of the president. They are usually very loyal; and they are the ones that exercise great influence on policies made by the president. Usually, based on the relationship with the president, they exert such influence. “Secondly, there is what is known as a deep state—a group of people that are very influential and close to the government. They exercise powerful influence on the government. “Usually, in other climes, kitchen cabinets of the deep state are formal and constitutionally recognised; and sometimes, the president formally appoints them to such positions. It may be a group of ministers, personal friends and others that are very close to the president. They exercise influence but don’t interfere the way we are seeing it in developing countries, especially here in Nigeria. “What we are having now is a group of people who tend to shield the president from the people; and they exercise a lot of influence. Most of them are personal acquaintances to the president. Sometimes they may include his wife, children, relatives or former political acquaintances. He would bring them together and they would become so powerful that they dictate the tune of public policies and shield the president from the electorate or the society, to the extent that he may not be aware of what is going on in the country. “We have had it so many times in our history. Remember that during Yar’adua we had people that were so powerful that even when he was ill, they did not allow Nigerians to know the actual situation. They did so many things that were unconstitutional; and therefore, wrong. “Even during the time of Buhari, we had a cabal that directed state policies. In fact, they became so powerful that even constitutionally recognised institutions had to go through them. And sometimes they hijacked policies initiated by constitutionally recognised institutions.”Louisiana lawmakers pass income and corporate tax cuts, raising statewide sales tax to pay for it(Bloomberg) -- Rupert Murdoch was unsuccessful in his effort to change his family trust and hand sole control of his media empire to his eldest son, the New York Times reported on Monday. The Reno, Nevada, probate commissioner hearing the case rendered a verdict on Saturday, the paper reported, citing a sealed document saying that the elder Murdoch had acted in “bad faith” when he tried to change terms of an irrevocable trust to leave Lachlan Murdoch in charge. Spokespeople for the Murdochs didn’t immediately return requests for comment. An attorney for Rupert Murdoch told the Times he intends to appeal the ruling. The case weighed heavily on the future of some of the highest-profile media properties in the world. Through a family trust, Murdoch, 93, owns about 40% of the voting stock in both Fox Corp., the parent of Fox News, and News Corp., which counts the Wall Street Journal and the Times of London among its many holdings. Upon Murdoch’s death, control of the trust was to be split among his four oldest kids. Instead, he sought to give voting power to Lachlan, who serves as chief executive officer of Fox and chairman of News Corp. The case was heard in probate court, which manages legal proceedings around the transfer of property after a person’s death, and wasn’t open to the public. News outlets, including the New York Times Co. and CNN, unsuccessfully sought to open up the proceedings. A Nevada probate commissioner determined in June that Murdoch could change the trust as long as he was doing so in good faith and in the best interest of his heirs. Murdoch argued that the change would benefit all six of his children because it would prevent Lachlan’s more politically liberal siblings — Prudence, Elisabeth and James — from making Fox News more moderate, thus hurting its value as a conservative media brand. The trio chose to share legal counsel and take their father to court in a trial that began Sept. 16, arguing that the change violates the trust’s original conditions and that they would be wrongfully disenfranchised. Murdoch hired his own team of lawyers, including former US Attorney General William Barr, who was spotted at the Reno courthouse as Murdoch’s team emerged from a fleet of SUVs. Nevada’s lack of income and inheritance taxes, as well as its confidentiality protections have made it a top venue for family trust management. Picking Reno over the bustling hub of Las Vegas added another layer of privacy to the closed-door proceedings, according to Nevada probate lawyer Elyse Tyrell. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com ©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Why Beyond Meat Lost 18% in NovemberNo. 9 Kentucky, focused on getting better, welcomes Jackson St.With over five million units sold globally in the past year, Tineco reinforces its leadership in the industry SEATTLE , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Tineco is proud to announce that Euromonitor International, the world's leading independent provider of strategic market research, has recognized the company as the #1 global leader in the household wet & dry vacuum cleaner category * . With over five million units sold between July 1, 2023 , and June 30, 2024 , the honor reflects Tineco's commitment to innovation and quality in the home cleaning sector. Harnessing more than two decades of industry innovation, Tineco began its journey with a single vacuum cleaner. Pioneering industry excellence, a notable moment in company history was the launch of the first-ever smart vacuum to market in 2018, quickly followed by an inaugural smart floor washer in 2019, and an intelligent carpet cleaner in 2022. Today, Tineco products are enjoyed by 14 million users across key markets worldwide, including regions in North America , Europe , and Asia . Tineco is now a globally recognized market leader in smart home appliances across the floor care, kitchen, and personal care categories, with 975 patents and 577 registered trademarks across domestic and international markets. For three consecutive years, the company has also held the title of being the #1 wet & dry vacuum brand on Amazon in the United States , Canada , France , Italy , Australia , and Japan . "At Tineco's inception, we set out to simplify life and household tasks with the help of smart technology. Over the past 26 years, our robust R&D team has made significant investments and a steadfast dedication to setting the standard for excellence in floor care solutions," said Ling Leng , CEO of Tineco. "The honor of being named the #1 global leader in the wet & dry vacuum cleaner category by Euromonitor International is an incredible milestone achievement. This recognition fuels our commitment to continuing to innovate and push boundaries to bring exceptional products to market that enhance the lives of our customers worldwide. Looking ahead, we are laser-focused on making Tineco more accessible by expanding into new markets, introducing new advanced technologies to simplify our customers' lives, and expanding our product lineup to meet diverse needs." Tineco's flagship models, including FLOOR ONE Stretch S6 , PURE ONE Station 5 , and Carpet One Cruiser , combine intelligent features with superior power and user-friendly capabilities to revolutionize cleaning. Tineco's R&D team has carefully engineered each model to address real-world challenges and enhance user satisfaction by incorporating technological advancements and valuable consumer feedback. Specifically: A leader in the intelligent floor care category, Tineco smart models are equipped with Tineco's proprietary iLoop technology that adjusts suction power in real-time based on the mess detected, which not only optimizes battery power but also allows the user to visualize cleaner floors on the unit's display ring that will change from red to blue once the surface is clean. Guided by customer insights, all new Tineco models also feature self-cleaning capabilities that significantly streamline maintenance. Tineco products are available globally, with distribution in North America on Amazon, Tineco's official online store, and in over 10,000 major retail locations, including Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Costco, Home Depot, and Canadian Tire. To learn more about Tineco and its entire portfolio of intelligent stick vacuums, floor washers, carpet cleaners, and more, please visit us.tineco.com . *Source: Euromonitor International ( Shanghai ) Co., Ltd.; measured in terms of 2023 H2 and 2024 H1 retail sales volume in the world; household wet & dry vacuum cleaners are defined as household cleaners that dispense clean water (or cleaning solution) to wash hard floors and vacuum the dirty water and garbage thereafter; research completed in Nov. 2024 . About Tineco Tineco was founded in 1998 with its first SKU as a vacuum cleaner and, in 2019, pioneered the first-ever smart vacuum. Today, the brand has innovated into a global leader offering intelligent appliances across home categories, including floor care, kitchen, and personal care. Tineco is dedicated to its brand vision of making life easier through smart technologies and consistently innovating new devices. For more information, visit us.tineco.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tineco-recognized-as-global-leader-in-emerging-floor-washer-category-302316066.html SOURCE TINECO

BERWYN, Pa. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Envestnet, Inc. (the " Company "), yesterday announced that, pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 11, 2024 , by and among the Company, BCPE Pequod Buyer, Inc. (" Parent "), a Delaware corporation, and BCPE Pequod Merger Sub, Inc. (" Merger Sub "), a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the "Merger Agreement"), Merger Sub merged with and into the Company (the " Merger "), with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation. At the effective time of the Merger, each share of common stock, par value $0.005 per share, of the Company (the " Common Shares ") (other than any Common Shares (i) owned by Parent (or any of its affiliates), Merger Sub or the Company or any direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Parent (or any of its affiliates), Merger Sub or the Company, (ii) that are Rollover Shares (as defined in the Merger Agreement), (iii) held in treasury of the Company, and (iv) as to which appraisal rights have been properly exercised in accordance with Delaware law) was automatically cancelled, extinguished and converted into the right to receive $63.15 in cash per one Common Share. As a result, a Share Exchange Event and a Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurred under each of the Indenture, dated as of August 20, 2020 , among the Company, the guarantor party thereto and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the " Trustee "), which governs the Company's 0.75% Convertible Notes due 2025 (the " 2025 Notes ") (such indenture, the " 2025 Indenture ") and the Indenture, dated of November 17, 2022 , among the Company, the guarantor party thereto and the Trustee, which governs the Company's 2.625% Convertible Notes due 2027 (the " 2027 Notes ", and together with the 2025 Notes, collectively and individually, the " Notes ") (such indenture, the " 2027 Indenture ", and together with the 2025 Indenture, collectively, the " Indentures ", and each, an " Indenture ", as applicable), triggering the adjustments to the conversion rights as described below. The effective date of the Share Exchange Event and Make-Whole Fundamental Change was November 25, 2024 (the " Effective Date "). Capitalized terms used and not defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the applicable Indenture. The Company announced that, pursuant to the terms of the respective Indenture, in connection with the consummation of the Merger which constitutes a Share Exchange Event under each Indenture, the Company and the Trustee entered into supplemental indentures to each Indenture providing that, following the effective date of the Merger, the right to convert each $1,000 principal amount of Notes into shares of common stock of the Company at the then applicable conversion rate shall be changed into a right to convert such principal amount of Notes solely into a number of units of Reference Property in an aggregate amount equal to the applicable conversion rate in effect on the conversion date (as may be increased by any Additional Shares), multiplied by $63.15 , the price paid per share of Common Stock in the Merger. Because the Merger constituted a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the Notes are convertible, at the option of the Holder, at any time from the Effective Date until 5:00 p.m. , New York City time, on the business day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Purchase Date to be determined by the Company and separately announced to the Holders in accordance with the terms of the Indentures as a result of the Merger (the " Conversion Period "). Also because the Merger constituted a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the conversion rate for the 2027 Notes will be temporarily increased during the Conversion Period. Such conversion rate per $1,000 principal amount of the 2027 Notes increased by 3.2973 units of Reference Property from 13.6304 units of Reference Property to 16.9277 units of Reference Property. The Company's conversion obligation with respect to Notes that are converted prior to the end of the Conversion Period will be fixed at an amount in cash equal to $591.602 per $1,000 principal amount of the 2025 Notes validly surrendered for conversion, and $1,068.984 per $1,000 principal amount of the 2027 Notes validly surrendered for conversion. The right of the Holders to convert their Notes is separate from the right, at the Holder's option, to submit their Notes for purchase upon a Fundamental Change. If a Holder submits a Fundamental Change Purchase Notice, such Holder may not surrender such Notes for conversion unless the Holder validly withdraws such Fundamental Change Purchase Notice prior to the Fundamental Change Expiration Time. Holders should review the applicable Indenture carefully and should consult with their own financial and tax advisors. None of the Company, Merger Sub, Parent or any of their respective affiliates, or any of its or their respective boards of directors, employees, advisors or representatives or U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, in its capacity as trustee, paying agent or conversion agent with respect to the Notes, is making any representation or recommendation to any Holder as to whether or not to surrender or convert that Holder's Notes. The Trustee, Paying Agent and Conversion Agent is: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Corporate Actions 111 Fillmore Avenue St. Paul, MN 55107-1402 Telephone: (800) 934-6802 Email: cts.specfinance@usbank.com Any questions or requests for assistance in connection with the conversion of the Notes may be directed to U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, in accordance with the contact information listed above, or the Company. About Envestnet Envestnet is helping to lead the growth of wealth managers and transforming the way financial advice is delivered through its ecosystem of connected technology, advanced insights, and comprehensive solutions – backed by industry-leading service and support. Serving the wealth management industry for 25 years with more than $6.5 trillion in platform assets—more than 111,000 advisors, 17 of the 20 largest U.S. banks, 48 of the 50 largest wealth management and brokerage firms, more than 500 of the largest RIAs -- thousands of companies, depend on Envestnet technology and services to help drive business growth and productivity, and better outcomes for their clients. Data as of 9/30/24. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/envestnet-inc-announces-make-whole-fundamental-change-and-supplemental-indentures-under-its-0-75-convertible-notes-due-2025-and-2-625-convertible-notes-due-2027--302317032.html SOURCE Envestnet, Inc.NoneAvalon Advanced Materials (TSE:AVL) Hits New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

NonePresident-elect Trump says he should be the one to make the decision on whether TikTok can continue operating in the United States due to the unique national security and First Amendment issues raised by this case, he said in an amicus brief Friday. Trump’s argument comes in an amicus brief "supporting neither party," filed Friday, weeks before the Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments on Jan. 10, 2025 on the law that requires a divestment of TikTok from foreign adversary control. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a company based in Beijing and connected to the Chinese Communist Party. "Today, President Donald J. Trump has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to extend the deadline that would cause TikTok’s imminent shutdown, and allow President Trump the opportunity to resolve the issue in a way that saves TikTok and preserves American national security once he resumes office as President of the United States on January 20, 2025," Trump spokesman and incoming White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital. "President Donald J. Trump ("President Trump") is the 45th and soon to be the 47th President of the United States of America," the brief states. "On January 20, 2025, President Trump will assume responsibility for the United States’ national security, foreign policy, and other vital executive functions." Trump argues that "this case presents an unprecedented, novel, and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side, and foreign policy and national-security concerns on the other." "As the incoming Chief Executive, President Trump has a particularly powerful interest in and responsibility for those national-security and foreign-policy questions, and he is the right constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means. President Trump also has a unique interest in the First Amendment issues raised in this case," the brief states. "Through his historic victory on November 5, 2024, President Trump received a powerful electoral mandate from American voters to protect the free-speech rights of all Americans—including the 170 million Americans who use TikTok." "President Trump is uniquely situated to vindicate these interests, because ‘the President and the Vice President of the United States are the only elected officials who represent all the voters in the Nation,’" the brief continues. Trump argues that due to his "overarching responsibility for the United States’ national security and foreign policy— President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office." "On September 4, 2024, President Trump posted on Truth Social, ‘FOR ALL THOSE THAT WANT TO SAVE TIK TOK IN AMERICA, VOTE TRUMP!’" the brief states. Trump argues that he "alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government—concerns which President Trump himself has acknowledged." "Indeed, President Trump’s first Term was highlighted by a series of policy triumphs achieved through historic deals, and he has a great prospect of success in this latest national security and foreign policy endeavor," the brief states. Trump notes that the 270-day deadline imposed by the new TikTok law "expires on January 19, 2025—one day before President Trump will assume office as the 47th President of the United States." That legislation, which was signed into law in the spring, requires a sale of TikTok from ByteDance by Jan. 19. If ByteDance does not divest by the deadline, Google and Apple are no longer able to feature TikTok in their app stores in the U.S. "This unfortunate timing interferes with President Trump’s ability to manage the United States’ foreign policy and to pursue a resolution to both protect national security and save a social-media platform that provides a popular vehicle for 170 million Americans to exercise their core First Amendment rights," the brief states. "The Act imposes the timing constraint, moreover, without specifying any compelling government interest in that particular deadline." Trump points to the law, which "contemplates a 90-day extension to the deadline under certain specified circumstances." Supreme Court Justices said they will hold a special session on Jan. 10 to hear oral arguments in the case -- an expedited timeline that will allow them to consider the case just nine days before the Jan. 19 ban is slated to take effect. The law allows the president to extend the deadline by up to 90 days if ByteDance is in the process of divesting. "President Trump, therefore, has a compelling interest as the incoming embodiment of the Executive Branch in seeing the statutory deadline stayed to allow his incoming Administration the opportunity to seek a negotiated resolution of these questions," the brief states. "If successful, such a resolution would obviate the need for this Court to decide the historically challenging First Amendment question presented here on the current, highly expedited basis." TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency application to the high court earlier this month asking justices to temporarily block the law from being enforced while it appealed a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Lawyers for TikTok have argued that the law passed earlier this year is a First Amendment violation, noting in their Supreme Court request that "Congress's unprecedented attempt to single out applicants and bar them from operating one of the most significant speech platforms in this nation" and "presents grave constitutional problems that this court likely will not allow to stand." TikTok, last year, created its "Project Texas" initiative, which is dedicated to addressing concerns about U.S. national security. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew says "Project Texas" creates a stand-alone version of the TikTok platform for the U.S. isolated on servers in Oracle’s U.S. cloud environment. It was developed by CFIUS and cost the company approximately $1.5 billion to implement. Chew has argued that TikTok is not beholden to any one country, though executives in the past have admitted that Chinese officials had access to Americans' data even when U.S.-based TikTok officials did not. TikTok claims that the new initiative keeps U.S. user data safe, and told Fox News Digital that data is managed "by Americans, in America." Trump has signaled support for TikTok. Earlier this month, he met with Chew at Mar-a-Lago, telling reporters during a press conference ahead of the meeting that his incoming administration will "take a look at TikTok" and the looming U.S. ban. "I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok," Trump told reporters.Progress is being made to reclaim the Dixie plant building in Wilson, to reuse the Lehigh Valley Dairy site on MacArthur Road in Whitehall, the PPL Tower in downtown Allentown, Martin Tower land in west Bethlehem, and former Mack Truck buildings on Allentown’s southside. This is happening while Moravian Bethlehem has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its preservation of the past.

Cruise into this holiday season with a non-traditional vacation

Liam Payne's former partner Kate Cassidy shares heartfelt post about grief at Christmaskk jili 777 。

NEW YORK (AP) — He's making threats, traveling abroad and negotiating with world leaders. Donald Trump has more than a month and a half to go before he's sworn in for a second term. But the Republican president-elect is already moving aggressively not just to fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but to achieve those priorities . Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, prompting emergency calls and a visit from Canada's prime minister that resulted in what Trump claimed were commitments from both U.S. allies on new border security measures. The incoming president has warned there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY" if, before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, Hamas does not release the hostages being held in Gaza . He has threatened to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, warning "Buyer Beware!!!” And this weekend, Trump was returning to the global stage, joining a host of other foreign leaders for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral five years after it was ravaged by a fire. On Saturday, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron — joined at the last minute by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — and had plans to see Britain's Prince William also in Paris. Absent in Paris: lame duck President Joe Biden, who has largely disappeared from headlines, except when he issued a pardon of his son , Hunter, who was facing sentencing for gun crimes and tax evasion. First lady Jill Biden is attending in his place. “I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you’ve seen in the last four years. And we’re not even there yet,” Trump said in an over-the-top boast at an awards ceremony Thursday night . For all of Trump's bold talk, though, it is unclear how many of his efforts will bear fruit. The pre-inauguration threats and deal-making are highly unusual, like so much of what Trump does, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. “Transitions are always a little complicated in this way. Even though we talk about one president at a time," he said, “the reality is one president plus. And that plus can act assertively sometimes." Zelizer said that is particularly true of Trump, who was president previously and already has relationships with many foreign leaders such as Macron, who invited both Trump and Biden to Paris this weekend as part of the Notre Dame celebration. “Right now he’s sort of governing even though he’s not the president yet. He’s having these public meetings with foreign leaders, which aren't simply introductions. He's staking out policy and negotiating things from drug trafficking to tariffs," Zelizer said. Trump already has met with several foreign leaders, in addition to a long list of calls. He hosted Argentinian President Javier Milei in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club in November. After the tariff threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago for a three-hour dinner meeting. Canadian officials later said the country is ready to make new investments in border security, with plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. Last Sunday, Trump dined with Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli prime minister. Incoming Trump aides have also been meeting with their future foreign counterparts. On Wednesday, several members of Trump's team, including incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, met with Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelenskyy, in Washington, as Ukraine tries to win support for its ongoing efforts to defend itself from Russian invasion, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Yermak also met with Trump officials in Florida, he wrote on X . That comes after Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Qatar and Israel for high-level talks about a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, according to a U.S familiar with the efforts, meeting with the prime ministers of both countries. There is no prohibition on incoming officials or nominees meeting with foreign officials, and it is common and fine for them to do so — unless those meetings are designed to subvert or otherwise impact current U.S. policy. Trump aides were said to be especially cognizant of potential conflicts given their experience in 2016, when interactions between Trump allies and Russian officials came under scrutiny. That included a phone call in which Trump's incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, discussed new sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, suggesting things would improve after Trump became president. Flynn was later charged with lying to the FBI about the conversation. Trump’s incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, “All transition officials have followed applicable laws in their interactions with foreign nationals.” She added: “World leaders recognize that President Trump is returning to power and will lead with strength to put the best interests of the United States of America first again. That is why many foreign leaders and officials have reached out to correspond with President Trump and his incoming team.” Such efforts can nonetheless cause complications. If, say, Biden is having productive conversations on a thorny foreign policy issue and Trump weighs in, that could make it harder for Biden “because people are hearing two different voices” that may be in conflict, Zelizer said. Leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu may also anticipate a more favorable incoming administration and wait Biden out, hoping for more a better deal. It also remains unclear how extensively the Biden administration has been kept apprised of Trump transition efforts. Although there is no requirement that an incoming administration coordinate calls and meetings with foreign officials with the State Department or National Security Council, that has long been considered standard practice. That is, in part, because transition teams, particularly in their early days and weeks, do not always have the latest information about the state of relations with foreign nations and may not have the resources, including interpretation and logistical ability, to handle such meetings efficiently. Still, the Biden and Trump teams have been talking, particularly on the Middle East, with the incoming and outgoing administrations having agreed to work together on efforts to free hostages who remain in held in Gaza, according to a U.S. official, who, like others, was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. That includes conversations between Witkoff and Biden’s foreign policy team as well as Waltz and Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Last month, Biden administration officials said they had kept Trump’s team closely apprised of efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border. “I just want to be clear to all of our adversaries, they can’t play the incoming Trump administration off of the Biden administration. I’m regularly talking to the Biden people. And so, this is not a moment of opportunity or wedges for them," Waltz said Friday in a Fox Business interview. But when it comes to immigration, Biden administration officials haven’t been entirely in the loop on discussions around how to execute on Trump’s pledge to deport millions of migrants, according to four administration officials with knowledge of the transition who spoke on condition of anonymity. That’s not terribly surprising given how differently the teams view migration. Trump’s team, meanwhile, is already claiming credit for everything from gains in the stock and cryptocurrency markets to a decision by Walmart to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion policies Trump opposes. “Promises Kept — And President Trump Hasn’t Even Been Inaugurated Yet,” read one press release that claimed, in part, that both Canada and Mexico have already pledged "immediate action” to help “stem the flow of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and deadly drugs entering the United States." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stopped short of saying Trump mischaracterized their call in late November. But she said Friday that Trump “has his own way of communicating, like when we had the phone call and he wrote that we were going to close the border. That was never talked about in the phone call.” Earlier this week, Mexico carried out what it claimed was its largest seizure of fentanyl pills ever. Seizures over the summer had been as little as 50 grams per week, and after the Trump call, they seized more than a ton. Security analyst David Saucedo said that "under the pressure by Donald Trump, it appears President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is willing to increase the capture of drug traffickers and drug seizures that Washington is demanding.” Biden, too, tried to take credit for the seizure in a statement Friday night. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Family reunites for Christmas after years of Syrian warNone

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria fallout

The Food and Drug Administration signed off on ' ( ) next-generation triple drug for cystic fibrosis late Friday. But it might not help beleaguered Vertex stock. The drug will sell under the brand name, Alyftrek. It will treat patients age 6 and older with specific genetic mutations tied to the lung disease. The approval comes roughly two weeks ahead of time and follows a major setback Thursday for Vertex's pain drug. Vertex stock slumped 11% after the non-opioid pain drug showed little difference from a placebo in a midstage test. RBC Capital Markets analyst Brian Abrahams noted analysts largely expected the approval. "Importantly, today's early approval also avoids any potential delays from a potentially drawn-out Federal government shutdown," he said in a report. "As we had anticipated, Alyftrek will be priced at a premium to Trikafta." Trikafta is Vertex Pharmaceuticals' biggest moneymaker. It's another triple drug that treats cystic fibrosis. Trikafta goes for $346,043 a year — before insurance reimbursement and rebates — while Alyftrek will cost $370,269, Abrahams said. Alyftrek is a once-daily pill. But Abrahams says the approval of Alyftrek is unlikely to move the needle for Vertex stock. "Much of this was anticipated and the next-gen is priced at a premium that we also believe many were expecting," he said, noting the boxed warning for liver injury and failure is "new and unexpected, though we do not believe will meaningfully impact uptake." In late trades, Vertex stock slipped a fraction to 394.54.

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad, but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country's public sector came "to a complete and abrupt halt." Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Assad's brutal rule. The rebel alliance now in control of much of the country is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and promises representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said Monday they would not tell women how to dress. "It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women's dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty," the command said on social media. People are also reading... 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Bill Haisten: As OSU regents meet, Mike Gundy’s contract should be a hot topic Berry Tramel: Jackson Arnold shows OU should save its high-end shopping for the portal Deep into Week 2, new names emerge in Tulsa football coaching search 10 potential candidates to replace Kasey Dunn as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State These 11 new restaurants are coming to the Tulsa area soon — and 8 that just opened Cooper Parker secures Bixby's seventh consecutive state title in OT thriller versus Owasso Meet the 2024 Tulsans of the Year: These people worked hard to make Tulsa better Stitt fires Cabinet secretary at odds with governor's stance on poultry lawsuit Final OU football bowl projections before Sooners' postseason destination is revealed Meet Oklahoma's complete 2025 class. 5-star OT commits to Oklahoma Jenks football coach Keith Riggs resigns; DC Adam Gaylor named Trojans head coach Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the U.N. official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was long known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met for the first time with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali, who stayed in Syria when Assad fled. Israel said it carried out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets to keep them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also seized a buffer zone inside Syria after Syrian troops withdrew. In northern Syria, Turkey said allied opposition forces seized the town of Manbij from Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States, a reminder that even after Assad's departure, the country remains split among armed groups that have fought in the past. The Kremlin said Russia granted political asylum to Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Assad's specific whereabouts and said Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people still celebrated. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence, though in some areas small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets. Across swathes of Syria, families are now waiting outside prisons, security offices and courts, hoping for news of loved ones who were imprisoned or who disappeared. Just north of Damascus in the feared Saydnaya military prison, women detainees, some with their children, screamed as rebels broke locks off their cell doors. Amnesty International and other groups say dozens of people were secretly executed every week in Saydnaya, and they estimate that up to 13,000 Syrians were killed between 2011 and 2016. "Don't be afraid," one rebel said as he ushered women from packed cells. "Bashar Assad has fallen!" In southern Turkey, Mustafa Sultan was among hundreds of Syrian refugees waiting at border crossings to head home. He was searching for his older brother, who was imprisoned under Assad. "I haven't seen him for 13 years," he said. "I am going to go see whether he's alive." Jalali, the prime minister, sought to project normalcy since Assad fled. "We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth," he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation already improved from the day before. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly. "We want to give everyone their rights," Haddad said outside the courthouse. "We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods." But a U.N. official said some government services were paralyzed as worried state employees stayed home. The public sector "has just come to a complete and abrupt halt," said U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies was put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. "This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonized by the public media are now in charge in the nation's capital," Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. "I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again."

Bills' letdowns on defense, special teams and clock management in loss to Rams are all too familiar ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. John Wawrow, The Associated Press Dec 9, 2024 2:30 PM Dec 9, 2024 2:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — There’s plenty of concern and second-guessing to unpack from how the Bills unraveled on defense, special teams and clock management in their loss to the Los Angeles Rams to wonder whether it was premature labeling Buffalo as Super Bowl contenders only a week earlier. But first, the good news. There’s very little wrong with Buffalo’s Josh Allen-led offense after the quarterback strengthened his NFL MVP case. A week after a four-TD performance that included the statistical anomaly of him scoring two touchdowns on the same play in a 35-10 win over San Francisco, Allen became the NFL’s first player to throw and rush for three scores apiece in 44-42 loss to Los Angeles on Sunday . That Allen's latest superhuman-like effort ended in defeat is what’s troubling for the five-time defending AFC East champions (10-3) in their bid to dispel questions of finding ways to fall short in the playoffs in each of the past five years. Buffalo’s defense had few answers in stopping the Rams’ dynamic attack while allowing a season-high 457 yards. Worse still, the Bills allowed Los Angeles to go 11 of 15 on third down for a 73.3 conversion percentage — the third highest allowed by Buffalo and worst since allowing Miami's 75% conversion rate in 1986. If that’s not bad enough, the Bills lost for the first time in 39 games in which they scored at least 42 points, while becoming the NFL’s second team to lose when scoring 42 or more and not committing a turnover. Special teams didn’t help. Aside from allowing a blocked punt to be returned for a touchdown, the Bills couldn’t muster an attempt to block the Rams’ final punt from midfield with 7 seconds left because they only had nine players on the field. As coach Sean McDermott concluded after finally addressing reporters more than an hour after the game ended: “I thought we lost two of the three phases today.” He failed to mention yet another clock management misstep. Rather than have Allen spike the ball to stop the clock after a failed quarterback keeper from the Rams 1 with 62 seconds remaining, McDermott called timeout. That left Buffalo with two timeouts and essentially relying on the slim chances of recovering an onside kick after Allen scored on his next attempt. McDermott defended his decision by saying he feared too much time would elapse before the Bills aligned for another snap. And yet, it would not have matched the 45 seconds the Rams ran off on their final possession after Buffalo used its final two timeouts. Together, these are the types of miscues that have haunted the Bills in their recent playoff losses. The bright side is the loss to the Rams didn’t end the Bills’ season, though they fell two games behind Kansas City (12-1) in the race for the AFC’s top seed . And perhaps, the loss can be chalked up to a team riding a little too high off a playoff-clinching win and having to travel across the country to face a Rams team in the thick of its divisional race. If that’s so, the Bills have a chance to address their flaws — and doubters — by how they respond in what still stands as a juicy showdown at the NFC-leading Detroit Lions (12-1) on Sunday. “They’re the top dog in football right now,” Allen said, looking ahead to Detroit. “We have to have a good week, learn from this one, and put it behind us.” What’s working Scoring. The Bills topped 30 points for a team-record seventh consecutive game and ninth time this season. Buffalo entered the day ranked second in the NFL averaging 30.5 points per outing, behind Detroit (32.1). What needs help Run defense. Though the Rams averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, they stuck with it in finishing with 137 yards, helping them enjoy a 17-minute edge in time of possession. Stock up Allen. If not for him, the Bills wouldn't have been in position to nearly overcome a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit. His 424 yards (342 passing and 82 rushing) accounted for all but 21 yards of Buffalo's total offense. Stock down With so many options, perhaps the focus falls on special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley. This is the second time in 13 months special teams personnel management became an issue. Buffalo was flagged for having too many men as time expired, providing Wil Lutz a second chance to hit a decisive field goal in sealing Denver's 24-22 win last season . Injuries Starting CB Rasul Douglas was sidelined by a knee injury. ... DE Casey Toohill injured his ribs. Key number 80-1-1 — The Bills' record when scoring 38 or more points, including a 38-38 tie with Denver in 1960. Next steps Facing Detroit represents Buffalo's final major test before closing the season with two games against New England and hosting the New York Jets. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl John Wawrow, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Cowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against Texans Dec 9, 2024 2:57 PM Cardinals' sudden 3-game tailspin has turned their once solid playoff hopes into a long shot Dec 9, 2024 2:52 PM The 49ers' playoff hopes are still teetering even after get-right game against the Bears Dec 9, 2024 2:49 PM

Iran is poised to ‘quite dramatically’ increase stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, official saysERIE, Pa. (AP) — Alex Chaikin's 20 points off of the bench helped Lafayette to a 77-73 victory against Mercyhurst on Saturday. Chaikin went 7 of 8 from the field (6 for 7 from 3-point range) for the Leopards (5-5). Justin Vander Baan added 13 points while shooting 3 of 5 from the field and 7 for 9 from the line while he also had six rebounds and five blocks. Andrew Phillips had 10 points and shot 4 of 6 from the field and 1 for 3 from the line. Shemar Rathan-Mayes finished with 21 points and four assists for the Lakers (5-6). Aidan Reichert added 18 points, six rebounds and three steals for Mercyhurst. Jeff Planutis also recorded 13 points. Chaikin scored nine points in the first half and Lafayette went into the break trailing 38-31. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will not play Sunday and head coach Kyle Shanahan said the lingering discomfort is a concern. Purdy sat out Friday after he participated in the start of Thursday's practice with the 49ers, then retreated indoors for what Shanahan said was a treatment session. Brandon Allen, 32, will start in Purdy's place, and the 49ers are also without defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique). Shanahan said players believe in Allen, even if he's an unknown. "Outside of here people haven't seen a lot of Brandon. But it's his second year (with the 49ers)," Shanahan said. "Obviously guys want Brock up, but guys are excited to see Brandon play." Shanahan said they are "a little surprised" Purdy experienced tightness and discomfort in his shoulder after an MRI exam on Monday that showed no long-term cause for concern. "The way it responded this week, it's really up in the air for next week," Shanahan said of Purdy. Allen is familiar to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who was an assistant coach with the Rams during Allen's two-year run in Los Angeles. Allen broke into the NFL in 2016 with the Jaguars and is 2-7 in nine career starts. He went 1-2 with the Broncos in 2019 and 1-5 in six starts over two years with the Bengals in 2020 and ‘21. Shanahan said Allen's confidence grew throughout the week and he doesn't anticipate a major change in how he calls the offense. Left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) also missed practice for the third consecutive day. Without disclosing the nature of the ailment to Purdy's throwing shoulder, general manager John Lynch confirmed Friday an MRI exam took place to determine the severity of any injury. Allen worked with the first team most of Thursday and Friday with Joshua Dobbs also taking snaps. Lynch described Purdy's status for the 49ers (5-5) this week as "tenuous." "Hopefully, he makes progress, and we can have a shot at this weekend, but we'll see," Lynch said in an interview with KNBR in San Francisco. "I think it's tenuous." When Purdy was on the field this week, he primarily worked on the side in position-specific drills with QB coach Brian Griese. Williams played through an ankle injury last week after being listed as questionable but exited the stadium with an exaggerated limp on Sunday. Run game coordinator Chris Foerster said the 49ers aren't where they want to be at 5-5 because they haven't won close games, not because of injuries. "Seven games left is like an eternity," Foerster said. "So much can happen. Do the math. What was our record last year? It was 12-5. I was on a 13-win team that was nowhere near as good as the team last year." With or without Purdy, Foerster said the challenge for the 49ers is not to give up the ball to a defense that has 19 takeaways. The 49ers have 13 giveaways this season. --Field Level MediaDell Technologies Stock Gets RS Rating Lift

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Guardiola asks for chance to turn Man City form aroundGaetz withdraws as Trump's pick for attorney general, averting confirmation battle in the Senate WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation. The Florida Republican made the announcement Thursday. Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that Trump could face resistance from members of his own party. Trump said in a social media post that Gaetz “did not want to be a distraction for the Administration.” Gaetz said “it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work" of the transition team. He added, “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle.”jili k.o app 。

“A sense of curiosity is nature’s original school of education.” — Unknown We are born into the world unknowing but highly curious. It is our curiosity that enables us to survive our earliest hours and days. At birth we lack the vocabulary to express thoughts and feelings. However, we use our tears, eye contact, and simple gestures to communicate what’s going on inside us. We do this to articulate our needs and wants. We don’t know where any of this will get us. It is our curiosity about the world that allows us to keep trying until someone responds in a helpful manner. This is all because somewhere inside, we know that we want and need more from the world than we have immediate access to or control over. Over time, these gross-motor gestures, the high-pitched crying, and our everyday unconscious efforts at cuteness turn into other things — still based on curiosity. After those first loud utterances, our little ones get grabby and demanding. They want what they want when they want it; in their own developmentally appropriate way they are “reaching out.” Their fingers, not just their mouths, are making statements of curiosity. Soon enough, children learn the fine art of asking questions. The queries we utter are further extensions of the mind’s desire to learn, to understand and, finally, to make sense of an incomprehensible world. Asking questions of others is one of the most poignant forms of communication and extending our world beyond where it is at any given moment. We are curious about things that really seem to matter to us — otherwise, why bother? For me, it was only in middle adulthood, when teaching the arts of intercultural communication at an international institute. that I was able to craft the three-letter question that still matters to me more than any other: “Is there more?” Over the years since then, I have drawn on this question in my teaching, training and consulting — and it seems to resonate with the vast majority of those with whom I have worked around the world. Why so? Because almost all of us are curious! Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess Asked with sincerity, this simple question becomes profound. “Is there more?” demonstrates an open mind that is keen to discern what “else” about any given situation in life may be of concern to us. The good news with this is that most people want to respond to this question by generating answers and responses! This gives us more information than perhaps most other question-and-answer combos might. Simply put, curiosity is a strong desire to know or learn something. Simple — but at the same time, amazingly complex. There are so many ways to express our curiosity, to articulate our interest in knowing something or learning more. Since most of us don’t live in vacuums or bubbles, our existence is generally predicated on gaining insight and information from others. Without curiosity, there would be little opportunity to get out of our own way. Likely we would make the same mistakes or clumsy efforts over and over, and over again. The wonderment that curiosity brings enables others to contribute their goodness, knowledge and wisdom to our lives. Like the seed that pushes up against all odds to become a flower, bush or tree, human curiosity serves to nurture us day by day. We use the impetus emanating from our questions and hunger to know to help us create, in whatever ways, in any situation that may be sanguine. As a way of being in the world, curiosity enables us to go above and beyond wherever we are in the present. The early 20th-century Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) brought into existence his theory of the “zone of proximal development.” In it, he introduced the concept that refers to the gap between a child’s current level of development and the level they are capable of reaching with tools provided by others with greater knowledge. Young children are able to learn because they are curious, because elders are eager to teach them, and because they have a strong wish to develop mastery in order to “succeed” in the world. While I will write more on the concept of play next year, for this moment I will mention that, according to the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, “play is the work of childhood.” Our ability to play as growing children is another way we express our curiosity. One thing that differentiates play from work or other life pursuits is that the “outcome” cannot be known before play has begun. If we weren’t curious, why bother with play? We play for the fun of it. We also play to refine skills, whether they be gross or fine motor or cognitive or social aptitudes. Curiosity is a major driver here. We can and should be thankful that for most of us, curiosity is innate. From the utterance of our first cry that announces our being to the world, most of what we do comes from our need to know, our desire to learn, and the necessity of having our basic needs met. Perhaps we might even think of curiosity as that “thing” that enables us to grow, to move from a situation of surviving to a circumstance of thriving. We are all blessed to have and to use our curiosity for any number of positive causes. Daniel Cantor Yalowitz writes a regular column in the Recorder. A developmental and intercultural psychologist, he has facilitated change in many organizations and communities around the world. His two most recent books are “Journeying with Your Archetypes” and “Reflections on the Nature of Friendship.” Reach out to him at danielcyalowitz@gmail.com.The Tube station where drivers won't stop if the train is too long‘That’s Mickey Mouse’: Hearts vs Celtic delayed as assistant referee suffers injury

The Kimberley Curling Club (KCC) hosted the 2025 Safetek Profire BC U18 Curling Championships from Dec. 19 to 23. "We were thrilled with how everything went," said KCC general manager Blair Jarvis. "We knew that most teams were travelling a long way to get here and unfortunately they had to deal with some adventures with the snow we had last Wednesday. "We wanted to make sure that we gave them an experience that they would remember, so we spent a lot of time on the ice, we wanted to give them a great social experience off the ice as well and we heard from a number of curlers that it was the most U18 event that they’ve attended and so we’re really proud of that fact." The event had 12 teams competing on the Boys' side and seven Girls teams. On the Boys side of the competition, Team Jaeger out of Kelowna beat out Team Hrynew in the finals and for the Girls, Team Arndt from Vernon beat out Team Rempel to win the gold. With these wins, Team Jaeger has earned a spot at the Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships, which will be held at the Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon, Sask. from Feb. 16-22, 2025. Teams Arndt and Rempel will both be headed to the Nationals. Team Jaeger was made up of coaches Tyler Jaeger and Travis Wielgosz, Lead Brendan Hruschak, Second Noel Wielgosz, Third Spencer Rempel and Skip Owen Jaeger. "We really worked hard this year, this year we really wanted to win," said Skip Owen Jaeger. "We put in a lot of work and it just feels really, really good to win and for all that hard work to pay off. We’re really, really excited, it’s our first National event, first U18 provincial win so we’re really excited." Team Arndt is Coach David Arndt, Lead Alicia Evans, Second Ivy Jensen, Third Bethany Evans and Skip Ava Arndt. "We’re just super excited," said Skip Ava Arndt. "It took us a couple years to get here, but the hard work payed off and we can’t believe it, I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. It’s been a lot of hard work from us and the coaches and the parents. It’s been amazing." Jarvis coached Kimberley's Team Reynolds, who went on to win bronze. "We had set a target of making the playoffs and really happy with how the boys came together," Jarvis said. "They had a couple of games with a tough start and battled back and so the resilience they showed and how they stayed positive, there were a lot of great things we can take away from that. And the bronze medal, we were just thrilled to do that. "We saw Team Jaeger on the boys side and Team Arndt on the girls side as well — if we want to get to that level next year, we have some things to work on and it’s great to see the high level of curling in this province and so I think we’ve come away very motivated as well about what we need to do to get better if we want to be a little higher on the podium next year." Jarvis extended his gratitude to the over 50 volunteers who helped out before, during and after the event, including members of the Cranbrook Curling Club. "We’ll take some of the learnings from this event and apply them to the High School Provincials at the end of February, but we’re really happy with how everything went," he said. "And this is an event for the kids, we want to make sure that they’re going to have an experience that they’ll remember, the teams that had success will obviously remember the things that happened on the ice, but for most kids it will be the experiences they had off the ice. "We had karaoke here on the one night and a bunch of teams were intermingling together and having a great time and those are the experiences that I’m going to take away from this event." Patti Caldwell was head official for the event and Jarvis said she and Ian Milligan worked tirelessly throughout the week. "Patti’s attitude is this is all for the kids and making sure that they have fun and sure it’s a competition, but it’s meant to be fun and we’re going to enjoy this," Jarvis said. "This is a sport that we can enjoy for life and so you want to make sure you’re building positive memories in every aspect." Lindsay Shannon, administrative and event manager at Curl BC, was also on hand for the event, and presented all the awards. "We would just like to thank the Kimberley Curling Club and the City of Kimberley who put on an amazing event here and welcomed all of our athletes who have performed so well," Shannon said. "We're really looking forward to cheering our winners on at the Nationals." The Kimberley Curling Club's next big event is the High School Provincials from Feb. 26 to March 1.

Trump Border Czar Tom Homan Plans PR War over Migration and RepatriationsBaltimore prosecutors are still mulling what to do with the case of Adnan Syed, whose decades-old convictions were reinstated earlier this year. At a status conference in Syed’s case Friday, prosecutor Clara Salzberg, chief of the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office’s Post Conviction Litigation Unit, said her team needed 90 more days to decide what to do with a request to vacate Syed’s convictions filed by the previous administration in the state’s attorney’s office. “We are asking for an additional 90 days ... to allow us to take the time that we need to conduct the review of what was filed and to determine what are the appropriate next steps for our office to take,” Salzberg said. Syed’s lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Erica Suter, did not object to the prosecutor’s request. Also the director of the Innocence Project Clinic at the University of Baltimore School of Law, Suter didn’t say anything else during the brief court hearing. David Sanford, an attorney for Young Lee, the brother of the woman Syed is accused of killing in 1999, Hae Min Lee, said he would object to any further delays in the case. “The office claims it needs an additional three months to review documents it has had for over two years,” Sanford said, adding, “At this point, this is frankly absurd.” That prosecutors are still mulling how to proceed in this case adds intrigue to a legal saga made famous by the hit podcast “Serial,” which chronicled Syed’s prosecutions. The Supreme Court of Maryland in August, capping off an appeals process dating to September 2022and placing Syed’s fate in the hands of a new state’s attorney. Though the state’s attorney’s office in September 2022, the office doesn’t have to take the same position now that the Supreme Court has ordered a redo of the hearing that set Syed free. On the campaign trail, Bates said Syed’s convictions should be undone. When his office received the case following the state Supreme Court’s ruling, he said they needed to evaluate the case. “Ninety days is what we’re confident today will at least give us the time that we need to have more clarity about what our next steps will be,” Salzberg told Baltimore Circuit Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer, who is now presiding over the case. Schiffer ordered prosecutors to file anything new in the case by Feb. 28. Syed’s legal saga traces to 2000 when a Baltimore jury found Syed guilty of murder, kidnapping, robbery and related charges in the death of Lee, his high school sweetheart. Prosecutors postulated at the time that Syed couldn’t handle it when Lee broke up with him, so he killed her. Lee, 18, was strangled to death and buried in a clandestine grave in Leakin Park. Syed’s convictions withstood multiple appeals, but he always maintained he was innocent. Years turned to decades behind bars. His break came in 2021 when Suter approached city prosecutors about modifying his sentence under a new law allowing people convicted of crimes before they turned 18 to petition a court to change their penalty. The subsequent review spawned a full-throttled reinvestigation of the case, which, prosecutors said, revealed alternative suspects in Lee’s killing not before disclosed to Syed. The revelation, prosecutors said, led them to doubt the “integrity” of Syed’s decades-old convictions. They the guilty findings. On a Friday afternoon in September 2022, Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa M. Phinn scheduled a hearing for the following Monday. Prosecutors then informed Young Lee, saying he could watch it by Zoom, but a lawyer for Young Lee insisted his client, who lived in California, wanted to attend in person and wasn’t given enough time to travel. Phinn proceeded with the hearing, ordering after 23 years of incarceration. Young Lee raised questions about his role in the hearing, appealing before in October 2022. He argued that the short notice violated his right as a crime victim and the intermediate agreed in March 2023, ordering Syed’s convictions reinstated for a do-over of the hearing to vacate them. to the state’s highest court, arguing that Young Lee got adequate notice and that the prosecutor’s decision to dismiss his charges nullified the appeal. Young Lee , with his lawyers arguing the appellate court’s ruling didn’t go far enough for crime victims. The state Supreme Court’s decision was split. The three dissenting judges argued, in part, that it was up to the legislature, not the judiciary, to decide whether to clarify a crime victim’s role in such a proceeding.

Losers of their last six games, the Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) are staring down two straight AFC West divisional battles as Thanksgiving approaches. Antonio Pierce's squad will face the Denver Broncos (6-5) and their No. 3-ranked defense on Sunday before traveling to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs (9-1) on Black Friday. Before the Raiders could turn the page fully to Week 12, the league released some news on star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, who was held without a sack for the third straight game last week. The NFL announced its punishments for Week 11 on Saturday and among them were two fines levied against Crosby: One for unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting) and another for unnecessary roughness (striking/kicking/kneeing) against the Miami Dolphins. Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images In total, the three-time Pro Bowler was docked $23,072 for the violations, which occurred in the first quarter of the Raiders-Dolphins matchup. The league office handed out 19 fines in Week 11, the lowest count of any week this season. However, this marks the third and fourth times Crosby has been fined this season, and the ninth and tenth times of his six-year NFL career. He was also fined two weeks ago for a late hit on Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. The 27-year-old defensive stalwart has now been docked over $150,000 dating back to 2019. Despite his three-game dry spell, Crosby has still racked up 6.5 sacks through nine games, putting him on pace for his fourth double-digit sack season. He set a career best with 14.5 in 2023. Related: Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders Predicted to Replace $25 Million Starter Related: Walmart Is Selling Madden 25 for 50% Off — But It's Going FastNissan 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.

Assembly Election Results The TOI Entertainment Desk is a dynamic and dedicated team of journalists, working tirelessly to bring the pulse of the entertainment world straight to the readers of The Times of India. No red carpet goes unrolled, no stage goes dark - our team spans the globe, bringing you the latest scoops and insider insights from Bollywood to Hollywood, and every entertainment hotspot in between. We don't just report; we tell tales of stardom and stories untold. Whether it's the rise of a new sensation or the seasoned journey of an industry veteran, the TOI Entertainment Desk is your front-row seat to the fascinating narratives that shape the entertainment landscape. Beyond the breaking news, we present a celebration of culture. We explore the intersections of entertainment with society, politics, and everyday life. Read More Shine like Raveena Tandon this wedding season with her glamorous style 8 saag varieties from across India and their benefits 9 benefits of consuming Pomegranate peel regularly A complete guide to the streets of Rishikesh Tamannaah Bhatia's top iconic ethnic looks: A perfect blend of style and elegance Karisma Kapoor sets new standards for ethnic fashion elegance in traditional attires 8 rich, natural fertilisers for the plants that are already in your home 8 most dangerous fishes in the world 10 places in India that become inaccessible in peak winter season

Elon Musk gains $70B after Trump’s victory, now worth almost $350BReferee David Coote will not appeal against termination of contract

Coote was sacked earlier this month after the emergence of a video in which he made derogatory remarks about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp. Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said that a thorough investigation had concluded he was “in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable”. “Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare,” PGMOL’s statement on December 9 added. Coote had the right to appeal against the decision but PA understands the Nottinghamshire referee has decided not to. The video which triggered PGMOL’s investigation into Coote’s conduct first came to public attention on November 11. In it, Coote is asked for his views on a Liverpool match where he has just been fourth official, and describes them as “s***”. He then describes Klopp as a “c***”, and, asked why he felt that way, Coote says the German had “a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown” and had accused him of lying. “I have got no interest in speaking to someone who’s f****** arrogant, so I do my best not to speak to him,” Coote said. Later in the video, Coote again refers to Klopp, this time as a “German c***”. The Football Association opened its own investigation into that video, understood to be centred on that last comment and whether Coote’s reference to Klopp’s nationality constituted an aggravated breach of its misconduct rules. The investigation by PGMOL which led to Coote’s contract being terminated is also understood to have looked at another video which appeared to show Coote snorting a white powder, purportedly during Euro 2024 where he was one of the assistant VARs for the tournament. European football’s governing body UEFA also appointed an ethics investigator to look into the matter.Indian billionaire Gautam Adani’s feverish push to expand his global energy and infrastructure empire has been knocked by US bribery charges, but analysts believe the tycoon will bounce back. The bombshell indictment in New York on Wednesday accusing Adani and his associates of paying more than $250mn in bribes to secure lucrative government contracts sparked a frenzied sale of stocks. Within hours, India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi demanded Adani’s arrest and Kenyan President William Ruto scrapped airport and electricity deals worth about $2.5bn. The Adani Group dismissed the bribery charge as “baseless” but Shriram Subramanian, founder of corporate governance advisory firm, InGovern Research Services, said it has “huge” implications. “They will defend themselves by appealing, or go for a settlement,” Subramanian told AFP from Bengaluru. “It is a big blow to their reputation and corporate governance practices,” he added. The meteoric rise of Adani, once the world’s second-richest man, has been dogged with controversies - and allegations he benefited from his close ties to Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The conglomerate weathered previous allegations of impropriety that wiped $150bn from its market value in 2023, after a report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research accused it of “brazen” corporate fraud. “Given Adani’s clout, his resources, and his access, he has the capacity to bounce back, (and) we saw that the last time around,” Michael Kugelman, South Asia Institute Director at The Wilson Center told AFP. Adani’s empire spanning coal, airports, cement, and media has interests in countries ranging from Australia to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Israel, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Nepal. But Kugelman warned that this time the challenge is “unprecedented”. “If you’re indicted by the US justice system, the seriousness and the scale is altogether different”, Kugelman said. “Hindenburg pales in comparison to what he is facing right now”. The bribery charges are a huge hurdle for key investors, and sparking grassroots demands for greater scrutiny of major projects. In neighbouring Sri Lanka, activists opposing a $442mn wind power project by Adani Green Energy have demanded the deal be stalled. “The tolerance for risk among the investors who stuck with him during Hindenburg would be much lower,” Kugelman said. Adani is India’s largest private port operator, and operates key airports including in the financial capital Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the biggest city in Modi’s home state of Gujarat. The group is also involved in vast coal and renewable energy projects across the world’s fifth-largest economy. In October, Gautam’s nephew and board member Sagar Adani - also named in the indictment - told AFP there was “no political connection” between Adani Group and Modi’s government. Hemindra Hazari, a Mumbai-based markets research analyst, said that the conglomerate, a relatively new player in key infrastructure sectors, was backed by large investors who would otherwise have been cautious because it “was considered to be close to the ruling dispensation”. “Most of them invested despite the group’s limited managerial bandwidth and experience...precisely because...it was seen to be getting highly remunerative terms...which, in any normal market-based economy, would not have been possible,” he told AFP. A “significant component” of Adani debt was raised from foreign sources, including banks and institutional investors, he said, and “everything will slow down for them for now”. India’s government is yet to comment. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi however was swift to demand Adani be arrested - but telling reporters he knew that would not happen, alleging that “Modi is protecting him”. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back saying the alleged bribery was linked to Indian states led by opposition parties. Subramanian believes it is just “a dent” to Adani’s reputation and that they will “continue to seek out and win projects across India and rest of the world”. But Kugelman warned the “reputational blows”, not only to the Adani Group but to India, were “severe”. As for the future, how the charges will influence incoming US president Donald Trump remains an “unknown”, Kugelman said. “I don’t think it’d really affect the broader India-US relationship”, he said. But he noted that Trump may eye a wily businessman like Adani “favourably”, or “leverage it for more favourable policies on tariffs”. 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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. 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.

Adnan Syed case: Prosecutors mulling what to do with ‘Serial’ subject’s convictionsLEE Mack's The 1% Club has returned for a festive special, with Christmas themed questions already catching out contestants. The ITV show sees contestants faced with questions designed to test how their brain works, rather than their intelligence level. 4 The festive special of The 1% Club saw many Christmas themed questions Credit: ITV 4 The second question stumped contestants, with 28 knocked out by the spot the difference Credit: ITV They have to use their logic, reasoning and common sense as they are whittled down to one final question that only 1% of the country can answer correctly. This is all in an effort to try and take home the jackpot prize of up to £100,000. This year's Christmas special featured festive themed questions, but it wasn't long before those trying to win the money were stumped. With the second question focusing on a Christmas 'spot the difference', viewers at home were left stunned to find that 28 contestants had failed to get the answer right. More on The 1% Club SHAPE UP The 1% Club viewers gobsmacked as ‘easy’ question catches out contestants quizzed off 1% Club fans slam ‘trick question’ & insist answer is wrong - could you get it? The question pictured a festive scene where contestants had to spot what was differing between the two, with the answer being a missing pair of Santa's legs. Taking to X, one viewer wrote: " 28 people getting the second question wrong!" Another shared: "28 people. Wow". "What on earth were those 28 people looking at?" asked another baffled viewer. Most read in News TV CHRISTMAS JOY Lorraine Kelly shares sweet snap of granddaughter Billie's first Christmas NO PLACE LIKE HOME Lorraine Kelly shares plans to quit England with her daughter HOLYROOD HONOUR Strictly Come Dancing champion given special honour in Scottish parliament OH MY WORD Scots Countdown contestant is first woman to be crowned champion in 26 years This wasn't the only question that viewers at home were shocked to see the contestants struggling with, as some questioned whether the Christmas special quiz had been made 'easier'. One viewer shared on social media: "these questions are exceptionally easy . how anyone’s getting them wrong i’ll never know." Furious The 1% Club viewers slam show for ‘trick question’ and insist the answer was wrong - would you have got it? Another simply put: "Too easy." The festive special sees comedian Lee Mack back at the helm of the quiz show, which won Best Quiz Game Show for the third year in a row at the NTA Awards. The series has also been recommissioned for a fifth series , with ITV bringing back the show for this festive special and also a charity one for Soccer Aid . A source previously told us: "The show has well and truly proved its popularity with viewers, and so it’s only natural to bring it back for not one, but two more rounds. "This will also include two Christmas specials, which will air on ITV after the main series have run." Previous episodes of The 1% Club are available on ITVX. 4 The answer was Santa's legs were missing in the second image Credit: ITV 4 Lee Mack returned to present the festive special of the ITV quiz show Credit: ITV

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 4:13 p.m. ESTNRL makes decision on Ezra Mam’s punishment for drug driving

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BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad's erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; and Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar, contributed to this report. Bassem Mroue And Zeina Karam, The Associated PressArtivion VP regulatory Andrew Green sells $228,540 in stockSoccer-Villa secure 0-0 draw against depleted Juventuskijiji alberta 。

Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and RussiaIs TELUS Stock a Buy for its 7.35% Dividend Yield?FOX 4 consumer reporter Steve Noviello is busy preparing his annual FOX Holiday Gift Guide. From toys to tech and more, Steve will review the items that are sure to be a hit this holiday season. DALLAS - FOX 4 Consumer reporter Steve Noviello gets more than 1,000 product pitches each year. He shares the greatest gifts of the season in this 2024 Holiday Gift Guide. Steve's 4 favorite products of 2024 These products from throughout the year scored so big, Steve now uses them in his own home! His family loves couch snuggle time with an oversized blanket. He found a pair of folding sunglasses that fit in his pocket. He uses a type of sunscreen that's specially formulated for men. And his new Fokus + Headphones are always fully charged on his desk. | Read more Top 10 toys for 2024 Here are our top 10 toys of the year! This year's list includes several options for racing and RC lovers, a 4-foot-tall Paris playset for young Ladybug fans, a tool that can turn kids' drawings into playable video games, a lightsaber with advanced LED and sound effects, a doll that shows off her natural hair, a sensor playset for those who love lining up cars, and a storytime companion that can create customized stories. | Read more More toys that make great holiday gifts From classics to completely new, these toys will be tons of fun this season! Playmobil, furReal Friends, Fingerlings, Littlest Pet Shop, Lego, Razor, Minions and more... they may not have made it into the Top 10 list, but they are sure to please just about any young gift recipient. | Read more Gifts to inspire family game night Gather the family for fun! These gifts make for a winning game night! Monopoly Scrabble combines two classic favorites. Hitster combines music and fun. A new version of Trivial Pursuit is perfect for family members in different generations. And chances are your kids are already playing Imposter! | Read more Gifts that offer screen-free fun These gift ideas will keep your kids entertained- no screens needed. There's a playset for young artists and a building kit that combines the fun of magnetic connections with ramps and runs. Hero is a unique robot that teaches about sound technology. And there are new puzzles and fidgets you'll want to check out. | Read more Gifts tweens actually want Creative, curious, active and a little tech obsessed, these gifts for tweens scored high marks with our testers! The list includes kits for crafty kids, two parent-approved cellphones, a drone with RGB illuminated propellers, a VR activity set for science lovers, skill-building equipment for soccer lovers, and a paper airplane that's really powered. | Read more Great gifts for gamers Kids of all ages love video games. These consoles, games, and accessories earned high scores with us! We loved the ASUS ROG Alley X gaming device, which is a PC and a handheld gaming console all in one. WIN Reality lets you get your batting and pitching practice in at home. The Nick Watch is a new smartwatch option for kids. And don't forget about all the audio equipment to go along with those games. | Read more Cool tech gift ideas for the gadget lovers on your list From the JLab Flex wireless earbuds that clip onto your ear to Ecoflow's latest consumer power bank, the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, and more, these high-tech gadgets are sure to bring big smiles. Our list even includes the Barsys 360 to revolutionize home cocktail making. | Read more Holiday gifts for men Check out these great gifts for that great guy on your list. The Stowaway Rocker gives dad comfort but doesn't compromise when it comes to storage. The Lexivon 2-in-1 digital laser tape measure is a gift that supports small businesses too. And Coofandy has the ultimate menswear line to build a fashion profile he will love. | Read more Gift ideas that support small businesses Feel great about giving these gifts knowing you're supporting a small business. Dugout Mugs are officially licensed and can be customized to make the perfect gift. It's All About Bees sells local honey and honey products that are great for teachers. And you don't have to wait until next fall to give someone a bucket of Stiffler's Mom's Cookies from the State Fair of Texas. | Read more Holiday home entertaining gift ideas Whether you're having an intimate holiday or a huge gathering, these products will make hosting a breeze. Tovolo's holiday ornament ice molds can add a touch of festivity to your next gathering. The Pizza Scizzas by William Sonoma make slicing pizza hot out the oven a breeze. And the Bruvi BV-01 Coffee Maker can brew seven different drinks for when your guests can't agree on a single option. | Read more Gifts for people who have everything Think they already have everything? They don't have all of these - guaranteed! For example, the AirUp Scentaste Water Bottle flavors water using just scent. Dink Buddy has a portable pickleball net to use in the backyard or at the park or beach. And Enso has a travel-friendly Buddha Board for an artistic "expression of the moment." | Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could offer rebates for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates a federal tax credit for people who buy electric cars, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. Newsom, a Democrat, proposed creating a new version of the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program , which was phased out in 2023 after funding 594,000 cars and saving 456 million gallons of fuel, Newsom’s office said. “Consumers continue to prove the skeptics wrong – zero-emission vehicles are here to stay," Newsom said in a statement. "We’re not turning back on a clean transportation future — we’re going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don’t pollute.” Newsom’s proposal is part of his plan to protect California's progressive policies ahead of Republican President-elect Donald Trump's second term. He called the state Legislature to convene in a special session to help “Trump-proof” state laws by giving the attorney general’s office more funding to fight federal challenges. But a budget shortfall could complicate California’s resistance efforts. Early budget projections show the state could face a $2 billion deficit next year, according to a report released last week by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. That’s an improvement from an estimated $46.8 billion deficit the state faced last year, but the shortfall could still curtail the state’s ability to expand new programs and fight federal legal challenges. Legislative leaders in both chambers have said the state needs to stay prudent in anticipation of future budget deficits. Money for the new rebate system could come from the state's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which is funded by polluters under the state’s cap-and-trade program, the governor's office said. Officials didn’t say how much the program would cost or how the rebates would work. Newsom is expected to offer more details of the possible rebate program during an appearance in Kern County later Monday. California has surpassed 2 million zero-emission vehicles sold, according to Newsom's office. The state has passed policies in recent years to transition away from fossil fuel-powered, cars , trucks , trains and lawn mowers . Trump previously vowed to end federal electric vehicle tax credits , which are worth up to $7,500 for new zero-emission vehicles. There’s also a $4,000 credit for used ones. But Trump later softened his stance as Tesla CEO Elon Musk became a supporter and adviser. Newsom's proposed rebates could exclude Tesla and other automakers in an effort to promote more market competition and innovation, according to the governor's office. But that is subject to negotiation with the state Legislature. Trump criticized Newsom on social media after the governor called for a special session, calling out the high cost of living in California and the state’s homelessness crisis. Trump said Newsom was “stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again.’” Newsom said on his podcast earlier this month that he reached out to Trump after the election. He said at a news conference last week that he still hadn’t heard back from the president-elect. California's defunct Clean Vehicle Rebate Program offered rebates on electric cars as high as $2,500.

Daily Post Nigeria ICPC arraigns ex-bank MD, CEO over alleged money laundering Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News ICPC arraigns ex-bank MD, CEO over alleged money laundering Published on November 27, 2024 By John Owen Nwachukwu The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has arraigned a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, Gimba Kumo Ya’u. He was arraigned alongside two others over an alleged diversion of $65,000,000. The money was meant for the development of 962 units of residential housing units in Kubwa District in Abuja. Ya’u was brought before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, alongside Mr Bola Ogunsola, former Executive Director and Tarry Rufus, Managing Director of T-Brend Fortunes Nigeria Limited. The ICPC told the court in a charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/333/24 that the alleged offences of the defendants go against the Public Enterprises Regulatory Commission Act and Section 19 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. In a five-count charge, the anti-graft commission told the court that the ex-bank CEO made payment to Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited in the sum of N3,785,000,000 out of the total contract sum of $65,000,000. The money was meant to erect 962 units of residential housing in Kubwa, Abuja, named “Goodluck Jonathan Legacy City.” ICPC alleged that Yau and Ogunsola, in their roles as CEO and ED of the bank in August 2012, had secured a loan of N14 billion from Ecobank Nigeria PLC on behalf of the bank. ICPC further alleged that Yau, as the then CEO of FMBN, awarded the $65 million contract despite knowing that the company lacked the capacity to carry out the contract. It added that the project remains incomplete “as of today.” The other defendants were accused of giving and receiving $3,550,000 of the contract sum in cash in contravention of the Money Laundering Act. Tarry Rufus, Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited and T-Brend Fortunes Limited were accused of directly converting the sum of N991,399,255 into $3,550,000 and handing over the same to one Jason Rosamond (now at large) in cash, contrary to Section 18(2) (b) and punishable under Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them. Following their plea, the judge adjourned the case until February 6, 2025, for the commencement of trial. Related Topics: ICPC Money Laundering Don't Miss Former UNIZIK VC Odoh sues FUGUS over denial of professorship, employment status You may like Illegal degree mill: ICPC re-arraigns professor, two others ICPC tracks N4bn constituency projects in Imo ICPC tracks N13.9bn FG projects in Niger ICPC tracks N610bn constituency projects in 21 states, FCT Supreme Court dismisses suit by 19 States challenging constitutionality of EFCC, ICPC, NFIU ICPC presents annual scorecard to Senate, identifies challenges Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdMan Utd chiefs locked in blame game over expensive shambles that saw Ten Hag get new deal before being sacked

LAS VEGAS — Players Era Festival organizers have done what so many other have tried — bet their fortunes in this city that a big payoff is coming. Such bet are usually bad ones, which is why so many massive casino-resorts have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard. But it doesn't mean the organizers are wrong. They're counting on the minimum of $1 million in guaranteed name, image and likeness money that will go to each of the eight teams competing in the neutral-site tournament that begins Tuesday will create a precedent for other such events. EverWonder Studios CEO Ian Orefice, who co-founded Players with former AND1 CEO Seth Berger, compared this event to last year's inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament that played its semifinals and final in Las Vegas by saying it "did really well to reinvigorate the fan base at the beginning of the year." "We're excited that we're able to really change the paradigm in college basketball on the economics," Orefice said. "But for us, it's about the long term. How do we use the momentum that is launching with the 2024 Players Era Festival and be the catalyst not to change one event, but to change college basketball for the future." Orefice and Berger didn't disclose financial details, but said the event will come close to breaking even this year and that revenue is in eight figures. Orefice said the bulk of the revenue will come from relationships with MGM, TNT Sports and Publicis Sport & Entertainment as well as sponsors that will be announced later. Both organizers said they are so bullish on the tournament's prospects that they already are planning ahead. Money made from this year's event, Orefice said, goes right back into the company. "We're really in this for the long haul," Orefice said. "So we're not looking at it on a one-year basis." Rick Giles is president of the Gazelle Group, which also operates several similar events, including the College Basketball Invitational. He was skeptical the financial numbers would work. Giles said in addition to more than $8 million going to the players, there were other expenses such as the guarantees to the teams. He said he didn't know if the tournament would make up the difference with ticket sales, broadcast rights and sponsorship money. The top bowl of the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be curtained off. "The math is highly challenging," Giles said. "Attendance and ticket revenues are not going to come anywhere close to covering that. They haven't announced any sponsors that I'm aware of. So it all sort of rests with their media deal with Turner and how much capital they want to commit to it to get these players paid." David Carter, a University of Southern California adjunct professor who also runs the Sports Business Group consultancy, said even if the Players isn't a financial success this year, the question is whether there will be enough interest to move forward. "If there is bandwidth for another tournament and if the TV or the streaming ratings are going to be there and people are going to want to attend and companies are going to want to sponsor, then, yeah, it's probably going to work," Carter said. "But it may take them time to gain that traction." Both founders said they initially were met with skepticism about putting together such an event, especially from teams they were interested in inviting. Houston was the first school to commit, first offering an oral pledge early in the year and then signing a contract in April. That created momentum for others to join, and including the No. 6 Cougars, half the field is ranked. "We have the relationships to operate a great event," Berger said. "We had to get coaches over those hurdles, and once they knew that we were real, schools got on board really quickly." The founders worked with the NCAA to make sure the tournament abided by that organization's rules, so players must appear at ancillary events in order to receive NIL money. Strict pay for play is not allowed, though there are incentives for performance. The champion, for example, will receive $1.5 million in NIL money. Now the pressure is on to pull off the event and not create the kind of headlines that can dog it for years to come. "I think everybody in the marketplace is watching what's going to happen (this) week and, more importantly, what happens afterwards," Giles said. "Do the players get paid on a timely basis? And if they do, that means that Turner or somebody has paid way more than the market dictates? And the question will be: Can that continue?" CREIGHTON: P oint guard Steven Ashworth likely won’t play in the No. 21 Bluejays’ game against San Diego State in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Ashworth sprained his right ankle late in a loss to Nebraska on Friday and coach Greg McDermott said afterward he didn’t know how long he would be out. Get local news delivered to your inbox!It was in August that publisher 2K and Civilization franchise developer Firaxis revealed that the widely detested 2K Launcher . Since then, the launcher has gotten the boot from all other 2K-published titles, including and other franchises. Today, Neowin found that 2K sent out an update across Steam to its games, aiming to remove what remaining files it can from game directories related to the launcher. The folder that held the original launcher installation will only have a 2kLauncherRemoved.txt file now, which can also be manually deleted. However, those who had the 2K Launcher installed for a game in the past will have some leftover files in their PCs, spread across two locations. These can be found in the Local and Roaming folders inside the AppData folder under the name "T2GP Launcher", and they have to be manually deleted. Here are the instructions: The final step to make sure the 2K Launcher is gone is to restart Steam or the Epic Games Store fully, with the company even going on to recommend a full system reboot. While most 2K-published games (like and ) will now simply launch without an additional launcher login requirement, the removal does affect some games on a deeper level. It's mostly good news, though. For example, and games will use a separate mod launcher instead of the 2K launcher built-in one, which also enables modding on the Steam Deck. However, over on the Epic Games Store, will now require a special launch option to run the game using DirectX 12. for details on each affected game.

Paylocity director Steven Sarowitz sells $604,897 in stockQatar PM sees 'momentum' on Gaza talks after US electionJamiya Neal's 19 points help Creighton beat UNLV 83-65

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After a far-right pro-Russia candidate secured a surprise lead in Romania's presidential election Monday, the eastern European NATO member is bracing for a high-stakes parliamentary vote on Sunday, amid fears it could bring about a strategic shift in the country. Calin Georgescu was in pole position with almost 23 percent after the first round of voting, a political earthquake in the country of 19 million people that has so far resisted nationalist appeals that have gained traction in Hungary and Slovakia. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.

Kellogg is retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues.

Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facilityThis is a story about fear and anxiety. It’s also about Taash, the fire-breathing qunari companion in Dragon Age: The Veilguard . When I was playing through the game for my review , they were one of my favorite folks to have along on missions. There are various reasons why and some are just practical: I was playing a mage, so having a warrior on hand for Warrior StuffTM was useful, but I also enjoyed Taash’s snarky and practical approach to the world. Every time another party member would get lost in their own head about something, Taash’s “That’s vashedan!” would inevitably yank them back out in a fun way. Taash is also nonbinary, which is one of two axes their character conflict and development rotate around. The other is that they were born in the lands of the Qun , a religious and deeply stratified society, but they were raised in Rivain, a close-enough Mediterranean analog with a sharply contrasting culture. In both respects, Taash is presented to us as a character who feels pulled between opposing poles by these forces in their life. Taash’s mother, Shathann, is an expert in Qun history and a stern and lecturing type who seems to disapprove of everything “nontraditional” her child does, including both not being feminine enough and not following the Qun enough. My moment of fear about Taash came when I encountered a specific in-game codex entry: Taash Notes: Meeting Shadow Dragons to Talk Gender Stuff . A hefty number of codex entries involving Taash are framed as notes they take on various subjects (including one on how to set traps in the Lighthouse , which I enjoyed). Their notes on gender unlock after a conversation with Neve and Rook about Taash’s discomfort with their gender identity; the implication is that Neve hooked Taash up with trans folks in the Shadow Dragons faction who might have useful information on the subject. Unfortunately, this codex entry feels both awkward and out of place. Not necessarily harmful — there’s nothing in it that made me go “ that’s obviously untrue” or anything of the sort. That said, if this were a Mass Effect game and not a Dragon Age one, it would be extremely easy to paint this codex entry as Taash’s net search history. It has extremely strong “baby queer person googling what ‘queer’ means and writing it down” energy, because that’s basically what it is. Without an in-game internet, Taash has to rely on speaking to actual people; without in-game social media, they get their thoughts out on paper to make sense of them. Taash’s notes cover everything from what dysphoria is, to struggling with the definition of the term “nonbinary,” to uplifting testimonials from said trans NPCs about what gender means, to the literally stated “Trans woman IS woman.” Speaking from experience, and as someone who was working out their sexuality at a time when the internet was not even remotely as widely available as it is today, these are the kind of notes and scribbles I would have written, it’s true, but in the process they can come across in a very “here’s Taash’s Being Genderqueer 101 blog post” kind of way. Since Taash’s way of speaking is already relatively informal and “modern-sounding” compared to other party members, that contributes to the feeling that this is just ever so slightly out of place. Critics and fans have argued that “nonbinary,” an already modern term, needed an in-universe equivalent, which I disagree with. Harvey Randall at PC Gamer argues that instead, Veilguard ’s writers needed to establish more of how the term was situated in the DA world’s culture and history, and I do think contextualizing “nonbinary” in Thedas culture/language would have helped , but it’s not strictly speaking required . As I read through the codex entry, I had a pit-of-the-stomach feeling getting bigger with each new word. I wasn’t worried about the anti-woke crowd; one, they would hate this game regardless, and two, who cares what fools think? What worried me was what my fellow queer players would have to say about it, because in my imagination, the possibility of a deeply negative reaction loomed large. That was informed by my own reading, too; because the relevant codex entry had a somewhat “101-level” tone — and was delivered in a codex entry and not through, say, a scene where Taash interacts directly with those trans NPCs about this — made me worried that queer players would feel it didn’t go far enough, or would believe it to be targeted at non-queer players instead. However, a large part of my anxiousness came from personal experience. In the summer of 2011, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the MIT Game Lab , which was at the time the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab. Our partnership with the Singapore Media Development Authority meant that every summer, Singaporean game dev students from our Singaporean sister lab would come to Boston, split into teams alongside local students from MIT, Berklee College of Music, and Rhode Island School of Design, and make games in an intensive eight-week program. Specifically, they would make games that furthered the research of academics working in games, who applied to have their projects chosen. That summer, one team was making a game for my research. The study sought to understand a team’s process as they built a game with a very broad mandate: “Make a game with a queer-resonant theme.” In game development terms, I was product owner; another lab researcher was our game director. While we did spend time in the room with the team to observe them and provide input and oversight, the game’s creative direction — story, art, sound, gameplay — was in the hands of the students, and it was really their efforts that drove the project. The result was a game called A Closed World , a short and simple Flash-based RPG. When the game was released, it got good press both internally and externally, with coverage by multiple game publications, including Kotaku , as well as non-games news outlets. In retrospect, I am sure the MIT name opened doors for us that might not open as easily for other queer creators, particularly indie queer creators working on their own. My team was thrilled to see our little game find positive reception in the world, however. This is not to say we didn’t receive criticisms for missteps or things we overlooked, and of those, many were still the products of intense discussion and debate among the team, or between the team and myself or my colleague who was serving as game director. The game’s story involves escaping from a seemingly haunted forest; at one point, I suggested the ending involve the main character finding a cliffside over clouds and taking a leap of faith to leave their home and start a new life. Members of my team argued, convincingly, that such an ending might read like an attempt at self-harm instead. Discussions of that kind were numerous, and that was about a thing that didn’t make the final cut, let alone what did. However, some high-profile queer indie devs took serious issue with it, for various reasons. In one of the more striking examples, Anna Anthropy made a parody game called “A Closed Mind,” using a similar visual style but written to suggest our game believed intolerance could be defeated like a JRPG boss. Many of the criticisms we received at the time suggested that it was a waste for MIT to spend money having my team make this game; that we didn’t understand how to make queer games, or understand the issues. At the time I needed to be diplomatic in my public responses, since I was representing the lab and the university, but in hindsight, things like “A Closed Mind” and accusations that my team didn’t really understand the issues at all feel not only misplaced but extremely petty. For the members of my team who identified as somewhere in the vastness of the queer spectrum, accusations from queer devs that the team wasn’t queer enough, or didn’t understand queer experiences, were deeply hurtful (and to be honest, they hurt me too). It’s one thing to dislike what we did; that’s natural, and putting art in the world means needing to be prepared for people to dislike it. This felt like something else entirely. That experience is what made me scared for Taash’s and Veilguard ’s reception. Was it going to get the “not queer enough!” label because it had, admittedly, tackled things at a more basic and beginner level than some might like? Would people use things like the “Taash Notes” codex entry to claim that the writer(s) didn’t understand the issues? Criticism of queerness — or, indeed, a focus on any marginalized identity category — in an artistic work is fraught from the jump. You want to support creators who make attempts to be inclusive, who actively work to bring in these types of characters and themes, but at the same time, it feels so easy for even the most well-intentioned attempt at inclusivity to head somewhat off the rails anyway — something that’s happened to BioWare before . Thus, it’s necessary that such criticism be able to call “queer work” into account for its mistakes too. It’s such a careful line to walk. The problem is that I think we as both critics and fans have, over the past decade plus, created an environment where creators experience enormous fears about getting it wrong, and producing something that isn’t pitch-perfect on the issues in every way is immediately painted as so harmful or detrimental the work needs to be thrown out entirely. The anxiety is real, but the concrete steps devs can take to address concerns can also lead to positive outcomes. The rise in sensitivity readers, diversity consultants, and other such steps devs can take to head off mistakes before games reach the shelves are an unalloyed good, and they have roots in a similar place. Are our only two options “getting it right” and “getting it harmfully wrong,” though? Things aren’t, if you’ll excuse the sorta-pun, binary in that way. I don’t necessarily think the presentation of Taash’s gender journey is as artful as it could be, for sure; I think it could have been smoother, more integrated into the setting and into their broader story about choosing who they wish to be (Taash’s big, oft-repeated line is “You don’t get to tell me who I am”). Is it harmful , though? Or just not to some players’ tastes? With each new take and article and blog post I’ve read, I find it harder to justify excoriating the writing team for Veilguard on this one, of accusing them of “getting queerness wrong.” That’s wild, and I am not gonna put myself in the place of people who told my team, back in 2011, that their earnest attempt wasn’t queer enough. I said this was a story about fear and anxiety, and that’s what it is now, although the pitch I made to Polygon about this story had a very different form at first. The original idea was less about Taash and more about how I felt the approach to “playersexual” companion story and romance designs in Veilguard was a step forward from Dragon Age 2 (spoilers: it is); Taash was more of a footnote in that story. As I wrote it, though, I was getting more and more blocked, and I realized it was because I was cutting and rearranging and rewording and watering down what I was saying in the interest of not upsetting anyone. I didn’t want to criticize too hard and have Trick Weekes (Taash’s primary writer) and the Veilguard team feel I was attacking them unduly, but I was also afraid of drawing backlash from queer readers who felt I was too forgiving or didn’t go hard enough. I think this is why I have such mounting frustration with accusations I’ve seen from critics and players saying that Taash is just a cardboard stand-in for the writers’ thoughts on gender, or that the writing surrounding it was too “safe” or sanded down or not messy enough. Of course it’s not messy! Queer players and critics have been in comment sections, blogs, and social media posts for years tut-tutting everyone — even other queer devs and indie devs with nowhere near the resources at their disposal! — for not getting things pitch-perfect, for not using the exact right terms, for being messy at all . It’s totally believable this situation is the result. Which do you want? Messiness, or infallible politics? You cannot have both! They are antithetical! Perhaps being too safe, too “polished,” is indeed the problem when it comes to Taash, or Veilguard ’s handling of gender broadly, but I’d much rather have an earnest and too-safe attempt based on an ethos of trying to do right by us queer players than something actively harmful to the community at large. Too safe is not actively harmful; too safe is “room for improvement.” Too safe is a learning opportunity. Culture Opinion Dragon Age: The Veilguard

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East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., a potential first-round pick, declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday. Revel, who sustained a torn left ACL in practice in September, had one season of eligibility remaining. "After an incredible journey at East Carolina, I am officially declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft," the senior posted on social media. "... Pirates nation, thank you for your unwavering energy and support every game. Representing ECU is an honor, and I look forward to continuing to do so on Sundays!" Revel recorded two interceptions in three games this season, returning one 50 yards for a touchdown on Sept. 14 against Appalachian State. Over three seasons with the Pirates, Revel had three interceptions, 15 passes defensed and 70 tackles in 24 games. He was a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection last season. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Revel as the No. 2 cornerback and No. 23 overall prospect in the 2025 draft class. --Field Level MediaNadeshot “disgusted” as hackers already take over Black Ops 6 Ranked Play

Speaking this Thursday in Harare, Feed and Fodder Business Development Expert, David Maina has announced that women should be fully given an opportunity to showcase their capacity and capability to contribute towards economic development of their respective societies. "It is important to consider and fully empower women by giving them opportunity to contribute towards growth of their economies through joining feed and fodder production as both investment and part of the value chain," Maina said. "In the wake of El-Nino induced drought, women especially smallholder farmers, should devise means to improve and ensure resilience in terms of livestock production," Maina added. "Women should also be actively and meaningfully involved in the enterprise which focuses on lucerne. On feed and fodder production, we are focusing on aggregation, contracting and raising investments," Maina added. Meanwhile, Dr Sthokozile Sibanda who is the Director for Livestock Production and Development in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has welcomed the partnership with other stakeholders under the African Union - InterAfrican Bureau for animal resources (AU-IBAR) describing the ongoing workshop as a relief to livestock farmers throughout the country. "As you know that the country has lost a sizeable number of livestock as a result of El-Nino induced drought, it has come as a relief for formers who might have lost their herds through scarcity of feed and other essentials for livestock production," Sibanda said. "This has been a platform for engagement on the value chain. As you know that livestock farmers depend heavily on feed and fodder, this would help in ensuring economic development," Sibanda added. The reason why farmers should invest in feed and fodder is because; due to increasing reliance on cultivated fodder and manufactured feed there is need for climate variability (climate change), the untapped market potential where smallholder farmers dominate livestock production but lack access to affordable quality feed. Concerning technological advancements, there is need to embrace emerging technologies for feed production and processing which offer growth opportunities.

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — Gov. Phil Murphy has asked the Biden administration to put more resources into an investigation of mysterious drone sightings that have been reported in New Jersey and nearby states. Murphy, a Democrat, made the request in a letter Thursday, noting that state and local law enforcement remain “hamstrung” by existing laws and policies in their efforts to successfully counteract any nefarious activity of unmanned aircraft. He posted a copy of the letter on the social media platform X . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.Joe Biden and Donald Trump have led tributes to former US President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter, who has died aged 100. Carter, who lived longer than any president in history, at his home in Plains, Georgia. Biden described him as "a man of principle, faith and humility," while Trump said all Americans owe Carter a "debt of gratitude". Carter rose from a peanut farmer to become president in 1977, before being forced out of the White House after just one term after Ronald Reagan stormed to victory in the 1981 election. After leaving the White House with low approval ratings, his reputation was restored through humanitarian work which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. "Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian," President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement. "To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning - the good life - study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility," they added. "He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people - decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong." President-elect Trump posted on Truth Social: "The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. "For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude." World leaders also paid tribute to Carter. King Charles III said "his dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977". UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Carter was "motivated by his strong faith and values" and that he "redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Carter "was a leader who served during a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, yet his heart stood firmly with us in our ongoing fight for freedom". French President Emmanuel Macron said he had been a "steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace". Before becoming president in 1977, Democrat Carter was governor of Georgia, a lieutenant in the US navy and a farmer. Carter's presidency will be remembered for his struggles in dealing with acute economic problems and several foreign policy challenges, including the Iran hostage crisis, which ended with the deaths of eight Americans. There was, however, a notable foreign policy triumph in the Middle East when he helped broker an accord between Egypt and Israel, signed at Camp David in the US in 1978. But that seemed a distant memory two years later, when voters overwhelmingly chose Republican Ronald Reagan, who had portrayed the president as a weak leader unable to deal with inflation and interest rates at near record highs. Carter lost the 1980 election by a landslide, winning only six US states plus Washington DC. After leaving the White House, he became the first and only president to return full-time to the house he lived in before politics - a humble, two-bedroom ranch-style home. He chose not to pursue the lucrative after-dinner speeches and publishing deals awaiting most former presidents, , that he never really wanted to be rich. Instead, he spent his remaining years trying to address global problems of inequality and disease. He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, and received the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts with the foundation to promote human rights around the world. He also teamed up with Nelson Mandela to found The Elders, a group of global leaders who committed themselves to work on peace and human rights. Carter is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. His wife, Rosalynn, who he was married to for 77 years, died in November 2023. Announcing his death, Carter's son Chip said his father was "a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love". "My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together." Since 2018 and the death of George HW Bush, Carter was the oldest surviving US president. Carter stopped medical treatment for an undisclosed illness last year and instead began receiving hospice care at his home. He had suffered from health issues including a melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. Another leading tribute came from Barack Obama, who reflected on spending time with Carter, saying that "he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service". Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter taught Sunday school well into his 90s, "will be a little quieter on Sundays", Obama said. "But President Carter will never be far away – buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels." Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also spoke of Carter's faith. "President Carter lived to serve others - until the very end," they said in a statement.

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AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca dismissed growing speculation about his future on Sunday, stressing that he had not discussed his role with anyone and had no fear. Rumours about his possible departure dominated Italian media coverage of Milan's 1-1 draw at home against AS Roma in Serie A . Editor's Picks When does the January transfer window open and close across Europe? 7d ESPN His team have had a lukewarm season so far, eighth in the domestic table and 12th in the Champions League. "Did I have a tough meeting with Zlatan ?" Fonseca said of rumours he had spoken to the club's senior adviser and former player Zlatan Ibrahimovic. "No, I haven't spoken to anyone. I haven't seen anyone from the club. I can't say anything more. I can't make up things that haven't happened," he told a press conference. "Never in my life have I been afraid in football. And I'll continue like this. For me it's important to always have a clear conscience: I work, I'm honest with those who work with me. "I'm not afraid of anything." Fonseca said he planned to lead Milan in the semifinals of the Supercoppa Italiana after the New Year against Juventus in Riyadh. "I can expect it," he said. "I have no signs to the contrary. Now I'm going home, I'll watch the game, and then I'll think about working." He said he had no regrets about the job he had done so far at Milan since arriving in June, taking over from Stefano Pioli. At Sunday's game, Fonseca became the centre of attention just before the break, when his protests over Tijjani Reijnders going down inside the box led to his dismissal for dissent after the referee waved play on. "I was exaggerated in my protest at that moment, but I don't want to say anything. It is a very clear situation for me," Fonseca told the DAZN streaming service.

(BPT) - Consumers are facing increasing costs on virtually every purchase these days and auto insurance is no exception. While skyrocketing costs of this auto-related expense can be attributed to everything from parts replacement to service — even health costs as a result of accidents — consumers can better manage these increases with thoughtful study and attention to detail. Some of the common causes for higher insurance rates are Inflation, car accidents, extreme weather conditions such as hail, hurricanes and wind, along with increased vehicle theft claims. Mercury Insurance has partnered with financial literacy influencer Sam Jarman to highlight specific ways consumers can address these rising costs. "Your car is the second biggest expense for most people, right behind your home, and car insurance is a big part of that," said Jarman. "Checking rates and coverage with your Mercury Insurance agent makes sense along with choosing a car with low maintenance costs." According to Consumer Price Index data released earlier this year, car insurance rates are up almost 21% year-over-year for the 12 months which ended in February. The last time car insurance rates rose that much on an annual basis was 1976. Here are some auto insurance statistics recently released from Forbes : "Our goal is to help our customers get the best rates possible because we know that every dollar counts." said Justin Yoshizawa, Director, Product Management, State. "We encourage consumers to build a close relationship with their agent and discuss what discounts they may be eligible to receive. The answer might be surprising." Mercury offers the following tips for lowering your insurance costs: Review your deductibles with your insurance agent – It is recommended that you review your coverage and deductible with your Mercury agent at least once a year. Their wisdom and experience can help you make wise decisions regarding your insurance. Explore car insurance discounts – In addition to bundling your home and auto insurance, Mercury offers discounts for multi-car, good drivers, good students and auto pay. Your agent may have additional discounts to offer. Let Your Insurer Track Your Driving – Most insurers offer discounts for customers who install telematics. This technology allows your insurance company to collect information regarding your mileage and driving habits. This can also provide valuable information regarding your driving as well as saving you money. Drive a safe car with low repair costs – According to Bankrate , some of the cheapest cars to insure are the Subaru Outback, Honda CR-V and Honda Pilot. Also, look for cars with lower repair costs such as the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius and Tesla Model 3. Doing some research before you purchase a vehicle can save you money over the length of ownership. Install an anti-theft device on your car – Drivers may receive an additional discount on your auto insurance if you install an anti-theft device on your car. Before you buy a car, compare insurance costs – You can get a fast and easy quote from your Mercury Insurance agent. To receive a quote, you can reach us at 844-514-2893. To learn more about common types of auto insurance discounts, visit https://www.mercuryinsurance.com/resources/auto/understanding-types-of-auto-insurance-discounts.html . For more information on your auto insurance, you can reference the Insurance Information Institute .

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