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NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points. Judge had discussed the MVP award with Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper, the NL winner in 2015 and ’21. “I was telling him, `Man, I’m going to try to catch up to you with these MVPs here, man,’” Judge recalled. “He’d say, hopefully, he could stay a couple ahead of me, which I think he’ll do.” Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022 voting . He didn’t pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. He was the first player to twice become an unanimous MVP. He combined with Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023 for the first year both MVPs were unanimous. Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title , playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder . Ohtani became the first primary DH to win an MVP. He joined Frank Robinson for Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. Ohtani is the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each). Balloting was conducted before the postseason. Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average, hitting 32 homers with 31 stolen bases and 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs. When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. He is the Yankees' 22nd MVP winner, four more than any other team. Judge was hitting .207 with six homers and 18 RBIs through April, then batted .352 with 52 homers and 126 RBIs in 127 games. “March and April were not my friend this year.” Judge said. “Just keep putting in the work and things are going to change. You can’t mope. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. Especially in New York, nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. So you just got to go out there and put up the numbers?” Balloting was conducted before the postseason. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB Ronald Blum, The Associated Presshigh 5 casino customer service

Share Tweet Share Share Email In the quiet corners of every attic or tucked away in venerable family albums are photographs that whisper stories from the past. These vintage snapshots offer a glimpse into bygone eras, capturing moments that connect us with our history. However, time can take its toll, leaving these precious images faded, damaged, or blemished. Fortunately, technological advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), have made it possible to breathe new life into these treasured memories without damaging their original charm. Vintage photographs often serve as a tangible link between the generations, yet factors such as exposure to light, humidity, and physical wear can degrade their quality. In response, photo restoration has evolved from meticulous manual repairs to sophisticated digital techniques. AI old photo restoration is at the forefront of this transformation, providing a seamless blend of technology and artistry that restores photos to their former glory. Understanding the Role of AI in Photo Restoration The process of old photo restoration using AI involves sophisticated software equipped with advanced algorithms that analyze and repair photos. This technology excels in identifying common issues such as tears, water damage, fading, and even missing segments of a picture. By learning from thousands of images, AI tools skillfully enhance details, correct colors, and sharpen faded elements, making every restored photo a poignant reminder of the past. AI-driven photo restoration comes with numerous benefits. Firstly, it significantly reduces the time and expertise required compared to traditional methods. Where once numerous hours might be spent in careful manual retouching, AI systems can achieve similar results in a fraction of the time. Additionally, AI old photo restoration ensures a high-quality finish that often surpasses manual efforts. Accessibility of AI Photo Restoration Tools One of the remarkable aspects of AI photo restoration is its accessibility. Numerous online services now offer ai old photo restoration free of charge, making it easy for anyone with an internet connection to restore their vintage photos. The availability of old photo restoration free AI tools online democratizes the ability to maintain and preserve historical images, ensuring that more people can hold onto the visual narrative of their ancestors. Moreover, services like AI old photo restoration online free encourage individuals to experiment with restoring multiple images without concerning themselves with high costs. Whether it’s a century-old portrait or a few decades old family get-together snapshot, these tools ensure that each memory is preserved for future generations. The Emotional Impact of Restored Photographs Restoring old photos does more than just repair physical damage it breathes life into memories and rekindles emotions connected to those moments. A well-restored photograph can reawaken stories long forgotten and provide a profound sense of continuity and identity. For many, these restored images become cherished artifacts, celebrated and shared across new platforms and amongst friends and family members. A Future Bright with Possibilities With continuous advancements in AI technology, the scope of what can be achieved with photo restoration only widens. Each stride forward in this domain promises even more detailed and accurate restorations of even the most damaged photographs. As algorithms become more sophisticated and learn from expanding datasets, the potential for restoring historical archives and personal mementos grows exponentially. The power of AI old photo restoration not only serves our desire to reclaim lost visuals but also enriches our collective histories. It allows stories depicted in these images to be told anew to resonate with fresh relevance against the backdrop of modern life. Engaging with these refreshed pieces of history invites reflection on our journey through time and underscores the beauty inherent in preserving our legacies. Thus, through the marvels of modern technology, every faded image regained is not merely an echo of the past but a beacon for future reminiscences. Related Items: Photos , Vintage Photos Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you How to Transform Your Photos into Anime Masterpieces How to Draw Realistic Textures from Your Favorite Photos Nikolay Karpenko biography, career growth, achievements, photos CommentsRavens fan charged in viral attack will await trial in jail as judge slams ‘catfight’ hearingRED BLUFF — It’s not often that principals and students embrace and shout happily at one another, but Friday night was a special occasion. With a 21-10 victory over the Foothill Cougars, the Red Bluff Spartans secured their first Northern Section championship berth in 25 years. The Spartans (10-2), seeded third in Division II, got off to a slow start against a Foothill team (7-4) that beat them 29-26 in Eastern Athletic League play. Red Bluff will play top-seeded Pleasant Valley, to whom the Spartans forfeited an EAL game. It took a while Friday for Red Bluff to establish its ground game with the rain pouring. Zach Shaver was the driving force behind the running strategy. The Spartans punted on their first possession. Red Bluff’s defense was able to hold off Foothill’s initial short passes and force a punt. It was like this for the quarter; neither team could get a strong foothold in their opponent’s territory. With both teams running a lot, the clock did not stop much, and before anyone knew it, the first quarter ended scoreless. Foothill had possession of the ball to start the second and continued to pound the forward with a few passes to shake things up. A sack by Red Bluff’s Bryce Owens squashed what progress the Cougars made at that point. An offensive pass interference call went against Foothill soon after, dampening their momentum further. The Spartans had pass completions to Elijah Hohenberger, Landon Kunau and Brice Clinger. They could not keep this up, though, and ended their drive with a punt. Finally, Foothill’s game plan bore some fruit. The Cougars marched up the field, but the Spartans stopped them from approaching the end zone. The Cougars’ Evan Hutchings kicked a 35-yard field goal to put Foothill up 3-0. Multiple runs by Shaver got Red Bluff within striking distance of scoring. When Kayden Leaf’s 35-yard pass came to Hohenberger, he took the ball and ran straight into the end zone. The Spartans were up 7-3, and Foothill decided to run out the clock to halftime. Neither team was able to establish much at the start of the third quarter. It took a while, but Foothill began finding more success with passes and runs. Penalties that went against the Spartans did not help matters, either. The Cougars scored on a short touchdown run to retake the lead, 10-7. Fortunately for Red Bluff, those were the last points Foothill scored on the night. The running game, anchored by Cruz Servera and Shaver, countered the Cougars’ score by moving the ball upfield, setting up Leaf to quarterback-sneak his way into a touchdown. Red Bluff was up again, 14-10. Foothill tried to respond but could not move the ball and was forced to punt. Leaf opened the next drive with a small gain, then found his favorite target Kunau for deep pass play out the 40-yard line, A Shaver run pushed Red Bluff forward into Foothill territory. That set up a short pass play to Owens, who turned it into a touchdown and a 21-10 lead. After the game, Coach Jacob Daricek joked the rain was not so bad with a victory. “It’s awesome for our town, for our community, for all the coaches that they’ve had,” Daricek said. “You know, in the past, they all played a role in this, from the junior Spartans on. Let’s just go on to get PV!” The Spartans will play top-seeded Pleasant Valley on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Asgard Yard. It will be the Spartans’ first Northern Section championship appearance since they defeated Enterprise 34-2 for the 1999 Division I title.

The Road Trip viewers give verdict on new rom-com with Harry Potter and Bridgerton stars

ILUS Announces Completion of QIND Acquisition by Fusion Fuel (NASDAQ_ HTOO)Two Sasquatch hunters were found dead after they went missing while searching for the mythical beast on Christmas Eve . The men, aged 37 and 59, were found after a 60-strong volunteer search and rescue team joined authorities in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington State . They had intended to be home for Christmas Day, but a family member reported them missing to Skamania County authorities after they didn’t return by the morning. Police said the harsh weather conditions and their ill-preparedness for the forest contributed to the men’s deaths. Seven law enforcement agencies and the Coast Guard used canines, drones, ground teams and helicopters to locate them. “Their exhaustive search efforts resulted in bringing family members home to their loved ones,” the sheriff’s office said of the search teams. The force extended their “deepest sympathies and condolences to the families” involved. Kieran Culkin once got Mark Ruffalo high while on the job after switching out a prop joint with the real thing. In a profile with The Guardian published Saturday, Culkin recalled the prank his 17-year-old self concocted while starring alongside Ruffalo in an off-Broadway play in 2000, and explained that he “just watched” as Ruffalo took a draw of the “fake” joint before passing it to his co-stars on stage. “I’m like, ‘I thought this was a good prank. I’m stupid. Oh my God, I’m so sorry.’ But actually, they loved it,” Culkin remembered. “Mark says, ‘I haven’t smoked pot in 10 years; the second half’s going to be so much fun.’ There was this other actor who had never smoked pot in her life. She goes, ‘Is this what being high is? This is lovely.’ And then Phyllis Newman comes in and goes, ‘I haven’t smoked pot since the 1960s. Thank you, darling.’” The Succession star proceeded to express that he was “17 and stupid” and added, “I’m 42 now. I know better. 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And the sale is not just for women; the gents’ and kids’ sections are equally full of additional savings. Loved ones of Hudson Meek, the teen actor who died in a car accident last week, gathered to celebrate his life on Saturday. The “celebration of life” service, held at a Baptist church in Homewood, Alabama, was livestreamed on the Baby Driver star’s Instagram. Several of the loved ones shared their favorite memories of the 16-year-old, and a choir sang in tribute. Fans expressed their appreciation for the service and their condolences in the comment section. “Wonderful celebration of Hudson’s life,” wrote user @melindaeubankswest, while @jeanniecmom added, “Praying for Hudson’s family at this difficult time. Fellow teen actor Grace Culwell shared in the comments that she was in attendance, writing: ”Such a beautiful service & so glad we were able to be there. Sending so much love & prayers to you all.” Meek died on Dec. 21 in from injuries sustained during a fall from a moving car on Dec. 19 in his hometown, Vestavia Hills, Alabama. Meek was known best for appearing in the 2017 crime movie Baby Driver alongside Ansel Elgort, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx. A post shared by Hudson Meek (@hudsonmeek) Andy Cohen’s biggest gripe with CNN star and New Year’s Eve partner-in-crime Anderson Cooper? Cooper’s annual giggle fit. Cohen explained to People why the anchor’s unceasing laughter adds extra chaos throughout their annual special. “Well, [it’s] that I have to be the straight guy,” Cohen said. “Literally, he’s in a puddle of giggles for the last 90 minutes of the broadcast, and I’m the one that’s hitting all the commercial breaks.” Cohen said he turns “into Mr. CNN for the last 90 minutes” while Cooper becomes “Mr. Bravo.” “It’s a very funny role reversal,” the Bravo star said. The longtime friends have hosted the CNN event together since 2017 after former co-host Kathy Griffin was booted in the wake of backlash for posing with a mask depicting the severed head of Donald Trump. Cohen and Cooper have found themselves in various antics since then— some alcoholic , some not —leading to Cooper’s own frustrations with the Bravo host. Cooper joked on Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live earlier this month that he constantly worries about “who [Cohen’s] gonna insult and what the clean up on aisle 3 is gonna be in the morning.” Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. If you’re looking to revamp your at-home fitness lineup ahead of 2025 and don’t have hours to commit to exercising each day, allow us to introduce you to the CAROL Bike . The science-backed and AI-powered fitness bike is engineered to give you maximum results in the shortest time possible—and by the shortest time, we mean as little as five minutes. In fact, according to the brand, the CAROL bike is “proven to deliver double the health and fitness benefits in 90 percent less time compared to regular cardio.” Free Returns | Free Shipping Not only is it a huge time-saver, but the CAROL Bike is also designed to be personalized to the rider’s individual fitness levels, goals, and preferences, making the workouts easy to follow, time-efficient, and super effective. CAROL’s AI and Reduced Exertion HIIT (REHIT) technology optimizes the workout to your ability and fitness level, so every second matters. The personalized, optimal resistance levels are automatically adjusted as you work out—at exactly the right time—making the most efficient workouts easy to follow. “ CAROL Bike is designed to maximize training efficiency, with the shortest, most effective workouts, backed by science. And new rider-inspired features that give riders more flexibility to exercise their way,” says Ulrich Dempfle, CEO & Co-Founder at CAROL. You can try the CAROL Bike for yourself risk-free for 100 days, and the brand offers free shipping (7-10 business days) in the U.S. Billionaire businessman Charles Dolan, who founded HBO and Cablevision and whose family owns Madison Square Garden and a number of New York City sports teams, died on Saturday—he was 98. Dolan created Cablevision Systems Corporation in 1973, merging several small Long Island cable TV systems, according to the New York Times . At the time, the company served just 1,500 customers. But when he sold it for $17.7 billion in 2015, it supplied cable TV to over three million households in the New York metropolitan area, the Times reported. He also launched HBO in the early ’70s—it was at the time a pioneering cable TV channel that offered feature-length movies with no commercials. After his death, Dolan’s family will continue to be a powerful and influential force in the worlds of media and sports. His son Patrick is the owner of Newsday , the Long Island-based newspaper he and Charles bought in 2016. The family also owns MSG in New York City and the professional sports teams that play there, the NHL’s Rangers and the NBA’s Knicks. All three entities are led by Dolan’s son James. Tina Knowles sprang to her daughter Beyoncé’s defense after online trolls criticized her NFL halftime show performance on Christmas Day. Knowles clapped back at critics by reposting a message about her famous daughter on her Instagram on Friday. In the screenshot, user @iamkrisiman praised Beyoncé and wrote that “no matter how undeniably talented you are, people will always, ALWAYS, always have some negative ish to say.” Knowles cosigned the post in a lengthy caption. “It is mind-boggling to me that you would take your precious Christmas day and watch a performance of someone you hate and you don’t think has talent so that you can go talk ish about it later,” she wrote. “Obviously you are so obsessed with them, addicted to them, and secretly admire them,” she added. According to the New York Post, Knowles’ post came after some social media users called Beyoncé “overrated.” Fans and celebrities in the comments of Knowles’ response seemed to love her mama bear energy. “Period!!! Ms. T,” singer LeToya Luckett wrote. “All. Of. This!!!!!!” Oscar winner Octavia Spencer added. A post shared by Tina Knowles (@mstinaknowles) Elon Musk appeared to borrow a line from the 2008 film Tropic Thunder in an ongoing social media fight about H1B visas. Musk hit back against MAGA’s top players in a series of X posts, alleging that H1B visas are the reason why he, “and hundreds of other companies that made America strong,” are in the country. To a skeptical X user, Musk blasted: “Take a big step back and F--- YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.” Although some were shocked by Musk’s sudden escalation—with former Trump strategist Steve Bannon calling him a “toddler”—others noticed that the disparaging remark was similar to a line in Tropic Thunder . Character Les Grossman, played by Tom Cruise, says in the film: “First, take a big step back, and literally, F--- YOUR OWN FACE ... I don’t know what kind of pan-pacific bulls--t power play you’re trying to pull here, but Asia, Jack, is my territory. So whatever you’re thinking, you’d better think again.” In response to Musk’s comment, the X user tweeted, “Bro was just memeing. I wouldn’t take it too seriously.” Nothing beats the classics pic.twitter.com/MRSdXifhH5 Charles Shyer, the writer-director best known for directing the 1991 Steve Martin comedy Father of the Bride has died at 83. According to Deadline, Shyer died Friday and no cause of death was given by his family in a statement. “His loss leaves an unfillable hole in our lives, but his legacy lives on through his children and the five decades of wonderful work he’s left behind. We honor the extraordinary life he led and know there will never be another quite like him,” his family told the outlet. In addition to directing, Shyer gained notoriety for his screenwriting and nabbed an Oscar nomination in 1981 for co-writing the Goldie Hawn-led military comedy Private Benjamin alongside Harvey Miller, and fellow writer-director Nancy Meyers. Meyers and Shyer married in 1980 before calling it quits in 1999. They share two daughters. Other notable films co-written by Shyer include Jumpin’ Jack Flash , The Parent Trap , and Baby Boom , which he also directed. His most recent credit behind the camera was co-writing and directing the 2023 Netflix Holiday film Best. Christmas. Ever. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. 2025 is quickly approaching, and there’s no better way to celebrate the new year than with 2024’s cocktail du jour—the espresso martini. It’s the perfect way to toast 2025 with sophistication, flavor, and an energy boost. Think you can’t make the buzzy beverage at home because you’re not a bartender? Think again. You can create this beloved cocktail effortlessly with just a cocktail shaker, fresh espresso, vodka, coffee beans, and Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur . It all starts in the land Down Under—Australia. 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Magnus Carlsen, a five-time World Chess Champion, was competing in New York’s FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships on Friday when he was asked to change. According to The Telegraph , Carlsen was first fined $200 for breaking the wardrobe rule before being told he would have to leave if he didn’t change. “I said, ‘I’ll change tomorrow if that’s OK.’ I didn’t even realize it today, but they said, ‘Well you have to change now.’ At that point it became a bit of a matter of principle for me,” Carlsen told chess outlet Take Take Take in an interview. “Honestly, I am too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do,” he added. As for why he wore the jeans in the first place, Carlsen said he had little time to change before the tournament as he was coming from a meeting. The grandmaster made light of the debacle on X where he tweeted a photo of the now notorious jeans. “OOTD,” he captioned the snap. OOTD pic.twitter.com/9reOP6zuJv Gossip Girl star Chanel Maya Banks , who made headlines last month after denying her family’s claims that she had gone missing, has filed a restraining order against her mother and cousin. The 36-year-old submitted the request in Los Angeles on Thursday, alleging her mom, Lutchmin Judy Kumar, and cousin, Danielle Singh have harassed her, TMZ reported. The actor also claimed that her mother and cousin were working to destroy her credibility. In October, Banks’ family reported her missing. She denied the claims in a post days later. Banks wrote in the restraining order filing that Kumar and Singh broke into her apartment in November while she was gone and attacked her husband. She also alleged that an Apple AirTag was put on her car to track her. After the attack, she alleged that her mother and cousin accused her husband of murder and said that Banks should be in a psychiatric hold. Sources told TMZ that they’re happy she is safe and are “moving on with their lives.”

Los Angeles 2, Seattle 1An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.Rahm Emanuel: Democrats should 'welcome' Musk's DOGE commissionOnce again, some Oklahoma state legislators are considering phasing out personal and corporate income taxes with the goal of eliminating the tax entirely by 2035. State Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, authored House Bill 1009, and if it passes, it will reduce the personal income tax rate by 0.004% annually over 10 years. Steagall filed an almost identical bill, H.B. 3058, during the 2024 session, but the bill never made it out of the Appropriations and Budget Committee. “Recent polls show Oklahomans overwhelmingly support the elimination of the state income tax, an effort for which I have filed legislation in the past two years and filing once again for the 60th Legislature,” Steagall said in a press release about the new bill. “The state income tax is a clear violation of our own state constitution and I will continue to pursue righting this wrong in the upcoming session.” Article 2, Section 2 of the Oklahoma Constitution is the part Steagall said the imposing of an income tax violates. Under this section, titled “Inherent rights,” the Constitution states: “All persons have the inherent right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the enjoyment of the gains of their own industry.” In an interview with Fox23, Gov. Kevin Stitt said having a state income tax puts Oklahoma at a disadvantage. “Stitt believes states like Texas, Nevada and Florida are more attractive to employers looking to leave higher tax states to save money and operate with fewer regulations, and he believes Oklahoma is keeping itself at a disadvantage when trying to attract more companies,” states the article titled, “Exclusive: Gov. Stitt still pushing for state to eliminate income tax,” published Feb. 6. In September 2023, former State Sen. Dewayne Pemberton said former Gov. Mary Fallin’s efforts in eliminating the state income tax was not a good thing. “[Fallin] had convinced the Legislature at that time that she would find other sources, but she never did, so once those monies were taken out, the coffers were dry,” Pemberton said. “We had to raise taxes in 2017.” Incoming State Sen. Julie McIntosh, R-District 3, is in favor of removing the personal and corporate income tax. “It is a regressive form of taxation which punishes productivity, and personal productivity is necessary for the success of our society,” McIntosh said. “We have seen repeatedly that when we cut taxes productivity rises and so does revenue into government coffers.” McIntosh believes the job market and business sector will “blossom and companies will come to Oklahoma,” if the corporate tax is eliminated. “This raises wages through competition and job opportunities,” McIntosh said. “Our tax rate and budget could be significantly lower if we stop paying for the many programs that are not constitutionally required of our government.” She is in favor of people keeping as much of their money as possible, and believes citizens will spend more wisely than government, and the free market will expand and “buoy us all to greater prosperity.” When Tahlequah Daily Press asked what programs are unconstitutional, McIntosh did not respond. TDP asked how that money would be made up and whether elimination of the tax would require fees to be raised, such as with the turnpike fees, which were recently increased 15%. “The turnpike is its own entity funded by bonds and tolls and doesn’t receive tax dollars,” McIntosh said. State Sen. Avery Frix, R-District 9, said he is a strong advocate for reducing the state income tax and putting money back into Oklahomans’ pockets and local economies. “While the path to zero income tax is still being paved, we will continue fighting for a solution that both benefits taxpayers and secures our state’s financial future,” Frix said. Several elected officials were asked to comment on this week’s roundup question, but due to the Christmas holiday, McIntosh was the only one who was able to respond. On the Dec. 21 Facebook Forum, TDP readers were asked if they thought the elimination of income taxes was feasible without drastically cutting state services; how can the lack of funds from the tax cut be made up; and if fee hikes would be used. Eric Swanson said people like the idea of abolishing taxes, but fail to consider how programs would be affected once that funding is gone. “Lawmakers who support tax cuts should be honest with voters about the pros and cons,” Swanson said. “Unfortunately, many lawmakers focus on the advantages and downplay or ignore the pitfalls — until a budget shortfall occurs and they are forced to raise taxes to close the gap.” Former resident Jack Webb, who now lives in Washington, said there is no income tax in his state. “Much of the tax burden will be shifted to property taxes and service fees. There are no free lunches in America,” Webb said. “And before you say it exempts non-property owners from the tax burden, it doesn’t; it’s simply passed on to them in the form of higher rent. Developers aren’t going to eat that tax burden no more than retailers will eat the tariffs.” Webb said it will probably be a good incentive to start new businesses and expand existing ones. Lee Guthrie writes for the Tahlequah Daily Press.

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Amanda Serrano appeared on CBS Mornings today in New York to talk about her rematch against Katie Taylor and it turning out to be such a big platform for women’s boxing. Serrano tries to keep it gracious when asked about her thoughts on the official outcome, but says she still looks forward to making a trilogy fight with Taylor going forward. Serrano on knowing her rematch with Katie Taylor was the most-watched women’s sporting event in history “It’s truly an honor. You know, I’ve been in this game for so long. Being part of a great team, MVP, Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, to put me on this platform on Netflix. Who knew one day we’d be fighting on Netflix and to have that many people watching me, now people who never seen boxing or never knew women fight know women can fight.” On if she thought the close decision loss was fair “Listen, I didn’t know — there was a lot of headbutting going on and a lot of holding going on. But listen, I’m just happy that we were able to perform on this platform and millions of people saw what they saw and I believe I won the fight which means we have to go for the third fight. “I’m 100% interested (in a third fight), she said she is. The only way I feel like it will be fair is if we go under the men’s rules which is three minutes and 12 rounds, and she agreed to it so let’s see if she’ll take the fight.” On how her big ugly cut is healing “I want to apologize to everybody for that gruesome cut, it wasn’t my fault. But no, it’s great. The doctor did a great job on stitching it up. It’s still in pain, the swelling and everything else is going down but I feel great, I feel like I can go to the gym today — but I won’t.” On if she thinks more should have been done in the fight to prevent Taylor’s illicit tactics “Yeah because it was excessive from headbutting and excessive holding. We had warned the referee beforehand when we was in the locker room that that’s what she does. We fought her before and we knew that’s what she does. She likes to come in with her head. I’m not saying it was done intentionally but knowing the way Katie fights, that’s how she fights. “So we just warned the referee beforehand and he said don’t worry, he’ll handle it, and obviously he didn’t handle it as good as he was supposed to.”high 5 casino not loading

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LINCOLN — It was easier to take a charge back then, and Steven Ashworth tried as often as he could. Every day was a competition in practice for Utah State’s freshman point guards, Ashworth and Rollie Worster. They came from different backgrounds. Ashworth was a knockdown shooter. Worster, once a high school quarterback, was bigger and burlier. But the skinny Ashworth had timing and willingness to take a hit from Worster’s 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame. It was a common sight and emblematic of their contrasting approaches challenging one another, forcing development. Worster and Ashworth were only teammates for one season, which ended in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Four years, three trips into the transfer portal and 188 games later, their paths again converge in Omaha on Friday, likely for the last time in their college careers as Worster’s Nebraska plays Ashworth’s Creighton at 7 p.m. inside CHI Health Center. “You always hear it’s a small world," Worster said, 'but especially in athletics it’s really small." Said Ashworth: “Obviously, we’ve followed each other’s careers, and we started off together in the same spot then went our separate ways. But a lot of respect for him and his game, and (I’m) excited to see him on Friday.” Worster came to Utah State as the two-time Montana Gatorade Player of the Year. Ashworth, originally from Lone Peak, Utah, had just finished a two-year mission in Indianapolis for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He progressed rapidly over the course of his freshman season, settling back in the daily grind of basketball. Rarely did they share the floor during games. Of Utah State’s 10 most used lineups that season, two of them included both, according to KenPom. The combinations added up to 6% of the Aggies’ total minutes. With Ashworth on the court, the Aggies often pushed the pace. Worster was slower, more methodical. But Worster got an up-close look at Ashworth from playing on opposite teams in practice and watching when Ashworth ran the offense. Worster tried to learn from his teammate’s shooting ability. He watched the way Ashworth moved when he had the ball, the high basketball IQ of someone who was small even by Mountain West point guard standards. “Some nights were my night, some nights were his, and I think just being able to grow from each other,” Worster said. “We both had freshman mistakes and a little bit different playing styles, but I think just to see how you watch everyone play and pick up on things or see things that maybe you do or don’t do that you can get better at.” The Aggies made the NCAA tournament as an 11 seed, falling to Texas Tech in Bloomington, Indiana, an hour from where Ashworth had completed his mission. Then they scattered. USU coach Craig Smith, a former Nebraska assistant, took a new job at the University of Utah. Worster joined Smith while Ashworth played at Utah State for another two years, leaving for Creighton after the 2022-23 season. Life, in Utah and Nebraska, has gone on for both. Worster transferred to Nebraska in April to finish his college career at his third school. Ashworth is now married and has a son. They’ve stayed in occasional contact in the four years since, sometimes running into each other in Utah airports. Friday will serve a full-circle moment, one more connection to their previous lives. “We’ve talked a little bit,” Worster said. “We’re rivals now so it’s a little different, but I just wish him the best success going forward.”LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin needs hip surgery and will be out four to six months, jeopardizing the season for the 32-year-old now dealing with the second major hip injury of his career. Seguin will have a procedure to repair an impingement and the labrum in his left hip, the team said Wednesday. The surgery is planned for Thursday. “Tyler’s been dealing with this, been managing, I guess is the best way to say it, for a while,” general manager Jim Nill said. “And it just got to a point where it’s really this time to have surgery, and it’s a wear-and-tear injury.” The six-time All-Star missed all but three games of the 2020-21 season following a similar surgery on his right hip. Seguin also underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during that absence. Seguin tried to play through hip pain during the playoff bubble in Canada in 2020, when the Stars reached the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Tampa Bay. He played 19 of the first 23 games this season and is third on the team with 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists). The Stars put Seguin on injured reserve after a 3-1 victory over Winnipeg on Sunday. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Like many immigration lawyers, I spent four years under the first Trump administration in strange places. On the floor of JFK airport with my laptop during the rollout of the Muslim ban. In a church as ICE waited outside to arrest an immigrant rights leader. At socially distanced protests in front of remote immigration detention centers as COVID-19 spread inside. I know from experience that immigrant communities, organizers, and attorneys are prepared to respond to Trump's day-one policies. But I also know that if we wait until day one, it will already be too late. The resistance 1.0 required all of our resources. First and foremost, it required our people. Immigrant activists led the charge against the Trump administration and faced heavy retaliation as a result. Trump's efforts to deport them and their loved ones was sprawling and chaotic. It would be a missed opportunity to not do everything we can now to protect as many people as possible before Trump takes office. Protection isn't easy. Many of the 28 million people in mixed-status families living in the United States have no pathway for their loved ones to apply for status or citizenship. Congress has not fundamentally changed federal immigration laws since its harsh 1996 reforms , which created the deportation machinery we have today. But there are some safety valves: Some immigrants do have valid applications for status, waivers, and pardons in the pipeline. Others may benefit from extensions of temporary protections. The Biden administration should process every eligible application and extend protection to as many people as possible before the inauguration. The wheels of bureaucratic justice need to spin faster over the coming weeks. States and localities, too, must act quickly to reexamine their role in the deportation machine. No one can pretend to be unaware of what's coming. During the first Trump administration, federal immigration officials coopted state and local resources to enact its harshest policies. As longtime community members were rounded up, counties questioned whether their jail space should be used to hold Trump's latest targets. Small towns were left to pick up the pieces after factory workers were deported. Tom Homan , whom Trump recently tapped to lead his mass deportations and border operations, infamously told undocumented immigrants to look over their shoulders and engaged in community raids. He additionally promises to bring back large-scale workplace raids and is encouraging people to self-deport. States and localities will bear the burden of these policies and their consequences. States and localities have options to protect their residents. Many have enacted or are considering legislation to prevent community resources from being coopted for deportation. California is leading the way by convening a special legislative session to strengthen its laws across several domains. Trump promises bold change. States and localities need to be bolder. Communities have a lot to gain when their local and state elected officials draw clear lines between what happens locally and federal immigration enforcement. Studies have shown that modest steps can make communities safer and protect local economies . Most importantly, with the new Trump era, such legislation allows state and local officials to avoid entanglement with messy federal immigration policies over which they have no control. It protects states and localities from liability for immigration schemes like federal " detainers ," which ask local law enforcement to hold immigrants for deportation at their own expense without a judicial warrant. It allows states and localities to focus on providing legal assistance and a safety net for families as programs like Deferred Act for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status come under threat. Some may be tempted to wait and see what the second Trump administration brings. But we know too much about what Trump has done in the past to not take his day-one promises seriously. Strong immigrant communities are a vital part of this country. Immigrants have been seeking protection from the Biden administration and advocating for pro-immigrant legislation in town halls and state legislatures across the country. Now is the time to act. Alina Das is a professor at New York University Law School, where she co-directs the Immigrant Rights Clinic and is a Public Voices Fellow. She is the author of No Justice in the Shadows: How America Criminalizes Immigrants. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

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high limit casino slot wins MOSCA, Colorado — A handmade sign at the start of a long dirt road in the rural San Luis Valley indicates to visitors that they’ve arrived at the future site of Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa . The peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains barely make a dent in the big blue skies above the 40 acres purchased by founder and CEO Gamal Jadue Zalaquett. He aims to transform the land into a resort featuring 20 villas, a spa, a restaurant and a planetarium. “It’s a place of alignment. Kosmos is a place of connection,” Jadue Zalaquett said. “Kosmos, in a way, is a place to heal, and the San Luis Valley has a lot to do with healing.” He bought the property for $11,000 in December 2020. But with glass domes for stargazing and expensive price tags to stay the night, Jadue Zalaquett’s ambitious brainchild falls snugly into the category of “luxury ecotourism.” His site is an ideal spot for admiring constellations and distant galaxies. According to the National Park Service, the nearby Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is considered an International Dark Sky Park. Jadue Zalaquett said the area is a class two location on the Bortle dark-sky scale, which translates to “ truly dark ” skies. The resort’s planetarium will include a 1-meter telescope. In terms of getting visitors to Kosmos, “that’s gonna be the biggest attractor,” Jadue Zalaquett said. Development is still in the early stages, but it’s already garnering attention from the public: More than 12,000 Instagram users follow the resort’s page where project renderings and updates are shared. Kosmos plans to open its first villa early next year, said marketing operations manager Jennifer Geerlings. Although it’s still under construction, the resort has already booked more than 2,000 reservations, she added. “A lot of it, for some people, is the excitement of being the first to be able to stay in an experience like this,” Geerlings said in a phone interview. “There’s really no other resort that’s doing this.” While Jadue Zalaquett put about $500,000 toward getting the project off the ground, a crowdfunding campaign raised $1.9 million, Geerlings said. Donors paid a one-time fee to receive 50% discounts off their reservations for early 2025. So instead of paying the usual $700 nightly rate, they booked at $350 per night, Geerlings said. And after the campaign’s end, people continued to contribute directly via Stripe, which put total revenue from crowdfunding at more than $2 million, Jadue Zalaquett added. So why is it worth it to stay at Kosmos? For Geerlings, the answer is a combination of the villas — with their jacuzzis nestled in glass domes under the stars — and amenities like the planetarium. “You’re able to experience some of the best stargazing. The Milky Way is visible to the naked eye,” Geerlings said. “A planetarium is something that’s never been at a resort before.” In November, director of field operations Auston Duncan stepped over sagebrush and loose hardware to outline the state of construction on the project. An unfinished villa offered a hint of what’s to come. The rectangular building with exposed wooden rafters and newly-installed glass sliding doors will soon house a bedroom and a bathroom. Jeremy Stephen, the founder of Steamboat Springs-based Evolve Construction , built the villa out of hempcrete , which is made of hemp, water and lime. It works as an eco-friendly insulator, helping to mitigate heating and cooling costs and lending itself to the vision of Kosmos as a resort with sustainability in mind. On one side of the villa, a hot tub will be installed. On the other, a dome made out of glass and wood from Ekodome will cover the kitchen and loft area. The development will occur in phases. Next year, 16 stargazing villas (which hold up to four guests) and 4 galaxy villas (which hold up to eight guests) will be constructed, Geerlings said. Every stay includes an hour of a guided stargazing experience and telescope training. In 2026, the amenities will be built out. Those include the Mediterranean-style restaurant and the wellness center with spa features like hyperbaric chambers, a sauna and a cold plunge. In 2027, the planetarium will be added to the resort. To ensure dark skies, guests will park their cars and use electric golf carts to navigate the resort, Jadue Zalaquett said. He mentioned that discussions with consultants on the stargazing center included a NASA representative, who was interested in hosting a mission workshop at Kosmos next year. Both the planetarium and the spa will be open to the public, Geerlings added. All in all, it’s a bold plan. And Kosmos is looking to hire to make it happen. Right now, the business is in search of employees to lead their stargazing experiences. So far, it’s recruited a former Great Sand Dunes ranger, Geerlings said. The team is considering college students from Adams State University in Alamosa as interns. Kosmos will also need to staff resort operations, including housekeeping, security and front desk workers. “We’re gonna try and hire pretty much everyone locally,” Geerlings said. For Jadue Zalaquett, taking on an endeavor like this runs in his blood. He currently lives between Alamosa and Boulder, but Jadue Zalaquett was born in Chile and grew up in Miami. When his family migrated to Chile, they ran hotels. Several paternal relatives work as architects. However, Jadue Zalaquett didn’t initially follow the family business. Instead, he worked in technology startups for almost a decade. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he visited the San Luis Valley. He realized that, although the Great Sand Dunes were located less than a half hour away, tourists could only choose from a few lodging options. So came the idea for Kosmos. And “here I am, back at my roots,” Jadue Zalaquett said.Marcos rallies support for MMFF: Watch all 10 entriesMattr Corp. Announces Closing of Debt Subscription Receipt Offering



Geneva, Switzerland , Dec. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEALSQ Corp (NASDAQ: LAES) ("SEALSQ" or "Company"), a company that focuses on developing and selling Semiconductors, PKI, and Post-Quantum technology hardware and software products, today announced that it received formal written confirmation from The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”) confirming that the Company has regained compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement. The regaining of compliance is a result of the Company’s closing bid price of the Ordinary Shares being at least $1.00 for at least 10 consecutive business days prior to January 28, 2025 deadline, as described in the initial notice from Nasdaq received by the Company on August 1, 2024. The closing bid price of the Company’s Ordinary Shares has been at $1.00 per share or greater from December 11 to December 24, 2024. Accordingly, Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Staff has determined that the Company has regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), and the matter is now closed. About SEALSQ SEALSQ is a leading innovator in Post-Quantum Technology hardware and software solutions. Our technology seamlessly integrates Semiconductors, PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), and Provisioning Services, with a strategic emphasis on developing state-of-the-art Quantum Resistant Cryptography and Semiconductors designed to address the urgent security challenges posed by quantum computing. As quantum computers advance, traditional cryptographic methods like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) are increasingly vulnerable. SEALSQ is pioneering the development of Post-Quantum Semiconductors that provide robust, future-proof protection for sensitive data across a wide range of applications, including Multi-Factor Authentication tokens, Smart Energy, Medical and Healthcare Systems, Defense, IT Network Infrastructure, Automotive, and Industrial Automation and Control Systems. By embedding Post-Quantum Cryptography into our semiconductor solutions, SEALSQ ensures that organizations stay protected against quantum threats. Our products are engineered to safeguard critical systems, enhancing resilience and security across diverse industries. For more information on our Post-Quantum Semiconductors and security solutions, please visit www.sealsq.com . Forward Looking Statements This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning SEALSQ Corp and its businesses. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our business strategy, financial performance, results of operations, market data, events or developments that we expect or anticipates will occur in the future, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include SEALSQ’s ability to implement its growth strategies; SEALSQ’s ability to successfully launch post-quantum semiconductor technology; SEALSQ’s ability to capture a share of the quantum semiconductor market; the growth of the quantum computing market; SEALSQ’s ability to expand its U.S. operations; SEALSQ’s ability to make additional investments towards the development of a new generation of quantum-ready semiconductors; SEALSQ’s ability to continue beneficial transactions with material parties, including a limited number of significant customers; market demand and semiconductor industry conditions; the growth of the quantum computing market; and the risks discussed in SEALSQ’s filings with the SEC. Risks and uncertainties are further described in reports filed by SEALSQ with the SEC. SEALSQ Corp is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.Mattr Corp. Announces Closing of Debt Subscription Receipt Offering

Eos Energy Announces $68.3 Million First Funding from its $303.5 Million Department of Energy ...The costs associated with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations start with integrating and deploying systems that carry out identity verification and other checks during customer onboarding, and end with fines in cases of non-compliance. But the processes in between can be a million-dollar problem without the right screening technology, according to a case study presented in a blog post. A client turned to Socure to help it strengthen its compliance program after discovering it had accumulated a backlog of 700,000 politically exposed persons (PEP) alerts. PEP checks are performed as part of AML due diligence. In the case of an alert, a manual review is triggered. Socure describes the client as a “leading investment platform,” and says it estimated the price of clearing its PEP alert backlog at $1 million. The for a money service business in the UK in fiscal 2022-2023 was $1.9 million. “It’s a delicate balance,” a chief compliance officer . “You need to catch every true PEP, but you can’t tie up your entire team chasing false positives. Each alert takes time, resources, and skilled analysts to review.” The $1 million price tag was calculated based on an estimate that would take 28,000 hours of labor by consultants paid $50 an hour (which actually comes out to $1.4 million, but maybe a bulk discount could be applied). Instead, with Socure’s technology, the company was able to reduce the number of hours it needed to hire consultants for to 571. At $50 per hour, that’s a much more manageable $28,550. The rest were false positives, identified by Socure for a reduction of 99.76 percent. Socure’s watchlist solution applies a neural network to identify connections the client’s legacy system had missed, according to the post, like spotting different spellings of the same person’s name. The company also recounts discovering five identities all being used at one financial institution by the same PEP. The software includes granular search policies, watch lists, score thresholds and filtering criteria, and Socure says its AI model continuously learns from the screenings it carries out. | | | |

Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India and the architect of the country's landmark economic reforms in 1991, passed away at the age of 92. Known for his intellectual prowess and humility, Singh's tenure left an indelible mark on India's foreign and economic policies. Singh's trusted aide, former Deputy NSA Pankaj Saran, described him as a consensus builder and a highly respected economist. Despite Singh's efforts to foster peace with Pakistan, geopolitical tensions remained unresolved, notably following the 26/11 Mumbai attacks that shook Singh profoundly. A champion of strengthening India's global relations, Singh played a pivotal role in the India-US nuclear deal. His outreach extended to the Gulf, becoming one of the first prime ministers to visit Saudi Arabia, further enhancing India's international standing. (With inputs from agencies.)Hydro One expands transmission ownership in northern OntarioFine Gael won 35 seats in the 2020 election, but 18 of those TDs did not seek re-election in Friday’s poll. An exit poll puts the party’s support at 21%, a fraction of a percentage behind the main opposition party Sinn Fein. Mr Harris, the outgoing Taoiseach, was elected with 16,869 first preference votes, well above the quota. He celebrated with his wife Caoimhe, his parents Bart and Mary, his sister Gemma and his political team at the count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Ahead of his re-election, Mr Harris told reporters he was “cautiously optimistic” about the election result and said it was “clear that my party will gain seats”. “It’s also clear that Fine Gael will top the poll in at least 10 constituencies, many more than we did the last time, that we will gain seats in constituencies where we haven’t had seats in many years, like Tipperary South and Waterford, and that we will add second seats in other constituencies as well,” he said. “I think the people of Ireland have now spoken. We now have to work out exactly what they have said, and that is going to take a little bit of time.” In one of the five consecutive broadcast media rounds he did from the Greystones count centre, he said there were a lot of areas where there were “straight shoot-outs” between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for final seats. He described the Sinn Fein vote as “pretty significantly down”, the Fianna Fail vote as “marginally down” and the Fine Gael vote as “static” compared with its 2020 vote. He said it was “a very close, a very competitive election” and that “we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it”. He said: “It was predicted by many that I would become the Taoiseach for a brief period of time, take over from Leo Varadkar, and then have to rebuild my party from the opposition benches as Sinn Fein led a government. “We don’t know what’s going to happen on government formation yet, but that is now looking less likely than it was.” He acknowledged that it was “a very difficult day” for the Green Party and paid tribute to their work in the coalition government, alongside his party and Fianna Fail. “Definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented,” he said. Fine Gael minister Helen McEntee said that her party’s campaign had been “positive”. “The feeling on the doors was very much that people were relatively happy with the government,” she said on RTE Radio. “It will come down to the last seats and it will come down to transfers,” she said of the final result, adding that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were performing better than the exit poll estimated.Golden Knights take on the Utah Hockey Club after Barbashev's 2-goal performance

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has delayed its board meeting scheduled to discuss the hosting of the 2025 Champions Trophy, with India requesting more time to resolve the issue. This delay comes amid Pakistan’s firm stance on hosting the tournament, which has put pressure on India to reconsider its position. Pakistan has reiterated its position that if India refuses to send its team to Pakistan for the event, Pakistan will not play in any ICC tournaments hosted by India. The two cricket boards, PCB and BCCI, are still in discussions, and no concrete solution has yet been reached. Pakistan continues to oppose the hybrid model proposed by the ICC, which would involve some matches being played at neutral venues. The meeting was originally scheduled for November 29, but was postponed after no agreement was reached during preliminary discussions. ICC has urged both boards to present solutions within 24 to 48 hours. Separately, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi stressed on Saturday that politics and cricket needed to be kept separate, adding that preparations for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy tournament were “finalised”. The tournament, scheduled to take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, has become embroiled in a dispute, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refusing to send its team to Pakistan, citing political and security concerns, despite assurances from all member boards regarding the security arrangements and the tentative match schedule. An online meeting convened by the ICC on Friday aimed at resolving the issue and announcing the match schedule lasted just 15 minutes due to the uncompromising stance of both the PCB and the BCCI. The PCB has made it clear that it will not accept a hybrid model for the event, under which all of India’s matc­hes would be played outside Pakistan. On the other hand, the BCCI is lobbying for the hybrid model, and if the PCB refuses, its next step is to push for shifting the Champions Tro­p­hy to another country. In a post on X, the PCB said that Naqvi met with former UAE cricket board secretary Mubashshir Usmani in Dubai today and he discussed “important issues regarding the organisation of the Champions Trophy tournament”. “We have to keep cricket and politics separate,” the PCB chairman said. Naqvi, who also serves as the interior minister, said, “Pakistan is a peaceful country and Pakistani people love the game of cricket. Cricket fans are eager for the big competition of [the] Champions Trophy.” “Pakistan is all set to host the Champions Trophy tournament,” he said, adding that stadiums were upgraded and security arrangements were finalised. “All countries will be given state guest protocol and security.” Naqvi said it was an honour to host the Champions Trophy tournament and that Pakstan would “welcome every team with open heart”.THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VR Resources Ltd. ( TSX.V: VRR; FSE: 5VR ), (the “ Company ”), or (“ VR ”), announces the arrangement of a flow-through financing of $400,000. The Company plans to direct the funds immediately towards drilling planned for January on its copper- nickel-PGE and copper-gold properties in northwestern Ontario, namely: the new chargeability anomaly at Silverback, and follow up drilling to the recently completed Phase 1 drill program at Westwood on the Empire Project. The flow-through financing will consist of up to 8,000,000 units (the “ FT Units ”) at a price of $0.05 per FT Unit for gross proceeds of up to $400,000 . Each FT Unit consisting of one Flow Through common share (“ FT Share ”) of the Company and one-half of one non - flow through common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a “ Warrant ”). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional common share (“Share”) at an exercise price of $0.08 per share for a period of 18 months from the closing date (“ Closing Date ”). The Closing Date for the Financing is expected to be on or before December 31, 2024, and is subject to all regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities issued in connection with this Financing will be subject to a four-month and a day hold period from the Closing Date in accordance with applicable securities legislation. Red Cloud Securities Inc. (“ Red Cloud ”) is acting as a finder in connection with the Non-Brokered Private Placement. The finders’ fee will consist of 6% cash on the total financing and additional 6% Compensation Warrants associated with the financing (“Compensation Warrants”). The Compensation Warrants will permit the purchase of one common share in the capital of the Company at a price of $0.05 per common share for a period of 18 months from closing of the Offering. Use of Proceeds The gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Units will be used by the Company to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that will qualify as "critical metals flow-through mining expenditures" as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Qualifying Expenditures"), and are related to the company's mineral exploration projects in Ontario, Canada, on or before December 31, 2025, and the Company will renounce all qualifying expenditures in favour of such subscribers to the financing effective December 31, 2024. The securities to be issued hereunder will not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the “United States” or to “U.S. persons” (as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) without registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws or compliance with an exemption from such registration. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About VR Resources VR is an established junior exploration company based in Vancouver (TSX.V: VRR; Frankfurt: 5VR; OTCQB: VRRCF). VR evaluates, explores and advances large-scale, blue-sky opportunities in copper, gold and critical metals in Nevada, USA, and Ontario, Canada, and more recently, Canada’s newest discovery of a diamond-bearing kimberlite pipe at its Northway project. VR applies modern exploration technologies and leverages in-house experience and expertise in greenfields exploration to large-footprint mineral systems in underexplored areas/districts. The foundation of VR is the proven track record of its Board in early-stage exploration, discovery and M&A. The Company is financed for its mineral exploration and corporate obligations. VR owns its properties outright and evaluates new opportunities on an ongoing basis, whether by staking or acquisition. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: “ Justin Daley ” _____________________________ Justin Daley, MSc, PGeo President & CEO Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions or are those which, by their nature, refer to future events. Forward looking statements in this release, for example include but are not limited to: the general use of proceeds, that the Company will complete the Financing; that the Company will carry out exploration on its Ontario properties this winter. Although the Company believes that the use of such statements is reasonable, there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. The Company’s public disclosure filings can be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review the materials. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaintsDoorDash will require its drivers to verify their identities more often as part of a larger effort to crack down on unauthorized account sharing. DoorDash has been under pressure to ensure its drivers are operating legally. Over the summer, for example, it pledged to do a better job identifying and removing dangerous drivers after a flood of complaints of dangerous driving from cities. Officials in Boston, New York and other cities have said that in many cases, people with multiple traffic violations continue to make deliveries using accounts registered to others. The San Francisco delivery company said Thursday it was requiring some drivers to complete real-time identity checks immediately after they complete a delivery. Previously, drivers were occasionally asked to re-verify their identities before or after a shift. DoorDash has introduced the new system in Los Angeles, Denver, Seattle and other cities, and said it planned a wider rollout next year. DoorDash said it also has developed an advanced machine learning system that can flag potential unauthorized account access, including login anomalies and suspicious activity. If the company detects a problem, it will require drivers to re-verify their identity before they can make more deliveries . U.S. drivers must verify their identities with a driver’s license or other government-issued identification, and upload a selfie that matches their identification photo before they can do work for DoorDash. They also must submit to background checks, which require a Social Security number. The company said it found that some drivers were getting around the requirements by sharing accounts with authorized users. In some cases, drivers who were not authorized to drive for DoorDash paid authorized users for access to their accounts. Some federal lawmakers have demanded that DoorDash and other delivery apps do a better job of keeping people who are in the U.S. illegally off the platforms. Republican U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana and Ted Budd of North Carolina sent letters to delivery companies in April asking them to crack down on account sharing. “These illegal immigrants are delivering food directly to consumers’ doors without ever having undergone a background check and often without even using their real names,” the letter said. It added that working illegally can also be dangerous for migrants, creating the potential for exploitation and abuse. The Associated Press left messages seeking comment Thursday with Gig Workers Rising and Justice for App Workers, which both represent delivery drivers. DoorDash won’t estimate how many drivers are using shared accounts, but said its safeguards are effective. Last year, it began asking drivers to re-verify their identities monthly by submitting a selfie. The company said it is now asking more than 150,000 drivers to complete selfie checks each week, and it’s removing them from the platform if they don’t comply. Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated PressSimon Harris was elected with 16,869 first preference votes, well above the quota. Irish premier Simon Harris has said Fine Gael will gain seats in the General Election despite a further fragmentation of Irish politics. Fine Gael won 35 seats in the 2020 election, but 18 of those TDs did not seek re-election in Friday’s poll. An exit poll puts the party’s support at 21%, a fraction of a percentage behind the main opposition party Sinn Fein. Mr Harris, the outgoing Taoiseach, was elected with 16,869 first preference votes, well above the quota. He celebrated with his wife Caoimhe, his parents Bart and Mary, his sister Gemma and his political team at the count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Ahead of his re-election, Mr Harris told reporters he was “cautiously optimistic” about the election result and said it was “clear that my party will gain seats”. “It’s also clear that Fine Gael will top the poll in at least 10 constituencies, many more than we did the last time, that we will gain seats in constituencies where we haven’t had seats in many years, like Tipperary South and Waterford, and that we will add second seats in other constituencies as well,” he said. “I think the people of Ireland have now spoken. We now have to work out exactly what they have said, and that is going to take a little bit of time.” In one of the five consecutive broadcast media rounds he did from the Greystones count centre, he said there were a lot of areas where there were “straight shoot-outs” between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for final seats. He described the Sinn Fein vote as “pretty significantly down”, the Fianna Fail vote as “marginally down” and the Fine Gael vote as “static” compared with its 2020 vote. He said it was “a very close, a very competitive election” and that “we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it”. He said: “It was predicted by many that I would become the Taoiseach for a brief period of time, take over from Leo Varadkar, and then have to rebuild my party from the opposition benches as Sinn Fein led a government. “We don’t know what’s going to happen on government formation yet, but that is now looking less likely than it was.” He acknowledged that it was “a very difficult day” for the Green Party and paid tribute to their work in the coalition government, alongside his party and Fianna Fail. “Definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented,” he said. Fine Gael minister Helen McEntee said that her party’s campaign had been “positive”. “The feeling on the doors was very much that people were relatively happy with the government,” she said on RTE Radio. “It will come down to the last seats and it will come down to transfers,” she said of the final result, adding that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were performing better than the exit poll estimated.

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Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’Shares of Ardelyx, Inc. ( NASDAQ:ARDX – Get Free Report ) traded up 4.6% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $5.11 and last traded at $5.03. 4,406,461 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 10% from the average session volume of 4,877,309 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.81. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. HC Wainwright downgraded Ardelyx from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $11.00 to $5.50 in a report on Monday, November 11th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Ardelyx from $12.00 to $10.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $10.42. Get Our Latest Research Report on Ardelyx Ardelyx Stock Up 8.3 % Insider Activity In other news, insider David P. Rosenbaum sold 27,172 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.95, for a total value of $161,673.40. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 153,616 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $914,015.20. This trade represents a 15.03 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . Also, CFO Justin A. Renz sold 5,260 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.79, for a total transaction of $25,195.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 291,139 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,394,555.81. This trade represents a 1.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 184,192 shares of company stock valued at $1,013,345 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 5.90% of the company’s stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ardelyx Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Ardelyx by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,141,850 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $83,657,000 after acquiring an additional 176,789 shares during the period. Eventide Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Ardelyx by 11.2% during the third quarter. Eventide Asset Management LLC now owns 7,413,049 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $51,076,000 after purchasing an additional 746,067 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ardelyx by 0.3% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,487,742 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $37,818,000 after purchasing an additional 17,296 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Ardelyx by 142.8% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 3,203,090 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $23,735,000 after purchasing an additional 1,883,995 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rubric Capital Management LP increased its stake in Ardelyx by 68.5% during the 3rd quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 3,060,191 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $21,085,000 after buying an additional 1,243,606 shares during the period. 58.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Ardelyx Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Ardelyx, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes medicines to treat gastrointestinal and cardiorenal therapeutic areas in the United States and internationally. The company’s lead product candidate is tenapanor for the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Ardelyx Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ardelyx and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Simon Harris was elected with 16,869 first preference votes, well above the quota. Irish premier Simon Harris has said Fine Gael will gain seats in the General Election despite a further fragmentation of Irish politics. Fine Gael won 35 seats in the 2020 election, but 18 of those TDs did not seek re-election in Friday’s poll. An exit poll puts the party’s support at 21%, a fraction of a percentage behind the main opposition party Sinn Fein. Mr Harris, the outgoing Taoiseach, was elected with 16,869 first preference votes, well above the quota. He celebrated with his wife Caoimhe, his parents Bart and Mary, his sister Gemma and his political team at the count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Ahead of his re-election, Mr Harris told reporters he was “cautiously optimistic” about the election result and said it was “clear that my party will gain seats”. “It’s also clear that Fine Gael will top the poll in at least 10 constituencies, many more than we did the last time, that we will gain seats in constituencies where we haven’t had seats in many years, like Tipperary South and Waterford, and that we will add second seats in other constituencies as well,” he said. “I think the people of Ireland have now spoken. We now have to work out exactly what they have said, and that is going to take a little bit of time.” In one of the five consecutive broadcast media rounds he did from the Greystones count centre, he said there were a lot of areas where there were “straight shoot-outs” between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for final seats. He described the Sinn Fein vote as “pretty significantly down”, the Fianna Fail vote as “marginally down” and the Fine Gael vote as “static” compared with its 2020 vote. He said it was “a very close, a very competitive election” and that “we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it”. He said: “It was predicted by many that I would become the Taoiseach for a brief period of time, take over from Leo Varadkar, and then have to rebuild my party from the opposition benches as Sinn Fein led a government. “We don’t know what’s going to happen on government formation yet, but that is now looking less likely than it was.” He acknowledged that it was “a very difficult day” for the Green Party and paid tribute to their work in the coalition government, alongside his party and Fianna Fail. “Definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented,” he said. Fine Gael minister Helen McEntee said that her party’s campaign had been “positive”. “The feeling on the doors was very much that people were relatively happy with the government,” she said on RTE Radio. “It will come down to the last seats and it will come down to transfers,” she said of the final result, adding that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were performing better than the exit poll estimated.

Advisors Asset Management Inc. cut its stake in OPAL Fuels Inc. ( NASDAQ:OPAL – Free Report ) by 43.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 31,345 shares of the company’s stock after selling 24,074 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in OPAL Fuels were worth $114,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of OPAL Fuels during the second quarter worth about $93,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP boosted its stake in OPAL Fuels by 69.3% during the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 96,056 shares of the company’s stock valued at $351,000 after purchasing an additional 39,325 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in OPAL Fuels during the 2nd quarter valued at about $389,000. Inspire Investing LLC bought a new position in OPAL Fuels in the 3rd quarter worth about $430,000. Finally, SIR Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of OPAL Fuels by 76.3% in the second quarter. SIR Capital Management L.P. now owns 388,049 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,587,000 after purchasing an additional 167,940 shares during the period. 12.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analysts Set New Price Targets OPAL has been the subject of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on OPAL Fuels from $4.50 to $3.90 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. UBS Group reduced their price target on OPAL Fuels from $8.00 to $7.50 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered OPAL Fuels from a “sector outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $8.00 to $5.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, OPAL Fuels currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $7.90. OPAL Fuels Price Performance NASDAQ OPAL opened at $3.89 on Friday. OPAL Fuels Inc. has a 12 month low of $3.04 and a 12 month high of $6.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $671.44 million, a PE ratio of 21.50 and a beta of 0.48. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $3.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3.97. OPAL Fuels Company Profile ( Free Report ) OPAL Fuels Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and distribution of renewable natural gas for use as a vehicle fuel for heavy and medium-duty trucking fleets. It also designs, develops, constructs, operates, and services fueling stations for trucking fleets that use natural gas to displace diesel as transportation fuel. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OPAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for OPAL Fuels Inc. ( NASDAQ:OPAL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for OPAL Fuels Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for OPAL Fuels and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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Middle East latest: Israeli strikes in Gaza kill more than 50 people, including kidsBio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:BIO) Position Cut by Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.Joel Piroe bagged a brace as Leeds moved to the top of the Championship with a 2-0 win away at struggling Stoke. Earlier, Sheffield United surrendered their lead at the top after a 2-0 home loss to fellow promotion-rivals Burnley. Josh Brownhill (43rd) and Zian Flemming (53rd) scored to shock the Blades on Thursday, with Socceroos and Sheffield central defender Harry Souttar also copping a booking. Piroe, the Whites' leading marksman, struck either side of half-time to move Leeds to the summit of the table on goal difference. The win was Leeds' seventh in their last nine games overall, but just their second in their last eight away matches. Sunderland's hopes of maintaining the pressure on the sides above them were hit by a last-gasp equaliser by Harry Leonard for Blackburn at Ewood Park. Two swift second-half goals from Chris Rigg and Wilson Isidor had wiped out Yuki Ohashi's early opener and looked set to win it for the Black Cats until Leonard fired home in the 90th minute. Sheffield Wednesday surged back from a 3-0 half-time deficit to snatch a point in a 3-3 draw with 10-man Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. A Finn Azaz double capped a brilliant first half display by Boro after Ben Doak's opener, but second-half strikes from Svante Ingelsson, Josh Windass and Yan Valery sealed the comeback by the hour mark while the hosts had Rav van den Berg sent off. Derby beat managerless West Brom 2-1 as Mason Holgate's own goal proved decisive. Jerry Yates fired the Rams in front and Holgate deflected in Kayden Jackson's effort, with Grady Diangana's goal mere consolation for an Albion team under the temporary stewardship of Chris Brunt after Carlos Corberan's departure for Valencia. Frank Lampard got one over his old England teammate Wayne Rooney as rock-bottom Plymouth were thumped 4-0 at Coventry. All the Sky Blues' goals came in the first half from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Ephron Mason-Clark and a Josh Eccles double, while Argyle had Callum Wright sent off three minutes from time. Gary Rowett got his reign as Oxford boss off to a bright start as goals from Mark Harris, Ciaron Brown and Przemyslaw Placheta saw them cling on for a 3-2 win over Cardiff, while Rocco Vata scored deep into injury time to claim a 2-1 win for Watford against Portsmouth at Vicarage Road. Liam Cullen's double sent Swansea on their way to a 3-0 win over QPR and first half goals from Emiliano Marcondes and Oscar Schwartau were enough for Norwich to see off Millwall at Carrow Road. Brad Potts scored the only goal in Preston's 1-0 win over Hull and Scott Twine did likewise as Bristol City beat Luton by the same score.

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On the evening of [date], reports emerged of a fire incident at an Alibaba Cloud computing data center in [location]. Concerns were raised about the potential impact of the fire on Alibaba's cloud services and data security. In response to these concerns, Alibaba swiftly issued a statement assuring customers that the incident had not caused any disruption to their cloud services.

Beyond the external aesthetics, Li Yunrui's newfound reveal also sparked discussions about body positivity and self-confidence. By showcasing his body in a natural and unapologetic manner, he inadvertently encouraged others to embrace their own unique beauty and feel comfortable in their own skin. His gesture served as a reminder that true charisma and allure stem from self-acceptance and authenticity.

One of the biggest giants in all of sports took a tumble on Sunday, as the No. 1 South Carolina women's basketball team had its 43-game win streak snapped with a 77-62 upset loss to No. 5 UCLA. The loss dropped the Gamecocks to 5-1 this season, while the Bruins remained undefeated at 5-0 and could rise up the Top 25 following Sunday's monumental victory. This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app , homepage and social feeds—including Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .In conclusion, the arrest of former President Park Geun-hye has thrown South Korea into a period of intense political turmoil and uncertainty. The resolution to detain Park is a reflection of the country's commitment to upholding the rule of law and holding its leaders accountable for their actions. As South Korea grapples with the aftermath of Park's arrest, the country must now look towards the future and work towards building a more transparent, accountable, and democratic society.

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LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — with a moment of silence before the Atlanta Falcons’ game at the Washington Commanders on Sunday night, hours after the 39th president of the United States in Plains, Georgia. Beyond being a Georgia native who led the country from the White House less than 8 miles (12 kilometers) away during his time in office from 1977-81, Carter was the first president to host the NFL's Super Bowl champions there when he welcomed the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980. released by the team before kickoff said he was deeply saddened by the loss of his dear friend and mentor, calling Carter “a great American, a proud Georgian and an inspirational global humanitarian.” “He lived his life with great civic responsibility and took it upon himself to be the change he wished to see amongst other,” Blank said, recalling meeting Carter at The Home Depot. “President Carter’s kind and uniting spirit touched so many lives. He was a man of deep faith, and did everything with principal and grace, doing things the right way for the right reasons." ___ AP NFL:

(The Center Square) – Prosecutors introduced secretly recorded audio and video along with a troubled star witness at the public corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Former Chicago Alderman Daniel Solis returned to the Everett McKinley U.S. Courthouse Monday. Solis is facing one federal count of bribery under a deferred prosecution agreement. The ex-alderman began cooperating with federal investigators in 2016. U.S. government attorney Diane MacArthur first introduced a recording of Madigan and Solis nearly two years before the alderman started cooperating with the government. The recording involved a conversation with Chinese developer, See Wong, who wanted to build a hotel on a parcel of land in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood. The land was owned by the state of Illinois at the time, but Solis said a zoning change would be required from the city in order for a hotel to be built. At Madigan’s request, Solis said he facilitated the meeting on Aug. 8, 2014, at Madigan’s law firm, Madigan and Getzendanner, about the land along Wentworth Avenue between Archer Avenue and Cermak Road. Madigan’s law partner, Bud Getzendanner, discussed how successful the firm had been in working with hotels to make sure they were not taxed more than necessary. ”A large component of your expense for hotels is real estate taxes,” Getzendanner said during the recorded meeting. Getzendanner said the firm charged 12.5% of the tax savings obtained. Madigan told Wong and an interpreter about the quality of service his firm provided. “We don’t take a second seat to anybody,” Madigan said. The developer then asked for a picture with Madigan and Solis. Solis told the group that Wong would benefit from working with Madigan. “If he works with the Speaker, he will get anything he needs for that hotel,” Solis said on the recording. Solis testified that he meant the city would provide the zoning change the developer needed from the city if the developer hired Madigan’s law firm. Solis said the zoning change was approved, but the proposed hotel was never built. MacArthur asked Solis about the bribery charge he is still facing, which Solis said involved the redevelopment of a property in Chicago from a restaurant to a residential building in 2015. Solis said two problems prevented the project from moving forward: labor unions’ perceived lack of representation in the development and residents' concerns in the ward. The former alderman admitted that he solicited a campaign contribution from the developer or from one or more of the developer’s vendors while the project’s zoning change was still under consideration. Solis said he believed the developer was on board and that he would be getting donations from the developers’ vendors. The zoning change was approved by the city council, Solis said. He testified he solicited and accepted campaign contributions from other developers who had matters pending before the city council’s zoning committee. Solis then testified about about a variety of things like massages that turned sexual, trips to Las Vegas, tickets to professional sporting events, no-paperwork six-figure loans he'd paid back. He even admitted to an extramarital affair he had with an interpreter. Solis said he was separated from his wife for about five years and their house went into foreclosure. He also confessed that he lied to a collection agency by saying he was out of work. MacArthur asked Solis about his sister, Patti Solis Doyle, who worked on campaigns for former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, D-New York. Solis Doyle also managed Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2008. Solis said his sister was involved in a hotel project in which the developer offered her $100,000. Solis said his sister offered to split the sum with her brother. As chairman of the city’s zoning committee, Solis said he told his sister he could not accept money regarding a hotel development. Solis said his sister told him there would be another way she could compensate him. The former alderman said he did receive funds from his sister for referring her to his friend Brian Hynes’ state vendor assistance program. Monday afternoon, Solis testified that FBI agents visited his home on June 1, 2016, and played audio and video recordings. After considering an attorney, Solis said he decided to cooperate with the FBI a few days later and agreed to let investigators tap his phone. Solis also said he told an attorney friend that he was cooperating with the FBI in regard to an investigation of an organization he was involved in. Solis said he made recordings for several investigations he was involved in as part of his deferred prosecution agreement. He began communicating with Madigan after receiving a voicemail message on June 12, 2017. Solis said he discussed the Chinatown land deal, his interest in getting a state board appointment, and referring clients to Madigan’s law firm while cooperating with the government from June 2016 to December 2017. Solis admitted that he was not really interested in a state board appointment, but he raised the issue with Madigan at the direction of law enforcement. Solis said he began communicating with Madigan codefendant Michael McClain about the Chinatown parcel in the fall of 2017. He said he had to continue to perform his duties as an alderman while cooperating with the FBI because of “the farce” that he was involved in. Solis discussed a 2017 redevelopment project that required a zoning change involving a Union West development in Chicago’s West Loop. MacArthur played a recording, dated June 12, 2017, of Madigan asking Solis about the development. During the call, Solis told the speaker he would try to arrange an introduction for Madigan with the developers. In a subsequent call, Solis promised to arrange a meeting and said, “I think these guys get it, the quid pro quo and how it works.” When MacArthur asked Solis why he said that, Solis said he didn’t know and said it was “dumb.” MacArthur asked Solis if he used the words “quid pro quo” at the direction of law enforcement. “No,” Solis said. Union West developer Andrew Cretal agreed to meet with Madigan and told Solis, “confidentially,” that his company was working with Goldman Sachs as an equity partner and that he would “circle back” with Solis. MacArthur played a recording of Madigan privately telling Solis not to use the words, “quid quo pro.” The conversation immediately preceded the meeting Cretal and the Union West group had at Madigan's and Getzendanner’s law office. During the meeting, Madigan repeated to Cretal’s group what he had said to See Wong. “We don’t take a second seat to anybody,” Madigan said. Solis said he met with Madigan again privately after the meeting with the intention of discussing the Chinatown parcel. Solis said he had been having frequent meetings about the land with potential developers. During the recording, Solis said that nothing could really happen until the state transferred the land. Connie Mixon, professor of Political Science and director of the Urban Studies Program at Elmhurst University, served as an expert witness at the corruption trial of longtime Chicago Democrat Ed Burke, who served on the city council from 1969 to 2023. A jury convicted Burke in December 2023 on 18 counts of racketeering, bribery, attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion and using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity. Mixon said that Solis also testified as a cooperating witness during Burke’s trial. “It seemed as if, in the sentencing for the Burke trial, the judge did take a bit of exception to the fact that Solis, who also had potential criminal charges, was essentially getting away without any sort of repercussions,” Mixon told The Center Square. Mixon described Solis as a damaged witness. “He’s absolutely damaged, but as much as he’s damaged, you have the words on the wiretap. Having the defendants’ words played in the courtroom, they are really the witness against themselves when you have those wiretaps,” Mixon explained. Before the jury was seated Monday morning, prosecutors said they would provide the court with revised jury instructions by Dec. 3. Judge John Robert Blakey said he could deny admittance of new materials after that date if he deemed them to be untimely. Madigan and McClain are charged with 23 counts of bribery, racketeering and official misconduct. The trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning in Chicago.On Monday night, Russell Westbrook made NBA history for the Denver Nuggets. Westbrook, 36, led the Nuggets with 27 points, three rebounds, and three assists in 26 minutes played in a 145-118 loss to the New York Knicks at Ball Arena. Denver fell to 9-7, while New York improved to 10-7. Westbrook’s final stat line was noteworthy, despite the Nuggets’ loss to the Knicks at home. Westbrook, a 17-year veteran point guard, had 27 points off the Nuggets bench. Westbrook scored 24 of those 27 points in the fourth quarter, the highest-scoring quarter of his Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame career. Despite not being an NBA champion, Westbrook is widely known as one of the most athletic guards in NBA history. Read on for further details surrounding Westbrook’s latest achievement and much more. Russell Westbrook Makes NBA History Russell Westbrook made NBA history after the Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks game on Monday night. The Nuggets were blown out by the Knicks 145-118, which was an awful home game for the Nuggets. Most of the Nuggets’ players didn’t show up, not even Nikola Jokic. Jokic finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, but didn’t reach his usual production . However, Westbrook’s notable performance was a bright spot after the game. Westbrook not only scored 24 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter but his fourth-quarter point total helped him join Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford as just the third player in NBA history at least 36 years old with 24 points or more in a single quarter . On Monday night, StatMuse posted on X, “Russell Westbrook in the fourth quarter: 24 PTS, 8-11 FG, and 3-4 3P. His most points in a single quarter in his career.” StatMuse confirmed the specifics of Russell Westbrook’s latest stats, but it’s important to note that the NBA’s quarter-specific data only dates back to the 1996-97 NBA season. Even so, Jordan achieved the feat at 38 years old, while Crawford achieved the feat at 39 years old. Russell Westbrook So Far This Season Some people cast doubt on Russell Westbrook when he signed a two-year, veteran minimum contract worth $6.8 million with a player option for the 2025-26 NBA season. Westbrook was also blamed for the Denver Nuggets’ poor performance to start the 2024-25 NBA season, which was arguably unjust amid his poor production, efficiency, and plus-minus numbers. Westbrook’s stats were subpar as a shooter and a playmaker, but it’s up to the Nuggets to solidify his role with the team. So far this season, Westbrook has averaged 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, while shooting 39.4% from the field and 38.3% from the three-point line. Westbrook’s up in age and won’t be the same player he was four years ago. However, Westbrook has averaged a triple-double in four of his last five seasons, which is impressive — and inspiring — to anyone interested in professional basketball. More Russell Westbrook News Aside from becoming the third player in NBA history at least 36 years old to score 24 or more points in a single quarter, Russell Westbrook had his 405th career 25-point game in last night’s contest. This tied him with Basketball Hall of Fame Forward John Havlicek for the 30th most such games in NBA history, per StatHead on X. After Westbrook’s historic game, Los Angeles Lakers Forward Anthony Davis was asked about his former teammate. Davis, 31, told Sports Illustrated , “He brings that energy ... You know how Russ plays, he plays hard. Made some shots, some steals, he played how Russ plays. I’m pretty sure them guys know the history with us. Probably amped him up a little bit more. When he comes in the game, he’s very disruptive and brings that juice for them. Especially when he’s making plays, so I think that kinda helped them a lot tonight.” Davis’ statement came just hours after leaked audio about the two players appearing to trade expletive-laden exchanges during the Lakers vs. Nuggets game on Saturday, November 23 at Crypto.com Arena. Davis and Westbrook were a fun duo to watch in Los Angeles, California, but Davis and LeBron James’ injuries overshadowed Westbrook’s stint with the Lakers. This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.TORONTO, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Steelworkers union (USW) officials in both Canada and the United States today expressed their concern with President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would impose a blanket 25% tariff on goods from Canada imported into the United States. “If applied, these extraordinary tariffs leveled on Canada would dramatically harm workers in both our countries,” said USW International President David McCall. “There is no question that we must address the holes in our global trading system, but Canada is not the problem.” USW leaders further noted that the Canadian and U.S. economies are deeply integrated, and Canada recently moved to better align with U.S. policies to help stem the flow of unfairly traded products making their way into North America. Canada is also a unique national security partner. “There is absolutely no doubt that working families are the first to get hurt by unfair trade practices, including global overcapacity in key sectors,” said USW Canadian National Director Marty Warren. “The answer, however, is to work together as allies on sensible trade policies that will allow us to contain bad actors like China.” “Our union in both the United States and Canada has been on the front lines for decades fighting for worker-forward trade policies that keep our critical supply chains secure,” said McCall. “Now, rather than taking a step back, we must capitalize on our current momentum in order to create lasting change.” About the United Steelworkers union: The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union’s strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions. For more information, please contact: Shannon Devine, USW Communications and Political Action 416-938-4402 / sdevine@usw.ca

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Father and son team Callum and Tim Harrison have made thousands by reselling old clothes on eBay and Depop. And 26-year-old Callum says he got into it after becoming 'bored' during the pandemic. But over the last four years he has slowly grown his business and has now enlisted the help of his dad, retired software salesman Tim, aged 60. Callum sources and buys clothing such as Carhartt jackets from wholesalers like Fleek - a vintage wholesale marketplace - for £35 and sells them on for £100. Callum only turned over a few thousand in his first two years as reseller but shot up to £35,000 in 2022 to 2023. Last year he turned over £22,000 as he was working less while travelling and in the last three months he has made £16,000 on Depop alone. Callum said: "It's definitely brought us closer together. I think my parents were a bit apprehensive at first but then they saw a football shirt selling for £80. My record week of sales was 3,000 one week. Anything I get I reinvest." Callum has always been passionate about business and started looking into reselling in late 2020 while in his final year at University of Newcastle studying business and marketing. He said: "I knew a friend who works at a vintage wholesaler. I've always sold on Depop since I was 16." To start with Callum used reselling as a side hustle for some extra cash but gradually started to see it take off - getting £1,000 in sales in one week by Christmas 2022. He decided to ask his dad to help out after using his well earned money to travel for a year. He left in March 2023 to travel around Hong Kong, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand before living in Australia for a year. Callum also spent five weeks in New Zealand and flew back to the UK via Japan in July 2024. Tim helped out mailing the orders and listing some of the items on social media while Callum was away and now still helps out. Callum said: "Last month it went crazy so I took him back on for sending out orders." Callum currently has around 4,000 to 5,000 items of clothing in stock which he keeps in his parents' garage, nan's garage and in a storage container. He finds his stock from wholesalers and sites such as Fleek - and buys brands such as Carhartt, North Face, Ralph Lauren and Patagonia to sell on. Callum said: "Carhartt jackets sell for £100. Wholesalers are a bit more savvy now but they try sell for around £40 to £50. I get them at £35. The cheaper work wear sells for £40 to £50. Ralph Lauren and North Face sells well on eBay. "I'll buy 300 shirts for £800 - £3 per month - but one might be worth £100." Callum also says the right football shirts can go for £80 - and he buys them for £10. He says it would need to be a memorable year - such as the Manchester United 1998 to 1999 season when they won the treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. He said: "It's always trial and error." Callum sells mainly on Depop but also uses eBay, Vinted, and Tilt. He said: "Depop is trendier. Vinted is for household names - M&S would do really well. "eBay goes for anything. Tilt is good for getting rid of stock - I sell cheap bundles on there." Callum has found buying on Fleek has helped his sales shot up - and has earned £16,500 in the last three months alone from his Depop sales. He advises anyone starting out in reselling to look at what people are wearing to get an idea of what to buy and sell on. He said: "Go out there and see what people are wearing. Keep an eye on the market and see what is trending. Keep buying - a lot of the time I run at a loss. I have constantly got stock." Callum has now taken his reselling business full time - but does still pick up occasional agency work on the side. He loves the flexibility of working for himself but says he is often up late in the evenings working. Callum said: "I constantly have a flow of amazing clothes. I got a new Carhartt hoodie the other day. I constantly have amazing things to wear." Follow Callum on Instagram @preoccupiedvintage and on YouTube @calthereselle Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you - it’s FREE

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday said that the result of by-poll in four assembly segments was a forceful mandate of people in favour of pro-people and development-oriented policies of the state government. Interacting with the media after opening the dining hall for the public here at Punjab Bhawan, the Chief Minister said that the victory of AAP on three seats has filled them with more humility and dedication to serve the state and its people. He said that AAP has snatched these three seats viz. Chabbewal, Dera Baba Nanak and Gidderbaha from Congress. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that people have approved the policies and programs being enacted and executed by the state government for the well-being of people and progress of state. Advertisement Replying to a query, the Chief Minister said that instead of stopping the farmers from coming to Delhi, the capital of the country, the Union government must talk to them and resolve their pending issues. He said that farmers are citizens of the country and they have every right to come to the capital of the country adding that this right of farmers must be protected by all means. Chief Minister Mann quipped that PM loves to take credit for resolving the issue between Russia and Ukraine but he is sceptical for resolving the matters pertaining to farmers for the reasons best known to him. The Chief Minister further said that the acquisition of land for the Bharat Mala projects in the state is going on smoothly and there is no obstacle in that. He said that the farmers have their own apprehensions and the Union government must resolve them through dialogue. Chief Minister Mann said that it is unfortunate that instead of resolving these issues the union government is intimidating the farmers through use of force which is undesirable and unwarranted. In reply to another query, the Chief Minister unequivocally said that under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP will again form government in Delhi in ensuing assembly elections. He said that the AAP has already decimated Congress and BJP in the national capital and now history will be created when AAP will again constitute government in Delhi. Strongly objecting to the divisive agenda being pursued by some political parties, the Chief Minister said that it is not in the interest of the country. He said that the incidents of violence in Uttar Pradesh are shocking and unfortunate adding that they are the result of politics of hatred being pursued by some parties. This should be avoided and the ethos of communal harmony, peace and brotherhood should be strengthened, he added. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said that the new dining hall at ‘A’ Block of Punjab Bhawan will allow people of the national capital to enjoy food here. He said that Punjab is known for its hospitality and mouth-watering cuisine which will be now available to people of the national capital. AdvertisementA Cook Islands-registered ship being seized by Finnish authorities over a suspected incident of sabotage "creates a bad look" for New Zealand, an international law professor says. Reuters reported that Finnish authorities seized a Cook Islands-registered ship carrying Russian oil in the Baltic Sea , suspecting it caused a power cable outage and damaged or broke four internet lines. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said they were aware of the incident, but New Zealand was not responsible for the management of the Cook Islands shipping registry . MFAT said New Zealand was concerned about Russia's use of a "shadow fleet" of vessels to circumvent sanctions. The Cook Islands self-governs in free association with New Zealand . It conducts its own affairs, but Aotearoa needs to assist when it comes to foreign affairs, disasters and defence. The situation would not help New Zealand's relationship with the Cook Islands, University of Waikato law professor Al Gillespie said. "It creates a bad look when everyone associates the Cook Islands with New Zealand and a Cook Islands vessel gets caught in what may or may not be an act of sabotage in the Baltic," he said. "I think New Zealand has got an admirable and a good position on the war in the Ukraine and our sanctions against Russia. We are not neutral we are giving a lot of support to the Ukraine and I believe that's the right thing to do. "But it does create an anomaly when a Cook Islands-flagged vessel is engaged or connected to an act which may be an accident or may be sabotage. We've got to wait to see how that plays out." MFAT said New Zealand shared concerns with the Cook Islands government over its shipping registry being used to aid Russia's shadow fleet, and the impact this could have on its international reputation. It appeared the situation was being taken very seriously, Gillespie said. "To actually seize the vessel is a forthright act which you don't normally see unless you've got very serious grounds for doing that and that will create a lot of tension with the country which has seized the vessel, and the country which holds its flag which is the Cook Islands. "So the Cook Islands has now ended up in the middle of a very large international dispute, but at the same time New Zealand is trying to distance itself form the Cook Islands because we've got a very clear position that we support the Ukraine and sanctions against Russia." In November, Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced new chemical weapons and missiles sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. New Zealand joined Australia in the 'Call to Action' statement on sanctions-evading 'shadow fleet' activities. In attempting to bypass sanctions, shadow fleet vessels had a pattern of ignoring maritime safety and environmental rules, avoiding insurance costs, and engaging in other unlawful actions, the nations said. "The 'shadow fleet' presents significant threats to all countries," a statement issued by MFAT at the time said. Incident under investigation Finnish investigators believe the seized ship may have caused the damage by dragging its anchor along the seabed. Video and photos published on Friday by the Finnish daily Ilta-Sanomat showed the Eagle S with a single anchor chain stretching into the sea from its starboard side, while the hole where the port side anchor chain would normally be was empty. Finnish police told Reuters they were investigating the Eagle S on suspicion of "aggravated criminal mischief", and that crew members had been questioned. On Friday local time, Finland said it had asked the transatlantic military alliance NATO for support. "We have agreed with Estonia, and we have also communicated to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, that our wish is to have a stronger NATO presence," Finnish President Alexander Stubb told a news conference. Rutte posted on the social media platform X that "NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea", without elaborating. A NATO official declined to provide further detail. United Arab Emirates-based Caravella LLC FZ, which according to MarineTraffic data owns the Eagle S, did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. India's Peninsular Maritime, which according to MarineTraffic acts as technical manager for the ship, was not immediately available for comment to Reuters. - RNZ/ReutersBy JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

NoneNagkaguliyang ang pipila ka mga residente sa dihang usa ka 38 anyos nga mananagat nga taga Barangay Langtad, Lungsod sa Argao ang misaka sa tower sa National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) niadtong kaadlawon sa Sabado, Disyembre 28, 2024. Unang namatikdan nga adu­nay tawo sa ibabaw sa maong tower sa dihang nadunggan nga adunay nagsinggit-singgit sa ibabaw nga bahin. Mirespondi ang kapulisan sa Argao, sakop sa Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bureau of Fire Protection ingon mga barangay tanod. Nasayran sa Superbalita Cebu nga nagtagbaw na diay og pangita ang asawa sa maong lalaki nga gi-alyasan og Jay-R ug nasayod nalang diha sa post sa social media nga adunay tawo nga misaka sa tower. Sigun sa asawa nga nagkalalis siya ug sa iyang bana gumikan sa selos niadtong Biyernes sa gabii, Disyembre 27. Usa sa nahibudngan sa asawa nga miresulta sa ilang away sa dihang gipasanginlan siya sa iyang bana nga adunay sex scandal. Wa magdugay mibiya og kalit si Jay-R hinungdan nga nabalaka ang kabanay sa pagpangita kaniya hangtod nasayran nalang nga adunay tawo nga misaka sa tower. Gihangyo sa asawa iyang bana nga mokanaog og mipahibawo nga nagpaabot ang ilang mga anak sa iyang pagpauli. Misanong si Jay-R sa hangyo sa iyang asawa dayon gakos nga naghilak ug sa ilang pagpanglakaw kalit nga nahagba kay nakuyapan. Nasayran nga suway diay nga maghikog si Jay-R pinaagi sa paghigot sa iyang liog gamit ang t-shirt samtang ang tumoy gisangit sa sanga sa punoan sa manga. Apan wa molampos si Jay-R sa iyang pagpakamatay sa dihang nabali ang sanga resulta nga nahulog ug naparok ang iyang ulo. Mibarog ra sab siya dayon ug milahos sa pagsaka sa tower sa NGCP. / DVG

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts to a mixed close in thin trading following a holiday pause

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he pushed to win enough votes for confirmation. He said he will not back down after allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell. It’ll be a first for him National Politics | The Trump and Biden teams insist they’re working hand in glove on foreign crises National Politics | ‘You don’t know what’s next.’ International students scramble ahead of Trump inauguration National Politics | Trump is threatening to raise tariffs again. Here’s how China plans to fight back National Politics | Trump won’t be able to save the struggling US beef industry Collins said after the hourlong meeting that she questioned Hegseth about the allegations amid reports of drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. She said she had a “good, substantive” discussion with Hegseth and “covered a wide range of topics,” including sexual assault in the military, Ukraine and NATO. But she said she would wait until a hearing, and notably a background check, to make a decision. “I asked virtually every question under the sun,” Collins told reporters as she left her office after the meeting. “I pressed him both on his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him, so I don’t think there was anything that we did not cover.” The meeting with Collins was closely watched as she is seen as more likely than most of her Republican Senate colleagues to vote against some of Trump’s Cabinet picks. She and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow moderate Republican, did not shy from opposing Trump in his first term when they wanted to do so and sometimes supported President Joe Biden’s nominees for the judicial and executive branches. And Hegseth, an infantry combat veteran and former “Fox & Friends” weekend host, is working to gain as many votes as he can as some senators have expressed concerns about his personal history and lack of management experience. “I’m certainly not going to assume anything about where the senator stands,” Hegseth said as he left Collins’ office. “This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope, in time, overall, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support.” Hegseth met with Murkowski on Tuesday. He has also been meeting repeatedly with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a military veteran who has said she is a survivor of sexual assault and has spent time in the Senate working on improving how attacks are reported and prosecuted within the ranks. On Monday, Ernst said after a meeting with him that he had committed to selecting a senior official to prioritize those goals. Republicans will have a 53-49 majority next year, meaning Trump cannot lose more than three votes on any of his nominees. It is so far unclear whether Hegseth will have enough support, but Trump has stepped up his pressure on senators in the last week. “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform last week.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited his Assembly constituency, Ganderbal, on Saturday to take stock of the situation in the aftermath of snowfall, officials said. Abdullah visited his constituency to assess the situation first-hand and monitor the district administration's efforts to provide relief to people, they added. ET Year-end Special Reads Take That: The gamechanger weapon's India acquired in 2024 10 big-bang policy moves Modi government made in 2024 How governments tried to rein in the social media beast The officials said the chief minister paid an unannounced visit to the district hospital to assess its preparedness in providing healthcare services. He interacted with the hospital staff as well as patients and their attendants, and emphasised the importance of ensuring uninterrupted medical services, the officials said. They said the chief minister also enquired about the heating arrangements at the hospital, and the availability of staff, essential medicines and other facilities. Later, he visited the mini-secretariat complex and took stock of the situation across the Union Territory from the deputy commissioner's office at Ganderbal, the officials said. 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He directed the officers to take swift action to ensure uninterrupted essential services after the snowfall, the officials said. Talking to reporters in Ganderbal, Abdullah said he visited Ganderbal to ensure that people do not face much hardships due to the snow. "I wanted to ensure that the snow-clearance operations on roads were sped up and electricity was restored wherever the lines were snapped. I also wanted to take stock of hospital and essential services," he said. The chief minister said he is monitoring the situation in other districts of the valley as well. "There are places where electricity has been affected due to snowfall and that would be restored by Saturday evening. Efforts are also on to clear the roads that are blocked due to snow," he said. Asked about the restoration of water supply in certain areas, the chief minister said wherever the supply can be restored immediately, it would be done, and wherever it would take time, water tankers would be made available. 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As the Supreme Court prepares to hear a pivotal case regarding TikTok’s future in the United States, President-elect Donald Trump has called for a postponement of the January 19 deadline requiring the app’s sale or an outright ban. In a request filed by Trump’s solicitor general nominee, John Sauer, the incoming administration is seeking additional time to negotiate a resolution that could balance national security concerns with the platform’s continued availability in the U.S. The filing positions Trump as uniquely qualified to broker a deal that satisfies all parties involved. “President-elect Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform,” Sauer’s brief asserts. Related Stories TikTok removes 2.1 million videos by Nigerian users in Q3 2024 President-elect Donald Trump’s net worth rises by $3.7 billion in 2024 The request shows the administration’s intent to preserve TikTok’s operations while safeguarding the First Amendment rights of its millions of users. At the center of the dispute is the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in April as part of a $95 billion foreign aid package. This legislation mandates that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divest its U.S. operations, citing national security risks stemming from its connections to the Chinese government. TikTok, which counts over 170 million U.S. users, has contested the legislation, arguing that the forced sale violates free speech rights. However, the company’s request for an emergency stay of the deadline was denied earlier this month by a federal appeals court. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the case on January 10. In the brief, Sauer warns of the broader implications of banning a platform with such a significant user base, describing the potential decision as a precedent-setting moment. “The power of a Western government to ban an entire social-media platform with more than 100 million users must be exercised with the utmost caution,” he wrote. Sauer further expressed skepticism toward national security officials, accusing them of leveraging coercive tactics to influence social media content moderation. “There is a concerning parallel between the unchecked deference afforded to national security officials and their documented role in pressuring social-media companies to censor disfavored speech,” Sauer argued. The Biden administration has defended its stance, citing security concerns as justification for the ultimatum against TikTok. Trump, who initially sought to ban the app during his first term, reversed his position during his 2024 campaign, pledging to “save” the platform while addressing security issues. With the January deadline looming, the case raises critical questions about the intersection of free speech, national security, and digital sovereignty, with the Supreme Court’s decision poised to shape the future of the U.S. tech landscape.New Delhi: The internationalization of the unified payments interface (UPI) is progressing rapidly, as India emerges as a world leader in leveraging digital technologies for transformative change, according to a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report. The UPI hit a milestone of 16.6 billion transactions in a month in October, with improvements in its capabilities like successful instant debit reversals at 86 per cent (77 per cent in the same month last year). “India’s UPI, an open-ended system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application of any participating bank, is propelling inter-bank peer-to-peer and person-to-merchant transactions seamlessly,” said RBI Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra in the report. Also Read: Man, smashes Ola scooter after receiving Rs 90,000 bill for repairs According to Patra, innovations in the digital credit landscape such as Account Aggregators, OCEN, and financial services on ONDC have also contributed to productivity gains. As of March 2024, ONDC operates in over 720 cities, with orders at 49.72 million. The Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) addresses the credit gap of MSMEs estimated at around Rs 52.2 trillion by connecting them with banks, and clients, with a reduction in funding costs up to 2.5 percentage points. “The value of invoices financed through TReDS have surged more than 23 times. As of October 2024, around 5,000 active FinTechs are involved in providing various financial and technical solutions to businesses, including MSMEs, helping businesses better manage their operations and improve supply chain finance,” wrote Patra. Around 40 per cent of the rural population and 78 per cent in the 20-30 years age group in the overall population use internet in India, with approximately one-third of households engaging in online purchases of consumables and services, one-fourth in buying of consumer durables, and nearly one-tenth in food purchases. The rising importance of embedded financing is reflected in its share in FinTech funding, which has grown from two per cent in 2020 to nine per cent in 2024, wrote Patra. Taking these developments into account, a summary measure of digitalisation for India has been constructed by using a dynamic factor model (DFM). “The index has been rising, reflecting the ongoing digital revolution. The spread of digitalisation has spurred research on assessing the effects of digitalisation on the economy and the transmission of monetary policy,” said Patra. India is uniquely positioned to unlock new growth avenues and optimise existing ones with its digital public infrastructure (DPI), a vibrant information technology (IT) sector and a burgeoning youth population, including one of the largest AI talent bases, noted the RBI Deputy Governor.‘Pulling people apart’: Renewed tension between Canadian Jewish groups, United Church sparked by Gaza

In-line CPI report leads to a blockbuster day for US stock markets What the market misunderstands about China Gold moves up to test swing level from last week of November. Crude oil higher as well. US November federal budget deficit 367B vs 353B expected BofA: What we expect from the November ECB meeting and the EUR reaction US sells 10-year notes at 4.235% as it stops through by 1.6 basis points European equity close: Solid gains but trail US stocks Bank of Canada Governor Macklem: Data since last rate decision has been mixed EIA weekly crude oil inventories -1425K vs -901K expected Bitcoin re-takes $100,000 with a 3% gain Bank of Canada interest rate statement and press conference opening statement Bank of Canada rate decision: 50 basis point rate cut US November CPI 2.7% y/y versus 2.7% expected Kickstart the trading day with a technical look at 3 major currency pairs OPEC once again makes cuts to its 2024 and 2025 oil demand growth forecasts ForexLive European FX news wrap: Dollar gains as China looks to reignite currency wars Gold's Road to $3,000: Expert Analysis by Octa Broker US MBA mortgage applications w.e. 6 December +5.4% vs +2.8% prior Markets: Gold up $23 or 0.86% at $2760 99 WTI crude oil up $1.74 or 2.54% $70.33 2 year yield 4.1511%, up 0.2 basis points US 10-year yields 4.269% up 4.8 basis points. The rise comes despite a stellar note auction with the yield tailing by -1.7 bps, a bid to cover comfortably above the 6-month average at 2.70X vs 2.55X. The domestic demand was higher than the average and the international demand was righ on the average. The US stock indices saw the Dow move lower, but the Nasdaq soaring by 1.77% to a new record and closed above 20K for the first time ever. The S&P traded above the high closing level near 6090, but backed off into the close. Dow fell -99.27 points or -0.22% at 44,148.56 S&P 500 rose 49.28 points or 0.82% at 6084.19 Nasdaq rose 347.65 points or 1.77% at 20,034.89 Russell 2000 rose 11.38 points or 0.48% at 2,394.16 In the forex, the USD is higher vs all the major currencies with the exception of the CAD (USD fell -0.14%). The greenback rose the most vs the JPY (0.37%), the EUR (0.30%) and the NZD (0.24%). The USD fell vs the CAD despite the Bank of Canada cutting rates by 50 basis points as expected to 3.25% from 3.75%. The central bank has now cut 175 basis points since its first cut in June 2024. The last two meetings have seen a decline of 100 basis points after 3 consecutive cuts of 25 basis points. Prior statement said " If the economy evolves broadly in line with our latest forecast, we expect to reduce the policy rate further" but that was dropped Current statement says "Going forward, we will be evaluating the need for further reductions in the policy rate one decision at a time" Current statement says "Governing Council has reduced the policy rate substantially since June." From his press conference opening statement Macklem: With the policy rate now substantially lower, we anticipate a more gradual approach to monetary policy if the economy evolves broadly as expected." Noted that Q3 GDP growth was lower than BOC expected and Q4 tracking lower as well Said Canada’s job market is still softening Consumer and housing both improved in Q3 as lower rates boosted spending Reduced immigration targets suggest 2025 growth will be slower than BOC expected The economic outlook is clouded by the possibility of new tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States, which Macklem calls "a major new uncertainty" BOCs Macklem during his Q&A said that the central bank discussed both 25 and 50 basis point rate cuts before ultimately deciding on a 50 bps reduction. That the decision was driven by two key factors: The need to exit restrictive policy territory. and Economic data signaling a softer GDP growth outlook compared to October estimates. Lower immigration targets were cited as a factor behind anticipated slower growth, while the potential for tariffs on Canadian exports adds significant uncertainty, though the bank emphasized it cannot base policy on speculative risks. Macklem acknowledged that the economy remains in excess supply with signs of softness, but widespread job losses typical of recessions have not materialized. The Canadian dollar's weakness has largely stemmed from U.S. dollar strength and will need to be factored into future forecasts. Housing market dynamics, influenced by immigration and rate cuts, are being closely monitored. The USDCAD moved lower initially (higher CAD) as markets reacted to the 4-year highs and the acknowledgment that the pace of cuts was to slow, but the pair recovered as the day progressed (cutting some of the CAD gains). Technically, the price of the USDCAD moved to - and through - a swing area target at 1.4145 and the rising 100 hour MA but could not sustain downside momentum and bounced back above those levels (the 100-hour MA is at 1.4135 and moving higher). The pair is trading at 1.4162 going into the close. A move back below 1.4145 and the 100-hour MA could see more selling with a swing area at 1.4089 to 1.4104 as the next target support. A move above 1.4177 would disappoint sellers looking for corrective selling. Crude oil moving higher is a positive for the CAD generally. Crude oil is up $1.75 or 2.55% today, at $70.34 currently. Its 100 day MA at $71.65 is the next key upside target. However, the move higher today had limited impact. In the US today, the CPI data came in as expected at 0.3% for both the headline and the core readings. Although as expected, the core has now been up by 0.3% for 4 consecutive months slowing the decline and leaving the YoY core well above the 2% target at 3.3%. The headline moved up to 2.7% from 2.6% in the prior month. Nevertheless, the market was pretty much set that anything as expected or better would allow the Fed to further adjust policy lower. The expectation for a 25 basis point cut is up to 95% when the Fed meets next Tuesday and Wednesday. The ECB will meet tomorrow and is expected to cut rates by 25 basis points to 3.15% from 3.4%. That decision will be announced at 8:15 AM ET with the press conference scheduled to start at 8:45 AM ET. The EURUSD had an down, up and back down again. The pair did stay below the 200 hour MA at 1.05322 after two tests of the MA line found willing sellers. The price ia trading ner 1.0500 into the close with support below at 1.0448 to 1.0461. .There are several strong matchups on Monday in college basketball play, including the Memphis Tigers taking on the UConn Huskies — that’s one of the two games our computer model likes in terms of picks against the spread. Watch men’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .

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Quarterbacks in spotlight when No. 6 Miami visits SyracuseIt didn't take Syracuse first-year coach Fran Brown long to figure out the key matchup for Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Coast Conference game visiting Miami. "Syracuse has a really good quarterback," Brown said of Kyle McCord, "and Miami has a really good quarterback (Cam Ward)." With a win on Saturday, the No. 6 Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 ACC) can clinch a berth in the league championship game against SMU. Miami is a 10 1/2-point favorite for Saturday's game. Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) has reached eight wins for just the fourth time since 2002, going 8-5 in 2010 and 2012 and 10-3 in 2018. However, the Orange haven't defeated a Top-10 team since knocking off Clemson in 2017. Miami leads the nation in scoring (44.7), and the Hurricanes will count on perfect passing conditions in Syracuse's dome. That could be huge for Ward, who leads the nation with 34 touchdown passes, ranking second in passing yards (3,774) and fourth in passing efficiency. Ward's top target is wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who needs just 21 yards to reach 1,000 for the second straight season. Restrepo also ranks tied for seventh in the nation with 10 TD receptions. Ward has some other top targets, including 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end Elijah Arroyo, who is a walking mismatch because of his size and speed. He leads Miami with 18.5 yards per reception. Hurricanes wide receivers Isaiah Horton and Jacolby George have combined for 12 TD passes, and Sam Brown has added two more. Each of them has more than 500 receiving yards this season. Miami's running game features battering ram Damien Martinez (739 yards, 5.5 average, eight TDs); versatile Mark Fletcher Jr. (499 yards, 5.7 average, six TDs); and game-breaking freshman Jordan Lyle (361 yards, 8.6 average, four TDs). Defensively, Miami's big-play man is safety Mishael Powell, who ranks second in the ACC with five interceptions. "He's all about winning," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of Powell. "He's a smart, self-starting team player." On special teams, Miami kicker Andres Borregales ranks second in the ACC with 97 points. He is 52-for-52 on extra points and 15-for-16 on field goals. Meanwhile, McCord ranks No. 1 in the nation in passing yards (3,946) and tied for seventh in TD passes (26). McCord, a transfer from Ohio State, has also set Syracuse's single-season record for passing yards. In last week's 31-24 win over Connecticut, McCord passed for a career-high 470 yards. However, McCord is just 46th in the nation in passing efficiency, due in part to his high total of interceptions (12). Syracuse also has three of the top six pass-catchers in the ACC in terms of yards: tight end Oronde Gadsden II (810) and wide receivers Jackson Meeks (801) and Trebor Pena (743). Gadsden, who is from the greater Miami area, has had three straight 100-yard games. He is the son of former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden. Syracuse's run game is led by LeQuint Allen, who has rushed for 819 yards, a 4.3 average and 12 TDs. The issue for Syracuse could be its defense, which ranks 13th in the ACC in points allowed (27.8). Miami's defense is fourth (22.3). Even so, Syracuse coach Brown said he's excited about this matchup. "I heard Miami is going to come deep," Brown said of Miami fans. "It's going to be intense in the stands. It's going to be intense on the field. I think this is a game everyone wants to see." --Field Level Media

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Thousands of displaced people started returning to their homes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in the first hours of a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group , defying a warning from the Israeli military to stay away from previously evacuated areas. The ceasefire brought relief across the Mediterranean nation after days of some of the most intense Israeli airstrikes and clashes during nearly 14 months of fighting. However, many wondered if the agreement would hold, and Israel has said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the ceasefire. The truce marks the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, but it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. Israeli strikes overnight on two schools-turned-shelters in Gaza City killed 11 people, including four children, according to hospital officials. Israel said one of the strikes targeted a Hamas sniper and the other targeted militants hiding among civilians. In Gaza, more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel has destroyed large parts of Gaza and displaced nearly all of its 2.3 million people Here's the Latest: JERUSALEM — Israel's army and Hezbollah's militant leaders are both claiming success on the battlefield after the sides entered into a ceasefire Wednesday. Israel said it degraded Hezbollah's capabilities and decapitated its senior leadership , while the Lebanese militant group said it put up a stiff defense to Israel's ground invasion “in support of the steadfast Palestinian people.” Iran-backed Hezbollah claimed “victory” over Israeli forces and said its fighters were “fully prepared” to counter any future Israeli actions. "Their hands will remain on the trigger, in defense of Lebanon’s sovereignty,” the statement from Hezbollah's operations center said Wednesday, its first public comments since the ceasefire took effect. Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the army had weakened Hezbollah's ability to launch rockets and drones into Israel, and targeted its ability to resupply and manufacture weapons. “We are also preparing for the possibility of returning to intense combat,” Hagari said in a video statement Wednesday. He said that throughout the nearly 14 months of fighting, Israel struck 12,500 targets across Lebanon, including around 360 targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh. It was not possible to independently confirm battlefield claims by either side. The ceasefire agreement gives Israel and Hezbollah militants 60 days to withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon near the border. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it shot down a drone that had crossed into Israel from Egypt. It says the drone brought down on Wednesday was carrying “four rifles, five cartridges and hundreds of bullets.” It did not provide further details, saying the weapons were being investigated. Israel has long accused Hamas of smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip from Egypt through tunnels beneath the Gaza-Egypt border, which Israeli forces seized in May . Egypt says it destroyed the tunnels from its side years ago. Egypt was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, and they have close security ties, but relations have been strained by the ongoing war in Gaza. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Hundreds more Palestinians have fled from war-ravaged northern Gaza as Israel presses ahead with a weeks-old offensive against Hamas militants. The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group leaves the nearly 14-month war in Gaza unresolved . Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and most of the Palestinian population has been displaced inside the besieged and heavily destroyed territory. Many of those fleeing Wednesday had crowded onto donkey carts with their belongings in their arms. Others walked on foot, some holding the hands of their small children. “We left, and here we are sitting, with no shelter or food, and we do not know where to go,” said Umm Saleh al-Adham, one of the women who fled the northern town of Beit Lahiya. She said Israeli troops separated the men from the women and allowed the latter to travel onward to Gaza City. “Here we are, sitting, waiting for God’s mercy,” she said. Israel launched a major offensive in northern Gaza on Oct. 6, saying Hamas had regrouped there. It has isolated Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and the Jabaliya refugee camp, allowing almost no humanitarian aid to reach the area, which experts say might be experiencing famine . The Israeli military has called for a wholesale evacuation. The United Nations estimates that up to 131,000 people have fled the area, with up to 75,000 remaining. The Israeli military said Wednesday that its troops raided a school in northern Gaza overnight and battled Hamas militants there. It said it facilitated the evacuation of thousands of civilians while detaining dozens of suspected militants who were taken to Israel for questioning. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to local health officials, who do not differentiate between fighters and civilians in their toll. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostage. THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Israel has filed an appeal with the International Criminal Court in a bid to halt its arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza. The court last week issued the arrest warrants, accusing Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes for actions during Israel’s war in Gaza. Both men have condemned the decision and accused the court of anti-Israeli bias and undermining Israel’s right to self-defense. Netanyahu said Wednesday he discussed the matter with Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is seeking sanctions against the court and countries cooperating with it. Netanyahu's office said it also informed the ICC on Wednesday of “its intention to appeal to the court along with a demand to delay implementation of the arrest warrants.” Later, it filed appeals to two decisions granting the court jurisdiction over the case. Israel is not a member of the ICC and says the court has no jurisdiction. The actual warrants cannot be appealed or suspended, said Tom Dannenbaum, associate professor of international law at Tufts University. “None of this challenges the substance of the warrants at this point in the process,” said Dannenbaum. The court cannot make arrests on Israeli territory. But both men could be subject to arrest if they enter any of the court’s member states, which include allies like the U.K., France and Italy. The court said there was reasonable grounds to believe the two leaders bear responsibility for using “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid to Gaza and have intentionally targeted civilians. -- By Molly Quell in the Hague and Josef Federman in Jerusalem JERUSALEM — Israeli authorities say they seized a large cache of weapons originating in Iran and bound for Palestinian militants in the West Bank. A joint statement from the military and Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency on Wednesday said the cache included rockets, explosives, mortar launchers, sniper rifles and other weapons. They released photos purporting to show the weapons. The statement did not say where the seizure took place, and the military did not respond to a request for comment. The statement identified two units of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, one purportedly based in Syria, that it said were responsible for the smuggling, and named their commanders. It did not provide further evidence of Iran’s involvement. Israel has carried out near-daily military raids in the occupied West Bank in recent years, targeting what it says are militants planning attacks. The violence spiked after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Health Ministry says nearly 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since then. There has also been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for a future state. JERUSALEM — Israel says its troops arrested four Hezbollah operatives, including a local commander, when they entered what it described as a restricted area in southern Lebanon. The two sides entered into a ceasefire early Wednesday that appears to be holding, but Israel has said it will strike the militant group in response to any violations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the arrests in a statement. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah. The statement said Israeli troops have been ordered to prevent people from returning to villages near the border, where the forces are still deployed. The ceasefire agreement gives Israel and Hezbollah militants 60 days to withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon near the border. Thousands of Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers will patrol the area, and an international committee will monitor compliance. WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s national security adviser is pushing back on the incoming Donald Trump administration for taking credit for the Lebanon ceasefire coming together. “I would just point out that you know you’ve done a really good thing when other people take credit for it,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a CNN interview on Wednesday. The comments came after Trump’s pick to serve as his national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, in a posting on X on Tuesday said his boss is the reason the two sides came reached the long-sought after agreement. “Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” Waltz noted. Sullivan in the deal came together because Israel achieved its military objectives in Lebanon and the stakeholders in Lebanon didn’t want war anymore. He also credited the “relentless American diplomacy” of Biden and White House senior adviser Amos Hochstein. Sullivan also confirmed that he had briefed Waltz on the negotiations as they unfolded. AINATA, Lebanon — In the southern Lebanon border villages of Bint Jbeil and Ainata, where fierce fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants took place, rescuers used excavators to search for bodies under the rubble. A woman in Ainata wrapped in black cried as she held a portrait her grandson, a Hezbollah fighter, who was killed in the fighting, as she waits for rescuers to recover his body from a destroyed home. The smell of death filled the air and several dead bodies could be seen inside houses and between trees. In the town of Kfar Hammam, rescuers recovered four bodies, according to Lebanese state media. JERUSALEM — Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham says Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should lead efforts to rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. Israel’s nearly 14-month offensive has devastated large parts of Gaza and displaced nearly all of its 2.3 million people. With the war still raging, Israel has not announced a clear postwar plan. But reconstruction is expected to take years and cost billions of dollars. Speaking in Jerusalem, Graham said Wednesday that eventually someone will have to rebuild Gaza and “create an entity in the Palestinian world that would live in peace with Israel.” “The only group that I think has a chance of doing that is the Arab world, led by the (Saudi) Crown Prince and the UAE,” he said. Israel and the UAE established ties in 2020, while Israel had been pursuing a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia before the war against Hamas erupted. Both Arab countries have linked any future reconstruction aid for Gaza to a settlement that includes a path to Palestinian independence. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his hard-line government opposes Palestinian statehood. Meanwhile, Graham said he would work with the incoming Trump administration to sanction “any country” that has targeted Israel in the International Criminal Court. The court last week issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity for actions in the Gaza war. “It’s one thing to sanction the court. We will do that,” he said. “But that’s not enough. If you want to stop the spread of this absurdity, you have to put the civilized world on notice that if you choose the rogue ICC, you do so at your own peril.” BEIRUT — The Lebanese army said it was moving additional troops into the country's south on Wednesday to extend state authority in coordination with the U.N. peacekeeping mission there. “The concerned military units are moving from several areas to the South Litani Sector, where they will be stationed in the locations designated for them,” the Lebanese military said in its first statement since the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire went into effect. Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli troops would pull out of Lebanon and Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of the Litani River, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. The ceasefire agreement gives Israel and Hezbollah militants 60 days to withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon near the border. Thousands of Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers will patrol the area, and an international committee will monitor compliance. The Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines during the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah, although dozens of its soldiers have been killed amid the fighting. BAALBEK, Lebanon — Beside the graves of Hezbollah fighters in eastern Lebanon's Baalbek region, families with tears in their eyes paid respects to the dead and celebratory gunshots could be heard in the background Wednesday, the first day of a ceasefire between the militant group and Israel. “The resistance (Hezbollah) will stay to defend Lebanon,” Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Mokdad told reporters while visiting the graves. “We tell the enemy that the martyrs thwarted their plans for the Middle East.” Several other Hezbollah members of parliament were present. In addition to being an armed group, Hezbollah is also a political party and provides extensive social services. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes on two schools-turned-shelters in Gaza City killed 11 people, including four children, hospital officials said. One strike hit the Tabeen School, killing nine, and another targeted Al-Hureyah School, leaving two dead. Both were sheltering hundreds of displaced people. The Israeli military said it struck Mumin Al-Jabari, a senior fighter with Hamas’ sniper unit. It said he had operated in a room inside the Tabeen School, without providing evidence. The military had no immediate comment on claims that it struck the second school. The military said Al-Jabari carried out attacks against Israeli troops in Gaza and had stored weapons in the room he was operating from. At Al-Ahli Hospital, Saeed Abu Salah, who sought shelter in Tabeen School, said the airstrike killed his daughter and granddaughter. He had already lost four of his children since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, including two whose bodies were still under rubble. “For the millionth time, the Israeli occupation commits crimes against innocent civilians,” he said. Abu Salah held his granddaughter wrapped in a white shroud, while a crying mother nearby held the body of her dead child in her arms. Associated Press footage on Wednesday showed the collapsed roof at the Tabeen School. Dozens gathered outside, some using equipment and bare hands to pull out bodies from under the rubble. One man carried a dead child covered in a blanket. The Israeli military said the strike on the Al-Hureyah School targeted Hamas militants hiding among civilians, without providing evidence. BEIRUT — International aid groups welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah and urge donors to provide funding to help rebuild parts of Lebanon and assist the displaced. The aid groups are concerned about the aftershocks of the war on Lebanon’s already struggling economy. With more than 1.2 million people displaced, they warned that the damage would leave many struggling and without homes. More than 100,000 homes have been either partially or fully destroyed across southern Lebanon, Bekaa and Beirut, the International Rescue Committee said. Mercy Corps said that half of Lebanon’s population now lives below the poverty line. It called on donors to fulfill pledges to support immediate humanitarian efforts and the long-term recovery. “There will undoubtedly be a great deal of grief and trauma. Many will have no homes to return to, no schools for their children, and livelihoods destroyed,” Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary-General Jan Egeland said. MASNAA BORDER CROSSING — Among the Lebanese hoping to return home following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah are thousands who had fled the war to Syria. Families with hastily packed belongings on Wednesday crossed under heavy rain from Syria into eastern Lebanon. The road, heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes, is under repair. Mariam Mawla, from Bazouria in southern Lebanon, was thrilled to be returning home after two months in Syrian capital Damascus. As she waited in traffic at the crossing, she told The Associated Press that she hoped to find her house intact. “I heard that there might be some damage, but no matter what, we thank God that we are returning home,” Mawla said. PARIS — France says it “intends to continue to work in close collaboration” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite the arrest warrant issued for him by the world’s top war-crimes court. Since the International Criminal Court issued warrants last week, French officials have replied vaguely to questions about whether France would arrest Netanyahu should he visit the country. Prime Minister Michel Barnier told parliament this week that France would “rigorously” respect its obligations according to international law. The position was echoed by France’s foreign minister in a broadcast interview Wednesday morning. But in a subsequent statement, the French Foreign Ministry argued that Netanyahu and others affected by the court warrants benefit from immunity because Israel is not a member of the court. It said this would be “taken into consideration if the ICC was to ask us for their arrest and handing over.” The statement cited “the historic friendship that links France and Israel” and described them as “two democracies committed to the rule of law and respect for professional and independent justice.” TEL AVIV, Israel — As a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appears to hold in Lebanon, fighting raged on in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The Gaza Health Ministry said 33 bodies had been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll in the nearly 14-month-long war to 44,282. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says more than half of the dead are women and children. The Israeli military said it struck dozens of Hamas sites in hard-hit northern Gaza, including weapons storage facilities and military structures. It said it warned civilians to evacuate the area beforehand. The military has battled for weeks a resurgence of Hamas in the area, which was an early target of Israel’s offensive. The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire has no direct bearing on the conflict in Gaza, where international mediators have struggled to secure a truce. JERUSALEM — An Israeli security official says Israeli forces remain in their positions hours after a ceasefire took place and will only gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon. The official, speaking Wednesday on condition of anonymity under military briefing rules, would not say when troops would begin the withdrawal but said it would be completed during the 60-day period laid out in the ceasefire agreement. He said the pace of the withdrawal and the scheduled return of Lebanese civilians to their homes would depend on whether the deal is implemented and enforced by all sides. “We need to see the mechanism is working,” he said. “It’s a gradual agreement. It’s a gradual withdrawal.” The official said Israeli soldiers were responding to an immediate threat when they opened fire earlier Wednesday at several vehicles approaching a restricted area in Lebanon. There were no reports on casualties. The official said that Israel was prepared to do so again if troops were at risk. “We will fire when our forces are threatened,” he said. He said non-immediate threats would be reported to the international monitoring committee, but that if no action is taken, “we will enforce it.” — By Josef Federman CAIRO — Hamas says it’s ready to cooperate with any effort to bring about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, after Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah reached a truce to end months of fighting. The deal does not address the war in Gaza. International mediators have repeatedly failed to bring Israel and Hamas to a deal that would end the brutal, 13-month-long war. In a statement, Hamas repeated it would seek the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the return of displaced Palestinians and a “real and complete prisoner exchange deal.” Israel has refused to commit to ending the war under any ceasefire deal and some members of the Israeli government have balked over freeing large number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the roughly 100 hostages still held by militants in Gaza. President Joe Biden said Tuesday he hoped for a renewed international push for negotiations in coming days. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s caretaker government on Wednesday approved a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the militant Hezbollah group and Israel. The move was largely a formality but also signaled the government’s commitment to its part in the deal, including deploying Lebanese soldiers along the border with Israel and cooperating with United Nations peacekeepers. “Today is a new day, where we hope it carries with it peace and stability,” caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement following the morning meeting. The agreement is an implementation plan for U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, which was passed in 2006 to end the last Israel-Hezbollah war but never was fully carried out. Its goal was for the Lebanese military to be the exclusive armed presence in southern Lebanon alongside U.N. peacekeepers, and for Hezbollah and Israeli forces to withdraw from the area. According to a copy of the ceasefire agreement provided by the Lebanese government, the Lebanese military would gradually deploy in the south and dismantle unauthorized military infrastructure and weapons production facilities. The United States and France, in addition to UNIFIL peacekeepers, will monitor violations and support the process. BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed relief over the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire and called on both sides to stick to the agreement. “Finally, Hezbollah and Israel have agreed on a ceasefire in Lebanon, brokered by our partners USA and France,” Scholz wrote Wednesday on X. “It is important that everyone sticks to what has been agreed, so that people on both sides of the border can live in safety again.” Germany is a staunch ally of Israel, but at the same time home to a Lebanese immigrant community of more than 100,000. BEIRUT — The speaker of Lebanon’s parliament called for another effort to fill the country’s long-vacant presidency just hours after a ceasefire to halt hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel went into effect. Lebanon has been without a president since October 2022, as its deeply divided parliament has been unable to elect a new head of state. The last effort to elect a president was more than a year ago. Speaker Nabih Berri called for political parties to come together to elect a president “who unites rather than divides.” “I call upon you because a moment of truth in which we must unite for the sake of Lebanon has arrived,” Berri said in a televised address. “This is a test for how we can save Lebanon. How we can build it and how we can bring back life for its constitutional institutions.” The war compounded Lebanon’s economic troubles and worsened tensions between political groups allied and opposed to Hezbollah. Berri spearheaded Lebanon’s negotiation efforts for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah. He’s a top Shiite politician and a key ally of Hezbollah. BAGHDAD — One of the most powerful Iran-backed factions in Iraq said it would continue its operations in support of Gaza despite the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. Iraqi militias have repeatedly launched attacks on Israel from Iraq in the nearly 14 months since the Israel-Hamas war broke out. In a statement, the Kataib Hezbollah group said that the ceasefire would not have been possible without the “resilience of Hezbollah fighters and the failure of the Zionists to achieve their objectives, making the decision solely Lebanese.” The group said that a pause by one member of the so-called Axis of Resistance, which includes Iran-backed groups from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, would not undermine the broader “unity of fronts” strategy. The militia also said the U.S. had been Israel’s partner “in all acts of betrayal, killing, destruction and displacement,” and said it “will eventually have to pay for its actions.” TYRE, Lebanon — Mohammed Kaafarani has lived through multiple conflicts with Israel. But he says the past two months were the worst of them all. “They were a nasty and ugly 60 days,” said Kaafarani, 59, who was displaced from the Lebanese village of Bidias, near the southern port city of Tyre. Thousands of displaced people poured into the city Wednesday after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect. Kaafarani said the latest war was the most difficult because the bombardment was so intense. “We reached a point where there was no place to hide. Even buildings were destroyed.” He said Tyre was left almost empty as most of its residents fled. Kaafarani said he hopes his children and grandchildren will have a better future without wars because “our generation suffered and is still suffering.” “The last two months were way too long,” said Kaafarani, whose home was badly damaged in the fighting. He vowed to fix it and continue on with life. HAIFA, Israel — Some people in Israel who have been displaced by fighting with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah say the ceasefire deal doesn’t make them feel secure enough to go home. Some 50,000 people have been displaced from a string of cities, towns and villages along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Those communities have been pummeled by Hezbollah rocket and drone fire for 13 months, with dozens of houses damaged and in need of rebuilding or rehabilitation. Noy Friedman, who was displaced from the town of Shlomi to the city of Haifa, said she wouldn’t feel safe in her hometown. “I am also not ready for my family to return to Shlomi,” said Friedman. Many displaced Israelis have been living in hotels since the fighting began in Oct. 2023 or have tried to reestablish their lives in new areas far from the fighting. Returning could take months because of the damage caused to the communities, but also because of the fears many of the displaced still feel. On a cold, rainy Wednesday morning, the hard-hit Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona was quiet. A handful of people milled about, inspecting damage from rocket attacks, including to the roof of a bus. The town’s shopping mall, which had been hit before, appeared to have new damage. A rocket was seen stuck in the ground next to an apartment building. “I am against the ceasefire,” said Eliyahu Maman, a Kiryat Shmona resident displaced to Haifa who feared Hezbollah could still attack from southern Lebanon. “I am not ready to return to Kiryat Shmona.” AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, saying it should be followed by an international effort to wind down the war in Gaza. In a statement, Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the ceasefire “an important step.” But it said “Israeli aggression on Gaza” must be stopped. Jordan expressed support for Lebanon and stressed the importance of fully implementing the ceasefire. Jordan is a close Western ally that made peace with Israel in 1994. But Israel’s devastating offensive in the Gaza Strip, launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, has strained relations. The country has a large Palestinian population which has demonstrated regularly against the war in Gaza. KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Palestinians said Wednesday they hoped there would be a ceasefire in Gaza now that Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah agreed to a truce. But some feared that Israel would be more heavy handed with Gaza now that its forces were freed up from the fighting against Hezbollah. “The situation will be worse, because the pressure will be more on Gaza,” said Mamdouh Yonis, a man currently living in Khan Younis after being displaced from the southern city of Rafah, told The Associated Press. Palestinians in Gaza are desperately waiting for a ceasefire agreement that would end the war between Hamas and Israel. It’s already killed over 44,000 people according to local authorities, who don’t distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count. The war was sparked when Hamas raided southern Israel in Oct. 2023, killing 1,200 and kidnapping 250, about 100 of whom remain in Gaza. International mediation efforts meant to clinch a deal have faltered repeatedly, and the war is now in its 14th month with no end in sight. “They agree to a ceasefire in one place and not in the other? Have mercy on the children, the elderly and the women. We are sitting in tents and now it is winter,” said Ahlam Abu Shalabi, a woman displaced from Gaza City. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey welcomed the ceasefire reached between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, expressing hope that it would lead to a lasting truce. In a statement issued Wednesday, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry also called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to force it to “strictly comply with the ceasefire and compensate for the damage it has caused in Lebanon.” The ministry also urged the establishment of “permanent and comprehensive” ceasefire in Gaza, calling on Israel to “end its aggressive policies.” TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military said Wednesday that its forces opened fire in Lebanon on a number of cars that approached an area it said was restricted, as a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appeared to take hold. The military said the vehicles drove away. It was not immediately clear if there were any injuries as a result. The Israeli military has warned residents of previously evacuated areas of Lebanon that had been evacuated, but displaced people have been streaming south to their homes. The military said soldiers remained in position in southern Lebanon and that the air force was ready to act if needed. It said Israel’s aerial defense array was also at the ready for any ceasefire violations. PARIS — France’s foreign minister underlined his country’s role in brokering an agreement that ended fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group alongside the U.S., saying the deal wouldn’t have been possible without France’s special relationship with its former protectorate. “It’s a success for French diplomacy and we can be proud,” said the minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, speaking hours after the ceasefire went into effect Wednesday. “It is true that the United States have a privileged relationship with Israel. But with Lebanon, it’s France that has very old ties, very close ties,” the minister added. “It would not have been possible to envisage a ceasefire in Lebanon without France being involved on the front line.” France will be involved in monitoring the ceasefire, Barrot noted, with 700 French soldiers deployed as part of the 10,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, that has been patrolling the border area between Lebanon and Israel for nearly 50 years. The minister said France will also work to strengthen Lebanese troops that will deploy in the south of the country as part of the ceasefire, although he didn’t specify what that might include. BEIRUT — The Lebanese military asked displaced people returning to southern Lebanon to avoid frontline villages and towns near the border where the Israeli military is still present until the troops withdraw. Thousands of people have been returning to other previously evacuated areas in south Lebanon in defiance of an Israeli warning to avoid all previously evacuated areas. Many of those areas were hit by strikes just hours before the ceasefire took effect. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Tehran's main militant partner in the Mideast. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei praised the ceasefire in a statement Wednesday morning. Baghaei said that Iran still sought a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. But like Hezbollah, it's dropped the demand that a ceasefire also take place at the same time in the Gaza Strip. He also called for the International Criminal Court to try the “criminals of the occupying regime,” referring to Israel. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s former defense minister. TYRE, Lebanon — Displaced people started returning to the coastal city of Tyre on motorcycles and in cars early Wednesday, defying an Israeli military warning to stay away from previously evacuated areas. Ahmad Husseini said returning to southern Lebanon was an “indescribable feeling” and praised Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who led Lebanon’s negotiations with Washington. “He made us and everyone proud.” Husseini, who earlier fled a town near the coastal city, spoke to The Associated Press while in his car with family members. Meanwhile, sporadic celebratory gunfire could be heard at a main roundabout in the city, as people returning honked the horns of cars — some piled with mattresses — and residents cheered. A couple of men shouted slogans praising slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September. Hussein Sweidan said he sees the ceasefire as a victory for Hezbollah. “This is a moment of victory, pride and honor for us, the Shia sect, and for all of Lebanon,” he said. BEIRUT — As dawn broke in Beirut, plumes of smoke were visible rising from places hit by Israeli strikes before the ceasefire took effect at 4 a.m. Residents of Lebanon’s capital and its southern suburbs endured the most intense day of strikes since the war began on Tuesday. BEIRUT — As the ceasefire went into effect early Wednesday, much of Lebanon was quiet for the first time since late September, following weeks of intense overnight strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon. Some celebratory gunshots could be heard in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs, battered over the past two months. Israel’s Arabic military spokesperson Avichay Adraee has warned displaced Lebanese not to return to their villages in southern Lebanon, but some videos circulating on social media show displaced Lebanese defying these calls and returning to villages in the south near the coastal city of Tyre. Israeli troops are still present in parts of southern Lebanon after Israel launched a ground invasion in October. Lebanese have also been displaced from other parts of the country, notably the southern Beirut suburbs and the eastern Bekaa province. It’s unclear how long it will take cash-strapped Lebanon to rebuild these bombarded neighborhoods. The war has displaced some 1.2 million people, according to the Lebanese government. JERUSALEM — As the ceasefire took effect early Wednesday, Israel’s military warned people with homes in areas of south Lebanon that it ordered evacuated to stay away for now. Israeli military spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee issued the warning on the social platform X. “You are prohibited from heading towards the villages that the IDF has ordered to be evacuated or towards IDF forces in the area,” Adraee wrote, using an acronym for the Israeli military. “For your safety and the safety of your family members, refrain from moving to the area.” There were no immediate signs of renewed fighting as the ceasefire took hold early Wednesday morning. The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants has begun as a region on edge wonders whether it will hold. The ceasefire announced Tuesday is a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting sparked by the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Israel has said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border. An international panel led by the United States will monitor compliance. The ceasefire began at 4 a.m. Wednesday, a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict that in recent weeks turned into all-out war. Read more here. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close eyeing school history

The presidency has refuted claims that some sections of the Tax Reform Bills are targeted at impoverishing the northern region of the country. President Bola Tinubu sent the bills to the National Assembly some weeks back but that has been greeted with controversy. Some sections of persons claim the bills are against the northern region and aimed at impoverishing it. However, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga says such claims are misleading. “The tax reform bills will not make Lagos or Rivers more affluent and other parts of the country, as recklessly canvassed, poorer,” Onanuga said in a Monday statement. “The bills will not destroy the economy of any section of the country. Instead, they aim to enhance the quality of life for Nigerians, especially the disadvantaged, who are trying to make a living.” According to him, contrary to speculations, no part of the bills is targeted at scrapping some agencies. “Contrary to the lies being peddled, the bills do not suggest that NASENI, TETFUND, and NITDA will cease to exist in 2029 after the passage of the bills. Government agencies, such as NASENI, TETFUND, and NITDA, are funded through budgetary provisions with company income tax and other taxes paid by the same businesses that are being overburdened with the special taxes,” he said. “One reason President Bola Tinubu embarked on the Tax and Fiscal Policy Reforms is the need to streamline tax administration in Nigeria and make the operating environment conducive for businesses. “For decades, businesses, investors, and private sector players in Nigeria have complained of being overburdened by a myriad of taxes and levies, including those earmarked to fund various government agencies and initiatives. “The multiple taxes complicate the economic environment, making Nigeria uncompetitive for investment and preventing many businesses from growing or continuing their operations. Some companies have had to make the rational decision to relocate to other countries. We can not continue on this path or wait for 20 years if this country is to deliver the prosperity we need for our people. “The proposal, as contained in section 59(3) of the Nigeria Tax Bill, only seeks to consolidate some of the earmarked taxes imposed on companies and replace them with a single tax to be shared with the key agencies as beneficiaries in a phased manner until 2030. “The time frame offers ample opportunity for the affected agencies to explore other funding sources in addition to budgetary allocations in line with the constitution and international best practices. “It is a misrepresentation of facts to conclude that changing an agency’s funding source amounts to scrapping it. None of the countries leading globally in education, science, engineering, or information technology have similar earmarked taxes.”The Oura Ring Is at Its Lowest Price Yet for Cyber Monday

NFL Week 15 injury tracker: Latest updates on Joe Burrow, Breece Hall, George Pickens and others banged-upSANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Agora, Inc. (NASDAQ: API) (the “Company”), a pioneer and leader in real-time engagement technology, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. “Recently, we launched our Conversational AI SDK in collaboration with OpenAI’s Realtime API to allow developers to bring voice-driven AI experiences to any app. We believe multimodal AI agents that can interact with human through natural voice will gain widespread adoption across many use cases such as customer support, education and wellness, and Agora is well positioned to become a key infrastructure provider for real-time conversational AI,” said Tony Zhao, founder, chairman and CEO of Agora. “To support this vision, we recently made some structural changes, aligning our organization to fully leverage the accelerating conversational AI opportunities, and operate in a faster, leaner, and more responsive fashion. These changes will help us build the next generation real-time engagement technology for the Generative AI era and strengthen our position as the leader in real-time engagement space.” Third Quarter 2024 Highlights Total revenues for the quarter were $31.6 million, a decrease of 9.8% from $35.0 million in the third quarter of 2023, which included decreased revenue from certain end-of-sale products of $2.4 million. Agora : $15.7 million for the quarter, an increase of 2.6% from $15.3 million in the third quarter of 2023. Shengwang : RMB112.9 million ($15.9 million) for the quarter, a decrease of 20.0% from RMB141.2 million ($19.7 million) in the third quarter of 2023, which included decreased revenue from certain end-of-sale products of RMB17.5 million ($2.4 million). Active Customers Agora : 1,762 as of September 30, 2024, an increase of 5.9% from 1,664 as of September 30, 2023. Shengwang : 3,641 as of September 30, 2024, a decrease of 9.7% from 4,034 as of September 30, 2023. Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate Agora : 94% for the trailing 12-month period ended September 30, 2024. Shengwang : 78% for the trailing 12-month period ended September 30, 2024. Net loss for the quarter was $24.2 million, which included expenses of $11.4 million in relation to the cancellation of certain employees’ equity awards, severance expenses of $4.8 million, and losses from equity in affiliates of $4.2 million, compared to net loss of $22.5 million in the third quarter of 2023. After excluding share-based compensation expenses, acquisition related expenses, amortization expenses of acquired intangible assets and income tax related to acquired intangible assets, non-GAAP net loss for the quarter was $10.4 million, compared to the non-GAAP net loss of $15.6 million in the third quarter of 2023. Total cash, cash equivalents, bank deposits and financial products issued by banks as of September 30, 2024 was $362.6 million. Net cash used in operating activities for the quarter was $4.6 million, compared to $3.0 million in the third quarter of 2023. Free cash flow for the quarter was negative $6.0 million, compared to negative $3.2 million in the third quarter of 2023. Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results Revenues Total revenues were $31.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 9.8% from $35.0 million in the same period last year. Revenues of Agora were $15.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 2.6% from $15.3 million in the same period last year, primarily due to our business expansion and usage growth in sectors such as live shopping. Revenues of Shengwang were RMB112.9 million ($15.9 million) in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 20.0% from RMB141.2 million ($19.7 million) in the same period last year, primarily due to a decrease in revenues of RMB 17.5 million ($2.4 million) due to the end-of-sale of certain products and reduced usage from customers in certain sectors such as social and entertainment as a result of challenging macroeconomic and regulatory environment. Cost of Revenues Cost of revenues was $10.5 million in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 16.4% from $12.6 million in the same period last year, primarily due to the end-of-sale of certain products and the decrease in bandwidth usage and costs, which was offset partially by severance expenses for customer support teams of $0.3 million. Gross Profit and Gross Margin Gross profit was $21.0 million in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 6.1% from $22.4 million in the same period last year. Gross margin was 66.7% in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 2.7% from 64.0% in the same period last year, mainly due to the end-of-sale of certain low-margin products, which was offset partially by higher severance expenses in the third quarter of 2024. Operating Expenses Operating expenses were $45.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 24.3% from $36.9 million in the same period last year, primarily due to the increase in restructuring and severance expenses in the third quarter of 2024, which included share-based compensation of $11.4 million as a result of the cancellation of certain employees’ equity awards and immediate recognition of relevant remaining unrecognized compensation expenses, as well as severance expenses of $4.4 million. Research and development expenses were $29.3 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 46.1% from $20.0 million in the same period last year, primarily due to restructuring and severance expenses in the third quarter of 2024, including share-based compensation of $9.0 million due to equity award cancellation and severance expenses of $3.6 million. Sales and marketing expenses were $6.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 11.9% from $7.8 million in the same period last year, primarily due to a decrease in personnel costs as the Company optimized its global workforce, which was offset partially by severance expenses of $0.7 million in the third quarter of 2024. General and administrative expenses were $9.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 7.4% from $9.1 million in the same period last year, primarily due to restructuring and severance expenses in the third quarter of 2024, including share-based compensation of $2.4 million as a result of the equity award cancellation, which was offset partially by a decrease in personnel costs as the Company optimized its global workforce. Loss from Operations Loss from operations was $24.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $13.9 million in the same period last year. Interest Income Interest income was $3.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $4.9 million in the same period last year, primarily due to the decrease in the average balance of cash, cash equivalents, bank deposits and financial products issued by banks and the decrease in average interest rate realized. Losses from equity in affiliates Losses from equity in affiliates were $4.2 million in the third quarter of 2024, primarily due to an impairment loss on an investment in certain private company of $4.1 million. Net Loss Net loss was $24.2 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $22.5 million in the same period last year. Net Loss per American Depositary Share attributable to ordinary shareholders Net loss per American Depositary Share (“ADS”) 1 attributable to ordinary shareholders was $0.26 in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $0.23 in the same period last year. _____________ 1 One ADS represents four Class A ordinary shares. Share Repurchase Program During the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company repurchased approximately 6.8 million of its Class A ordinary shares (equivalent to approximately 1.7 million ADSs) for approximately US$3.9 million under its share repurchase program, representing 1.9% of its US$200 million share repurchase program. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had repurchased approximately 129.4 million of its Class A ordinary shares (equivalent to approximately 32.3 million ADSs) for approximately US$113.7 million under its share repurchase program, representing 57% of its US$200 million share repurchase program. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had 368.3 million ordinary shares (equivalent to approximately 92.1 million ADSs) outstanding, compared to 449.8 million ordinary shares (equivalent to approximately 112.5 million ADSs) outstanding as of January 31, 2022 before the share repurchase program commenced. The current share repurchase program will expire at the end of February 2025. Executive Leadership Update Today the Company announced that Chief Security Officer Roger Hale will be leaving the Company, effective immediately. Mr. Hale has served in this role for the past 2.5 years, during which he made significant contributions to enhancing the Company’s security, compliance, and data protection protocols. Mr. Hale will work closely with senior leadership to ensure a smooth transition of his responsibilities. Moving forward, Patrick Ferriter and Robbin Liu will assume responsibility for security and compliance, reflecting the Company’s commitment to maintaining a strong and effective security framework. Mr. Hale will continue to provide strategic advice as an advisor to the Company. “We are grateful for Roger’s dedication and expertise over the past two and a half years. His leadership has been invaluable in strengthening our security & compliance foundation,” said Tony Zhao, founder, chairman and CEO of Agora. “Security and compliance remain top priorities for Agora, and we will continue to uphold the highest standards to protect our customers and stakeholders.” Financial Outlook Based on currently available information, the Company expects total revenues for the fourth quarter of 2024 to be between $34 million and $36 million, compared to $31.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, and $33.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 if revenues from certain end-of-sale low-margin products were excluded. The Company also expects significant improvement in net income / (loss) in the fourth quarter. This outlook reflects the Company's current and preliminary views on the market and operational conditions, which are subject to change. Earnings Call The Company will host a conference call to discuss the financial results at 5 p.m. Pacific Time / 8 p.m. Eastern Time on November 25, 2024. Details for the conference call are as follows: Event title: Agora, Inc. 3Q 2024 Financial Results The call will be available at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wie28zvr Investors who want to hear the call should log on at least 15 minutes prior to the broadcast. Participants may register for the call with the link below. https://register.vevent.com/register/BIf58a0b6f500c4362b1a8c64f9fa4cea8 Please visit the Company’s investor relations website at https://investor.agora.io on November 25, 2024 to view the earnings release and accompanying slides prior to the conference call. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company has provided in this press release financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing its financial results and believe that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as an additional tool to evaluate ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing its financial results with other companies in its industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures. Besides free cash flow (as defined below), each of these non-GAAP financial measures represents the corresponding GAAP financial measure before share-based compensation expenses, acquisition related expenses, amortization expenses of acquired intangible assets, income tax related to acquired intangible assets and impairment of goodwill. The Company believes that such non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in its business that could otherwise be distorted by the effects of such share-based compensation expenses, acquisition related expenses, amortization expenses of acquired intangible assets, income tax related to acquired intangible assets and impairment of goodwill that it includes in its cost of revenues, total operating expenses and net income (loss). The Company believes that all such non-GAAP financial measures also provide useful information about its operating results, enhance the overall understanding of its past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by its management in its financial and operational decision-making. Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP financial measures and should be read only in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of its historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures has been provided in the tables captioned “Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures” included at the end of this press release, and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation. Definitions of the Company’s non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release are presented below. Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) Non-GAAP net income (loss) is defined as net income (loss) adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expenses, acquisition related expenses, amortization expenses of acquired intangible assets, income tax related to acquired intangible assets and impairment of goodwill. Free Cash Flow Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property and equipment (excluding the acquisition of land use right and the payment for the headquarters project). The Company considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors regarding net cash provided by operating activities and cash used for investments in property and equipment required to maintain and grow the business. Operating Metrics The Company also uses other operating metrics included in this press release and defined below to assess the performance of its business. Active Customers An active customer at the end of any period is defined as an organization or individual developer from which the Company generated more than $100 of revenue during the preceding 12 months. Customers are counted based on unique customer account identifiers. Generally, one software application uses the same customer account identifier throughout its life cycle while one account may be used for multiple applications. Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate is calculated for a trailing 12-month period by first identifying all customers in the prior 12-month period, and then calculating the quotient from dividing the revenue generated from such customers in the trailing 12-month period by the revenue generated from the same group of customers in the prior 12-month period. As the vast majority of revenue generated from Agora’s customers is denominated in U.S. dollars, while the vast majority of revenue generated from Shengwang’s customers is denominated in Renminbi, Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate is calculated in U.S. dollars for Agora and in Renminbi for Shengwang, which has substantially removed the impact of foreign currency translations. Shengwang excluded the revenues from certain end-of-sale products, Easemob’s CEC business and K12 academic tutoring sector. The Company believes Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate facilitates operating performance comparisons on a period-to-period basis. Safe Harbor Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical or current fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding the Company’s financial outlook, beliefs and expectations. Forward-looking statements include statements containing words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “project,” “will” and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Among other things, the Financial Outlook in this announcement contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. The Company’s actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks related to the growth of the RTE-PaaS market; the Company’s ability to manage its growth and expand its operations; the continued impact of COVID-19 on global markets and the Company’s business, operations and customers; the Company’s ability to attract new developers and convert them into customers; the Company’s ability to retain existing customers and expand their usage of its platform and products; the Company’s ability to drive popularity of existing use cases and enable new use cases, including through quality enhancements and introduction of new products, features and functionalities; the Company’s fluctuating operating results; competition; the effect of broader technological and market trends on the Company’s business and prospects; general economic conditions and their impact on customer and end-user demand; and other risks and uncertainties included elsewhere in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, without limitation, the final prospectus related to the IPO filed with the SEC on June 26, 2020. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. About Agora, Inc. Agora, Inc. is the Cayman Islands holding company of two independent divisions, under Agora brand and Shengwang brand, respectively, whose businesses are conducted through separate entities. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Agora is a pioneer and global leader in Real-Time Engagement Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), providing developers with simple, flexible, and powerful application programming interfaces, or APIs, to embed real-time voice, video, interactive live-streaming, chat, whiteboard, and artificial intelligence capabilities into their applications. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, Shengwang is a pioneer and leading Real-Time Engagement PaaS provider in the China market. For more information on Agora, please visit: www.agora.io For more information on Shengwang, please visit: www.shengwang.cn Agora, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited, in US$ thousands) Agora, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited, in US$ thousands, except share and per ADS amounts) Agora, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited, in US$ thousands) Agora, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures (Unaudited, in US$ thousands, except share and per ADS amounts)

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( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) BidLink solution within Magnite's SpringServe ad server to support WeTV in scaling programmatically SINGAPORE, Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Magnite (Nasdaq: MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, announced that WeTV has selected Magnite's ad tech stack to enhance monetisation of its video inventory. WeTV will leverage the BidLink solution within Magnite's SpringServe ad server to scale programmatically, while the Magnite Streaming and DV+ SSPs will help WeTV earn the full value of their inventory. Having launched in Southeast Asia in 2019, WeTV delivers premium Chinese dramas, variety shows, anime, as well as original and local content across the region and continues to grow exponentially year over year as streaming becomes a mainstay in consumer budgets. Magnite's SpringServe ad server helps create operational efficiencies and improve monetisation opportunities for media owners like WeTV, while offering tools that allow audiences to enjoy the best possible viewing experience. Using SpringServe's BidLink will help WeTV intelligently integrate programmatic demand into their ad stack, and enable competition between traditional-direct and programmatic campaigns across multiple integrated SSPs. This helps boost yield and increase revenue by monetising opportunities that might have otherwise gone unfilled. “As WeTV grows in popularity, we're committed to meeting our audiences' growing demand for diverse, high quality shows and bringing them a premium entertainment experience,” said Mary Yeo, Head of Commercial at WeTV.“This mission requires a forward-thinking partner who can provide the technology and strategic guidance we need to be successful, and we look forward to leveraging Magnite's expertise to provide the technology and strategic support to turn this vision into reality.” “We're excited to be supporting one of Southeast Asia's largest video streaming platforms in their quest to scale programmatically while preserving the experience for viewers,” said Gavin Buxton, Managing Director, Asia at Magnite.“BidLink helps media owners level up their programmatic capabilities and increase revenue potential. Combined with the power of Magnite's SSPs, we're confident in the opportunities this partnership will unlock.” About Magnite We're Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the world's largest independent sell-side advertising company. Publishers use our technology to monetize their content across all screens and formats including CTV, online video, display, and audio. The world's leading agencies and brands trust our platform to access brand-safe, high-quality ad inventory and execute billions of advertising transactions each month. Anchored in bustling New York City, sunny Los Angeles, mile high Denver, historic London, colorful Singapore, and down under in Sydney, Magnite has offices across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC. About WeTV WeTV is an Asian streaming service that sees the creation of premier video-on-demand (VOD) and provides over-the-top (OTT) local content. The streaming service provides content from around the region, including selected Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Philippines and Thai drama series, movies, variety and anime. Operating on a freemium model, users can access content without the need for a paid subscription and premium content at a small fee. WeTV is available on the browser at wetv.vip , or on the WeTV application that can be downloaded from the Apple Store for iOS users and the Google Play Store for Android users. Media Contact: Megan Hughes ... MENAFN02122024004107003653ID1108948855 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.NEW ALBANY — Up-and-coming entrepreneurs were given the chance to pitch their business plans to five judges at The Next Big Thing Pitch Competition on Wednesday. The competition was at Indiana University Southeast and was put on by NovaParke Innovation & Technology. Finalist were placed into two different competitions, a Fast Pitch where entrepreneurs have identified a problem to solve, addressed a customer need, executed market research and have a rough business plan but do not have a finalized product or service to offer. The winner got $5,000 in non-dilutive grant funding and a one-year membership to Maker13 in Jeffersonville. The other category was the Pitch Tank where entrepreneurs who have a completed business plan and have identified a specific minimum viable product or service to offer. The winner of this got $20,000 in non-dilutive grant funding and office space for the 2025 calendar year at NovaParke Innovation and Technology Campus in Georgetown. “I envision that the winner of this event will be doing a groundbreaking or ribbon-cutting at NovaParke Innovation & Technology campus and will come back to this event as a catalyst for what their idea was to create something that maybe helped the community, the human experience or just helped the quality of life,” said Don Lopp, Floyd County’s director of operations and planning. In the Pitch Tank, there were four entrepreneurs Jay Herbert with My Real Estate Ninja, Donald Ridings with Fat of the Land, Charles Waugh with Irradiance Solutions and Dwight Michael with ISO Basketball. Ridings ended up winning the pitch tank with Fat of the Land, which is a potato chip brand using animal fat rather than vegetable or seed oil to make. “We’ve all been lied to,” Ridings said. “In the 1950s a man named Ancel Keys convinced everybody that vegetable oils and seed oils are better for you than the animal fats that their mothers and grandmothers have been cooking with for centuries.” He has a background in nursing and chose chips as the snack to start with because it is a snack that everyone loves, Ridings added. So far, Ridings has sold 300 to 400 bags to test the product. He will be able to expand on the product at NovaParke next year. The Fast Pitch had Tim Heilers with Bred Bugs, Brian Vittitow with Men’s Group and Liam Newlin with Hoosier Handlebars. Vittitow won the fast pitch for his Men’s Group. The group is a nonprofit that will be a place for men of all ages, race, ethnicities and any other background to come together and share their story and even be a mentor. “The dream started for me with my passion and my path in life,” Vittitow said. “I was a young father right out of college, a husband. I didn’t have a lot of time to spend time around other men that were on the same path.” His brother-in-law, who was 10 years older, became a mentor to him, Vittitow added. Vittitow wants to bring mentorship to other young men who do not have the resource of sharing with other men about their mental and physical health, diet, how to be a father, husband, friend and brother.

Summary Google has uncovered a network of over 1,000 fake news websites spreading pro-China narratives. The sites are operated by four PR firms acting on behalf of an unknown client. These firms create websites that mimic legitimate news outlets and publish a mix of repurposed and pro-China content. Google has blocked the sites from appearing on its news platforms due to policy violations. The operation highlights the use of PR firms to spread disinformation and obscure the source of the content. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (TAG), in collaboration with its cybersecurity firm Mandiant , has discovered a large-scale network of fake news websites operated by four different public relations (PR) firms spreading propaganda aligned with the interests of the Chinese government. Dubbed GLASSBRIDGE, this network of PR firms has been creating and distributing inauthentic content globally to shape public opinion on key geopolitical issues. Since 2022, Google has banned and deindexed over 1,000 websites linked to GLASSBRIDGE from appearing in Google News and Google Discover for violating policies against deceptive practices and lack of editorial transparency. These sites pose as independent media outlets but push narratives that align with Beijing’s political agenda, including topics like Taiwan, the South China Sea, and COVID-19. It is worth noting that this news emerged just weeks after reports revealed North Korean hackers using fake news to distribute malware. “These campaigns show how private PR firms are being used to conduct coordinated influence campaigns,” Google said in a blog post . “By using these firms, the actors behind the information operations gain deniability, obscuring their role in spreading inauthentic content.” The campaigns rely on newswire services to syndicate their content, with two PR firms directly operating these services. The fake news network targets audiences in over 30 countries, including the United States, Australia, Germany, Japan, and Brazil, as well as Chinese-speaking diasporas worldwide. The four firms within the GLASSBRIDGE network are: 1. Shanghai Haixun Technology Shanghai Haixun Technology is the most prolific PR firm in the network, with more than 600 domains linked to its operations already removed by Google. These sites target both English- and Chinese-speaking audiences, as well as countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Haixun’s websites are often filled with low-quality, repetitive content that mixes irrelevant filler articles with pro-China stories. The firm has also been caught using freelance platforms such as Fiverr to hire social media accounts to amplify its messaging. In July 2023, Haixun’s influence campaigns were spotted infiltrating legitimate news outlets through subdomains provided by its newswire services, Times Newswire and World Newswire, allowing it to piggyback on the credibility of established media brands. 2. Times Newswire and Shenzhen Haimai Yunxiang Media Google researchers identified Times Newswire and its operator, Shenzhen Haimai Yunxiang Media, as key players in distributing pro-China propaganda. These entities were tied to the PAPERWALL campaign, a network of over 100 fake websites reported by Citizen Lab earlier this year. These fraud sites, which spanned more than 30 countries, published a combination of copied local news, conspiracy theories, and smear campaigns targeting individuals critical of Beijing. Many of these articles were short, appearing briefly on the sites before being removed to avoid detection. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 3. DURINBRIDGE DURINBRIDGE, another PR and marketing firm in the network, operates over 200 fake news sites. While most of its content consists of press releases and generic news, a portion is dedicated to spreading pro-China narratives, including articles linked to DRAGONBRIDGE , a long-standing influence operation tracked by Google. These sites have also been used to promote politically motivated smear campaigns, such as targeting Taiwanese presidential candidates in the lead-up to elections. 4. Shenzhen Bowen Media Shenzhen Bowen Media controls a network of more than 100 imitation news sites designed to cater to specific countries and cities. Articles are published in local languages, including French, German, Japanese, and Thai, to appear more credible to regional audiences. The content often blends legitimate-looking local news with pro-Beijing narratives sourced from its newswire service, World Newswire, which is also used by Haixun. The Bigger Picture This operation is part of a growing trend where nation-states outsource influence campaigns to private PR firms, allowing deniability. By using fake news sites instead of traditional social media disinformation, these campaigns can target audiences more effectively, tailoring content to local languages and issues. The operation also refreshes the memory of The EU DisinfoLab, a Brussels-based NGO specializing in disinformation research, which exposed a massive pro-Indian influence operation known as “Indian Chronicles.” This extensive campaign, active for over 15 years, aimed to discredit Pakistan and influence international institutions, including the United Nations and the European Parliament. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Google’s action to block these websites from its news platforms shows disinformation campaigns are a reality. The exposure of the GLASSBRIDGE network. For readers, the lesson is to critically evaluate the sources of news and verify information across multiple outlets. RELATED TOPICS Malicious Abrax666 AI Chatbot Exposed as Potential Scam Hackers used fake job websites to scam jobless US veterans SEC Twitter Hacked, Spreads Fake News About Bitcoin ETFs Android XHelper App Exposed as Money Laundering Network Fake News Site Hit Android and Windows Users with MalwarePresident Biden’s decision to renege on his pledge not to pardon his prodigal son’s crimes has consequences for the American justice system. Ironically, it also may diminish resistance to President-elect Trump pardoning members of the mob that stormed the Capitol nearly four years ago in an effort to overturn Biden’s 2020 election victory. The two situations are not equivalent, of course. Still, they both tear at the heart of America’s scruples. More than 1,100 Trump supporters got convicted of participating in the siege that sent a joint session of Congress into hiding, injured scores of police officers and left the Capitol in a shambles. Several defendants received probation for misdemeanor charges of entering the Capitol with the mob. But more than 600 were imprisoned from one month to up to 22 years on felony charges of destroying property, assault and battery or encouraging the attack. Trump described them as “political prisoners” and “patriots,” promising to pardon them if elected president again. He said recently he will decide their pardons on a case-by-case basis. A song titled “Justice for All” described their fate. Created and posted often on social media by a group of Jan. 6 defendants (“J6 Choir”) locked in a Washington, D.C. jail block, the song’s popularity drew sympathizers across the country. It briefly made music’s top hits list. Democrats and legal experts denounce Tump’s plan to pardon Jan. 6 defendants as victims of misguided justice. The objection is somewhat hypocritical in the aftermath of Biden pardoning son Hunter. He was convicted of lying on a gun license application and income tax evasion. What devastates the rule of law is Biden’s broken pledge to let his son face the consequences of his felony crimes, including possible prison time. His stunning turnaround occurred, he said, because his son was a victim of a Justice Department political prosecution. That’s the exact reason Trump advances for his intent to pardon some, if not all, the Jan. 6 defendants. He also claims that’s why he was prosecuted and convicted of 34 felonies in his hush money trial as well as charges pending in his other legal cases. Oddly, it seems Biden and Trump agree the Justice Department has been weaponized for political means. Trump says when he returns to office he will rid the department, including its FBI office, of what he calls partisan hacks bent on destroying the country. They will, of course, be replaced by diehard loyalists committed to his America First agenda. Democrats can hardly object. Their president of the last four years has damned the Justice Department and demoralized its employees for his own sake. And just two months before departing the White House. Listen to his attempt to rationalize the decision to pardon his son when he said repeatedly he would not. “For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They will be fair-minded,” Biden said in a statement. “Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected the process and it led to a miscarriage of justice (of his son).” Biden asked Americans to understand “why a father and a president would come to this decision.” Many will not. Sure, other presidents, including Trump in his first term, granted pardons to family and friends for alleged criminal behavior. In most of these cases, the persons pardoned felt the outcome of their sentences, including prison time. Biden’s rollback of his no pardon pledge – just two weeks before his son’s sentencing -- disregarded the legal standard that no person is above the law; that everyone is treated equally no matter their station in life. Sadly, Biden’s decision of defiance comes at a time when the justice system’s moral fiber is fraying. Bill Ketter is CNHI’s senior vice president for news. Reach him at wketter@cnhi.com .

By Tosin Tope Lucky Ojufo, a member of Otukpo Golf and Country Club, emerged as the best golfer at the 29th Tiger Amateur Golf Open Tournament and Pro Invitational organised by the Headquarters (HQ) 2 Division of the Nigerian Army. Ojufo emerged winner after playing 151 best gross men to defeat Victor Ogbeche of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Golf Club, Ibadan, and Sunday Aketoy of Tiger Gold Club. Messers Ogbeche and Aketoy both emerged 1st and 2nd runners up respectively at the tournament which was sponsored under the leadership of Major General Obinna Onubogu, the Patron of Tiger Golf Club. Declaring the tournament open, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede who was represented by Major General Gbemiga Adeshina, the Commander of the Nigerian Army Corps of Signals appreciated the Division for sponsoring the game of golf tournament and said the event was to promote the spirit of sportsmanship, honesty and integrity. Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You. NEWS UPDATE: Nigerians have been finally approved to earn Dollars from home, acquire premium domains for as low as $1500, profit as much as $22,000 (₦37million+). Click here to start.THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) will present at Citi's 2024 Global Healthcare Conference at 9:30 a.m. ET on Thursday , Dec. 5, 2024. Peter Griffith , executive vice president and chief financial officer at Amgen, Jay Bradner , executive vice president of Research and Development and chief scientific officer at Amgen, and Susan Sweeney , executive vice president of Obesity and Related Conditions at Amgen, will participate in a fireside chat at the conference. The webcast will be broadcast over the internet simultaneously and will be available to members of the news media, investors and the general public. The webcast, as with other selected presentations regarding developments in Amgen's business given by management at certain investor and medical conferences, can be found on Amgen's website, www.amgen.com , under Investors. Information regarding presentation times, webcast availability and webcast links are noted on Amgen's Investor Relations Events Calendar. The webcast will be archived and available for replay for at least 90 days after the event. About Amgen Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative medicines to help millions of patients in their fight against some of the world's toughest diseases. More than 40 years ago, Amgen helped to establish the biotechnology industry and remains on the cutting-edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what's known today. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline that builds on its existing portfolio of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases and rare diseases. In 2024, Amgen was named one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" by Fast Company and one of "America's Best Large Employers" by Forbes, among other external recognitions . Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average ® , and it is also part of the Nasdaq-100 Index ® , which includes the largest and most innovative non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also part of the Nasdaq-100 index. In 2023, Amgen was named one of "America's Greatest Workplaces" by Newsweek, one of "America's Climate Leaders" by USA Today and one of the "World's Best Companies" by TIME. For more information, visit Amgen.com and follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube and Threads . Amgen Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company (including BeiGene, Ltd. or Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.), the performance of Otezla ® (apremilast) (including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion), our acquisitions of Teneobio, Inc., ChemoCentryx, Inc., or Horizon Therapeutics plc (including the prospective performance and outlook of Horizon's business, performance and opportunities, any potential strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities expected as a result of such acquisition, and any projected impacts from the Horizon acquisition on our acquisition-related expenses going forward), as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems on our business, outcomes, progress, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global economic conditions. In addition, sales of our products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. We or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. If we fail to meet the compliance obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between us and the U.S. government, we could become subject to significant sanctions. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico , and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as COVID-19, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for our manufacturing activities, the distribution of our products, the commercialization of our product candidates, and our clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on our product development, product sales, business and results of operations. We rely on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of our product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of our commercial products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of our distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with us. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations. Our efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology we have acquired, may not be successful. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to realize any of the strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities arising from the Horizon acquisition, and such benefits, synergies or opportunities may take longer to realize than expected. We may not be able to successfully integrate Horizon, and such integration may take longer, be more difficult or cost more than expected. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach of our information technology systems could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems and our data. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Our business and operations may be negatively affected by the failure, or perceived failure, of achieving our environmental, social and governance objectives. The effects of global climate change and related natural disasters could negatively affect our business and operations. Global economic conditions may magnify certain risks that affect our business. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock. We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks Elissa Snook , 609-251-1407 (media) Justin Claeys , 805-313-9775 (investors) View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amgen-to-present-at-citis-2024-global-healthcare-conference-302319891.html SOURCE Amgen Best trending stories from the week. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. You may occasionally receive promotions exclusive discounted subscription offers from the Roswell Daily Record. Feel free to cancel any time via the unsubscribe link in the newsletter you received. You can also control your newsletter options via your user dashboard by signing in.

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By DEVNA BOSE One of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from “significant widespread misinformation” about the policy. “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services,” the statement said. “The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield would have used “physician work time values,” which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits; maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. But Dr. Jonathan Gal, economics committee chair of the American Society for Anesthesiologists, said it’s unclear how CMS derives those values. In mid-November, the American Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to “reverse the proposal immediately,” saying in a news release that the policy would have taken effect in February in New York, Connecticut and Missouri. It’s not clear how many states in total would have been affected, as notices also were posted in Virginia and Colorado . Related Articles National News | The next census will gather more racial, ethnic information National News | Trump dispatched his incoming envoy to the Mideast for high-level talks on reaching Gaza ceasefire National News | As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities follows National News | NASA’s stuck astronauts hit 6 months in space. Just 2 more to go National News | Imprisoned Proud Boys leader balks at answering a prosecutor’s questions about Capitol attack People across the country registered their concerns and complaints on social media, and encouraged people in affected states to call their legislators. Some people noted that the policy could prevent patients from getting overcharged. Gal said the policy change would have been unprecedented, ignored the “nuanced, unpredictable human element” of surgery and was a clear “money grab.” “It’s incomprehensible how a health insurance company could so blatantly continue to prioritize their profits over safe patient care,” he said. “If Anthem is, in fact, rescinding the policy, we’re delighted that they came to their senses.” Prior to Anthem’s announcement Thursday, Connecticut comptroller Sean Scanlon said the “concerning” policy wouldn’t affect the state after conversations with the insurance company. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an emailed statement Thursday that her office had also successfully intervened. The insurance giant’s policy change came one day after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare , another major insurance company, was shot and killed in New York City.The Titans have issues to fix and hope to keep slim playoff hopes alive when they host the Jags

Geek culture is more popular than football in modern Britain, new data shows. Nerdy hobbies like -fiction, and superheroes have overtaken the nation’s interest in the beautiful game. A whopping 61% of Brits are keen on sci-fi, 59% are gamers, but those who follow footie are now outnumbered at just 57.6%. And the trend is set to soar, with three quarters of under-35s listing computer games as their major leisure time pursuit, followed by fantasy (64.6%), superheroes (62.6%) and sci-fi (62.1%), with football lagging behind in fifth place (61.5%) for younger generations. Half of younger respondents said they loved Japanese anime, like the Pokémon cartoons, and a quarter were keen on Korean music, found the survey of 2,000 Brits aged 18 to 65. The poll shows soccer boasts a hardcore of die-hard fans, but pursuits once considered dorky now appeal to a wider range of people, catapulting them into the mainstream and threatening to turn football into a niche interest. When it comes to gaming, Call of Duty, Super Mario, Grand Theft Auto, Minecraft and Sonic top the list. More than nine in 10 Brits said they had turned to video games, sci-fi and other nerdish hobbies to escape the stresses of life. And the same number said geek culture provided them with a strong sense of community. The How Nerdy is Britain? report said: “Gaming is now more popular than football in the UK, thanks to the appeal of nostalgia, an escape from daily stress and the rise of anime and K-culture.” Toan Nguyen, founder of Jung von Matt NERD, which published the study, said: “There’s a shift happening in British culture where traditional pastimes like following and watching football are now competing with global phenomena like gaming and science-fiction. “The insights from our study emphasise how geek culture has not only grown in acceptance but has also created deep emotional connections with fans.”EIM: Enjoying Tax-Free Income And Tender Offers

Downing throws for 2 TDs, runs for another, Elon tops North Carolina A&T 31-21None

49ers give birthday-boy Purdy a patchwork offensive line for home finaleHow major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 11/21/2024

TC Energy Co. ( TSE:TRP – Get Free Report ) (NYSE:TRP) Senior Officer Francois Lionel Poirier sold 118,243 shares of TC Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$68.38, for a total value of C$8,085,219.85. TC Energy Price Performance Shares of TSE TRP opened at C$69.65 on Friday. TC Energy Co. has a 1-year low of C$43.83 and a 1-year high of C$70.32. The firm has a market capitalization of C$72.44 billion, a PE ratio of 21.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 160.84, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The business’s fifty day moving average price is C$65.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$59.04. TC Energy ( TSE:TRP – Get Free Report ) (NYSE:TRP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported C$1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.97 by C$0.06. TC Energy had a net margin of 21.38% and a return on equity of 10.68%. The firm had revenue of C$4.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$3.90 billion. On average, research analysts expect that TC Energy Co. will post 3.5490515 EPS for the current year. TC Energy Increases Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages recently issued reports on TRP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of TC Energy from C$70.00 to C$79.00 in a research note on Monday, November 18th. UBS Group raised shares of TC Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of TC Energy from C$67.00 to C$71.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on TC Energy from C$66.00 to C$70.00 in a report on Wednesday. Finally, CIBC increased their target price on TC Energy from C$67.00 to C$68.00 in a report on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of C$69.54. View Our Latest Analysis on TC Energy TC Energy Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) TC Energy Corporation operates as an energy infrastructure company in North America. It operates through five segments: Canadian Natural Gas Pipelines; U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines; Mexico Natural Gas Pipelines; Liquids Pipelines; and Power and Energy Solutions. The company builds and operates a network of 93,600 kilometers of natural gas pipelines, which transports natural gas from supply basins to local distribution companies, power generation plants, industrial facilities, interconnecting pipelines, LNG export terminals, and other businesses. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for TC Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TC Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Farage: Badenoch must apologise for ‘crazy conspiracy theory’ on Reform numbers

SANTA CLARA – Practicing behind a patchwork line is not how Brock Purdy dreamed of spending his 25th birthday Friday, never mind that he just gifted 49ers linemen a caravan of trucks and sports-utility vehicles on two-year leases. The 49ers are poised to field their most inexperienced offensive line in at least coach Kyle Shanahan’s eight seasons. Monday night’s chore for whoever blocks: protect Purdy and clear lanes for ball carriers Isaac Guerendo and Deebo Samuel against the NFC-leading Detroit Lions at Levi’s Stadium. Injuries have so thoroughly depleted the Niners (6-9) that 3-of-5 spots could feature linemen making their 49ers’ starting debuts. The only healthy starters are center Jake Brendel and right guard Dominick Puni, who might have to shift to other spots to provide for the best five-man look. Left tackle Trent Williams and his backup, Jaylon More, both went this week on injured reserve, which is where left guard Aaron Banks is expected to land before Monday night’s 5:15 p.m. kickoff. Right tackle Colton McKivitz did not practice Thursday, after being limited by a knee issue, and versatile backup Spencer Burford has been out with a calf injury he sustained as the sub at left tackle in Sunday’s loss at Miami. Offensive linemen Ben Bartch and Jon Feliciano are on injured reserve. Nick Zakelj is expected to make the first start of his career, most likely at left guard. “I know it’s just an amazing opportunity to have,” Zakelj said. “I can’t wait to go grasp it and go out there, fly off the ball and let it loose.” Charlie Heck, poached Wednesday off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad, made 21 career starts for the Houston Texans from 2020-23, and Thursday acquisition Matt Hennessy made 22 starts as the Atlanta Falcons’ 2020-22 center. No other linemen have starting experience, including Zakelj, Austen Pleasants, Sebastian Gutierrez, Isaac Alarcon and undrafted rookie center Drake Nugent. If McKivitz is healthy, he’s an option to move to left tackle, where he made spot starts at left tackle in 2021 and ’22 in place of Williams. Burford, unbeknownst until last game, had practiced as the No. 3 left tackle most of the season. LYNCH’S STATE OF FRANCHISE General manager John Lynch, speaking for the first time since Sunday’s official elimination from the playoffs, is in the investigation process of examining the 49ers’ 2024 woes and potential cures. “I can’t believe we’re here, but we are. We have to accept that. We have to learn from that,” Lynch said on KNBR 680-AM. “We can’t just chalk it up to, ‘There were a lot of injuries.’ The team we’re playing, Detroit, they had a lot of injuries but they found a way. We have to look at the root, and we have been looking at the root causes. We’ll fix it.” One obvious issue is the 49ers’ inability to close out games, something that’s carried over from past playoff defeats to this season’s four NFC West defeats. Lynch noted that the absences of All-Pros Williams and Christian McCaffrey factors into that. “But we can’t chalk it up to just that. We have to go deeper,” Lynch said. “There are ways we could have gotten it done. When you have division opponents (down) multiple scores, you have to put people away, and that’s what we didn’t do this year. We have to own that. We have to get to the bottom of why exactly that happened, with every decision we make.” HEALTH CENTER Fullback Kyle Juszczyk did not practice because of illness. Juszczyk has played every game this season after taking a pay cut in the spring. He is aiming for his ninth straight Pro Bowl invitation. Running back Isaac Guerendo participated in a second straight practice and looks on track to make his third career start; he did not play in Sunday’s loss at Miami because of hamstring and foot injuries. Running back David Montgomery (knee) was the only player on the Lions’ active roster not to practice. Cornerback Terrion Arnold (illness) was limited after missing Thursday’s session. Full participants were guard Graham Glasgow (knee), wide receiver Kalif Raymond (foot) and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (neck). GAMEDAY GUIDE Levi’s Stadium parking lots are to open at 1:45 p.m. Stadium gates open 30 minutes later for club- and suite-ticket holders, with entry for all others starting at 3:15 p.m. Halftime entertainment will feature MIMS and Freedom Williams (from the C+C Music Factory). Tony Lindsay will perform the national anthem.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — David Green scored 20 points as Rhode Island beat Detroit Mercy 81-75 on Wednesday. Green also contributed eight rebounds for the Rams (6-0). Cam Estevez scored 15 points, shooting 5 for 6 from beyond the arc. Jamarques Lawrence shot 4 for 9, including 3 for 6 from beyond the arc to finish with 13 points. The Rams picked up their sixth straight victory. Orlando Lovejoy finished with 28 points, seven assists and two steals for the Titans (3-5). Legend Geeter added 11 points, six rebounds and four steals for Detroit Mercy. Jared Lary also had 10 points and six rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Extensive confidential documents in the lead-up to the collapse of Northern Ireland’s institutions in 2002 have been made available to the public as part of annual releases from the Irish National Archives. They reveal that the Irish Government wanted to appeal to the UK side against “manipulating” every scenario for favourable election results in Northern Ireland, in an effort to protect the peace process. In the years after the landmark 1998 Good Friday Agreement, a number of outstanding issues left the political environment fraught with tension and disagreement. Mr Trimble, who won a Nobel Peace Prize with SDLP leader John Hume for their work on the Agreement, was keen to gain wins for the UUP on policing, ceasefire audits and paramilitary disarmament – but also to present his party as firmer on these matters amid swipes from its Unionist rival, the DUP. These issues were at the front of his mind as he tried to steer his party into Assembly elections planned for May 2003 and continue in his role as the Executive’s first minister despite increasing political pressure. The documents reveal the extent to which the British and Irish Governments were trying to delicately resolve the contentious negotiations, conscious that moves seen as concessions to one group could provoke anger on the other side. In June 2002, representatives of the SDLP reported to Irish officials on a recent meeting between Mr Hume’s successor Mark Durkan and Prime Minister Tony Blair on policing and security. Mr Blair is said to have suggested that the SDLP and UUP were among those who both supported and took responsibility for the Good Friday Agreement. The confidential report of the meeting says that Mr Durkan, the deputy First Minister, was not sure that Mr Trimble had been correctly categorised. The Prime Minister asked if the SDLP could work more closely with the UUP ahead of the elections. Mr Durkan argued that Mr Trimble was not only not saleable to nationalists, but also not saleable to half of the UUP – to which Mr Blair and Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid are said to have laughed in agreement. The SDLP leader further warned that pursuing a “save David” campaign would ruin all they had worked for. Damien McAteer, an adviser for the SDLP, was recorded as briefing Irish officials on September 10 that it was his view that Mr Trimble was intent on collapsing the institutions in 2003 over expected fallout for Sinn Fein in the wake of the Colombia Three trial, where men linked to the party were charged with training Farc rebels – but predicted the UUP leader would be “in the toilet” by January, when an Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) meeting was due to take place. A week later in mid September, Mr Trimble assured Irish premier Bertie Ahern that the next UUC meeting to take place in two days’ time would be “okay but not great” and insisted he was not planning to play any “big game”. It was at that meeting that he made the bombshell announcement that the UUP would pull out of the Executive if the IRA had not disbanded by January 18. The move came as a surprise to the Irish officials who, along with their UK counterparts, did not see the deadline as realistic. Sinn Fein described the resolution as a “wreckers’ charter”. Doubts were raised that there would be any progress on substantive issues as parties would not be engaged in “pre-election skirmishing”. As that could lead to a UUP walkout and the resulting suspension of the institutions, the prospect of delaying the elections was raised while bringing forward the vote was ruled out. Therefore, the two Governments stressed the need to cooperate as a stabilising force to protect the Agreement – despite not being sure how that process would survive through the January 18 deadline. The Irish officials became worried that the British side did not share their view that Mr Trimble was not “salvageable” and that the fundamental dynamic in the UUP was now Agreement scepticism, the confidential documents state. In a meeting days after the UUC announcements, Mr Reid is recorded in the documents as saying that as infuriating as it was, Mr Trimble was at that moment the “most enlightened Unionist we have”. The Secretary said he would explore what the UUP leader needed to “survive” the period between January 18 and the election, believing a significant prize could avoid him being “massacred”. Such planning went out the window just weeks later, when hundreds of PSNI officers were involved in raids of several buildings – including Sinn Fein’s offices in Stormont. The resulting “Stormontgate” spy-ring scandal accelerated the collapse of powersharing, with the UUP pulling out of the institutions – and the Secretary of State suspending the Assembly and Executive on October 14. For his part, Irish officials were briefed that Mr Reid was said to be “gung ho” about the prospect of exercising direct rule – reportedly making no mention of the Irish Government in a meeting with Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan on that day. The Northern Ireland Secretary was given a new role and Paul Murphy was appointed as his successor. A note on speaking points for a meeting with Mr Murphy in April showed that the Irish side believed the May elections should go ahead: “At a certain stage the political process has to stand on its own feet. “The Governments cannot be manipulating and finessing every scenario to engineer the right result. “We have to start treating the parties and the people as mature and trusting that they have the discernment to make the right choices.” However, the elections planned for May did not materialise, instead delayed until November. Mr Trimble would go on to lose his Westminster seat – and stewardship of the UUP – in 2005. The November election saw the DUP emerge as the largest parties – but direct rule continued as Ian Paisley’s refused to share power with Sinn Fein, which Martin McGuinness’ colleagues. The parties eventually agreed to work together following further elections in 2007. – This article is based on documents in 2024/130/5, 2024/130/6, 2024/130/15

If there was one thing No. 14 Gonzaga failed to do in nonconference play, it was learn how to finish. And the Bulldogs may not get many chances to play close games in West Coast Conference play, which they'll open Monday against Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif. Sure, the Bulldogs (9-4) trounced then-No. 8 Baylor 101-63 and then-No. 14 Indiana 89-73. But they also lost in overtime to West Virginia (86-78) and No. 4 Kentucky (90-89), dropped a 77-71 decision to two-time defending NCAA champion UConn at Madison Square Garden and are coming off a 65-62 defeat to No. 22 UCLA on Saturday. "Obviously we feel like we've been in a bunch of close games that we felt like we should have won all of them," said Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard, who had 16 points and eight assists against a Bruins defense that is one of the best in the country. "We've got to close out these games and learn to win these close games." Graham Ike led the Bulldogs with 24 points as they rallied from an 11-point deficit and led for most of the final 12 1/2 minutes before stumbling. It didn't help Gonzaga that guard Khalif Battle, who is tied for third on the team with 11.8 points per game, was ejected with 4:13 remaining in the first half for a Flagrant-2 foul against UCLA's Eric Dailey Jr. "We're playing a great schedule and great teams," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "And you're in position to win and in college basketball, you hope you can make a play, make a shot and get a stop at the end." Ike leads Gonzaga with 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Nembhard averages 12.1 points per game and leads the country with 10.0 assists per game. The Bulldogs have won 47 consecutive games against Pepperdine (6-8, 0-1 WCC) dating to Jan. 18, 2002. It's the third-longest run against an opponent in NCAA Division I history and the longest active streak. The Waves have won four of their past six games, but are coming off a 91-80 loss Saturday at Santa Clara to open their conference slate. Stefan Todorovic led the Waves with 25 points, three rebounds, four assists and a steal. Todorovic tops the WCC with 19.7 points per game. Dovydas Butka added 16 points with eight rebounds and three assists and Moe Odum contributed 14 points, six rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Odum is third nationally with 105 assists, with Gonzaga's Nembhard (130) the leader in that category. "The system that Coach (Ed) Schilling puts us in opens the (court) for everybody," Todorovic said. "Not just me, we can be a threat at all positions on the floor." Schilling is in his first season with the Waves after 13 years as an assistant at UMass, Memphis, UCLA, Indiana and, most recently, Grand Canyon. He also spent 1997-2003 as the head coach of Wright State. Schilling replaced Lorenzo Romar at Pepperdine. --Field Level MediaInside Caprice's family Christmas with adorable traditions her 10 year old sons love

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