Bilawal Bhutto urged Imran Khan to clarify his stance on statements made by the US, and asked why those who earlier expressed displeasure over Pakistan nuclear weapons, and now voicing their concern for Khan and demanding his release. Published: December 28, 2024 8:40 PM IST By : The United States is conspiring to target Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has alleged. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief made these sensational accusations after Richard Grenell, the envoy for US President-elect Donald Trump — who is set to assume office on January 20, 2024, called for the release of release of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, and termed charges levelled against him as ‘false’. “I’d like to see Imran Khan be released from jail. He’s currently in prison, facing many of the same allegations as President Trump, where the ruling party put him in prison and created some sort of corruption and false allegations, and he’s in prison now,” Grenell was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Responding to Grenell’s statement on Imran Khan, Bilawal Bhutto asked why those who conspired against Pakistan are now raising their voice in favor of the jailed PTI founder. “We must united and thwart the conspiracies that are being hatched against Pakistan. We have to keep politics aside and think about our country and its defense,” Bilawal said while addressing a public gathering to mark the 17th death anniversary of his mother, former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in Sindh province on Friday. Pakistan nuclear weapons ‘real target’ The PPP president said “they” are conspiring against Pakistan to target the country’s nuclear and missile program. The 36-year-old leader, who is part of the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, expressed outrage over US interfering in Pakistan’s “internal matters”, asserting that the US’ statements are a mere excuse and the “real target” is Pakistan’s nuclear program. “‘Imran Khan is merely an excuse, their real target is Pakistan’s nuclear and missile program,” he said, while adding that the US is not really concerned about democracy in Pakistan, but is only acting out of vested interests. Bilawal Bhutto urged Imran Khan to clarify his stance on statements made by the US, and asked why those who earlier expressed displeasure over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, and now voicing their concern for the former PM and demanding his release. The Pakistani leader was referring to statements made by Donald Trump during his Presidential campaign wherein he had expressed concern over Pakistan’s growing nuclear arsenal. Bhutto claimed that there is a “lobby” who wants a malleable government at the helm in Islamabad, who “are ready to compromise on anything, including the Pakistan’s nuclear program.” Trump envoy praises Imran Khan Bilawal’s comments came after Richard Grenell, US President-elect Donald Trump-nominated US envoy for special missions, publicly backed Imran Khan’s release from prison, and claimed that the current regime has imprisoned him under false charges. Speaking to American news outlet Newsmax on Wednesday, Grenell discussed US-Pakistan relations under the previous Trump administration, showered praises on Imran Khan for improving ties between the two countries. He noted that Khan’s background as a former cricketer and outsider to traditional politics, aligned with Trump’s political outsider status, and the two had “very good relationship”. “We had a much better relationship with Pakistan during the Trump administration when a guy named Imran Khan was the leader of Pakistan. That’s because Imran Khan was an outsider. He was a former cricket player and actually the captain of the Pakistani national cricket team. He wasn’t a politician, and he spoke in very common-sense language. He and Donald Trump had a very good relationship,” he said. Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, and the founder and chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — the country’s main opposition party — is currently in prison after being convicted of corruption in the infamous Toshakhana case. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on . Topics5 Of The Best Non-Samsung Android Phones You Can Buy

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings waived cornerback Akayleb Evans on Saturday in another setback for their beleaguered 2022 draft class. Evans started 15 games last season, but he had been relegated to a special teams role this year after the Vikings added veteran cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin. Evans was a fourth-round pick out of Missouri, one of three defensive backs among Minnesota's first five selections in 2022. Lewis Cine (first round) was waived and Andrew Booth (second round) was traded earlier this year. One of their second-round picks, guard Ed Ingram, lost his starting spot last week. Evans was let go to clear a roster spot for tight end Nick Muse, who was activated from injured reserve to play on Sunday at Chicago. The Vikings ruled tight end Josh Oliver out of the game with a sprained ankle. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

EDMONTON — Alberta’s information and privacy commissioner says she is worried -- but not surprised -- the province voted this week to pass legislation she says will reduce public access to government information. "I am concerned," commissioner Diane McLeod said in an interview. "All of those things I think are going to impact the right of access significantly for Albertans." The government wrapped up the fall sitting of the legislature late Wednesday night, passing a bill from Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally on new rules surrounding freedom of information. The bill creates new exemptions for what documents the public has a right to access. They will not be allowed to see any document created by or for the premier, government ministers or the provincial Treasury Board, including correspondence like emails. When the bill was introduced last month, McLeod wrote to Nally outlining multiple concerns, but no amendments were made to Nally's bill before it passed third and final reading. "There was nothing in (the letter that) would have come as any surprise to them," said McLeod, whose office has been investigating the government's handling of freedom of information requests since the summer of 2023. "I didn't really expect them to respond to my comments and recommendations.” In the letter, McLeod wrote that the proposed changes give the government more power to avoid disclosing information to the public by including in the exempted correspondence “virtually all communication between political staff and (members of cabinet).” Nally has repeatedly rejected the criticism, saying that such electronic communication should be confidential as freedom of information "is about access to government documents, not about political conversation." Nally's bill also extends the time frame for when public bodies must respond to freedom of information applications to 30 business days from 30 days. It also permits public bodies to dismiss information applications if they are deemed not to be "reasonable." What is and is not reasonable is not defined in the bill. Nally has denied the changes will make Alberta's government less transparent. “Every province is a little bit different, but at the end of the day there will be no light between us when it comes to offering access to information to Albertans,” Nally said Wednesday. Irfan Sabir, the Opposition NDP's justice critic, said the bill will make accessing government records much more difficult. "We are dealing with a government that is already very secretive, that is dishonest, that is not transparent, so it will make things way worse," said Sabir. During the sitting, Smith’s government also passed three contentious bills surrounding transgender youth. The bills ban the prescribing of puberty blockers to those under 16, require parental notification and consent if those under 16 wish to use a different name or pronouns in school, and ban transgender athletes from competing in female amateur sports. They also ban minors from receiving gender-affirming "top" surgery. Opposition NDP Leader Christina Gray said Thursday they tried to remedy multiple bills with amendments but were voted down by Smith’s UCP majority. “We were batting zero," said Gray. "None of our (26) amendments were accepted." NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Smith’s government lost sight of what matters to Albertans. "They tabled ... (13) bills with not a single bill about affordability, about jobs, about housing, about public safety,” said Nenshi. “The only things they had to say on health care and education were 'Let's make sure vulnerable kids are more vulnerable in schools and in the doctor's office,'" said Nenshi. Smith’s government also made headlines during the fall sitting by firing the board of and key executives with the Alberta Investment Management Corp. and naming former prime minister Stephen Harper as the new board chair just weeks later. AIMCo is the agency responsible for managing nearly $170 billion in assets, including public sector pension funds and the province's rainy-day Heritage Savings Trust Fund. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Jack Farrell, The Canadian PressNo. 9 SMU aims to improve playoff odds vs. Cal

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Katsina coalition expresses concern over proposed 2025 health budgetJP Nadda accused the Congress of doing politics even as the entire country mourned the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He alleged that the party also did not deliver justice to any leader of the country even those who were part of their party. New Delhi: Union Minister and BJP President JP Nadda accused the Congress of doing politics even as the entire country mourn the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He alleged that the the party also did not delivered justice to any leader of the country, even if they were also part of the Congress. The minister shared a video message on X and pointed out that the country would not forgive or forget historic sins of the Congress over the years. His statement came after the Congress accused the BJP-led NDA Government of ‘insulting’ by cremating him at Nigambodh Ghat. Nadda shares message on X “When the entire nation mourns the demise of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh ji, the Congress party is busy turning this moment of grief into an opportunity to fulfill their political agenda.,” the BJP president said on X. He added, “Gandhi family has neither honored nor delivered justice to any leader of the nation, even if they were from the Congress party. The nation will never forget or forgive the historic sins of the principle-less Congress party”. Congress accused BJP of ‘disrespecting’ Manmohan Singh Earlier, the Congress had accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of insulting Manmohan Singh by cremating his body at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat. The party also demanded a memorial for the former PM. Taking to X, Leader of the Opposition Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrote, “The great son of Mother India and the first Prime Minister of the Sikh community, Dr. Manmohan Singh has been totally insulted by the present government by performing his last rites today at the Nigambodh Ghat.” He added, “He was the Prime Minister of India for a decade, during his tenure the country became an economic superpower and his policies are still the support of the poor and backward classes of the country. Till date, respecting the dignity of all former Prime Ministers, their last rites were performed at authorized burial sites so that every person could have the last darshan and pay homage without any inconvenience.” Click for more latest India news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Subhajit Sankar Dasgupta has nearly 18 years of experience. Currently, he is serving as Associate Editor with news9live.com, a part of Associated Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd. He started his career with The Pioneer and went on to work in a number of media organisations, including IANS, Financial Express Online, The Political and Business Daily, among others. Apart from online media, he has also worked in print media. Among the beats he covers include politics, sports and infrastructure. He has a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Guru Jambeshwar University. During his free time, he likes to read books and play table tennis. Latest NewsSMU has plenty to play for when it closes the regular season against California on Saturday afternoon in Dallas. The Mustangs (10-1, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who checked in at No. 9 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, would like to send their seniors off the right way. They would also like to complete a perfect regular season before appearing in the ACC title game in their first year in the conference. Most importantly, they want to continue to strengthen their playoff case. "You've got the College Football Playoff, so every game matters. That's what's so cool about it now. The regular season is important," SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. "We'd like to finish well in everything we do, particularly on Saturday, to finish off the regular season, continue our momentum into the following week. Hopefully, continue to show the committee and others that we're worthy of continuing to play this year." The Mustangs are a worthy playoff team to date. Kevin Jennings has established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, throwing for 2,521 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also has rushed for 315 yards and four TDs. Brashard Smith has been another standout, rushing for 1,089 yards and 13 TDs. Defensively, the Mustangs rank tied for 14th in the country with 20 takeaways. "Obviously they've had a phenomenal season," Cal coach Justin Wilcox said of SMU. "As soon as you turn the tape on, it doesn't take very long to see why their record is what it is. They're very, very good really in every phase of the game - extremely explosive and quick and fast. They've got a dominant D-line. We've got a lot of challenges in front of us and our guys are excited for that." Cal (6-5, 2-5) is coming off an emotional win, defeating rival Stanford 24-21 on Saturday to secure a bowl berth. The Golden Bears will appear in consecutive bowls for the first time since 2018-19 and are now looking to clinch their first winning season since 2019. SMU is not overlooking Cal, as all five of the Golden Bears' losses have come by one score. "You'd be hard-pressed to find a better 6-5 team in America," Lashlee said. "I think you can conservatively say they very, very easily could be 9-2." Cal is led by quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who has thrown for 3,004 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. Tight end Jack Endries leads the team with 555 yards receiving, while wide receiver Nyziah Hunter has caught a team-leading five touchdowns. Defensively, Cal has the ACC's top scoring defense (20.7 points per game) and is tied with Clemson for the ACC's best turnover margin (plus-13). Defensive back Nohl Williams is the star of the group -- he leads the country with seven interceptions. Even though oddsmakers are heavily favoring SMU, Cal is going into the game with a simple mindset. "Our task at hand is to make the best bowl game right now," Mendoza said. "And the way to do that is to go into Dallas, give it our best and ruin SMU's season." Saturday will mark the first conference meeting between these ACC newcomers, and just the second meeting between the programs all time. SMU won a 13-6 game back in 1957. --Field Level Media

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Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ( NASDAQ:SPRY – Free Report ) by 189.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 111,666 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 73,127 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned about 0.12% of ARS Pharmaceuticals worth $1,618,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of ARS Pharmaceuticals by 10.8% during the 2nd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 15,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $131,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares during the last quarter. nVerses Capital LLC bought a new position in ARS Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Creative Planning lifted its position in ARS Pharmaceuticals by 7.0% during the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 35,263 shares of the company’s stock valued at $511,000 after purchasing an additional 2,307 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its holdings in ARS Pharmaceuticals by 18.2% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 28,310 shares of the company’s stock valued at $411,000 after purchasing an additional 4,369 shares during the period. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its position in ARS Pharmaceuticals by 151.7% in the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 7,419 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 4,472 shares in the last quarter. 68.16% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. ARS Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance Shares of SPRY stock opened at $10.79 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $13.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $12.51. ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $5.19 and a 52-week high of $18.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.05 billion, a P/E ratio of -21.16 and a beta of 0.88. Insiders Place Their Bets Analyst Ratings Changes SPRY has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Leerink Partners upped their target price on shares of ARS Pharmaceuticals from $21.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $30.00 price objective on shares of ARS Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, William Blair upgraded ARS Pharmaceuticals to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 30th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $24.00. View Our Latest Report on SPRY ARS Pharmaceuticals Profile ( Free Report ) ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, develops treatments for severe allergic reactions. The company is developing neffy, a needle-free and low-dose intranasal epinephrine nasal spray for the emergency treatment of Type I allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. It serves healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers. Further Reading Five stocks we like better than ARS Pharmaceuticals ETF Screener: Uses and Step-by-Step Guide S&P 500 ETFs: Expense Ratios That Can Boost Your Long-Term Gains Find and Profitably Trade Stocks at 52-Week Lows How AI Implementation Could Help MongoDB Roar Back in 2025 Natural Gas Prices Continue To Rally, These Stocks Should Benefit Hedge Funds Boost Oil Positions: Is a Major Rally on the Horizon? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SPRY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ( NASDAQ:SPRY – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for ARS Pharmaceuticals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ARS Pharmaceuticals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .SANTA CLARA — The early portion of Wednesday’s practice produced no encouraging signs for . Brandon Allen, Joshua Dobbs and practice-squad quarterback Tanner Mordecai took turns making throws during the warmup periods of 49ers practice, while Purdy was limited largely to a couple of handoffs. in the 49ers’ Week 11 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and does not appear to be making noticeable improvements even after sitting out the team’s game Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Purdy threw a little bit on Monday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. But it does not appear as if the quarterback's physical condition is allowing him to ramp up his throwing regimen. at the beginning of practice, would start on Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills if Purdy is unable to play, Shanahan said this week. Allen started and played every snap in the 49ers’ 38-10 loss to the Packers. He completed 17 of 29 pass attempts for 199 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Purdy stood to the back on Wednesday as the 49ers’ quarterbacks went through some footwork drills with short passes. He threw one short toss before the quarterbacks worked on some handoff drills. Purdy underwent an MRI examination last Monday that did not reveal any structural damage, Shanahan said. He had another MRI later in the week after his shoulder condition did not improve. “We always get more than one when you get one and it seems all right, then you have some pain later in the week,” Shanahan said. “So you get another one to make sure you didn't miss anything. And so, that's what he did after the Thursday practice.” The 49ers will have practices Thursday and Friday before departing for Buffalo. The before leaving for Green Bay last week.

Runner's World: Top RBs take flight when Ravens entertain EaglesSaquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles make their second-to-last road trip of the regular season Sunday to face Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens. The NFC East-leading Eagles (9-2) have won seven in a row and play four of their final six games in Philadelphia, traveling only about 125 miles to visit the Ravens (8-4) this weekend and the Washington Commanders in Week 16. Sunday's game features the NFL's two leading rushers. Barkley (1,392 yards) and Henry (1,325) are far ahead of Green Bay's Josh Jacobs (944) in third place. Henry leads the league with 13 rushing touchdowns. Barkley (10) is tied for fourth and Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts (11) tied for second. The matchup also features two of the top candidates for Most Valuable Player honors entering Week 13 in Barkley and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won his second MVP award last season. Their competition includes quarterbacks Josh Allen of Buffalo and Jared Goff of Detroit, with Allen widely considered the favorite. "Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are phenomenal football players that help their team win football games, and Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are phenomenal football players that help their team win football games," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "Excited about the opportunity this week because it's our next one. It will be a really good opponent, really well coached, good players, good atmosphere that will be there. Excited about the opportunity this week. And we're going to have to be on it against a really good team." The showdown at M&T Bank Stadium also pits Baltimore's No. 1 offense (426.7 yards per game) and No. 2 scoring offense (30.3 points per game) against Philadelphia's No. 1 defense (274.6) and No. 6 scoring defense (18.1). The Eagles have held seven consecutive opponents to under 300 total yards, while the Ravens have gained at least 329 yards of offense in all 11 games. Philadelphia is coming off a 37-20 road win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night in which Barkley smashed the franchise record with 255 rushing yards. Baltimore also earned a prime-time win in Los Angeles, defeating the Chargers 30-23 in the "Harbaugh Bowl" on Monday night behind Jackson's three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Jackson said he's looking forward to the Barkley and Henry show. "I've known Saquon from high school. We were in the all-star game together and he jumped over somebody's head," Jackson recalled Wednesday. "So I've pretty much seen him before I even got to the league, college, anything. I've been knowing about Saquon, but Derrick Henry -- King Henry -- I'm with him every day and I'm seeing what he's capable of, so it's going to be a great matchup." Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith practiced Wednesday after sitting out Monday with a hamstring issue. Nose tackle Michael Pierce (calf) was designated to return from injured reserve. Tight end Charlie Kolar (broken arm) is out for several weeks and cornerback Arthur Maulet (calf) did not practice. The Eagles lost veteran defensive end Brandon Graham to a season-ending triceps injury Sunday. Wideout DeVonta Smith (hamstring) missed the win over the Rams and did not practice Wednesday. Neither did cornerbacks Darius Slay (concussion) or Kelee Ringo (calf). Philadelphia is 5-1 away from home this season -- 6-1 if you count their season-opening "home" victory against the Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Baltimore is 4-1 at home. The Ravens hold a 3-2-1 lead in the series with the Eagles. They haven't met since Baltimore's 30-28 win in Week 6 at Philadelphia in 2020. --Field Level Media