poker game real money NEW YORK -- A person of interest is in custody following the targeted attack of Brian Thompson, the CEO of major insurance group UnitedHealthcare who was fatally shot outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel ahead of an investor conference, police said Monday. VIDEO: Latest in arrest of person of interest in CEO shooting 'Strong' person of interest identified A "strong person of interest" has been located in Pennsylvania, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a press briefing on Monday. The individual -- identified as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione -- was brought in for questioning after an employee at a McDonald's in Altoona recognized him from the wildly circulated images of the suspect in the shooting and called police, authorities said. Mangione was eating at the establishment, police said. He matches the description of the suspect being sought in the shooting, Adams said. He was carrying a firearm and suppressor "both consistent with the weapon used in the murder," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during the press briefing. He also had "multiple fraudulent IDs," including a fake New Jersey ID matching the ID the suspect used to check into his New York City hostel before the shooting incident, Tisch said. Police also recovered clothing, including a mask consistent with those worn by the wanted individual, as well as a "handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset," she said. Mangione was arrested on unrelated charges Monday, police said. He was in possession of a ghost gun capable of firing a 9mm round and will face gun charges in Altoona, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters during the briefing. The NYPD is sending detectives to Altoona to interview him and are going through the recovered writings and his social media, police said. VIDEO: UnitedHealthcare CEO killing timeline: What we know so far "It does seem that he had some ill will toward corporate America," Kenny said. Mangione was born and raised in Maryland and has ties to San Francisco and Honolulu, Kenny said. He has no prior arrest history in New York, Kenny said. Police have said the suspect appeared to be lying in wait outside the Hilton hotel on Wednesday in what they said was a "premeditated" attack. The shooter arrived at the scene about five minutes before Thompson before shooting the victim in the chest around 6:40 a.m., police said. The suspect is believed to have left New York City following the shooting, police said. Mangione is a graduate of Penn Mangione is graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, a university spokesperson told WPVI-TV. He majored in computer science and graduated in May 2020. New photos released NYPD officials released new images this weekend of the suspect being sought in the shooting in the back of a taxi, where he could be seen peering through the open slider in the partition between the seats. Backpack contained Monopoly money Police found a backpack believed to belong to the suspected shooter in Central Park on Friday evening, police sources told ABC News. The backpack contained fake money from the game Monopoly and a Tommy Hilfiger jacket, sources said. The backpack was found after NYPD deployed an army of officers and drones to conduct a grid search, police sources said earlier. As of Saturday, three days after the shooting, sources close to the investigation told ABC News the New York Police Department is making progress toward identifying the gunman but, as of now, still has not done so. On Friday, police said they believed the gunman left New York City following the shooting -- ditching his bike on the Upper West Side and taking a taxi to a Port Authority bus facility at 178th Street. Police said they believe he boarded a bus there because they did not see him on video leaving the facility. Suspect stayed at hostel The NYPD released on Thursday new photos of the suspect, seen without a mask, while asking for the public's help in identifying him. The images were taken from a surveillance camera at the HI New York City Hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Police had obtained a warrant to search after coming to believe the suspect stayed there, sources told ABC News. Police were able to find an image of the suspect without his face mask because he was flirting with the woman who checked him into the hostel, police sources told ABC News. As he stood at the check-in desk, the sources said the woman asked to see his smile. The suspected shooter obliged, pulling down his mask long enough for the surveillance camera to capture his face. It appears the suspect shared a room with two other men, according to police sources. The suspect likely checked into the hostel on Nov. 24, checked out and then checked back in again on Nov. 30, according to sources. It's not clear when the surveillance image was captured. The suspected shooter checked into the hostel using a New Jersey license that wasn't his own, according to police sources. Detectives ran the name and found it did not resemble any known photos of the suspect or other evidence amassed so far, the sources said. Suspect arrived in NYC 10 days before shooting: Sources The suspect came to New York City on Nov. 24 on a Greyhound bus, when a surveillance camera at Port Authority Bus Terminal caught his arrival at 9 p.m., law enforcement sources told ABC News. The inbound bus originated in Atlanta but it was not immediately clear where the suspect boarded. The sources said he was spotted on board in Washington, D.C., so he boarded there or somewhere between D.C. and Atlanta. Both Greyhound and the parent company of the hostel, Hostelling International USA, said in a statement that they are "fully cooperating with the NYPD" but cannot comment further due to the active investigation. The 10-day period has been the focus of investigative efforts. Police have collected a lot of video of the suspect all over the city -- in the subway, in cabs, in a McDonald's, according to sources. Each place he paid with cash and he made sure to keep his mask on, according to sources. Whereabouts day of the shooting Police have released photos of the suspect in a mask, captured at a Starbucks near the hotel before the shooting, according to New York ABC station WABC. He was described by police as wearing a light brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a "very distinctive" gray backpack. Sources told ABC News the suspected shooter was also seen on video much earlier, at 5 a.m. the day of the shooting, near the hostel carrying what appears to be an e-bike battery. New cleared CCTV video shows a man who appears to be the suspect walking west on 55th Street at 6:19 a.m. The video shows him stoop down as he appears to momentarily drop an object on the garbage before continuing to walk. Writing discovered on shell casings Detectives later discovered writing on the shell casings found at the scene where Thompson was gunned down, police sources told ABC News. Detectives were working to determine whether the words were meant as a message from the shooter and a hint at his motive. Written on the shell casings were the words "deny," "defend" and "depose," according to sources. Other evidence: cellphone, water bottle, candy wrapper After the shooting, the suspect fled on foot into an alley, where a phone was recovered, according to Kenny. He then fled on an e-bike and he was last seen riding into Central Park at 6:48 a.m., police said. Police released photos of the suspect holding a firearm and on a bike. Detectives have also retrieved a water bottle and candy wrapper from the area where he was apparently waiting, law enforcement sources said. After analysis, NYPD investigators believe the cellphone, candy wrapper and water bottle are linked to the shooter, police sources said. Investigators believe they were able to score DNA samples from several pieces of the evidence, law enforcement sources told ABC News on Friday. The samples are currently at the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to be run through databases for a possible match, the sources said. That process could take a couple days. At the same time, NYPD detectives are working with the U.S. Marshals Service to try and track down the shooter along with the FBI, which has the most sophisticated technology for retrieving usable data from cellphones, sources said. Professional killer appears unlikely The victim's hotel room has already been accessed by investigators, whose top priority is determining Thompson's most recent conversations and movements, sources said. The working theory among detectives right now is that the shooting was carried out by someone who is not a professional killer because too many "mistakes" were made, sources said. Hitmen typically don't carry cell phones to their hits and the shots were fired from a distance that would be considered "too far" away from the victim, the sources said. Another photo appeared to show the man walking by the window of a cab. At this point, detectives are trying to determine whether Thompson was targeted because of some type of personal conflict or as a result of his work as an insurance executive, sources said. The killer apparently had some knowledge of Thompson's schedule on Wednesday and the fact that he would be arriving at the Hilton well before the company meeting was to begin, the sources said. Police are interviewing Thompson's colleagues and family about any potential specific threats, Kenny said. What we know about the victim Thompson, 50, was in New York City for the UnitedHealthcare investors conference, which was scheduled to start at 8 a.m. The conference was being held at the Hilton outside of which he was shot, but he was not staying there, police said. UnitedHealthcare's parent company, UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurer in the world, said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson." "Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him," the company said. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian's family and all who were close to him." Police and the FBI urge the public to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or 1-800-CALL-FBI with any information. A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

Cricket fans blast Travis Head for his VERY rude celebration in Boxing Day Test: 'Kids are watching'Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi yesterday visited Charilam village in Sepahijala district of Tripura to oversee renewable energy project taken up by the Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (TREDA) for the farmers. During the review of the Ministry’s activities in the area, the Minister said 27 SPV Pumps covering 54 acres of land under PM- KUSUM Scheme (Component B) and 35 LED based SPV Street Lighting Systems under MNRE Scheme have been installed. He added that these initiatives have led to the successful implementation of double cropping, resulting in double income for the farmers. The Union Minister was on a two-day visit to Tripura from Saturday and attended multiple programmes. During his visit to the state, the Minister visited the Food Corporation of India (FCI) office and the state godowns on 28th December, where he took stock of the current situation, particularly in terms of food grain storage and distribution. He also had a meeting with Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha and other officials to review the performance and implementation of key central schemes like PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, PM KUSUM, and PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in Tripura. Mr. Joshi said that the Centre has (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); recently approved a Private Enterprise Guarantee (PEG) scheme for enhancing storage space in North Eastern States. With this initiative, FCI aims to double its storage capacity in Tripura by constructing additional capacity of 70,000 metric tonnes in two years’ time period. He said, today India is providing free food grains to 81 crore people under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which is twice the population of the European Union. Under this scheme rice, wheat and coarse grains are being provided free of cost to state identified beneficiaries. He said, PM Modi government has extended this free ration scheme till December 31, 2028. In the last 5-years under Decentralised Procurement mode, around 1.2 lakh MT Rice of MSP value of 360 crore rupees has been procured in Tripura state benefitting around 94,000 farmers. Recently, Central government has also extended the universal supply of fortified rice enriched with essential micronutrients such as iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 under all government welfare schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Integrated Child Development Services and PM POSHAN from July 2024 until December 2028. In year 2023-24, around 1.75 lakh MT Fortified rice was lifted/distributed under various welfare schemes in Tripura.

Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant declares for NFL draft ANN ARBOR, Michigan (AP) — Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant is skipping his final college season to enter the NFL draft. Canadian Press Dec 26, 2024 3:01 PM Dec 26, 2024 3:05 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FILE - Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (78) walks off the field after an NCAA college football game against East Carolina in Ann Arbor, Mich., Sept. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File) ANN ARBOR, Michigan (AP) — Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant is skipping his final college season to enter the NFL draft. Grant, a key part of the Wolverines' 2023 national championship team, announced his decision Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter. Fellow Michigan interior lineman Mason Graham had already declared for the draft. Both are projected as likely first-round picks. The 6-foot-3, 339-pound Grant was a third-team Associated Press All-American. He had 32 tackles, 6 1/2 tackles for loss and a pair of fumble recoveries. Grant helped Michigan upset Ohio State in the Big Ten regular-season finale, making four tackles. Cornerback Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland have also declared for the draft leading up to Michigan's game against No. 11 Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football 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) Eagles try to clinch NFC East title with Hurts' head injury looming large Dec 26, 2024 3:04 PM Cowboys shutting down CeeDee Lamb with 2 games to go over receiver's shoulder issue Dec 26, 2024 2:44 PM Chargers focused on avoiding a letdown and not a potential playoff berth in matchup with Patriots Dec 26, 2024 2:43 PM

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Deciphering the web of US sanctions on SyriaSri Lanka is witnessing a significant shift towards sustainable finance with Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) introducing the listing and trading of Green Bonds in 2023. DFCC Bank led the way among financial institutions to issue the first green bond in the country, aimed at funding renewable energy projects particularly in the solar energy sector. This has been followed by Alliance Finance announcing the plans to issue redeemable green bonds to raise Rs. 1 billion. The issuance of green bonds by these institutions is an encouraging sign, especially in the context of global and local climate change concerns. As the world grapples with the impacts of climate change, these initiatives are crucial for driving the transition to a low-emission economy. With Sri Lanka’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon status by 2050, the adoption of green finance instruments is a positive step towards mitigating environmental risks and fostering sustainable development. While Green Bonds are promising, the current focus remains largely on the aspects of issuance and uptake. It should be noted that the success of green bonds depends not only on their issuance but also on their effective deployment towards projects that genuinely contribute to environmental sustainability. MTI recently completed the Green Finance Taxonomy for the Maldives and was appointed as an Observer Organization of the Green Climate Fund Thus, a critical question arises: Does Sri Lanka have the necessary green finance ecosystem, infrastructure, and impact measurement mechanisms to ensure that the funds raised through green bonds are effectively deployed to mitigate climate change? A robust green finance ecosystem is essential to provide clear guidelines, regulatory frameworks, and impact measurement tools to track the environmental benefits of the projects funded by green bonds. A national green finance taxonomy plays a crucial role in this context. A well-defined taxonomy provides a framework for classifying and evaluating green projects, ensuring that the funds are directed towards genuinely sustainable initiatives to prevent greenwashing. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) launched Sri Lanka’s national green taxonomy in 2022 to classify economic activities that can be considered as ‘Green’. The directions issued by CBSL require financial institutions to follow; Yet, providing specific and comparable impact reporting guidelines remains unaddressed. Public accountability is another vital aspect. Linking green bond issuance to measurable impact ensures transparency and accountability. It is essential for financial institutions to regularly report on the environmental outcomes of the projects funded by green bonds. This not only builds trust among investors but also ensures that the funds are making a tangible difference in addressing climate change. In conclusion, the issuance of green bonds by Sri Lankan financial institutions marks a significant advancement towards sustainable finance. However, to fully realize the potential of these green bonds, it is crucial to establish a robust green finance ecosystem with comprehensive impact measurement mechanisms to achieve a greener and more sustainable future. Image Caption : MTI Consulting CEO – Hilmy Cader and MTI’s Senior Business Analyst - Ms. Samiddhi Wanigasekara

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"HDBs" of coral fragments, or nubbins, each attached to a specially designed frame to maximise the number of corals that can be grown in the tanks. The nubbins of the staghorn coral at St John’s Island coral culture facility on Dec 10. Coral nubbins attached to a specially designed frame in one of the six specialised tanks in the coral culture facility at St John's Island. The tanks will be paired with a smart system that will send data on water quality to researchers. SINGAPORE – The Republic has launched its most ambitious coral-restoration project, growing corals from fragments in “high-rise” special tanks on St John’s Island. Once grown to a healthy size, 100,000 of these corals will be planted on degraded reefs or empty sea spaces to create new reef habitats. The first step of this decade-long effort began at a new facility in the island’s Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre – home to six specialised tanks that can be used for large-scale coral cultivation. The six tanks can hold up to 3,600 coral fragments, or nubbins, at any one time. To date, more than $2 million has been raised for the restoration project. The facility is still in the works and is targeted to fully open in the second quarter of 2025. For now, there are about 600 nubbins growing in two of the tanks. While the initial stages of the project will be helmed by researchers, marine enthusiasts will be later invited to the lab to grow corals and monitor them, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee on Dec 10, as he announced the launch of the initiative on St John’s Island. The National Parks Board (NParks), St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory and the Friends of Marine Park community will train members of the public to cultivate corals, monitor their growth and do weeding work to remove algae from the corals, among other things. More details on public participation will be shared when ready. When the coral-restoration project was announced in 2023, NParks said it would take at least 10 years to complete. Once grown to a healthy size, 100,000 of these corals will be planted on degraded reefs or empty sea spaces to create new reef habitats. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM At the launch, Mr Lee was joined by world-renowned British primate expert Jane Goodall, who was on a working visit to Singapore. Over the decades, about 60 per cent of Singapore’s coral reefs have been lost to coastal development and land reclamation. Most of its remaining intact coral reefs are found in the Southern Islands. The Republic’s waters are home to around 250 species of hard corals, which constitute about a third of the world’s existing coral species. The reefs here serve as habitat for more than 100 species of reef fish, about 200 species of sea sponges, and rare and endangered seahorses and clams, among other marine life. The six tanks can hold up to 3,600 coral fragments, or nubbins, at any one time. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Beyond boosting marine biodiversity, restoring corals will protect coastlines from waves and storms, which are expected to get stronger amid sea-level rise and climate change. The corals to be grown in tanks and planted in the wild include several species under NParks’ species recovery programme, which protects threatened flora and fauna and helps them survive environmental change. These include the branching staghorn coral and the flat table acropora coral. The acropora is not a common species here because it thrives in waters with strong currents and good visibility – conditions that are rarely found in Singapore. The acropora species is not common in local waters. photo: NParks Coral nubbins are fragments trimmed from a colony of adult corals. However, marine biologists usually prioritise loose corals that would otherwise tumble and die when swept by waves. Mr Lee said cultivating corals in specialised tanks is an ambitious undertaking, with conditions such as lighting and temperature as well as water quality and flow needing to be specific to each species. To allow hundreds of coral fragments to grow in each tank, scientists at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory are cultivating them on vertical structures, among other methods. Coral nubbins are attached to plugs that are then affixed to a vertical frame. The scientists and NParks staff have named these set-ups “coral HDBs”, said the minister. Small coral nubbins are fragmented from the adult colony. PHOTO: NPARKS Dr Lionel Ng, a research fellow at the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute who is involved in the coral-restoration work, noted that the survival rate of transplanted corals is about 80 per cent to 90 per cent, which is on a par with the 80 per cent survival rate of corals found in the wild here. The tanks are paired with a smart system that will send data on water quality to researchers. This allows them to monitor tank conditions remotely and be alerted if they need to intervene. The system is a technology of Delta Electronics, a firm that specialises in industrial and building automation solutions. Delta is also one of several donors of the more than $2 million raised so far. The other donors include GSK-EDB Trust Fund, Deutsche Bank, Takashimaya Singapore and marine fuel firm KPI OceanConnect. A smart coral culture aquaculture system set up by Delta Electronics and installed in the culture tanks at St John’s Island’s coral culture facility on Dec 10. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM The launch of the restoration effort comes as existing corals are slowly recovering from the largest recorded global bleaching event caused by a marine heatwave. Announced in mid-April by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the global bleaching event was the fourth of its kind. In July, areas such as St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu Islands were found to have 30 per cent to 55 per cent of coral colonies bleached and white. With water temperatures dropping in recent months, bleached corals have started to regain colour, said Mr Lee. NParks and NUS have been monitoring Singapore’s reefs for bleaching since July. The findings will help identify which species are under threat and which ones are climate-resilient, and will also narrow down suitable planting sites for future coral-restoration efforts, said Mr Lee. On whether restored corals will be able to survive future marine heatwaves, Dr Ng pointed to a research project that aims to enhance the ecological resilience of coral reefs against climate change. “Information from that (study) will feed into this. We’ll refine our final strategies to see which species are suitable for which areas. It’s a matter of tweaking what we know of the environment and what we know of the corals to find the best match,” he added. In her address to NParks, scientists and groups involved in the restoration project, Dr Goodall said: “We know that oceans and forests are the two great capturers of carbon dioxide (CO2) on the planet... In the oceans, we have the kelp forests and the seagrass which absorb as much CO2 as a small inland forest. “It’s no good just protecting corals if we don’t protect kelp forests and seagrass, if we don’t protect forests and peatlands. It’s all interconnected.” Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowMets’ Juan Soto-Francisco Lindor combo will mash with the best of them