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sports pictures DANIA BEACH, Florida (AP) — Border Patrol agents are tasked with enforcing hotly contested immigration policies as many Americans at both ends of the political spectrum look askance at the border — and the agents. That's taking a mounting toll, so the agency is training more among its ranks to become chaplains and provide spiritual care for their fellow agents on and off the job. “That’s a really hard thing to deal with, as things tend to flip from one side to the other, and we’re still in the crossfire,” said Border Patrol assistant chief and chaplaincy program manager Spencer Hatch. Unlike the police or military, which recruit faith leaders to serve as chaplains, the Border Patrol trains mostly lay agents endorsed by their faith denominations to become chaplains through a 2.5 week academy. Their numbers have grown to about 240 from 130 four years ago. Three times a year, an academy is held at a different Border Patrol station. About a dozen Border Patrol personnel, plus a few Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management officers, graduated from the most recent academy, held near Miami earlier this month. The program, and a nonreligious, mental-health focused peer support program, were started by grassroots efforts in the 1990s. Chaplains stay in their regular jobs, but are on call to assist. Border Patrol agents say they're motivated by the desire to protect U.S. borders from security threats, including the powerful cartels that control much of the border dynamics. They also often rescue migrants lost and dying in the harsh deserts that line the southern U.S. border. But many agents feel the American public sees them as obstacles to migrants seeking a better life in the United States. They often tell their children to say their parent does “government work” for fear of reprisals, especially in the border communities where they live. That dissonance between upholding a duty they feel proud of, and getting called “terrible names” for it, adds an emotional toll to the already dangerous, often isolating work the agents do. That's where the chaplains come in — to help their fellow 20,000 agents cope and prevent the trauma from degenerating into family crises, addiction or even suicide. While most chaplains are Christian, with a smattering of Muslim and Jewish agents, they don’t offer faith-specific worship and only bring up religion if the person they’re helping does first. Rather, they are a comforting presence during critical moments like assisting a suicidal colleague, notifying a family their loved one was killed on the job, and counseling those dealing with addiction, survivor guilt and other traumas. Those are the scenarios that chaplains-in-training practice role-playing at the academy. They also learn about communication and family dynamics, because constant redeployments — some up to 9 times over 18 months during the record border crossings early in the Biden administration — affect their families too. Hatch teaches about the need to maintain both the “hypervigilance” of law enforcement and the humanitarian instinct to empathize with fellow agents as well as migrants. Many agents say they are especially affected by the plight of migrant children at the hands of smugglers. “One tries to give them support within the limits of what your work allows. I always have the biggest smile,” said a newly minted chaplain, Yaira Santiago, a former schoolteacher who runs a Border Patrol migrant processing center in Southern California. By relying on their faith, their commitment to help their colleagues, and their training, chaplains can make a difference. "Even in moments of uncertainty, your presence is often enough,” said Matt Kiniery, an agent in El Paso, Texas, for 15 years and a graduate of the latest chaplain academy. Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Saquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL. There's no better home run hitter playing football right now. Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984. Barkley's historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award. He's not the betting favorite, however. Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400. Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP's first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren't QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller. Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn't. Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Playing for a winning team matters, too. Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP. Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference. Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award? Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington. If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022. The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose. Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner. The AP's new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition. Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance. The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night. Buffalo can wrap up a fifth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins. It's not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension. "I don't think that's crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left," Jones said. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven't reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team's struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season. The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Argentina's Racing wins its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1

Brendan Rodgers praises Celtic and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ mentality

Jeremy Clarkson has backpedalled on his previous comments about why he bought his farm, saying he thought it would be a “better PR story if I said I bought it to avoid paying tax”. The TV presenter and journalist defied doctors’ orders by joining thousands of farmers in London on Tuesday to protest against agricultural inheritance tax changes. The 64-year-old, who fronts Prime Video’s Clarkson’s Farm, which documents the trials of farming on his land in Oxfordshire, wrote in a post on the Top Gear website in 2010: “I have bought a farm. There are many sensible reasons for this: Land is a better investment than any bank can offer. The government doesn’t get any of my money when I die. And the price of the food that I grow can only go up.” Clarkson also told the Times in 2021 that avoiding inheritance tax was “the critical thing” in his decision to buy land. Addressing the claim in a new interview with The Times, the former Top Gear presenter said: “I never did admit why I really bought it.” The fan of game bird shooting added: “I wanted to have a shoot – I was very naive. I just thought it would be a better PR story if I said I bought it to avoid paying tax.” Clarkson was among the thousands who took to the streets this week to protest over the changes in the recent Budget to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million and he addressed the crowds at the march in central London. He told the newspaper he is not happy to be the public face of the movement, saying: “It should be led by farmers.” The presenter said he does not consider himself a farmer because there are “so many basic jobs” which he cannot do, but he feels his role is to “report on farming”. Earlier this month, it was confirmed Clarkson’s Farm, which has attracted huge attention to his Diddly Squat farm shop, had been renewed for a fifth series. Asked whether the issue behind the tax protest is that rural poverty is hidden, Clarkson agreed and said his programme was not helping to address the situation. “One of the problems we have on the show is we’re not showing the poverty either, because obviously on Diddly Squat there isn’t any poverty”, he said. “But trust me, there is absolute poverty. I’m surrounded by farmers. I’m not going out for dinner with James Dyson. “It’s people with 200 acres, 400 acres. Way past Rachel Reeves’s threshold. They are f*****.” The newspaper columnist also presents Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on ITV. The Grand Tour, his motoring show with former Top Gear colleagues Richard Hammond and James May, ended in September. Discussing whether he might move into politics, Clarkson said: “I’d be a terrible political leader, hopeless. “I’m a journalist at heart, I prefer throwing rocks at people than having them thrown at me.” However, he said he would be “100% behind any escalation” after the farmers’ march. Clarkson revealed last month he had undergone a heart procedure to have stents fitted after experiencing a “sudden deterioration” in his health which brought on symptoms of being “clammy”, a “tightness” in his chest and “pins and needles” in his left arm. He said in a Sunday Times column that one of his arteries was “completely blocked and the second of three was heading that way” and doctors said he was perhaps “days away” from becoming very ill. Asked if he is thinking about retiring, the Doncaster-born celebrity said: “Probably not. It depends when you die, I always think. “You’d be surprised, us Northerners are made of strong stuff.”College Football Fans Are Giving Kirk Herbstreit A Hard Time On Saturday

The online scams, often carried out via social media platforms, prey on individuals across various demographics. — Photo from pexels.com KUCHING (Dec 17): As 2024 draws to a close, Sarawak continues to grapple with widespread job and online scams that have left victims financially devastated and emotionally scarred. These scams, often orchestrated through social media platforms, prey on individuals across various demographics, from young job-seekers lured by high-paying overseas opportunities, to seasoned professionals enticed by fraudulent investment schemes. Throughout the year, this alarming trend has indicated the adaptability of scammers in using technology and other means to run their devious operations. Moreover, it also underlines the urgent need for greater public awareness and systemic counter-measures. Foo discussing some matters with the parents of the victims of the Cambodia job scam. ‘Enticed by sweet offers’ Among the most harrowing cases was the one involving five Sarawakians, in their early 20s,who were stranded in Cambodia after being duped by fake job offers. On Oct 12, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau chief Milton Foo held a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Kuching, after the victims’ parents had sought his assistance. During the session, the parents shared how their daughters fell victim to job-recruitment scams that was advertised Facebook, with three leaving for Cambodia without informing their families. Their parents only learned about the situation when the daughters contacted them, explaining that they were unable to return to Malaysia without paying exorbitant fees demanded by the scammers. Following intervention by the Malaysian Embassy and Cambodian police, the victims, who were detained after escaping a human-trafficking syndicate in early September, returned home on Nov 1, after nearly two months being held at a Cambodian immigration centre, having been cleared to leave by the Sihanoukville Immigration Department. ‘Entrapped in Myanmar’ Similarly, the plight of Hou, 37, and Kueh, 23, two Sarawakians believed to beentrapped by a syndicate in Myanmar, underscores the dangers of fraudulent job advertisements – and also the potential involvement of officials at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak secretary George Lam helped their families in filing detailed police reports to reinforce the investigation. Lam speaking to reporters at a press conference on the Myanmar job scam, after a meeting with a Foreign Affairs Ministry official in Kuching. In a press conference on June 25, held after meeting with a Foreign Affairs Ministry officer in Kuching, Lam spoke about the syndicate’s ‘luring’ methods including posting fake job advertisements on Facebook and coordinated travel arrangements to Myanmar via Thailand, which raised concerns about possible collusion at the key transit points. These cases highlight the pervasive role of international trafficking networks, the sophisticated methods used to exploit the victims, and the significant challenges involved in coordinating cross-border efforts to ensure the victims’ safe return. ‘Phoney investments’ Meanwhile, online investment scam cases have also surged, causing staggering financial losses. Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen, on Oct 28, revealed that the country lost over RM1 billion to online fraud as at September this year, including RM547.3 million from investment scams – up from RM472.2 million reported in the same period in 2023. One of these cases involved a businessman in Kuching, who lost RM564,354 from his fixed deposits after being deceived by scammers posing as law enforcement officials investigating a fake parcel linked to illegal items. Convinced by a man claiming to be one ‘Datuk Loo,’ the businessman made three transfers on Oct 4, to an account registered as ‘SAA Cool Empire,’ believing that it was necessary for the investigation. One of the fraudulent scheme victims seeking help from Chong. The scam came to light only after he had consulted his wife, prompting him to seek assistance from Chong to trace the money and recover his losses. In another case, a pensioner in his 60s lost RM540,000 to another Facebook scham, namely the fraudulent ‘Pentheon Venture’ investment scheme, making 24 transactions to nine different bank accounts between mid-June and early September this year. Sarawak Police Commissioner Dato Mancha Ata stated that the scam was only discovered when the victim could no longer contact the suspect and did notreceive any returns from the investment. A company director based in Sibu, in his 30s, lost over RM1 million to an online investment scam after having been enticed by a Facebook advertisement for ‘Arcadia Equity’ in mid-October. On this case, Mancha said the victim was directed to join a WhatsApp group, download the ‘AE Online’ app, and make several transactions to a certain bank account. The scam was uncovered when the victim was unable to withdraw the promised profits; instead, he was further pressured to make additional payments. Dato Mancha Ata Modus operandi Based on these cases, involving losses up to millions of ringgit, it appears that the modus operandi involves leveraging on social media platforms to post fake job advertisements or investment opportunities, luring the victims with promises of high returns or lucrative jobs. The scammers establish direct contact via phone or messaging apps, impersonating individuals with authority or using content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) to appear more credible. The victims are manipulated into transferring funds to ‘mule accounts’ under the guise of legal fees, job placement costs, or investment requirements. By creating urgency and isolating the victims from consulting other people, the scammers exploit their trust and vulnerability, making such schemes difficult to be detected and traced. These tactics highlight the need for public awareness and systemic safeguards to combat such fraud effectively. These incidents also highlight the need for stronger collaboration between authorities, financial institutions, and foreign governments to combat fraud. In this regard, the public can verify the list of unregistered companies by going to the official websites of Bank Negara Malaysia. www.bnm.gov.my, or the Securities Commission of Malaysia, www.sc.com.my. The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) also recommends using applications such as Whoscall and Check Scammers CCID to identify the phone numbers or bank accounts that may be linked to scams. For the victims, they are urged to contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) on 997 immediately after making any transactions to the suspects. As Sarawak looks to the future, equipping individuals with the knowledge and tools to recognise and stay away from scams remains paramount in protecting every community from these evolving threats.Sarah Latifa had feared that her Christian community in Syria may struggle to celebrate its first Christmas since Islamist-led rebels toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad earlier this month. But at a church in Damascus's historic centre, surrounded by some 500 faithful who were singing psalms on Christmas Eve on Tuesday, she could breathe a sigh of relief. "It wasn't easy to come together in the current circumstances and to joyfully pray, but thank God, we did it," Latifa told AFP at mass at the capital's Syriac Orthodox cathedral of Saint George. Syria's rulers who toppled Assad's government on December 8 have since sought to assure religious and ethnic minorities that their rights would be upheld. But for some in the Christian community of several hundred thousands, the promises made by the new Islamist leadership have done little to soothe their fears in a country scarred by years of civil war. Hundreds took to the streets of Damascus on Tuesday to demand their rights be respected, after a Christmas tree was set ablaze in a town in central Syria. A video on social media showed hooded fighters setting fire to the tree in the Christian-majority town of Suqaylabiyah, near Hama. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said they were foreign jihadists. A local religious leader from Syria's victorious Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) condemned the torching. At the Saint George Cathedral, Latifa said that even though the road towards a new Syria may seem "tumultuous or uncertain", the future can be better "if we walk hand in hand". -'We don't belong' Before the war began in 2011, Syria was home to about one million Christians, or about five percent of the population, according to analyst Fabrice Balanche. Now, he told AFP , only up to 300,000 of them are still in the country. Assad, who hails from the Alawite minority and ruled with an iron fist, had long presented himself as a protector of minority groups in Syria, whose population is majority Sunni Muslim. The new administration appointed by HTS -- a group which is rooted in Syria's branch of Al-Qaeda -- has adopted an inclusive discourse, seeking to reassure groups in the multi-confessional and multi-ethnic country. In this transformed political landscape, Syrian Christians are determined to make their voices heard. In an overnight protest over the Christmas tree burning, Georges, who only gave his first name, condemned "sectarianism" and "injustice against Christians". "If we're not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we used to, then we don't belong here anymore," he said. In his first sermon in Damascus since Assad's fall, John X, the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Antioch, expressed his hope that a new constitution would be drawn up with the participation of "all parts of the Syrian mosaic". 'Afraid of the unknown' In Bab Touma, a Christian-majority neighbourhood of Damascus, carols rang out from a cafe which was festively decorated and lit, and fitted with a Christmas tree. Owner Yamen Basmar, 45, said that some people "are afraid" of the new situation. "Many come to ask me whether I still sell alcohol, or if we still organise events," he said. "In reality, nothing has changed," Basmar stressed, even though he said sales have gone down by 50 percent because "people are afraid anyway". Last Christmas, "we closed at 3:00 am. Now we close at 11:00 pm," Basmar said. One Damascus restaurant held a Christmas party, attended by dozens of people, Christians and Muslims alike. "The party was really nice, not what we had imagined," said 42-year-old Emma Siufji. "As Christians this year, we're afraid of the unknown." Her only wish this holiday season, Siufji told AFP, was that no Syrian would have to leave the country, as happened to millions during the war. "No one would want to be forced to leave." Published - December 25, 2024 01:51 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Syria / christianity / christmas

U.S-based and England’s have partnered to integrate their biometrics and forensics capabilities for the law enforcement market. Next-generation latent fingerprint technology from ROC has been integrated with Smytek’s BlindSite product for crime scene investigators. UK-based national security specialist Vigilate facilitated the software integration, according to the company announcement. BlindSite is described by Smytek as a “hybrid-spectral imaging system.” It takes the form of a handheld camera that performs hyperspectral and multispectral imaging for contactless, non-destructive latent print capture from up to five meters away. Then installation of ROC’s latent fingerprint recognition allows investigators to analyze latent biometrics at the scene of the crime, and get matching results in less than a minute. This means more streamlined processes and lower resource requirements for more efficient and cost-effective investigations, the partners say. “Integrating ROC fingerprint capabilities with BlindSite addresses long-standing challenges in forensic science,” says Dr. Alexander Smyth, CEO at Smytec. “From reducing evidential backlogs to saving lives in high-stakes situations, this partnership exemplifies how technology can empower the entire criminal justice system.” Smyth says the integration transforms evidence capture and analysis while redefining investigative workflows. “Our partnership with Smytec is a testament to ROC’s commitment to providing cutting-edge biometric solutions that address the evolving needs of the public safety and defense sectors,” says B. Scott Swann, CEO of ROC. “By integrating our next-gen latent capabilities into BlindSite, we are enabling first responders to make faster, more informed decisions at the point of need, accelerating the path to CSI and other law enforcement activities.” The partnership also sets up the potential for face and iris biometrics from ROC to be integrated with BlindSite. ROC has scored solid results in NIST’s Evaluation of Latent Fingerprint Technologies (ELFT) with a pair of this year, with particularly strong results in matching speed. A match is delivered in an average of 15 seconds, ROC says, 500 times faster than the industry average. Overall, BlindSite can now accelerate by 60 times, according to the announcement. The company has also been hiring expertise in the government and law enforcement markets, most recently including new advisor and . | | | | | |

California GOP flip second state legislative seat, 3 weeks after election

Explore the World Expo: Significance of the Event / Osaka Expo Venue to Showcase Japan’s Recycling Society; CO2-Absorbing Bacteria to Be IntroducedKey Takeaways Most of us in business know enough about building SEO to get by or at least not embarrass ourselves when the marketing team starts throwing acronyms around the conference room. For most, it's simply keeping up with keywords , tagging social media and website pages with query terms, paying for some rankings, earning more organically and monitoring search engine results pages to see how close you are to the top and your competitors. But do you know about the dark and rapidly growing side of SEO? Despite over 20 years as a marketing executive embracing new technologies as a practitioner and thought leader , I was unprepared for how quickly the marketing tech (MarTech) we use for good became the catalyst for so much bad. Recently, I was involved in pitching marketing services to an investment fund that wanted to accelerate revenue quickly for acquisitions. As I always do, I looked under the hood to understand the businesses so I could craft highly relevant recommendations for lead generation and sales. Something odd popped up as quickly as popping the hood on my SUV. Every company in this portfolio had the same name and a very similar URL as an established competitor offering the same products to the same verticals, sending me a trigger alert for potential trademark and SEO infringement, both of which can build brands quickly and cheaply stealing hard-earned and costly marketing returns from other companies. While aware of black hat SEO and identity theft aligned with phishing scams , I was not aware of how common dark marketing tactics have become. Unfortunately, in a world where good technology quickly enables bad deeds, monitoring your brand identity and SEO safety needs to be as common as monitoring traffic, leads and conversions from your marketing programs. Here are just a few actions to take to protect your brand. Related: 'We Pulled Off An SEO Heist': This Entrepreneur Stole 3.6 Million Pageviews From Competitors — And Your Business Could Be Next. Brandjacking Brandjacking is more than setting up a fake site for a big brand like Norton or Netflix and then telling customers to update their payment information, which is then stolen by thieves behind the fake sites. It is also about branding a business with a similar identity and URL to another business to confuse customers about who is who with the intent to direct consumers looking for competitors' websites to your site. Many consumers and algorithms don't know the difference between URLs that are nearly identical. When this happens, money and effort spent managing keywords, tagging sites, crafting content, paying for Google Ads and more can actually benefit a dark competitor who does nothing but divert others' heard-earned web traffic to their sites. You can often detect potential brandjacking when a competitor pops up with a name and URL that are very similar to yours. Compare ABCtechnologies.com vs. ABCtechnologies1.com. Algorithms may miss tiny differences and serve up imposter URLs to your target customers regardless of how much you spend on SEO. What you need to do to protect yourself Is your SEO at risk of being stolen? You may have read the story here on Entrepreneur.com last June about the great "SEO Heist" of 2023 and how the agency behind it bragged about stealing more than 3.6 million traffic hits from a competitor over a matter of months. There's been quite a flurry of reaction to this announcement, some unscrupulously wanting to do it themselves and others disgusted that AI, automation and other tools are being used for outright theft. I will always stand with the latter. SEO heists often involve scraping your website's site menu and links, duplicating URLs for blogs and landing pages, engaging AI to write keyword-laden articles that support your stolen content, and more. Consumers do not always know the difference and may think they purchased from you when they instead purchased from a hijacker they should not trust. Thankfully, these threats are being exposed, but that does not mean business managers are prepared to protect their branding and SEO efforts against internet pirates. Here are three ways to determine if your SEO is at risk of being stolen. Related: 9 SEO Tips to Help You Rank No. 1 on Google in 2024 Marketing technology makes whitehat, ethical and earned paid and organic SEO easier to achieve, execute and monitor than ever. There are many ways to keep tabs on the impact of your keywords and those used by your competitors in a fair, ethical and legal way. You can read about these affordable tactics in Entrepreneur's new book, Market Your Business – Your Guide to DIY Marketing , available on amazon.com, bn.com and more. There is never a reason to resort to black hat SEO. In fact, the campaign mentioned in the "SEO Heist" article referenced above crashed — and crashed hard . According to this article on LinkedIn and others, the long-term damage was greater than the gain. AI provides many powerful tools to make marketing and growth initiatives work better and faster. But it's also a great example of a failure of success. The failure is that this technology can be used for nefarious activities, and there are many out there who will do so. By following the steps in this article, you can set yourself up to recognize issues and correct them.MONTREAL — Police say they've arrested several people following an anti-NATO protest that included two car fires and left some businesses with smashed windows. Montreal police say they made at least three arrests following a demonstration that began late afternoon Friday. Police say that during the march, smoke bombs were deployed, metal barriers were thrown into the street and windows of businesses and at the convention centre were smashed. Delegates from NATO member states and partner countries are in Montreal this weekend to discuss issues including support for Ukraine, climate change and the future of the alliance. The protest was planned by the groups Divest for Palestine and the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly condemned the protests in a Saturday morning post on social media platform X, saying that "rioting is not peaceful protest and has no place in Montreal or anywhere in Canada." "Those who spread hate and antisemitism, use violence, loot and destroy property must be condemned and held accountable," she added. Police spokesperson Manuel Couture says the demonstrators were completely dispersed at around 7 p.m. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 23, 2024. The Canadian Press

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israel approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. In the hours leading up to the Cabinet meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold. Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark 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. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, but neither he nor Netanyahu have proposed a postwar solution for the Palestinian territory, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed a series of accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran, which backs both groups. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” Netanyahu's office later said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but "reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides’ compliance. But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Even as Israeli, U.S, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollah’s military capabilities. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs killed at least one person and wounded 13, it said. Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site that is around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets in Beirut and other areas linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers will not evacuate. The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since. Israel escalated its campaign of bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. ___ Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed.

Brendan Rodgers praises Celtic and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ mentality

Theater kids have been singing during screenings of Wicked , and AMC isn’t having it. With the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical—starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande—set to appear in theaters across the U.S. on Friday, the movie theater chain is planning to air a 30-second ad ahead of screenings that implores attendees not to belt out the show’s immensely catchy numbers, Vulture reported . And yes, that even includes “Popular.” Some attendees of early screenings for the flick told The New York Times they were put off by their fellow audience members’ blatant disregard for movie theater norms. “It started slow. Then people heard each other—it was like they encouraged each other,” attendee Angela Weir told the Times . “It was a beautiful scene, and then you’re taken out of it.” But those with the irresistible inclination to join Grande, Erivo, and the rest of the cast need not fret too much. About 1,000 North American cinemas will host special sing-along showings of Wicked beginning after Christmas, Variety reported earlier this week. Former Rep. Mike Rogers is no longer under consideration to lead the FBI, a senior Donald Trump adviser said Friday. “Just spoke to President Trump regarding Mike Rogers going to the FBI. It’s not happening—In his own words, ‘I have never even given it a thought.’ Not happening," Dan Scavino, who will serve as deputy chief of staff in the incoming administration, posted on X . Sources told Fox News that Rogers, who lost his Senate race in Michigan earlier this month, visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago to discuss leading the law enforcement agency. During his first administration, Trump appointed Christopher Wray for the 10-year term but has repeatedly criticized him since then and said on the campaign trail that he wants to fire Wray. 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Omnilux is offering a sitewide sale ahead of Black Friday next week. Score $60 off on one device with the code SAVE60, $140 off two devices with the code SAVE140 and $240 off when you buy three devices. Read my full review of Omnilux’s Contour device. Click Here > While Baby Boomers say a person has to earn around $100,000 a year to be “financially successful,” members of Generation Z say they would need to make almost six times that figure—$587,800—to fit the label, Axios reported based on a September survey by Empower. Gen Z is truly in a league of its own—Generation X put the figure at $212,300, while for Millennials it was a bit lower, at $180,900. Across all generations, the average was $270,200. Despite their lofty ideal of financial success, 71 percent of Gen Z still said they thought they would achieve financial success in their lifetime, which was more than any other generational group. Boomers, who reportedly control over half of all American wealth, could actually end up helping Gen Z achieve their goal. Over the next few decades, as much as $50 trillion could flow from the older generation to younger ones in the form of inheritances—although experts also warn that it could also end up being spent on health-care costs for the aging Boomers. Morning Joe star Mika Brzezinski announced Friday she’s leaving Twitter, encouraging her followers to listen to her appearance on The Daily Beast Podcast as she headed for the exit. “I’ve decided to leave X, but I’d love to keep the conversation going. Join me on BlueSky !” the MSNBC host wrote in her presumably final post on Elon Musk ’s platform. Brzezinski’s penultimate post promoted her Daily Beast Podcast episode, in which she spoke about why she visited Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago after his election victory. The personal visit, which Brzezinski made with her husband and co-host Joe Scarborough, set off a furious backlash —and an exodus of viewers —over what some saw as a capitulation to the president-elect after years of denouncing him. “We heard from many of you wanting to let us know that it was the right thing to do, our jobs,” Brzezinski said as she introduced the footage Friday. “We’ve also faced a lot of criticism about the meeting, largely from folks online.” On the podcast, Brzezinski told co-hosts Joanna Coles and Samantha Bee that one of the reasons she and Scarborough went to Mar-a-Lago is that “people are really scared about Donald Trump’s comments about political adversaries.” She added that while she doesn’t “regret anything” she said during the campaign, she is nevertheless “looking at how to do things differently.” “I would never turn down an opportunity to gain insight or information,” Brzezinski added. “Never.” Watch the full podcast interview below. 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With his court order, Judge Juan Merchan indefinitely postponed the hearing that was scheduled to take place next week, allowing Trump’s legal team time to submit their motions for dismissal of the hush money case by December 2. After that, the District Attorney’s office will have a week to deliver its response. On Tuesday, prosecutors signaled that they were fine to give Trump’s attorneys more time to get their argument together, but would oppose any attempts to toss the case. Still, given that Trump is about to assume ultimate pardon power, it now seems unlikely that any consequences will follow from the May conviction. “Just as a sitting President is completely immune from any criminal process,” Todd Blanche, a Trump lawyer poised to join his client’s Justice Department, argued to Merchan in a letter, per NBC , “so too is President Trump as President-elect.” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a MAGA darling and three letter initialism-haver, is poised to lead a new House Oversight Committee Subcommittee that will work with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy ’s ‘DOGE’ commission to “eliminate government waste.” Rep. 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To borrow a phrase I saw elsewhere, it’s like giving someone an unplugged controller. https://t.co/cgu6B4IAYV If Matt Gaetz ’s stamp of approval still holds any weight on Capitol Hill after his scandal-ridden attorney general nomination went up in flames Thursday, then president-elect Donald Trump’s new pick for the role, former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi , is headed in the right direction. Bondi “is a stellar selection,” Gaetz wrote in a post on X Thursday. “Pam and I worked closely together when she was Florida’s Attorney General and I chaired Criminal Justice in the state house. She’s a proven litigator, an inspiring leader and a champion for all Americans. She will bring the needed reforms to DOJ.” Bondi has been just as candid a Trump supporter as Gaetz, having spoken at his rallies and attended sessions of of New York criminal trial. She was also a defense lawyer during Trump’s first impeachment trial. Like Gaetz and other cabinet nominees Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy, Bondi has also appeared frequently on Fox News to defend Trump’s record. . @PamBondi is a stellar selection by President Trump for Attorney General. Pam and I worked closely together when she was Florida’s Attorney General and I chaired Criminal Justice in the state house. She’s a proven litigator, an inspiring leader and a champion for all... https://t.co/K86sK7WkPf Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reached an 11th hour deal with congressional Republicans to quickly confirm more judges to lower federal court positions—in exchange for not moving forward with four nominations to federal appellate court positions. The deal will see the Senate consider seven judges for lower court appointments the week after Thanksgiving, while another six are put on the executive calendar for consideration later in December. 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Designed in the UK, these dishes are classically English and have a one-year no-chip guarantee. If you refresh your cabinets with these today, you’ll also receive a free Glass Wine Set. Free Shipping Alex Jones on Thursday called Matt Gaetz “quite the stud” after a new allegation of sexual assault emerged against the former congressman. Gaetz, who had been picked by Donald Trump as his nominee for attorney general, withdrew his name from contention after he was contacted for comment on the CNN report about the alleged crime. In it, the same woman who said she had sex with Gaetz when she was 17 revealed that she had an additional underage encounter with Gaetz, involving another, adult woman. Jones, a far-right pundit and conspiracy theorist, took the news of the new criminal accusation as a chance to praise Gaetz for his sexual prowess. “I treat women super nice,” Jones explained to viewers of his show Infowars. “So does Trump. Women love me. 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In a message posted on social media, Casey thanked election officials for their work in the recount effort. “This race was one of the closest in our commonwealth’s history, decided by less than a quarter of a point,” he said. Casey, the son of former Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey Sr., was running for his fourth term representing the Keystone State in the Senate. “I want to thank the people of Pennsylvania for granting me the privilege of serving them for 28 consecutive years in public office as auditor general, state treasurer, and United States senator,” the outgoing Senator said. “Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in me through all these years. It’s been the honor of my lifetime.” McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO, thanked Casey for his “decades of service, hard work, and personal sacrifice” in a statement posted on social media. During my time in office, I have been guided by an inscription on the Finance Building in Harrisburg: “All public service is a trust, given in faith and accepted in honor.” Thank you for your trust in me for all these years, Pennsylvania. It has been the honor of my lifetime. pic.twitter.com/RSXEFwdge8Haiti gangs fire on journalists covering a planned hospital reopening, leaving casualties

TORONTO, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- POET Technologies Inc. (" POET " or the " Corporation ") (TSXV: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), the designer and developer of the POET Optical InterposerTM, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) and light sources for the data center, tele-communication and artificial intelligence markets, today announces its intention to complete a registered direct offering pursuant to which the Corporation expects to issue 5,555,556 common shares (the " Common Shares ") and warrants exercisable for 2,777,778 Common Shares (the " Warrant " and, together with the Common Shares, the " Offered Securities "). The combined price of one Common Share and the accompanying Warrant in respect of one-half Common Share will be US$4.50 (or approximately C$6.29), to raise aggregate gross proceeds to the Corporation of US$25,000,002 (the " Offering "). The Warrant will be exercisable at an exercise price of US$6.00 (or approximately C$8.39) per Common Share for a period of five years from the date of issuance. The Corporation anticipates using the net proceeds of the Offering for working capital related to its recently announced intention to expand assembly operations into Malaysia and for other corporate purposes. It is anticipated that the Offering will close on or about December 3, 2024. The Offering will be made by way of a prospectus supplement to the short form base shelf prospectus of the Corporation dated September 6, 2024 (the " Base Shelf Prospectus ") which will be prepared and filed by the Corporation with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada prior to the closing of the Offering, and will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Corporation's U.S. registration statement on Form F-10 (Registration No. 333-28055, which includes the Base Shelf Prospectus and was declared effective by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on September 10, 2024. The Offering is expected to be made to a single institutional investor that qualifies as an "accredited investor" under National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions of the Canadian Securities Administrators. The consummation of the Offering remains subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the " Exchange "), and other customary closing conditions. No commission or finder's fee will be paid in connection with the Offering. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About POET Technologies Inc. POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical engines, light source products and custom optical modules to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers. POET's photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical InterposerTM, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET's Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems. POET's Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges across a broad range of communication, computing and sensing applications. POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Allentown, PA, Shenzhen, China, and Singapore. More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com . Adrian Brijbassi [email protected] Thomas R. Mika, EVP & CFO [email protected] This news release contains "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "propose", "project", "outlook", "foresee" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include, without limitation, the Corporation's expectations with respect to consummation of the Offering, its products, the scalability of the POET Optical Interposer and the success of the Corporation's products, the Corporation's ability satisfy all closing conditions and close the Offering within the announced timeline, the Corporation's use of proceeds for the Offering and the Corporation's ability to obtain the final approval of the Exchange. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, management's expectations regarding the size of the market for its products, the capability of its joint venture to produce products on time and at the expected costs, the performance and availability of certain components, and the success of its customers in achieving market penetration for their products. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the attractiveness of the Corporation's product offerings, performance of its technology, the performance of key components, and ability of its customers to sell their products into the market. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Corporation's filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Corporation's securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Corporation can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Corporation assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. 120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2- Tel: 416-368-9411 - Fax: 416-322-5075Christmas Day lineup, as always, has star powerElectronic Arts Inc. stock rises Tuesday, still underperforms market