The fifth National Sports Festival continued its competitions yesterday morning at designated stadiums and gymnasiums in the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area. In the Inter-States and Regions basketball tournament final, held at Shwekyabin Gymnasium, Shan State defeated Yangon Region by a narrow score of 67-66 to secure the championship. Yangon Region took second place, while Kachin State and Mandalay Region shared third place honours. Quarterfinal matches of the Inter-States and Regions under-20 volleyball tournament took place at Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium (B). In the men’s division, Kayin State beat over Yangon Region in a 3-2 match, Mandalay Region defeated Bago Region 3-1, Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory overcame Kachin State 3-0, and Shan State bested Sagaing Region 3-0. In the semifinals of the Inter-States and Regions badminton tournament, held at Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium (C), Yangon Region defeated Bago Region 3-1, while Shan State edged out Mandalay Region 3-2 in the men’s division. In the women’s category, Yangon Region won against Mandalay Region 3-1, and Shan State defeated Bago Region 3-2. In the men’s badminton final, Yangon Region claimed the championship by defeating Shan State 3-1. Shan State secured second place, while Mandalay Region and Bago Region shared third place. In the women’s final, Yangon Region also emerged victorious, beating Shan State 3-1 to take the championship. Shan State placed second, and Mandalay Region and Bago Region shared third place honours. The ISR men’s and women’s Lethwei events took place at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Boxing Area. In the men’s 51-kilogramme category, Hein Htut Aung of Mandalay Region defeated Ye Naing of Shan State, Bawm Sowng of Kachin State overcame Khant Phyo Kyaw of Yangon Region, Thura of Sagaing Region triumphed over Ye Yint Htwe of Chin State, and Saw Shwe Win of Kayin State bested Akar Htet Win of Rakhine State. In the men’s 54-kilogramme category, Akar Phyo of Taninthayi Region defeated Kaung Sett Naing of Magway Region, Zaw Zaw Naing of Mandalay Region triumphed over Saw Lin Aung of Ayeyawady Region, Shine Nge of Shan State overcame Ko Ko Tun of Sagaing Region, and Win Htike of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory defeated Tuu Maung of Bago Region. In the men’s 57-kilogramme category, Min Sett Tha Oo of Sagaing Region defeated Hein Lin Tun of Mon State, Shein Htet Ko Ko of Kachin State triumphed over Hein Htut Kyaw of Bago Region, La Min Ko Ko of Yangon Region defeated Kyaw Swa Moe of Ayeyawady Region, and Gin Shan Mowng of Chin State overcame Saw Hla Han Aye of Kayin State. In the men’s 63.5-kilogramme category, Nok Mar of Kachin State defeated Htoo Aung Ye Yint of Rakhine State, Phone Myint Maung of Bago Region triumphed over Lin Htet of Ayeyawady Region, Sai Naung of Mandalay Region overcame Saw Hae Do Sae of Kayin State, and Kyaw Myo Han of Sagaing Region defeated Yazar Nay Win of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory. In the women’s 50-kilogramme category, Aye Aye Mu of Taninthayi Region defeated Kay Thwe Win of Chin State, Pyae Sone Win of Sagaing Region triumphed over Eindray Kyaw of Bago Region, Eaint Myat Kyaw of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory overcame Khine Thazin Tun of Mandalay Region, and Mya Moe Thu of Yangon Region bested Thel Myat Mon of Shan State. The Under-25 Cricket Tournament group matches were held at the Wunna Theikdi shooting range. In the men’s event, the Kayin State team defeated the Shan State team by 16 runs, Mandalay Region overcame Bago Region by 14 runs, Rakhine State triumphed over Mon State by a wide margin of 139 runs, and Ayeyawady Region secured victory against Magway Region by 10 wickets. In the women’s event, Rakhine State defeated Magway Region by 51 runs, Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory overcame Mon State by four wickets, Ayeyawady Region beat Shan State by 14 runs, and Kayin State narrowly triumphed over Yangon Region by two runs. In the group matches of Under-21 Men’s Football Tournament were held at Wunna Theikdi Training Grounds 3 and 4. Chin State and Magway Region teams ended in a 3-3 draw, while Mandalay Region defeated Sagaing Region with a score of 4-1. In the Under-25 Women’s Football Tournament, held at the Bawgawadi Sports Ground and Lewe Township Sports Ground, Bago Region and Kayah State teams ended at a goalless draw, while Ayeyawady Region secured a 2-0 victory against Rakhine State. In the women’s futsal semifinals held at Wunna Theikdi Futsal Ground, the Yangon Region women’s futsal team defeated Sagaing Region 11-0, and Kachin State edged out Ayeyawady Region 7-5. In the men’s Sepak Takraw regu matches at Wunna Theikdi Stadium A, Shan State beat Bago Region in two straight games, Sagaing Region overcame Rakhine State 2-0, Nay Pyi Taw triumphed over Kayin State, and Kachin State secured a win against Kayah State. Other results included Mon State defeating Chin State, Yangon Region prevailing over Ayeyawady Region, and Mandalay Region winning against Magway Region. In the women’s Sepak Takraw regu matches, Mon State defeated Magway Region 2-1, Sagaing Region beat Taninthayi Region in straight games, Rakhine State triumphed over Yangon Region in two games, Mandalay Region overcame Shan State, and Kayin State defeated Kachin State in straight matches. In the men’s Sepak Takraw regu quarterfinals, at Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium A, Yangon Region won against Sagaing Region 2-1. Magway Region defeated Kachin State 2-1, Mandalay Region overcame Nay Pyi Taw in straight games, and Shan State triumphed over Mon State. In the women’s Sepak Takraw regu matches, Bago Region defeated Sagaing Region in straight matches, Ayeyawady Region beat Yangon Region, Rakhine State overcame Kayin State 2-1, and Mon State defeated Mandalay Region in straight matches. The Inter-Ministry Open Men’s Football Tournament group matches were held at Paunglaung, Shwekyabin, and Lewe TC-2 grounds. The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Construction teams played to a goalless draw, while the Ministry of Science and Technology defeated the Ministry of Health 2-1. The Ministry of Transport and Communications secured a 3-1 victory over the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development. In the group matches of ISR Futsal Tournament held at Wunna Theikdi Futsal Arena, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement teams drew 3-3. The Ministry of Commerce thrashed the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs 2-0, the Ministry of Education defeated the Ministry of Information 5-4, and the Ministry of Health triumphed over the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture with a score of 3-1. — MNA/KZLNonegenie voice actor 。

Superior Group of Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGC) disclosed in a Form 8-K regulatory filing on December 20, 2024, that it has initiated a 10b5-1 trading plan aimed at acquiring up to $2,580,000.00 worth of shares of its common stock. This move is aligned with the company’s previously confirmed share repurchase program endorsed by the Board of Directors on August 9, 2024. The trading plan is designed to adhere to Rule 10b5-1(c) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and will enable the company to repurchase shares up to the specified limit. The plan, which took effect on December 20, 2024, will continue until the Repurchase Limit is attained, March 13, 2025, or as otherwise stipulated in the plan. The buybacks will be conducted through an independent broker and will be subject to specific criteria concerning price, market, volume, and timing, as detailed in the plan. The filing concluded with the signature of Michael Koempel, Chief Financial Officer of Superior Group of Companies, Inc., as per the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Following this announcement, shareholders and market participants may anticipate potential impacts on Superior Group of Companies’ stock performance and financial strategy as the share repurchase plan unfolds. This article was generated by an automated content engine and was reviewed by a human editor prior to publication. For additional information, read Superior Group of Companies’s 8K filing here . Superior Group of Companies Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Superior Group of Companies, Inc manufactures and sells apparel and accessories in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Branded Products, Healthcare Apparel, and Contact Centers. The Branded Products segment produces and sells customized merchandising solutions, promotional products, and branded uniform to chain retailer, food service, entertainment, technology, transportation, and other industries under BAMKO and HPI brands. Further Reading

Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living" and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. Organizers said that over 100,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched. Either way, the throngs of people clogging the streets recalled the massive separatist rallies at the heigh of the previous decade’s Catalan independence movement. Now, social concerns led by housing have displaced political crusades. That is because the average rent for Spain has doubled in last 10 years. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros ($7.5) in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. Protestor Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they can renovate it and boost the price. “Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.” A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters who do so. “We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory. The rise in rents is causing significant pain in Spain, where traditionally people seek to own their homes. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Many migrants to Spain are also disproportionately hit by the high rents because they often do not have enough savings. Spain is near the bottom end of OECD countries with under 2% of all housing available being public housing for rent. The OECD average is 7%. Spain is far behind France, with 14%, Britain with 16%, and the Netherlands with 34%. Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Barcelona’s Tenants Union which helped organize the protest, said that renters should consider a “rent strike” and cease paying their monthly rents in a mass protest movement. “I think we the tenants have understood that this depends on us. That we can’t keep asking and making demands to the authorities and waiting for an answer. We must take the reins of the situation,” Arcarazo told the AP . “So, if they (the owners) won’t lower the rent, then we will force them to do it." The Barcelona protest came a month after tens of thousands rallied against high rents in Madrid. The rising discontent over housing is putting pressure on Spain’s governing Socialist party, which leads a coalition on the national level and is in charge of Catalonia’s regional government and Barcelona’s city hall. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presided over what the government termed a “housing summit” including government officials and real estate developers last month. But the Barcelona’s Tenants Union boycotted the event, saying it was like calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate. The leading government measure has been a rent cap mechanism that the central government has offered to regional authorities based on a price index established by the housing ministry. Rent controls can be applied to areas deemed to be “highly stressed” by high rental prices. Catalonia was the first region to apply those caps, which are in place in downtown Barcelona. Many locals blame the million of tourists who visit Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, each year for the high prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate the city’s 10,000 so called “tourist apartments,” or dwellings with permits for short-term rents, by 2028.

The Irish Government wanted to appeal to the UK side against ‘manipulating’ every scenario for favourable election results in Northern Ireland. The UK Government was warned that a “save David campaign” for UUP leader Lord Trimble would ruin progress made under the Good Friday Agreement. 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

Smokers have been urged to kick the habit in the new year after new analysis shows how much of their lives are lost by each cigarette smoked. Men lose 17 minutes of life with every cigarette they smoke while a woman’s life is cut short by 22 minutes with each cigarette, experts have estimated. This is more than previous estimates, which suggest that each cigarette shortens a smoker’s life by 11 minutes. The new estimates, which suggest that each cigarette leads to 20 minutes loss of live on average across both genders, are based on more up-to-date figures from long-term studies tracking the health of the population. Researchers from University College London said that the harm caused by smoking is “cumulative” and the sooner a person stops smoking, and the more cigarettes they avoid smoking, the longer they live. The new analysis, commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care, suggests that if a 10-cigarettes-a-day smoker quits on January 1, then by January 8 they could “prevent loss of a full day of life”. By February 20, their lives could be extended by a whole week. And if their quitting is successful until August 5, they will likely live for a whole month longer than if they had continued to smoke. The authors added: “Studies suggest that smokers typically lose about the same number of healthy years as they do total years of life. Make 2025 the year you quit smoking for good. There’s lots of free support available to help you. Find out more 🔽 https://t.co/J0ehnoRM1D pic.twitter.com/LQpUp6HJBm — WHH 🏥 (@WHHNHS) December 27, 2024 “Thus smoking primarily eats into the relatively healthy middle years rather than shortening the period at the end of life, which is often marked by chronic illness or disability. “So a 60-year-old smoker will typically have the health profile of a 70-year-old non-smoker.” The analysis, to be published in the Journal of Addiction, concludes: “We estimate that on average, smokers in Britain who do not quit lose approximately 20 minutes of life expectancy for each cigarette they smoke. “This is time that would likely be spent in relatively good health. “Stopping smoking at every age is beneficial but the sooner smokers get off this escalator of death the longer and healthier they can expect their lives to be.” Dr Sarah Jackson, principal research fellow from the UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, said: “It is vital that people understand just how harmful smoking is and how much quitting can improve their health and life expectancy. “The evidence suggests people lose, on average, around 20 minutes of life for each cigarette they smoke. “The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live. “Quitting at any age substantially improves health and the benefits start almost immediately. “It’s never too late to make a positive change for your health and there are a range of effective products and treatments that can help smokers quit for good.” There are so many reasons to quit smoking this New Year – for your health, for more money, and for your family. Make a fresh quit for 2025 – find tips and support at https://t.co/GyLk65o8kS or https://t.co/iW6WLxTL00 pic.twitter.com/KxPZ5N378y — North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust (@NTeesHpoolNHSFT) December 27, 2024 Health officials have said that smokers can find advice, support and resources with the NHS Quit Smoking app, as well as the online Personal Quit Plan. Public health minister Andrew Gwynne said: “Smoking is an expensive and deadly habit and these findings reveal the shocking reality of this addiction, highlighting how important it is to quit. “The new year offers a perfect chance for smokers to make a new resolution and take that step.” Commenting on the paper, Professor Sanjay Agrawal, special adviser on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, said: “Every cigarette smoked costs precious minutes of life, and the cumulative impact is devastating, not only for individuals but also for our healthcare system and economy. “This research is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to address cigarette smoking as the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the UK.” We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.

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