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NoneMegyn Kelly Attacked Caitlin Clark For Addressing White Privilege. Here's What Kelly's Missing.
Ollie Schniederjans and a LIV rules official assessing Schniederjans' lie on Friday. LIV Golf/YouTube If you were trying to identify the Next Big Thing in 2015, Ollie Schniederjans would have been on your short list. Until he wasn’t. All of which helps explain why this week Schniederjans is playing golf halfway across the world on a quest to land a new home with LIV Golf , where purses are $25 million and last season only seven players made less than $2 million. Joining Schniederjans at the LIV Golf Promotions event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were 92 other hopefuls, only one of whom — the winner of the 72-hole event — will earn entrée to LIV for the 2025 season (though the top 10 finishers, including ties, will earn full exemptions into the Asian Tour’s 2025 International Series). We say were because after Friday’s second round at Riyadh Golf Club, the field was whittled down to 20 golfers who will play 36 holes on Saturday to determine the champion. Trimming a field down to a round number typically requires a playoff, and this event was no exception. On Friday, six entrants — Schniederjans among them — finished 36 holes tied for 20th at three under, meaning a sudden-death playoff was necessary to determine which one of those players would advance. When Schniederjans and MJ Maguire were the only players to birdie the first playoff hole — the 396-yard par-4 18th — the 6-for-1 playoff quickly became 2-for-1, which is how it stayed when Schniederjans and Maguire replayed 18 and made matching birdies again. On their third go-around on the home hole (fourth including regulation), Maguire found the fairway, but Schniederjans did not; after carrying the water, his ball settled into a sandy waste area roughly 30 yards short and right of the green. His lie looked wicked — his ball nestled up against the crusty collar of rough on the far side of the sand — and it was wicked, especially given the magnitude of the approach shot Schniederjans was facing. Bad break? Nope, quite the opposite, actually, because Schniederjans was about to get free relief from an unusual rule. Thanks to a local rule instituted by LIV this week to prevent players from hurting themselves when faced with precarious shots like this one, Schniederjans was permitted to identify his nearest point of relief — in this case, the light rough outside the waste area — and drop his ball within a club-length of that spot. “It’s a short enough shot that he wouldn’t really hurt himself, but you can’t take that into account when you’re designing the local rules,” LIV Golf analyst Jerry Foltz said on the broadcast. Su-Ann Heng, LIV’s on-course reporter, called the ruling “a huge break,” later adding of the drop, “MJ is looking pretty closely at it, too.” Schniederjans’ break got even better when during his drop procedure, his ball twice rolled out of the relief area, meaning he was permitted to place his ball on a perfect lie. “Every once in a while, the rules work to your advantage,” Foltz said. To which Heng said: “If you’re MJ, though, I’m sure you’re a little bit disappointed.” Schniederjans didn’t catch his approach as cleanly as he would have liked, leaving himself about 10 feet for birdie. Maguire’s attempt from the middle of the fairway also left little to be desired as it ran 20 feet by the hole from where he failed to make 3. Then it was Schniederjans’ turn: hole the putt and advance to Saturday’s 36-hole finale, or miss it and play a fourth playoff hole. As Schniederjans’ ball rolled toward the cup, there was never a doubt. Bingo . Asked about the ruling after the round, Schniederjans said, “I was assuming I was getting relief, but I hadn’t been in that spot all week. That was obviously a great break.” Of course, for Schniederjans, there is still much work to be done. Thirty-six holes and 19 players still stand between him and a chance to prove himself in LIV’s big-money showdowns in 2025. But that chance is something Schniederjans desperately wants. “I’ve been through a lot,” he said Friday evening as dusk settled over Riyadh Golf Club. “I want to play against the best players in the world again. I think I’m coming back to I’m fully healthy. I just want to prove myself again and get that opportunity.” Latest In News Golf.com Editor As GOLF.com’s executive editor, Bastable is responsible for the editorial direction and voice of one of the game’s most respected and highly trafficked news and service sites. He wears many hats — editing, writing, ideating, developing, daydreaming of one day breaking 80 — and feels privileged to work with such an insanely talented and hardworking group of writers, editors and producers. Before grabbing the reins at GOLF.com, he was the features editor at GOLF Magazine. A graduate of the University of Richmond and the Columbia School of Journalism, he lives in New Jersey with his wife and foursome of kids.Adele [Source: AP Photo] Adele has opened up about how her two-year Las Vegas residency got off to a “rocky” start. The Chasing Pavements singer, 36, mounted the gigs after a traumatic time in 2022 which saw her cancel the shows less than a day before the first one was set to kick off – and wrapped them up on Saturday night with an emotional performance at Caesars Palace that saw her kiss her 12-year-old son Angelo and fiancée Rich Paul, 43, after making a speech to fans about her battle to put them on. She told the crowd in a video shared on social media: “I am so sad that this residency is over and I am so glad that it happened – I really, really am. “It got off to such a f****** rocky, rocky way. It was one of the worst years of my life. “I was being punched around, it was horrible and I was told it was career suicide and Vegas would never forgive me for (cancelling) so last minute.” Ahead of her last show on Saturday, Adele told how she was looking forward to enjoying red wine and resting in bed. She told fans at one of her recent shows in Sin City, she said: “Doing four hours a weekend of completely live singing is a lot. “And I chat a lot, and I’m very, very sensitive and I’m emotional. I am battered after these shows. And I take every single person on in this room into my soul, I take you home with me. She added she’s been on “full recovery” between shows and was ready for them to be over. Adele went on: “It’s a big deal to me because it’s very, very bittersweet. But (my residency) has been in my mind for four years... four years for one f****** idea. “So I’m looking forward to having loads of spare time to love on my kids, to love on my man and to love on another kid. To love on my house. “Saturday night (when the residency ends), I’m probably going to have a (lot) of red wine. “So that’s the most exciting thing for when the show ends! Then after that I think I’m just going to really, really veg until the end of the year. I feel like I’m early hibernating already.”Romanians cast ballots in presidential race that could pit nationalist against leftist in a runoffChristmas decor over the last few years has followed a more minimalist style, with pared-back designs and muted color palettes proving most popular. But this year, outdated Christmas decor is making a comeback, and it's all about embracing color and nostalgia. It's fair to say we've all recovered from the Instagram Christmas aesthetic that was void of any personality or character – and this year's Christmas decor ideas prove it. From oversized bows and mismatched designs to the return of more traditional color palettes, these are the outdated Christmas decor trends making a comeback this year – and designers just can't get enough. Nothing stays outdated for long. This year's revived trends hail from the '90s and beyond, bringing back the nostalgic looks of a classic childhood Christmas. From tinsel to kitschy decor, there's plenty here to bring back all those holiday memories. 1. Kitschy holiday decorations Nostalgia is the buzzword of Christmas 2024, with revived trends of decades past becoming favorable once again. And kitschy decor is back in full force, with color and mismatched designs proving incredibly popular. 'We're noticing a resurgence of kitschy holiday decorations – but this time, they’re being used in a more intentional and stylish way. Think oversized red bows, jingling bells, mismatched stockings, and even the ever-polarizing Elf on the Shelf. These nostalgic touches are making their way back into homes, and we’re absolutely here for it,' says Kailee Blalock, co-founder at House of Hive Design Co . 'The beauty of this trend is its flexibility. Introduce these elements in ways that feel natural to your space. Maybe it’s a big red bow on your entryway wreath, vintage bells hung on your tree, or simply a mix of stockings that tell the story of your family. Let your home’s unique character shine through with thoughtful, nostalgic touches!' This set of six clip on bows features different colors for an eclectic holiday design. A tarnished brass bell garland looks so festive paired with red and green decor. These stockings epitomize a classic Christmas – and they can be personalized! 2. Icicles and teardrop ornaments A lot of the outdated Christmas decor making a comeback this year revolves around the tree – and glass hanging ornaments in particular are having a moment this year. '2024 seems to be the year of the retro Christmas revival, and I'm so here for it,' says Charlotte Olby , H&G's style and trends editor, who's bringing in several revived trends to her Christmas decor this year. 'Pining for a dose of '90s festive nostalgia, I'm looking to bring back icicles on my tree this year and will be adding glass teardrop ornaments,' she explains. Elegant and smooth, these icicle ornaments are an utterly chic addition to your decor. This swirled glass design is a beautiful, textured take on classic teardrop ornaments. For something a bit different, these twisted icicles are an unexpected way to bring in the trend. 3. Generational heirlooms For so long, decor trends focused on the new and shiny, and those sentimental pieces inherited from earlier generations were left in boxes rather than used in holiday displays. But this year, heirloom decor is front and center of our homes. 'As our generation starts to inherit cherished decorations from grandparents and parents, we’re seeing a shift toward incorporating these heirlooms. They may not be perfectly "on-trend," but they carry sentimental value that makes a house feel like home during the holidays,' says Kailee. 'There’s something refreshing about breaking away from the pressure of maintaining a picture-perfect, ultra-curated aesthetic. Mixing in meaningful, fun, and nostalgic elements adds personality and heart to your holiday décor. It’s not about being tacky; it’s about embracing what feels authentically Christmassy to you,' she explains. 4. Colorful Christmas tree lights While the more neutral decorators among us probably won't be on board with this revived trend, anyone who loves a maximalist Christmas will be no stranger to it. Colorful Christmas lights are back in a big way – especially multi-colored string lights. Cool white lights have had their day, replaced by a warmer glow, or in this year's case, bright and colorful ones. And though they might be proving popular as tree lights, they can also be introduced to garlands on Christmas fireplaces and stair banisters, or even draped along your bookshelves. 5. Tinsel Perhaps a controversial Christmas decoration, tinsel has been out of style for quite some time now, considered tacky and dated. But this year, it's being used in a more considered way, and it's catching the attention of homeowners and designers alike, 'As well as icicles, I'm adding (shock horror) kitsch, slightly tacky lametta tinsel to drape over the branches of my tree to give it a magical, frosted effect. It's certainly not going to be a minimalist Christmas at my house,' says Charlotte. Instead of randomly covering your tree in tinsel, opt for a more considered approach. Bundles carefully draped in half over the end of branches give that layered, draped look that adds a touch of sparkle to your decor. These premium icicle tinsel strands are the perfect festive color and arrive in time for Christmas. Whether you want to add subtle hints of nostalgic decor with glass icicle ornaments or go all in with mismatched stockings and lametta tinsel, these more elevated take on outdated Christmas decor are a welcome change to holiday trends.
Senores Pharma, Ventive Hospitality debut at premium; Carraro shares list at 8% discountJets are sticking with Aaron Rodgers at QB, and Dolphins can't wait to finally face him
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The polling expert gave his verdict to The National after new polling from Find Out Now showed that the SNP were on course to remain by far the largest party at Holyrood in the 2026 elections . The polling projected constituency vote shares of 35% for the SNP, 19% for Labour , 15% for the Tories , 11% for Reform UK, and 9% for the LibDems. On the regional lists, it predicted 26% for the SNP, 17% for Labour, 14% for the Tories, 13% for the Greens , 11% for Reform UK, 10% for the LibDems, and 6% for Alba. Analysing the polling, Curtice said it would lead to a pro- independence majority of 15 should it be repeated in the elections in around 17 months’ time. The SNP would win 54 MSPs, the Greens 15, and Alba three, he projected. On the Unionist side, Curtice projected that Scottish Labour would become the second largest party – despite their support having “fallen precipitately”. Labour were projected to return 19 MSPs, the Tories 16, the LibDems 12, and Reform UK 10. Curtice, a professor of politics at Strathclyde University considered the UK’s foremost polling expert, said the polling data showed Reform gaining especially from the Conservatives, but also from Labour and the LibDems, while hardly any SNP voters were switching to the party. He noted that Labour appeared to be losing voters to Reform, the Conservatives, and the SNP. READ MORE: As polls point to Yes, Anas Sarwar's road to Bute House just got a lot rougher Curtice said: “Today's poll is further evidence that Anas Sarwar's hopes of displacing John Swinney as First Minister have rapidly diminished since Labour's heady election victory in July. “As south of the Border, Labour's support in Scotland has fallen precipitately in the wake of a UK Labour Government that voters hoped would begin to turn the economy and public services around but which in practice has proven something of a disappointment in their eyes. “Meanwhile, Reform are continuing to poll at a level that could be enough for the party to secure some 10 or so MSPs at Holyrood at the next Scottish election in May 2026. Such an outcome would add a new and potentially disruptive element to Scottish politics. “Meanwhile, by taking votes primarily from Conservative , Labour and the Liberal Democrats , Reform's advance threatens to further fragment the Unionist vote. That could potentially make it easier for pro-independence parties to retain their Holyrood majority, and thereby keep alive the possibility of a second independence referendum.” On the fortunes of Swinney’s SNP, Professor Curtice said that while they “now enjoy a significant lead over Labour, and as a result appear to have some prospect of remaining in government after the next election, the party's popularity is still well below what it routinely enjoyed before Nicola Sturgeon 's resignation in February 2023”. “At the moment, another round of potentially difficult minority government could well be the best that it can reasonably hope to achieve,” he added. Find Out Now surveyed 1774 Scottish adults aged 18+ between December 17-24.Mercer International vice president Eric Heine sells $167,612 in stockThousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown , a major symbolic moment for the country’s dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday, pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. It’s part of Blinken’s 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but his first after Assad was ousted. The U.S. is also making a renewed push for an ceasefire in Gaza, where the war has plunged more than 2 million Palestinians into a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The October 2023 attack by Hamas in southern Israel that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here's the latest: WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, a U.S. official said Friday. Travis Timmerman was flown out of Syria on a U.S. military helicopter, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. Timmerman, 29, told The Associated Press he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didn’t know of any other Americans held in the facility. — By Lolita C. Baldor THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid from human rights groups to block weapons exports to Israel and trading with the occupied territories, after finding there were sufficient checks already in place to comply with international law. The ten organizations told The Hague District Court last month that they thought the Netherlands was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawn up following World War II, by continuing to sell weapons to Israel more than a year into the conflict in Gaza. “The government uses my own tax money, that I pay, to kill my own family. I’ve lost 18 members of my own family,” Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser for the pro-Palestinian organization Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, told the court during a hearing in November . The court ruling said that “it is not up to the interim relief judge to order the state to reconsider government policy. That is primarily a political responsibility.” Lawyers for the government argued it wasn’t up to a judge to decide foreign policy for the Netherlands. The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from another court, the International Court of Justice, as confirming the obligation to stop weapons sales. In January, the top U.N. court said it was plausible Palestinians were being deprived of some rights protected under the Genocide Convention. The coalition said it will review the court’s ruling and is considering an appeal. CAIRO — Israeli attacks in and around a hospital in northern Gaza wounded three medical staff overnight into Friday and caused damage to the isolated medical facility, according to its director. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said Israeli quadcopter drones carrying explosives deliberately targeted the emergency and reception area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where one doctor was wounded for a third time. Abu Safiya said “relentless” drone and artillery strikes throughout the night exploded “alarmingly close” to the hospital, heavily damaging nearby buildings and destroying most of the water tanks on the hospital’s roof and blowing out doors and windows. Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya has been hit multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. “We demand international protection for the hospital and its staff,” Abu Safiya said in a statement released via the U.K.-based aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians, “as well as the entry of delegations with surgical expertise, medical supplies, and essential medications to ensure we can adequately serve the people we are treating.” Abu Safiya said there were 72 wounded patients at the hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in northern Gaza. He said he expected Israeli forces would allow a World Health Organization aid convoy to bring supplies to the hospital on Friday or Saturday, as well as a team of doctors from Indonesia. Israel has allowed almost no humanitarian or medical aid to enter the three besieged communities in northern Gaza — Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and the urban Jabaliya refugee camp — and ordered tens of thousands to flee to nearby Gaza City. Israeli officials have said the three communities are mostly deserted, but the United Nations humanitarian office said Tuesday it believes around 65,000 to 75,000 people are still there, with little access to food, water, electricity or health care. Experts have warned that the north may be experiencing famine . BAGHDAD — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq on Friday on his latest visit to the Middle East aimed at stabilizing the situation in Syria to prevent further regional turmoil. Blinken met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani as part of the hastily arranged trip, his 12th to the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad. Blinken has already been to Jordan and Turkey on his current tour and will return to Jordan for urgent meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers to try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow the Islamic State group to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. In Baghdad, Blinken “will underscore U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty,” the State Department said. “He will also discuss regional security opportunities and challenges, as well as enduring U.S. support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition,” it said in a statement. His trip comes as the Biden administration winds down with just over a month left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has been highly critical of Biden’s approach to the Middle East and skeptical of the U.S. military presence in both Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and Iraq agreed in September to wrap up U.S.-led military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq next year, although Assad’s ouster and the potential for the group taking advantage of a political vacuum in Syria could complicate the timing of the withdrawal, according to American officials. DAMASCUS — The kingdom of Bahrain sent a message Friday to Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It said Bahrain is “fully prepared to consult with you continuously and to provide support in regional and international organizations to achieve what is in the interest of the brotherly Syrian people.” It added, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.” Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last year after 12 years of ostracization. It is still unclear how the international community will deal officially with the new interim government in Syria. JERUSALEM - Israel’s defense minister told troops to prepare to remain through the winter months on the peak of Mount Hermon, Syria’s highest point, located in a swath of southern Syria that Israeli troops moved into after the fall of Damascus to insurgents. The comments by Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that the military will extend its occupation of the zone along the border, which Israel says it seized to create a buffer zone. In a statement Friday, Katz said that holding the peak was of major importance for Israel’s security and that it would be necessary to build facilities there to sustain troops through the winter. The summit of Mount Hermon, the highest peak on the eastern Mediterranean coast at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet), gives a commanding view over the plains of southern Syria. It also positions Israeli troops about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the center of Damascus. The mount is divided between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israel’s control of the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops would remain in the zone until another force across the border in Syria could guarantee security. Israeli troops moved into the zone -– set as a demilitarized area inside Syrian territory under truce deals that ended the 1973 Mideast war -- after the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell last weekend. ANKARA, Turkey -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. “There’s broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said in joint statements with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the Islamic State group under control. “We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep ISIS down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS to ensure that that threat doesn’t rear its head again,” Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. “Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant,” Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Blinken said: “We’re very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves.” Blinken and Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. “We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible,” Blinken said. Blinken, who is making his 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but first since the weekend ouster of Assad, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Thursday. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region, which is already wracked by multiple conflicts, and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain territory and influence. Later Friday, Blinken is to return to Jordan for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union, the Arab League and the United Nations. ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey has appointed a temporary charge d’affaires to reopen its embassy in Syria, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported. The Turkish Embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security problems during the Syrian civil war and embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. The Anadolu Agency said late Thursday that Turkey appointed Burhan Koroglu, its ambassador in Mauritania, to the post. UNITED NATIONS- – Two U.N. aid convoys were violently attacked in Gaza, making it virtually impossible for humanitarian agencies to operate without putting staff and civilians at risk, the U.N. food agency says. On Wednesday, a 70-truck convoy from Kerem Shalom was waiting for personnel to safeguard the food and other aid destined for central Gaza when there were reported attacks by Israeli forces in the nearby humanitarian zone, the U.N. World Food Program said Thursday. More than 50 people are now estimated to have died in the attacks, including civilians and local security personnel who had been expected to ensure the convoy’s safety, WFP said. The Rome-based agency said the convoy was forced to proceed from Kerem Shalom to central Gaza without any security arrangements, using the Philadelphi corridor, an Israeli-controlled route that had been recently approved and successfully utilized twice. On the way, WFP said, conflict and insecurity led to a loss of communication with the convoy for more than 12 hours. ”Eventually, the trucks were found but all food and aid supplies were looted,” the U.N. agency said. In a second incident, Israeli soldiers approached a WFP convoy moving out of the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza, fired warning shots, conducted extensive security checks, and temporarily detained drivers and staff, the agency said. “As the trucks were delayed, four out of the five trucks were lost to violent armed looting,” WFP said. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief has a message for Israel: Stop the attacks on Syria. Secretary-General António Guterres is particularly concerned about several hundred Israeli airstrikes on several Syrian locations and stresses “the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday. The Israeli military said Tuesday it carried out more than 350 strikes in Syria over the previous 48 hours, hitting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country to stop them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside Syria following last week’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The buffer zone was established after Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1973 war. Dujarric said Guterres condemns all actions violating the 1974 ceasefire agreement between the two countries that remain in force. And the U.N. chief calls on the parties to uphold the agreement and end “all unauthorized presence in the area of separation” and refrain from any action undermining the ceasefire and stability in the Golan Heights, the spokesman said.NCCN Hosts Patient Advocacy Summit on Improving Access to Accurate Health Information
Senores Pharmaceuticals share price listed at stellar 53% premium at ₹ 600 on the NSE and ₹ 593.70 on the BSE on Monday. The subscription status and Grey Market premium had indicated towards strng lising gains for the Senores Pharmaceuticals share price, that saw its public issue open on December 20, 2024 and ended on December 24, 2024. The Senores Pharmaceuticals IPO was subscribed 97.86 times with 93.16 times subscription in the retail category, 97.84 times in QIB, and 100.35 times in the NII category Senores Pharmaceuticals IPO grey market premium or the GMP stood at + 284 as per Investorgain.co. The same meant Senores Pharmaceuticals shares were being traded in the grey market at ₹ 284 above the issue price,. It also meant that the market participants were anticipating the listing of Senores Pharmaceuticals share price at ₹ 675, with listing gains of 72.63% over the issue price. Senores Pharmaceuticals IPO price band had been set at ₹ 372 to ₹ 391 per share and listing of shares was well above the upper price band of the Issue price Senores Pharmaceuticals IPO was a book built issue of ₹ 582.11 crores. The issue comprised of the combination of fresh issue of 1.28 crore shares aggregating to ₹ 500.00 crores and also an offer for sale of 0.21 crore shares aggregating to ₹ 82.11 crores. (more to come)By CLAIRE RUSH PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Googly eyes have been appearing on sculptures around the central Oregon city of Bend, delighting many residents and sparking a viral sensation covered widely by news outlets and featured on a popular late-night talk show. Related Articles National News | Biden’s commutation in ‘kids for cash’ scandal angers some Pennsylvania families National News | Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightings National News | FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup National News | OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment National News | Judge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election case On social media, the city shared photos of googly eyes on installations in the middle of roundabouts that make up its so-called “Roundabout Art Route.” One photo shows googly eyes placed on a sculpture of two deer, while another shows them attached to a sphere. It’s not yet known who has been putting them on the sculptures. “While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might give you a chuckle, it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art,” the city said in its posts. The Facebook post received hundreds of comments, with many users saying they liked the googly eyes. “My daughter and I went past the flaming chicken today and shared the biggest laugh,” one user said, using a nickname for the “Phoenix Rising” sculpture. “We love the googly eyes. This town is getting to be so stuffy. Let’s have fun!” Another Facebook user wrote: “I think the googly eyes on the deer specifically are a great look, and they should stay that way.” Others said the city should focus on addressing more important issues, such as homelessness, instead of spending time and money on removing the googly eyes. Over the years, the city’s sculptures have been adorned with other seasonal decorations, including Santa hats, wreaths, leis. The city doesn’t remove those, and views the googly eyes differently because of the adhesive, Bend’s communications director, Rene Mitchell, told The Associated Press. “We really encourage our community to engage with the art and have fun. We just need to make sure that we can protect it and that it doesn’t get damaged,” she said. The post and its comments were covered by news outlets, and even made it on a segment of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert .” The city regrets that its post was misunderstood, Mitchell said. “There was no intent to be heavy-handed, and we certainly understand maybe how that was taken,” she said. “We own this large collection of public art and really want to bring awareness to the community that applying adhesives does harm the art. So as stewards of the collection, we wanted to share that on social media.” The city has so far spent $1,500 on removing googly eyes from seven of the eight sculptures impacted, Mitchell said, and has started treating some of the art pieces, which are made of different types of metal such as bronze and steel. The “Phoenix Rising” sculpture might need to be repainted entirely, she said. For some, the googly eyes — like the other holiday objects — provide a welcome boost of seasonal cheer. “I look forward to seeing the creativity of whoever it is that decorates the roundabouts during the holidays,” one social media commenter said. “Brings a smile to everyone to see silliness.”
Texas' abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine Texas has sued a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. It appears to be the first challenge in the U.S. to a state shield law that's intended to protect prescribers in Democratic-controlled states from being punished by states with abortion bans. Prescriptions like these, made online and over the phone, are a key reason that the number of abortions has increased across the U.S. even after state bans started taking effect. Most abortions in the U.S. involve pills rather than procedures. Anti-abortion groups are increasingly focusing on the rise of pills. Syrians cheer end of 50 years of Assad rule at first Friday prayers since government fell DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital’s historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has brought an American who was imprisoned in Syria for seven months out of the country. That's according to two U.S. officials, who said Friday that Travis Timmerman has been flown to Jordan on a U.S. military helicopter. The 29-year-old Timmerman told The Associated Press earlier Friday he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” New Jersey governor wants more federal resources for probe into drone sightings TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has asked the Biden administration to put more resources into the ongoing investigation of mysterious drone sightings being reported in the state and other parts of the region. Murphy, a Democrat, made the request in a letter Thursday, noting that state and local law enforcement remain “hamstrung” by existing laws and policies in their efforts to successfully counteract any nefarious drone activity. Murphy and other officials say there is no evidence that the drones pose a national security or a public safety threat. A state lawmaker says up to 180 aircraft have been reported to authorities since Nov. 18. Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she 'sustained an injury' from fall on official trip to Luxembourg WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman. Pelosi is 84. She was in Europe to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Her spokesman, Ian Krager, did not describe the nature of her injury or give any additional details, but a person familiar with the incident said that Pelosi tripped and fell while at an event with the other members of Congress. The person requested anonymity to discuss the fall because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly. Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with a massive attack by cruise missiles and drones KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia fired 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones in Friday's bombardments. He says it is one of the heaviest bombardments of the country’s energy sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago. He says Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles that were intercepted by F-16 warplanes provided by Western allies earlier this year. Zelenskyy renewed his plea for international unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin. But uncertainty surrounds how the war might unfold next year. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the war and has thrown into doubt whether vital U.S. military support for Kyiv will continue. Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA's idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it 'absurd' NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers are again urging a judge to throw out his hush money conviction. In a court filing Friday, they balked at the prosecution’s “absurd” idea for preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies before sentencing. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. Some in seafood industry see Trump as fishermen's friend, but tariffs could make for pricier fish PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes to seafood, one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy. Some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they fear Trump’s pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive. Conservationists also fear Trump’s emphasis on deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks already in peril. But many in the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries said they expect Trump to allow fishing in protected areas and crack down on offshore wind expansion. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. Paula Abdul settles lawsuit alleging sexual assault by 'American Idol' producer Nigel Lythgoe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paula Abdul and former “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe have agreed to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the show. Abdul filed a notice of settlement in a Los Angeles court Thursday. The lawsuit filed nearly a year ago had also accused Lythgoe of sexually assaulting Abdul after she left “American Idol” and became a judge on Lythgoe’s other show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Lythgoe said at the time that the allegations were “an appalling smear.” Both sides said in statements Friday that they were glad to put the case behind them.
City to sterilise beloved Japanese monkeys(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Nick Lehr , The Conversation (THE CONVERSATION) For the past few years, right-wing media have argued that the U.S. is plagued by a masculinity crisis , whether it’s former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson warning of collapsing testosterone levels in his 2022 documentary “ The End of Men ” or Sen. Josh Hawley decrying what he called the left’s project to “deconstruct” men and “define traditional masculinity as toxic.” Rhetoric aside, there may be a real vein that these pundits and politicians are tapping into. Deaths of despair , which are caused by drugs, alcohol or suicide, are disproportionately experienced by men . Meanwhile, many of the traditional markers of manhood – earning enough money to raise a family, buy a home or even rent an apartment – are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain . What does it mean for society if young men sense that their masculinity is under threat? Or for our politics if young men see less hope for the future? In 2021, psychologist Adam Stanaland and his colleagues conducted an experiment exploring masculinity anxiety in young men between the ages of 18 and 40. They found that statements as simple as “you are less masculine than the average man” could provoke aggression among the study’s participants. For their next study, they turned to adolescent boys, with a couple of key questions in mind: When does masculine anxiety start to appear? And what fuels it? In the findings, which they published in July 2024, they were able to show that boys in late puberty – but not those in early puberty – would respond aggressively when their masculinity was challenged. Not all boys in late puberty reacted this way; those most prone to aggression tended to care a lot about what other people thought about them. Their parents were more likely to have lower incomes, less formal education and associate masculinity with traits such as power and dominance. They were also much more likely to live in counties that supported Donald Trump in 2020. In an interview, which has been edited for length and clarity, Stanaland discusses some of the broader economic and social forces that may have influenced his team’s findings and explores how they relate to the results of the 2024 election. In your more recent study, you broke your adolescent participants down into two groups. There was this early puberty group and a late puberty group. And you found that the threats to masculinity only really started to have an effect in that later puberty group. Can you talk about why that might have been the case? In prior research , we had already detected a pattern: The pressure to act stereotypically masculine predicts aggression in young adult men in the U.S., particularly when they feel like their manhood is under threat. So we started to wonder – OK, well, when does this pattern start? We thought about age. But age is somewhat of a rough predictor of development, right? It’s just a number. Although age corresponds with social changes, such as changing schools and navigating new social situations, boys go through puberty at different ages. For example, changes in secondary sex characteristics, such as height, body type and voice – these are going to affect how other people treat you. As boys’ bodies start changing, there’s going to be much more of an expectation for them to act in stereotypically masculine ways, just like adult men do. There are also vast cognitive changes going on during this time . You’re able to grasp social pressures with much more nuance than you could before. And part of that is realizing, “Oh shoot, if I don’t defend my manhood, then I won’t have friends, I won’t fit in, my parents might disapprove.” In our research, puberty captured these nuances better than age. Age did predict these things, but puberty was just a much stronger predictor. How did you threaten the boys’ masculinity? Half of the participants were threatened and the other half were not, at random. We had everyone take two quizzes: a “Boy Questions Quiz” and a “Girls Question Quiz.” For the half whose masculinity we threatened, we would tell them they did poorly on the guys quiz – “Well, you missed more questions than other guys usually do. Based on your quiz results, it seems like you’re more like the average girl than the average guy.” This was age-adapted from past work on masculinity threats to adults, because we wanted to be able to build on those findings. Then you used a word completion task – for example, having boys complete the fragment “GU_” – to indicate whether they responded aggressively to threats to their masculinity. Those who wrote “GUN” as opposed to, say, “GUM” were said to be reacting aggressively. How do you know that this task is connected to real-world aggression? This measure has been used in seminal research on masculinity and aggression , so we wanted our findings to directly align with that work. That research and others have found that this task is associated with actual violent behavior. However, we tried to be very careful to say that we weren’t measuring aggressive behavior. Think of cognition as a first step. People who are thinking aggressively are going to be more likely to act violently or aggressively. Not everyone who is thinking aggressively is going to act on it, but cognition can predict it. This measure is also great because it’s implicit – our participants didn’t know that we were measuring aggression. They were simply given this word completion task, which we presented as a game, and how they performed indicated how aggressively they were thinking in the moment. In the study, you found that parents’ beliefs were a strong predictor of whether their sons reported being pressured to be stereotypically masculine. Specifically, it was parents’ endorsement of hegemonic masculinity – what you define as the belief that men need to be powerful, gain status and have authority over women. Yes. We asked boys to respond to statements like, “My parents would be upset if they saw me acting like a girl.” And we found that this fear of upsetting their parents indicated whether they would endorse statements such as, “I’m like other guys because I want other people to like me.” We also found that a fear of upsetting peers could pressure certain boys to feel as if they needed to “act like a man.” We just didn’t have data from peers to look at. So we couldn’t really try to understand, within peer groups, what exactly was going on. We did, however, have data from parents, including the types of beliefs about masculinity that they endorsed, as well as certain social and demographic variables reported by parents. Two data points for the parents stood out to me. Having less income and less formal education – which is also tied to less income – strongly predicted whether they possessed beliefs about hegemonic masculinity. Do you see any connection between economic anxiety and masculine anxiety? There’s research showing that people who are under more economic stress – who experience economic hardship – more readily cling to racial stereotypes . This work has argued that poverty leads to stereotyping because high-status people are motivated to maintain the status quo when they believe that their position in society is threatened. Or this could be an example of cognitive depletion : The greater your anxiety over paying the bills, the less you’re going to be able to ponder gender and race. We observed that working-class parents were more likely to endorse these rigid, masculine ideas, especially about men being strong, powerful and dominant over people of other genders. And they’re the ones whose sons reported the most pressure to be stereotypically masculine. And I think economic anxiety and poverty are a key part of this story. In times of prosperity, or in societies that are more socialist in their orientation – where you’re guaranteed basic health care and education, for example – do men feel less pressure to be on top, because they feel more economically and socially secure? I don’t know. It’s an interesting avenue for future research. I know that voting-age men weren’t the subject of your most recent study, but I wonder about the political implications of masculine fragility as young people come of age. Trump picked up a larger percentage of male voters under 30 than any GOP candidate had since 2008. In what ways did you see Trump tap into masculine anxiety on the campaign trail? I think we, in academia, expected Gen Z to really just go all in for Harris, and it just doesn’t seem to be like that’s the case, especially among Gen Z men who are working class. You saw this play out when Trump appeared on several podcasts whose hosts lean into that strong, macho persona, especially in the weeks leading up to the election . In our two studies, we found that pressures to be masculine can predict aggressive responses among boys in later adolescence and young men – times of their lives when they are really trying to figure out what kind of man they will be in their relationships, at work and in their day-to-day lives. Coupled with rising economic uncertainties, these celebrities and politicians can give these men an outlet to demonstrate their masculinity, burnish their status and make them feel like they belong. So much status in our society is tied to wealth. Might teens and young men – who are at the bottom of the totem poll, in terms of wealth – be latching on to more visceral expressions of power and masculinity? I think it’s all wrapped up in that. Men start experiencing these pressures to be the provider in their family, to get their relationships and careers going, to make their way up the ladder at work. A lot of these goals are becoming more difficult to attain. And so what we’re seeing is that in order to gain that status – or even out of fear of losing that status if they have it – boys and men will go to great lengths. Obviously, aligning with people – celebrities, politicians, business leaders – who have those same values will become more enticing. What are your thoughts about how much of an influence media consumption can have on the development of certain beliefs about masculinity? We don’t have great measures of peers or other factors like that. But we do have this measure where we asked parents for their ZIP codes, and we mapped that to the proportion of support for Trump in 2020, so not this past election. And we saw that it wasn’t necessarily parents’ self-reported political identity – so how liberal or conservative they are – that predicted their masculinity beliefs. It was this county-level, community-level variable. So if you think about that finding, you would imagine that it’s not just the “physical counties” that boys are in. Digital spaces – social media spaces that boys are living in – are probably having an effect, too. Remember, during late puberty, teens are trying out different identities. For whatever reason, some of these more conservative online spaces have become really appealing to certain boys and men. There is definitely some important ongoing work in this area, specifically on the manosphere . Is there anything else that you’d like to add? These pressures to be stereotypically masculine come from parents, peers and the community. And they don’t seem to be changing or dissipating as quickly as we in academia thought they might. For example, you might think of Gen Z as this liberal group that’s super into social justice. And that just doesn’t seem to be the case, especially among certain men and boys from working class backgrounds. So I think we should be a lot more attuned to that lack of change – the social and economic sources of these pressures, how to address them, and what they mean not just for voting behavior but also for some of the more problematic behaviors associated with men and masculinity . This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/is-masculine-anxiety-spurring-support-for-trump-among-gen-z-241655 . Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more.
Romanians are casting ballots on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election that could pit a far-right nationalist against the incumbent leftist prime minister in the runoff. Thirteen candidates are vying for the presidency in the European Union and NATO member country, and the vote is expected to go to a second round on Dec. 8. Polls opened at 7.00 a.m. local time (0500GMT) and will close at 9.00 p.m. (1900GMT). Romanians abroad have been able to vote since Friday. By 8 p.m. local time (1800GMT), 9.2 million people — about 51% of eligible voters — had cast ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau. The final vote could see George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, face off against incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, backed by Romania’s largest party, the Social Democratic Party or PSD. The presidential role carries a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security, foreign policy, and judicial appointments. Romania will also hold parliamentary elections on Dec. 1 that will determine the country’s next government and prime minister. Simion, 38, is a vocal supporter of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and has long been a controversial figure. He campaigned for reunification with Moldova, which this year renewed a five-year ban on him from entering the country over security concerns, and he is banned for the same reason from entering neighbouring Ukraine. “I would like that in the next five to ten years, for Romanians to be really proud to be Romanians, to promote Romanian culture, Romanian products,” he told reporters on Wednesday in the capital, Bucharest. “As a Romanian president, I will promote Romanian interests. In most cases, Romanian interests coincide with partner interests.” Ecaterina Nawadia, a 20-year-old architecture student, said she voted for the first time in a national election on Sunday and hopes young people turn out in high numbers. “Since the (1989) revolution, we didn’t have a really good president,” she said. “I hope most of the people my age went to vote ... because the leading candidate is not the best option.” Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, says Sunday’s vote will be “a tight race” in which the diaspora will likely play a key role in which candidates make it to the runoff. “We are at a point where Romania can easily divert or slip toward a populist regime because (voter) dissatisfaction is pretty large among a lot of people from all social strata,” he told The Associated Press. “And the temptation for any regime, any leader — will be to go on a populist road.” He added that Romania’s large budget deficit, high inflation, and an economic slowdown could push more mainstream candidates to shift toward populist stances amid widespread dissatisfaction. Ciolacu told the AP that if he is elected, one of his biggest goals is “to convince Romanians that it is worth staying at home or returning” to Romania, which has a massive diaspora spread throughout EU countries. “Romania has a huge chance to become a developed economy in the next 10 years, where honest work is fairly rewarded and people have the security of a better life,” he said. “But for this, we need balance and responsibility ... I am running for the Presidency of Romania because we need a change.” Other key candidates include Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party, or USR former NATO deputy general secretary Mircea Geoana, who is running independently and Nicolae Ciuca, a former army general and head of the center-right National Liberal Party, which is currently in a tense coalition with the PSD. Geoana, a former foreign minister and ambassador to the United States, told the AP that he believes his international experience qualifies him above the other candidates. “I think I bring a lot of competence and experience and connections in this complicated world,” he said. Lasconi, a former journalist and the leader of the USR said she sees corruption as one of the biggest problems Romania faces and that she supports increased defence spending and continued aid to Ukraine. Romania has been a staunch ally of war-torn Ukraine since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. But Simion of the AUR party said he opposes Romania — which has sent a Patriot missile system to Ukraine — contributing further military aid and that he hopes Trump can “stop the war.” In 2020, the AUR party went from relative obscurity to gaining 9% in a parliamentary vote, allowing it to enter parliament. Opponents have long accused Simion and AUR of being extremists, charges he denies. “We are sort of a Trumpist party in this new wave of patriotic political parties in Europe,” Simion said.Levis throws 2 TD passes to help Titans outlast Texans 32-27
40 Black Women Appointed Federal Judges Under Biden, Setting Historic RecordYoon's comment 'deeply upsetting'; reference to China in address may be to divert attention: expertSouth Korean stock markets have shed more than 250 trillion won in market capitalization this year. (Image courtesy of Yonhap) SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean stock markets have shed more than 250 trillion won in market capitalization this year, standing in stark contrast to the record-setting rallies seen in other major global markets. According to the Korea Exchange, as of December 27, the main KOSPI market’s capitalization stood at 1,966.96 trillion won, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ reached 333.87 trillion won. These figures represent declines of 159.42 trillion won and 94.52 trillion won respectively from the last trading day of 2023, amounting to a combined loss of 253.93 trillion won. Samsung Electronics accounted for more than half of the total market value decline, losing 148.05 trillion won. The tech giant was particularly hit by foreign investors and institutional sellers, who net sold 10.38 trillion won and 3.94 trillion won worth of shares, respectively. In percentage terms, the KOSPI has fallen 9.43% this year, dropping from 2,655.28 on January 2 to 2,404.77 on December 27. The KOSDAQ suffered an even steeper decline of 23.15%, falling from 866.57 to 665.97. These losses stand in sharp contrast to the performance of other major global indices. The U.S. S&P 500 surged 26.58% while the Nasdaq jumped 33.37% during the same period. Asian markets also showed strong performance, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 rising 20.37%, and China’s Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng indices gaining 14.26% and 17.82% respectively. According to Yonhap Infomax, among 40 major national indices across 34 countries, the KOSDAQ recorded the steepest decline. The KOSPI’s decline was the fourth worst, surpassed only by Russia (-18.94%) and Brazil (-9.77%). “We’ve never seen the KOSPI so disconnected from global markets, nor has it faced such a diverse and continuous stream of challenges and negative events,” said Lee Kyung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities. “Investor sentiment is severely suppressed, and markets – including stocks, currency, and bonds – are particularly sensitive to negative news rather than positive developments.” Looking ahead to next year, analysts expect challenges to persist for South Korean markets. While the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and subsequent policy changes present shared challenges for global markets, Korea-specific political uncertainties are expected to further dampen investment sentiment. “Considering the deteriorating domestic and external environment, there’s an increased possibility of negative GDP growth in Q4 this year or Q1 next year,” said Park Sang-hyun, an analyst at iM Securities. “The weakening economic fundamentals will likely pressure the exchange rate, and prolonged political instability could further contribute to growth slowdown and national credit rating concerns, inevitably leading to additional upward pressure on exchange rates.” Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
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