UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The Central Bank recently announced the rollout of the new polymer banknotes series (₱500, ₱100 and ₱50), in addition to the previously released ₱1000 note, which was front-page news as well as meriting a massive two-page colored ad in national- circulation newspapers (must have cost hundreds of thousands pesos). The topic also trended in social media, arousing much interest and garnering hundreds of comments. The new banknotes, which are legal tender, and therefore, of great interest to all, are said to be longer lasting (up to seven years) than paper notes, more hygienic, have more security features to prevent counterfeiting, and also have “accessibility features to help the elderly and persons with visual impairment.” The new notes did away with the portraits of heroes and past presidents, but now boasts of the biodiversity of Philippine flora and fauna. Not a few are lamenting that we are forgetting “those who have fallen during the night” and asking if we really want a country devoid of heroes. They have a valid point there, since we Filipinos do have short memories. Setting aside that point (which I’m sure will fester during this current politically charged election season), let’s examine the Central Bank claims about these new banknotes. Looking at the notes’ much-touted symbols of national pride, we can’t help but notice the absence of our beloved Waling-Waling (Vanda sanderiana), the queen of all orchids. Instead, what is featured is the sampaguita flower (Jasminum sambac), which is not even an endemic species but native to India and other neighboring countries. The fact that it is still the national flower of the Philippines in spite of it being foreign speaks volumes of our colonial mentality and lack of awareness of what is ours. The Waling-Waling has given rise to a burgeoning orchid industry elsewhere (Hawaii, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan) but has sadly been neglected at home. It is time the Waling Waling is named the national flower instead of the foreign sampaguita. The new notes may be longer lasting, it being made of polymer plastic, they are not as environment-friendly as their paper counterparts. Even when destroyed, their plastic nature means they are not biodegradable and will persist for hundreds of years in the environment. These new notes are said to be more hygienic than paper notes, since viruses and other bugs “do not live long” on their surfaces compared to paper notes. The two-page ads showcase 15 security features of the “First Philippine Polymer Banknote Series.” I can’t wait to see and feel these new features! No, really, we should be able to appreciate how hard it is to counterfeit these new notes. But we know, counterfeiters are also smart and will soon figure out how to make reasonable facsimiles of these notes. But while they haven’t, let’s enjoy the security features these new banknotes sport. What’s more interesting are the comments elicited by this social media-trending event. Pundits are saying that the ₱1000 note should have featured a turtle instead of an eagle, so that it wouldn’t fly off your hands the moment you grasp it. With a turtle, it will at least take a while before it can amble off at its leisurely pace. It speaks of the current economic climate of inflation and how quickly we spend our hard-earned money. Another commented that while it is nice to hold new banknotes, many can’t even touch the bills, since they don’t have the wherewithal to earn them. Others decry the loss of the ₱20 bills, which were replaced by the heavy coins that are hard to carry around. While you can’t please all of the people all of the time, we should at least take care of the more pressing issues (inflation, corruption, joblessness, poverty) more than just changing banknotes. But this is a season for counting our blessings. So, as the President said, the advent of the new banknotes will “add excitement to our kids when they come and ask for their Aguinaldo.” Merry Christmas, everyone!wild queen casino 。

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have been Major League Soccer mainstays since the league's inaugural season in 1996, signing glamorous players and regularly competing for championships through years of success and setbacks in a league that's perpetually improving and expanding. Yet just a year ago, both of these clubs appeared to be a very long way from the stage they'll share Saturday in the . were one of MLS’ worst teams after a season of internal turmoil and public fan dissent, while were merely a steady mediocrity seeking yet another coach to chart a new direction. A year later, these MLS founders are meeting in the league's first Cup final between teams from North America's two biggest markets. “Two original clubs being able to put themselves in this situation, I think it’s great,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “To see two clubs that have been at it as long as this league has been around be here, I think it’s a special moment. Couldn’t be two more different and contrasting styles as well, which could make for an interesting game, and I would imagine a high-intensity game.” , who are favored to cap their transformation by winning their team's record sixth MLS championship with a roster that's dramatically different from its past few groups — albeit with one massive injury absence in the final. The transformation of the Red Bulls happened only in the postseason, when a team that hadn't won a playoff game since 2017 suddenly turned into world-beaters under rookie coach Sandro Schwarz. New York struggled through the final three months of league play with only two wins before posting road playoff victories over , and to storm into the Cup final. “We know about the history (of our club), and we know tomorrow will define what that could mean,” Schwarz said Friday. “To feel the pressure for tomorrow, it’s necessary, because it’s a final, and without pressure it’s not possible to bring the best quality on the field.” The Red Bulls have never won an MLS Cup, only reaching the championship match once before. What's more, they've somehow never won a Cup in any tournament, although they’ve collected three Supporters’ Shields for MLS' best regular-season record. The Galaxy’s trophy case is large and loaded, and those five MLS Cups are on the top shelf. But not much of that team success happened in the past decade for the club that famously brought David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and many other international stars to Hollywood. In fact, this season has ended a grim era for the Galaxy, who haven't lost all year at their frequently renamed home stadium — which was the site of protests and boycotts just a year ago. The club's fans were tired of LA's steady underachievement and ineptitude in the front office run by team president Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. One year ago Thursday, the Galaxy hired Will Kuntz, a longtime Los Angeles FC executive who engineered his new club's roster transformation, most dramatically by landing new designated players Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil — two international talents that LAFC also had in its sights. “I give Will and the group up there a ton of credit,” Vanney said. “It’s one thing to have players you like, and it’s a whole other thing to get them here and get them to connect with your group.” Pec and Paintsil combined for 32 goals and 27 assists while boosting the incumbent talents of striker Dejan Joveljic and Riqui Puig, the gifted Barcelona product who runs the offense from the midfield. The Galaxy clicked in the postseason, scoring a jaw-dropping 16 goals in four matches. Puig has been the Galaxy's most important player all season, but he won't be in the MLS Cup Final after tearing a knee ligament late in last week's . The loss of Puig — who somehow kept playing on his injured knee, and even delivered the game-winning pass to Joveljic — makes the Galaxy even more difficult to anticipate. “He played a lot in the regular season, so it was not so easy to analyze all these games now without him,” Schwarz said. “But the main focus is to analyze what we need to do, because it’s not clear now how they’re playing without him.” The Galaxy could give some of Puig's responsibilities to Marco Reus, the longtime Dortmund standout who joined LA in August. Reus is nursing a hamstring injury, but Vanney expects him to play. ___ AP soccer: Greg Beacham, The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records Friday after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation . The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 123.19 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.8% to set its own record. The quiet trading came after the latest jobs report came in mixed enough to strengthen traders’ expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates again at its next meeting in two weeks. The report showed U.S. employers hired more workers than expected last month, but it also said the unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked up to 4.2% from 4.1%. “This print doesn’t kill the holiday spirit and the Fed remains on track to deliver a cut in December,” according to Lindsay Rosner, head of multi-sector investing within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to offer more help for the slowing job market, after bringing inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. Lower interest rates can ease the brakes off the economy, but they can also offer more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts from the Fed have been a major reason the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times so far this year. And the Fed is part of a global surge: 62 central banks have lowered rates in the past three months, the most since 2020, according to Michael Hartnett and other strategists at Bank of America. Still, the jobs report may have included some notes of caution for Fed officials underneath the surface. Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, pointed to average wages for workers last month, which were a touch stronger than economists expected. While that’s good news for workers who would always like to make more, it could keep upward pressure on inflation. “This report tells the Fed that they still need to be careful as sticky housing/shelter/wage data shows that it won’t be easy to engineer meaningfully lower inflation from here in the nearer term,” Wren said. So, while traders are betting on an 85% probability the Fed will ease its main rate in two weeks, they’re much less certain about how many more cuts it will deliver next year, according to data from CME Group. For now, the hope is that the job market can help U.S. shoppers continue to spend and keep the U.S. economy out of a recession that had earlier seemed inevitable after the Fed began hiking interest rates swiftly to crush inflation. Several retailers offered encouragement after delivering better-than-expected results for the latest quarter. Ulta Beauty rallied 9% after topping expectations for both profit and revenue. The opening of new stores helped boost its revenue, and it raised the bottom end of its forecasted range for sales over this full year. Lululemon stretched 15.9% higher following its own profit report. It said stronger sales outside the United States helped it in particular, and its earnings topped analysts’ expectations. Retailers overall have been offering mixed signals on how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain amid the slowing job market and still-high prices. Target gave a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season, for example, while Walmart gave a much more encouraging outlook. A report on Friday suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers may be improving more than economists expected. The preliminary reading from the University of Michigan’s survey hit its highest level in seven months. The survey found a surge in buying for some products as consumers tried to get ahead of possible increases in price due to higher tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump has threatened. In tech, Hewlett Packard Enterprise jumped 10.6% for one of the S&P 500’s larger gains after reporting stronger profit and revenue than expected. Tech stocks were some of the market’s strongest this week, as Salesforce and other big companies talked up how much of a boost they’re getting from the artificial-intelligence boom. All told, the S&P 500 rose 15.16 points to 6,090.27. The Dow dipped 123.19 to 44,642.52, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 159.05 to 19,859.77. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 4.15% from 4.18% late Thursday. In stock markets abroad, France’s CAC 40 rose 1.3% after French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to stay in office until the end of his term and to name a new prime minister within days. Earlier this week, far-right and left-wing lawmakers approved a no-confidence motion due to budget disputes, forcing Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his cabinet to resign. In Asia, stock indexes were mixed. They rallied 1.6% in Hong Kong and 1% in Shanghai ahead of an annual economic policy meeting scheduled for next week. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 0.6% as South Korea’s ruling party chief showed support for suspending the constitutional powers of President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared martial law and then revoked that earlier this week. Yoon is facing calls to resign and may be impeached. Bitcoin was sitting near $101,500 after briefly bursting above $103,000 to a record the day before. AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed.

The weather was at the forefront of the minds of both managers after Burnley missed the chance to go top of the Championship with a 1-1 draw at home to Middlesbrough. The Clarets needed a fine 37th-minute equaliser from Connor Roberts to cancel out Anfernee Dijksteel’s early strike for Boro as rain and wind, the precursor of Storm Darragh to come, battered Turf Moor and played its part in a match which could have gone either way between two promotion hopefuls. Boro boss Michael Carrick, having started his press conference by asking if anyone had a towel handy, said the conditions had been key to Roberts’ 25-yard strike, which seemed to catch out goalkeeper Seny Dieng as it looped over him. Burnley had been behind on the scoreboard but on top in the game without finding a way past Dieng, but Roberts’ decision to shoot from range did the trick. “Maybe it caught us by surprise,” Carrick said. “I think all the defending was in the box or around the box, and we closed the spaces over a period of time, so was a bit of a surprise. I suppose we put it down to the weather.” Burnley could have gone above Sheffield United if they had made it five straight wins with victory here, but after conceding for the first time in 501 minutes they had to settle for a point. Again, Scott Parker could point to the weather in analysing the game. “I thought we were well worth three points tonight,” he said. “The conditions definitely played a large factory in tonight’s game for both teams really. You could see that in the flight of the ball and the winds and the rain. They were tough conditions.” Boro’s 13th-minute opener was a poor one from Burnley’s perspective. Dijksteel had charged forward from his right-back position, and after laying the ball up managed to slip away from Bashir Humphreys to have a clear run at goal when played in by Dan Barlaser. It was a surprising lapse from a side who had kept five clean sheets in a row, and 12 in the league this season. “They scored a goal against the run of play and that was probably down to us a little bit,” Parker said. “Certainly it’s something we need to look at in that we gifted that a little bit in terms of the way we positioned ourselves. “As a coach you’re always looking at certain moments and seeing the learning from it. This is the first time the team has conceded in a long time so it’s what sort of reaction we got. I got a reaction from a group of men that was nothing short of superb.” Roberts was at the centre of that. Whether wind-assisted or not, his goal lifted Burnley and the Wales right-back was at the heart of so many good Burnley moves as he got forward regularly. “Connor Roberts is an international player who has been around this for some time, he brings large parts of his experience and also his quality,” Parker said. “As he has been for the majority of this season, he was very good tonight.” This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.Joe Biden Pays Tribute To “Dear Friend” Jimmy Carter, Will Order State Funeral For Former PresidentSign up for our daily newsletter to get the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox Lisandro Martinez has had something of a topsy-turvy career at Manchester United. Amid years of questionable transfer decisions at Old Trafford, he has emerged as a rare success, earning the moniker 'The Butcher' for his fierce and uncompromising defensive style. Yet, since his arrival from Ajax, persistent fitness struggles have hindered his impact. Similarly, United's on-field performances have fluctuated from dismal to impressive and back again, further thwarting Martinez's effectiveness. Things, generally, are looking up under new manager Ruben Amorim, but as Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth proved, consistency is still a major issue for the club. READ MORE: 'We have to accept it' - Lisandro Martinez explains how Manchester United players can improve READ MORE: 'We're playing so well' - Lisandro Martinez reacts after Manchester United defeat vs Bournemouth The result, which was the Red Devils' fourth defeat in six games, means they'll be in the bottom half of the table on Christmas Day for the first time since 1989. With Martinez and co. presumably begging for 2024 to end, MEN is delving into the defender's storied stint in Manchester - looking at everything from his injury troubles, his run-ins with team-mates, and his thoughts on the manager, to his beef with a Sky Sports pundit. Message to fans Keen to address the torrid state of play following United's hammering at the hands of Bournemouth on Sunday, Martinez sent a defiant message to supporters after the game. He admitted he was "angry" with his side's performance but insisted he believed in his team-mates and the coaching staff and encouraged fans to trust the process. "I always say in this kind of situation we have to show personality and character. We are playing so well and unfortunately, we couldn't score...

Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’

Is Walmart Stock A Buy Now After Earnings Beat Amid Scorching 72% Run?MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley is being reunited with Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia. Rodriguez, who was on Dec. 12, announced Sunday that he hired the 31-year-old Alley as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. “Zac is one of the top young defensive coordinators in the country and has proven his ability to lead and be an innovator at different stops during his career,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “I have worked with him several seasons, and he constantly impresses me with his ability to blend schemes with his personnel and develop winning results.” Under Rodriguez, Alley spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Jacksonville State. Alley was the youngest defensive coordinator in the Bowl Subdivision at Louisiana-Monroe in 2021 when Rodriguez was the Warhawks’ offensive coordinator. In Alley’s lone season at Oklahoma, the Sooners ranked fifth in the Southeastern Conference in total defense, allowing 318 yards per game. “I have tremendous respect for Coach Rod, as I’ve seen how he develops players and builds a program,” Alley said. “I look forward to working with the players and doing my part to help WVU be one of the top teams in the Big 12 Conference and the nation.” Alley worked under Oklahoma coach Brent Venables as a graduate assistant at Clemson from 2015 to 2018 when Venables was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach there. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: and The Associated Press

Exploring the World of Trusted Offshore Casinos: A Guide to Global Gaming PlatformsSTEPHEN BUNTING is dreaming of a Liverpool clean sweep next year — and hopes to show Mancunians what silverware looks like next month. The Bullet heads into the third round, where he faces Latvia’s Madars Razma, with hopes of a deep run at the PDC World Darts Championship . Only four men: Dennis Priestley, Phil Taylor , John Part and Raymond van Barneveld have managed to win world titles at PDC and BDO level. That is the challenge bespectacled Bunting faces now, 11 years after he was King of Lakeside. Follow all the action from the World Darts Championship as it happens with SunSport's LIVE blog Should he succeed over the next ten days then the mad-keen Liverpool fan would love to show off the tungsten pot ahead of the Reds’ home game with deadly rivals Manchester United on Sunday January 5. Especially as Arne Slot’s Premier League leaders are in contention for several trophies this campaign. READ MORE ON DARTS Bunting , 39, said: “I’d love to do that again. I did that when I won the Lakeside trophy but at that time, I didn’t have a massive fanbase. “I’m walking around the pitch, no one knew who I was, and they’re all singing: ‘There’s only one Phil Taylor’. “If I win this title, everyone will know who I am — and I might even get a couple of people cheering for me. That’s a dream that I can only think about so early in the tournament. “But yeah, that’ll sort of push me through and I’d love to be able to do that. Most read in Darts CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS “I’ll tell you what, to walk on with it against United, that’s a dream come true, isn’t it? “Can you imagine what a world champions’ trophy looks like? I can imagine what the Man United fans would shout at me, though! READ MORE on all the build-up to the Ally Pally extravaganza... All the info: All the action as it happens in our LIVE BLOG Everything you need to know about the Ally Pally extravaganza How much prize money can be won? What is the format for the tournament ? Who are the Sky Sports presenters and pundits ? News, features and interviews: Mardle to take step back after tragic death of wife Donna Emma Paton reveals rise as Queen of Darts Littler loses record to breakthrough star Peter Wright 'lost it' in emotional moment with daughter MVG pays tribute to Wayne Mardle's wife Donna Watch Littler hit 180 as Bullseye makes return to TV Commentator stunned with player's bizarre routine Nick Kenny bursts into tears after beating Van Barneveld Littler storms into third round with impressive win Littler breaks down in parents arms after emotional win “And I don’t think it’d be: ‘There’s only one Phil Taylor ...’” Bunting, who has a huge TikTok following, is good friends with Liverpool’s Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher , who is the stand-in whenever No 1 Alisson is not around. The No 8 seed said: “I sent him a set of darts and a shirt the other day. He contacted me about nine months ago. “He wanted a video for his brother, who plays in the lower leagues, because he’s a big fan and they all went on a stag do in Bunting shirts.” Bunting credits the turnaround in his career to embracing hypnotherapy — and winning the Masters last February was evidence of his changed mindset. He has enormous sympathy for fellow St Helens thrower and No 2 seed Michael Smith , the highest seed to exit Ally Pally. Smith, the PDC world champion only two years ago, was bundled out by Kevin Doets in the second round and faces a tough time to reignite his career. Bunting said: “I probably won’t go see him but I’ll send him a message. He knows how good he is. “He probably went home straight after the match. When you lose on that stage, it’s the worst place. And going into Christmas, he’s got a young family as well. “It’s so difficult to go home then and have a great Christmas when you work so hard to get into worlds — and then it’s over in a blink of an eye. “So I can totally understand his disappointment and, thankfully, it’s not me going home and having a bad Christmas. “I totally feel for him. I think my hypnotherapist did reach out to him and his family probably last year. “I don’t know what happened there but it didn’t happen. I’m really happy with my hypnotist. He’s doing fantastic for me. READ MORE SUN STORIES “Listen, there’s different things you do. Things like your diet, you look for energy when you’re playing. “Each player is different, so I wouldn’t like to say to players, ‘this is what you need to do’, but listen, learn off the best.” BELOW is a list of Darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries