
TEHRAN – The UK Foreign Office says is prepared to trigger snapback sanctions against Tehran in a move that reaffirms the West’s continued hostilities against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. The mechanism, outlined in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, allows for the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran if it violates the terms of the agreement. A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office told the BBC: “We, alongside our international partners, continue to express serious concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities. Through multiple diplomatic channels, including the United Nations and the quarterly meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, we are working tirelessly to de-escalate tensions and ensure compliance with global nuclear standards.” The statement was issued in response to reports of upcoming negotiations on Friday between Iran and the three European signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—France, Germany, and the UK. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015, was an agreement between Iran and the P5+1 nations aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions. However, the deal began unraveling in 2018 after the U.S., under President Trump, unilaterally withdrew and reimposed sanctions as part of a “maximum pressure” strategy. Iran initially continued to adhere to its JCPOA commitments despite Washington’s exit, but by 2020, it started reducing compliance after European countries aligned with the U.S. in pressuring Tehran. The UK Foreign Office spokesperson highlighted the UK's deep concern over Iran’s alleged expanding uranium reserves. “We are deeply concerned that Iran continues to increase its uranium stockpile, including highly enriched uranium that has no plausible civilian use,” the spokesperson said. Despite international concerns, Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons. Iranian officials maintain that their nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes, including energy production and medical applications. On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution denouncing Iran for what it called a lack of cooperation.EschCollection Listen below or on the go on Apple Podcasts and Spotify . CFPB says banks must cap fees at $5 . (0:15) Wholesale inflation heats up . (1:20) Nvidia loses Supreme Court decision on shareholder suit. (3:28) This is an abridged transcript of the podcast. Our top story so far: Major U.S. banks will have to put a limit on overdraft fees, according to a final rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Banks and credit unions can still charge overdraft fees, according to a final rule from the CFPB, but must cap them at $5 or charge depositors a fee that covers their expenses and losses. The latest measure, to take effect on October 1, 2025, could save customers $5 billion annually and was part of the campaign against junk fees by the Biden administration. The new rule applies to banks and credit unions that have at least $10 billion in assets. Previously, customers were charged $35 on average when they overdrew their bank accounts. The CFPB has been leading an effort to curb junk fees, with multiple banks beginning to reduce or eliminate overdraft and non-sufficient fund fees. However, despite such initiatives in place, consumers still paid more than $5.8 billion in reported overdraft and NSF fees last year. But the latest rule, proposed in January, has been met with criticism from banks and Republican lawmakers. With Republicans set to take over Congress and President-Elect Donald Trump expected to appoint a new CFPB head, the future of the rule is unclear. Looking to the economy, inflation is still in the spotlight—this time wholesale—and it’s still on the high side. The November Producer Price Index rose +0.4% , topping the +0.3% consensus estimate and accelerating from +0.3% in October, which was revised from +0.2%. That pushed the annual rate to 3% vs. the 2.6% consensus and +2.9% prior. The October number was revised up from +2.4%. The core PPI number, which excludes food and energy, rose +0.2%, slowing from +0.3% in October and matching the consensus estimate. But the annual rate came in at 3.4%, hotter than the +3.2% consensus and unchanged from the previous month, which was revised up from +3.1%. Some 80% of the increase in goods prices comes from the food index, which increased 3.1% M/M. Prices of eggs surged 54.6%. Vegetables, fruits, processed foods and poultry also saw increases. But while the headline number gave pause, things look more dovish given the components that feed into the core PCE, the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge. Pantheon Macro economist Samuel Tombs revised his expectation for November core PCE to +0.13% from 0.2% after the PPI. He added, "The foundations are in place for core PCE inflation to fall further next year, though the new administration will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory if they press ahead with higher import tariffs and deportations." In today’s trading, action is choppy, with rates edging up and a little profit-taking after the Nasdaq Composite (COMP.IND) closed above 20,000 for the first time in history. Clark Bellin, president of Bellwether Wealth, says: "The stock market is trading at record highs amid a bullish combination of expectations of lower interest rates, continued earnings strength, and the possibility of additional tax cuts." "Just because stocks are at record highs does not by itself mean that a pullback is imminent. We are staying invested despite elevated valuations." As Frank Sinatra, who was born on this day in 1915, might say, the place to be a part of it is still New York, New York, as far as equities are concerned. Among active stocks, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Nvidia ( NVDA ) looking to avoid a securities fraud lawsuit by stockholders, who alleged that the company misled investors about how much of its sales relied on the cryptocurrency market. According to Reuters, the judges, who heard arguments in the case on Nov. 13, decided not to give a decision on the underlying legal dispute and instead dismissed Nvidia's appeal of a lower court's decision, which allowed the 2018 class action to go ahead. Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery ( WBD ) are among the best performing in the S&P. The company said it will implement a new corporate structure , under which the namesake will serve as the parent for two core operating divisions: Global Linear Networks and Streaming & Studios. The new structure is expected to "enhance clarity and focus." WBD said Global Linear Networks will focus on maximizing profitability and free cash flow to continue deleveraging, while Streaming & Studios will focus on driving growth and strong returns on increasing invested capital. Chinese electric vehicle maker NIO ( NIO ) CEO William Li said the company wants to improve efficiency and cost controls , even as it also looks to spark sales growth that is two years behind schedule. NIO has already trimmed its workforce and deferred long-term projects that were not expected to boost overall financial performance within three years. At an event in Shanghai, Li also noted that NIO will start production at its third factory in the second half of next year. NIO's new sales goal is to double sales in 2025 from the level seen in 2024. And Domino's Pizza ( DPZ ) will voluntarily transfer its stock exchange listing to the Nasdaq Global Select Market from the New York Stock Exchange, effective Dec. 31 after market close. The stock is expected to begin trading as a Nasdaq-listed security on January 2, retaining its current ticker symbol "DPZ." In other news of note, energy drink sales accelerated to 7.7% year-over-year for a four-week period of retail sales tracked by Nielsen that ended November 30. Monster Beverage ( MNST ) saw energy drink sales increase 3.6% Y/Y, while Celsius Holdings ( CELH ) saw its sales growth slow to 5.9%, and its market share retreated back to 8.8% after being as high as 9.7% in September. Notably, Monster Beverage saw a price/mix increase of 5.2% during the tracked period to offset a 1.6% drop in volume, while Celsius Holdings ( CELH ) saw its 10.1% volume growth help to offset a 4.1% decline in price/mix. Weighing in on the energy drink market, Evercore ISI analyst Robert Ottenstein said 2024 has to be considered the year of Red Bull. He highlighted that Red Bull’s dollar market share fell to 35% in 2023 from 36.9% in 2022, with most of the share losses going to Celsius, which saw its own share leap from 5.3% to 10.1%. But Red Bull was noted to have fought back hard this year with its Red Edition and Amber Edition sugar-free innovations, which ramped in June and then the Winter Edition sugar-free in October. "These line extensions not only blunted Celsius' growth, but also bit into Monster, which experienced share losses in 2023 and again in 2024 YTD," Ottenstein said. And in the Wall Street Research Corner, we haven’t looked at options for a while. BofA Securities analyst Arjun Goyal picked 10 overwriting candidates for investors worried about missing out on upside. Overwriting is a strategy of selling options on a stock on the assumption that they won’t be exercised. These plays within the Russell 1000 ( IWB ) may see at least a 6% gain by January 17, with a minimum premium of 5% and an underlying notional option volume of at least $5 million. “Overwriting outperforms a long-only position if the underlying stock declines, but if the stock rises, it can underperform if the call strike is not sufficiently high,” Goyal adds. Among the players are: Micron Technology ( MU ) – Strike price: 105; Call and dividend premium: 6.4%; Call away return: 8.5% United Airlines ( UAL ) – Strike: 97.5; Call and dividend premium: 6%; Call away return: 7.5% ARM ( ARM ) – Strike: 140; Call and dividend premium: 6.5%; Call away return: 6.8% Editor's Note: This article discusses one or more securities that do not trade on a major U.S. exchange. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.Felices fiestas de parte de Bad Bunny, quien anunció el jueves que lanzará un nuevo álbum el 5 de enero. “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” es su sexto álbum de estudio y sigue su tradición de lanzar música nueva en fechas inesperadas. El album con el que debutó en la escena musical, “X 100PRE”, de 2018, se lanzó cerca de Navidad y “El Último Tour del Mundo” de 2020 cerca del Día de Acción de Gracias. La fecha de lanzamiento de enero es justo antes del Día de Reyes y es un domingo, a diferencia de la fecha de lanzamiento estándar de la industria musical, que suele ser el viernes. El músico puertorriqueño anunció la noticia en Instagram en un breve video con el cineasta Jacobo Morales. También lanzó un nuevo sencillo, “PIToRRO DE COCO”. Un día antes, Bad Bunny adelantó una lista de 17 canciones en redes sociales, con cada canción titulada “BOMBA”, quizás en referencia al estilo musical y baile puertorriqueño. “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” sigue al álbum de 2023 “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana”, que recibió críticas mixtas. Ese álbum contenía menos temas de reguetón, y Bad Bunny volvió al trap latino de “X 100PRE” en canciones como “MONACO” y “GRACIAS POR NADA”. RELATED COVERAGE Demanda de publicista respalda las acusaciones de Blake Lively sobre Justin Baldoni Muere a los 90 años el legendario cineasta indio Shyam Benegal Burt, el enorme cocodrilo australiano de “Cocodrilo Dundee”, muere a los 90 años El anuncio cierra un año ajetreado para El Conejo Malo. Bad Bunny acaparó titulares al declarar su apoyo a la vicepresidenta Kamala Harris poco después de que un comediante en el mitin de Donald Trump en el Madison Square Garden hiciera bromas groseras sobre los latinos y se refiriera a Puerto Rico como “una isla flotante de basura”. También recorrió Norteamérica en su “Most Wanted Tour”, que entró en la lista de los mejores conciertos del año de The Associated Press. ___ Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de la AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
CHICAGO — Seahawks starting running back Kenneth Walker III will miss the final two games of the regular season after the team announced Thursday it has placed him on injured reserve. The team made the announcement hours before its game Thursday night against the Bears in Chicago. Putting Walker on IR opened up a spot on the 53-man roster for rookie George Holani, who will become the third running back behind Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh. The news ends a disappointing third NFL season for Walker, who battled three different injuries and after averaging 977.5 yards per season his first two years in the NFL will end up rushing for just 573 yards in 11 games while averaging a career-low 3.7 yards per carry. The Seahawks also announced cornerback Artie Burns has been elevated off the practice squad to play against the Bears. Walker suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 27-23 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Players who go on IR have to miss four games before they can return. That means Walker could return if Seattle were to get to the playoffs and then win two games to advance to the NFC championship. It guarantees he will miss a game next weekend against the Rams in Los Angeles that could have playoff implications. That game will be either Saturday or Sunday with the date and time set following the games of this weekend. The Seahawks on Wednesday declared Walker out for Thursday’s game against the Bears with the injury Walker suffered on a run on a first-and-goal at the 3 with 5:52 remaining against the Vikings. But coach Mike Macdonald had been vague about Walker’s status beyond that saying only “he’s gonna be out this game’’ when asked if the team had learned anything about a timeline for his return. Walker, who was the 41st overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Michigan State, had 1,050 yards in 15 games as a rookie in 2022, averaging 4.6 per attempt. He followed that up with 905 yards in his second season in 2023, though he saw his yards-per-carry average drop to 4.1. But coach Mike Macdonald had been vague about Walker’s status beyond saying only “he’s gonna be out this game’’ when asked if the team had learned anything about a timeline for his return. Walker, who was the 41st overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Michigan State, had 1,050 yards in 15 games as a rookie in 2022, averaging 4.6 per attempt. He followed that up with 905 yards in his second season in 2023, though he saw his yards-per-carry average drop to 4.1. Walker, who had long gains of 74 yards in 2022 and 45 in 2023, had a long run this season of 28 in Week 4 against the Lions. He didn’t have a run of longer than 14 in his last six games, encompassing 88 carries. The Seahawks will now go the rest of the way — barring a long playoff run — with Charbonnet, a second-round pick in 2023 who has 453 yards and averaging 4.3 per attempt and turned in the best game this season by a Seahawk rusher with 134 in a in at Arizona on Dec. 8; and McIntosh, a seventh-round pick a year ago who has 77 on 17. Holani, an undrafted free agent out of Boise State, has 10 yards on three attempts. Grubb on Tuesday said he was confident the team can put together a good running game no matter who is in the backfield. “Yeah, I don’t think that personnel-wise we should have any limitations,’’ he said. “We should be able to keep building those things up front. We’re in good shape, so I think you just focus more on the offensive line and maybe less on the runners.” Walker will enter the final season of his rookie contract in 2025 when he is due to make $1,856,125, none of which is guaranteed. Teams can extend rookie contracts after a player’s third year, meaning Walker could ask for a new deal following this season. Whether the Seahawks will want to — or for how much — could loom as one of the more interesting questions of the offseason. ©2024 The Seattle Times. Visit seattletimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Tulisa Contostavlos admitted she "didn't feel different" when she left the I'm A Celebrity jungle - in new scenes which were filmed shortly before she fled Australia . Singer and TV star Tulisa , 36, had said before going onto the I'm A Celebrity show it would be "closure" for her and "like therapy" having previously had a sex tape leaked and was wrongly accused of being a drug dealer. But after speaking about her tough life experiences on the show she had a bad reaction after being voted out early in the series and did not stay on in Australia with other campmates. She is seen on new ITV I'm A Celeb show 'Coming Out' being greeted by her friend Michelle McKenna. Both Tulisa and Michelle laugh at how much they looked forward to wine, pizza and pasta. But tellingly Tulisa then says: “I said I was going to come out a different person but I don’t feel different. I feel more strong in who I am.” Within hours of this being caught on camera she had left Australia and deleted all I'm A Celebrity content from her social media. She explained why in a video and said: "I'm just doing a little video to clear a couple things up. Just so you know, when I came out of the jungle, I felt fine first of all and then that evening my friends went to bed. "But because it's been a while for me I can get overwhelmed quite easily. I just started to feel overwhelmed. I thought, ‘Do you know what, I really just need to take a bit of time for me and just chill'. You know, it's OK to feel a little bit overwhelmed. I've been out of the spotlight for a long time. I'm still trying to overcome those things. I've still got my little demons." She did then add back some content from the series once she was back in the UK. And later in the ITV doc Tulisa sends a message back to the other campmates as she is not there to greet them. Contestant GK Barry says: “Guys as we know someone isn’t here and that someone is Tulisa but fear not because I’ve got a message from her.” Tulisa appears on screen as she says: “Hello everybody, I’m so proud of you all, you’ve absolutely smashed it, now I want you to go and eat yourselves into an oblivion. I’m so sorry that I can’t be there so have a big old drink for me. I love you lots like jelly tots and I will see you soon.” The show also highlights how Dean McCulloch and Melvin Odoom continued their spat about carrying water in camp in the show's hotel when they had both been evicted. Dean was seen by some of his campmates as being lazy when it came to chores and was dubbed Houdini as he sometimes disappeared when work was needed. Melvin says: “I don’t think people realised why that happened, I was busy doing the water thing, I just wanted you to help so I was thinking I’m just gonna drop this line with half the camp there, make everyone laugh.” Dean says: “I wish you had told me, that upset me.” Melvin replies: “If I’m trying to give someone a message, I always use humour, that’s my number one way of communicating with people, that’s essentially my weapon, and that’s all that was.” Dean adds: “I saw Bush Telegraphs of you saying, ‘Oh, it’s another chore to ask Dean to do the chores’.” Melvin replied: “Me calling you Houdini was my way of telling you I need help, when we said, ‘Let’s do the water’, I came up the steps and you were having a shower, when I came down you were folding your clothes by the bed, by the time I said, ‘Houdini’ that was me saying, ‘I need help’.” The pair eventually hug and move on from the spat. Coleen Rooney , who came runner up, is shown popping a bottle of champagne as soon as she gets in her hotel room whilst kind sons Kit and Cass run her a bath. And winner and king of the jungle Danny Jones addresses all the contestants at the drinks reception after the final and says: “I want to raise a toast, we had the lowest of lows and the highest of highs but we went through it together. You’re great people, I couldn’t have wished for a better camp. You listened and you asked questions and I just feel like a new human being. Cheers everyone." * I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! Coming Out airs Friday at 9pm on ITV1, STV and ITVX Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
Bird flu fears grow as ‘positive test’ forces food recall in 12 states after pet dies & humans monitored for symptomsGISD officials hoping for success, have plan in case of failure
By Trevor Hass It’s official. Bill Belichick is the head coach of the University of North Carolina football team. Yes, that Bill Belichick. He spoke glowingly about the program and expressed immense gratitude at his introductory press conference Thursday. Now that it’s a done deal, here’s a look at what experts have to say about his surprising move to the college ranks. Jason Gay referred to Belichick coaching North Carolina as “great theater.” He believes he’ll “have to be careful,” noting that college coaches are expected to hide, or at least dampen, their ruthlessness. The game has “long been a cold, cruel business,” yet the public still thinks of college athletes as kids, Gay wrote. Here’s a passage from his recent article , in which he noted that he still doesn’t quite believe it. “How a coach not known for soothing small talk or public finesse can sand down the edges for a mayoral role like college football coach. Does Belichick have the patience for local media, boosters, sponsors and other front-facing aspects of his new role at a public university? Can he recruit (or does he even need to?) Does a terse slogan like “Do Your Job” close a deal in a high schooler’s living room? Or will that job be outsourced as somebody else’s job ?” Bill Belichick on developing younger players: "Tom Brady was a 4th string QB his rookie year ... [Rob] Gronkowski didn't do too much his rookie year ... [Julian] Edelman played QB in college ... developing players is something we believe strongly in" pic.twitter.com/f1785Zq4GE With Belichick joining the Tar Heels, Ryan McGee believes “something’s gotta give” in the unexpected meeting of the GOAT and the Ram. “The Chapel Hill hiring that no one saw coming is the football equivalent to one of those old black-and-white films of two locomotives crashing head on. Or some reality stretching experiment set up by scientists, the immovable object and irresistible force pitted against one another to peek into the total unknown. When Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves asks Robert Oppenheimer, ‘Are we saying there’s a chance that when we push that button, we destroy the world?'” McGee noted the “very opposite football pasts” between the two parties and wonders which will prevail. He said that while North Carolina is a global brand in large part because of Michael Jordan, the football program hasn’t exactly been ultra successful. "I didn't come here to leave." 🔥👀 – Bill Belichick on what he would say to people who fear, if he does succeed at @UNCFootball , he'd leave for the NFL again pic.twitter.com/mLFwzdWLcz Jeff Howe said that while the move “drew plenty of double takes,” a source told him it came down to one simple fact. “He’s a football coach. He’s going to coach somewhere.” A high-ranking team executive told Howe that Belichick “burned a lot of bridges over his career,” yet he still wanted to coach. He pointed out that Belichick will have unilateral control over the program, which he may not have gotten in the NFL. “Belichick, the most prepared figure in the NFL for so long, had to recognize a chilling reality: He’d once again be a long shot to get a job in the league’s upcoming hiring cycle.” Dan Wolken highlighted how Belichick “struck a different tone” at his press conference than his typical stoic “We’re on to Cincinnati” vibe. “He sounded like something we don’t usually see in college athletics during these days when coaches and fans are riding the sugar high of a new marriage. Belichick, quite simply, came off like an adult.” Wolken called Belichick expressing his desire to help students and players “downright refreshing,” adding that Belichick “wasn’t waving the pom-poms or talking like a used car salesman.” He pointed out that Belichick didn’t make any promises about success beyond the effort he’s going to put into the job. The Tar Heels, Wolken wrote , are now being run by a realist, rather than a televangelist. UNC AD Bubba Cunningham brought out the sleeveless suit in honor of Bill Belichick 😅 pic.twitter.com/t8GM2w3BOm Seth Wickersham noted that Belichick and a handful of his former assistants meet weekly to discuss NFL games, trends, and more. They concluded that the Chicago Bears would be the most attractive job, but that Bears brass would be unlikely to consider Belichick. The Jets were a nonstarter, and the Giants, Cowboys, and Jaguars all had questions marks. “Belichick’s feelings toward the NFL have shifted he has told confidants. Look at the past year. Robert Kraft, whose life and legacy was forever altered by Belichick, fired him in January. Only one out of seven teams with openings showed interested in hiring him. The Falcons interviewed him twice, but when it came time for the team’s brass to rank choices, Belichick failed to land in anyone’s top three candidates.” “ A few months ago, Belichick started to bring up college programs on the Zooms. He was spending a lot of time at Washington, where his son Stephen is in his first year as the Huskies’ defensive coordinator. His former offensive coordinator in New England, Bill O’Brien, and longtime assistant, Berj Najarian, are at Boston College. Another former assistant, Joe Judge, served as a senior analyst at Ole Miss.” Wickersham said that initially, the image of him coaching in college “made no sense.” But a confidant told Wickersham that this is a “big f— you” to the NFL, because he’s disgusted with what the league has become. 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