After strong first game under new coach, Blues meet red-hot DevilsSindh govt seeks amendment to bill aimed at overseeing educational boards Under proposed law, steering committee will be constituted and powers of controlling authority will be enhanced People can be seen at the Board of Intermediate Karachi. — Geo.tv/File KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday decided to make amendments to an ordinance aimed at overseeing affairs of educational boards in the province. In this regard, the reforms committee held a meeting to mull over the amendments to the Sindh Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education Ordinance, 1972 for the 14th time. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); The meeting was attended by Sindh Minister of Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah, chief secretary, secretaries of boards and others. The amendments have been proposed for the equitable composition of the board, enhancement of powers of the controlling authority and constitution of a steering committee to oversee the affairs of the boards. Under the current law, the Sindh government or its nominated representative is called the controlling authority. Meanwhile, the new law proposes that the controlling authority of all boards will be the Sindh chief minister or his designated representative. Under proposed amendments in Section 11, the controlling authority has been mandated with to allow or otherwise to a board to extend any benefit, privilege, allowance or concession to any person working in connection with the affairs of the board. The controlling authority will be authorised to remove the chairman of the board from office and can appoint a Grade 19 or 20 officer as the chairman temporarily. The committee, which shall be headed by Minister or Advisor or Special Assistant to the Chief Minister, for Universities & Boards (Chairman), will be constituted: To oversee policy implementation and monitor financial management, ensuring transparency, compliance and uniformity in resource allocation and standards; To coordinate and harmonise the functions of all boards to unify decisions on syllabi, assessment, technology integration, teacher training related to exams and assessment, and institutional recognition. To conduct regular inspections through its authorised representatives; To ensure administrative, financial and operational compliance of the boards in accordance with the instructions issued by government. Moreover, the term of the members of the steering committee will be two-year long and can be extended. The meetings of the committee will be held twice a year but the chairman may call a meeting whenever he deems it necessary and on the request of one-third of the members of the committee. The quorum for the meeting of the committee shall be 50% of the total number of members.
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The last two countries announced their 4 Nations Roster and the Toronto Maple Leafs were well represented. With the 4 Nations Face-Off taking place next February, teams are coming together as the international battle for supremacy will no doubt capture the attention of fans. Sweden and Finland already announced their rosters with two Toronto Maple Leafs represented with Jani Hakanpaa for Finland and William Nylander for Sweden. Canada and the United States were also taking note of some very familiar names as Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have been named to their respective teams. Matthews will don the red, white, and blue as he takes the ice alongside some pretty hefty players like Brock Nelson, the Tkachuk Brothers, Chris Kreider and Brock Faber. It will be Matthews' 6th time representing the United States after various junior hockey nominations. Even though he missed basically the entirety of November, there's no denying Matthews would earn himself a spot. Last year's leading goal-scorer is going to be a dangerous weapon for Team USA as they try and use their size and skill to control the game. Even though he's missed a month, Matthews is still enjoying a solid season with 15 points in 14 games and recently returned to the team and made an instant impact. Marner will join Team Canada as the only Maple Leaf although there were conversations that potentially teammate Chris Tanev would join as well though that's not the case. Enjoying an electric season with the Maple Leafs, Marner has scored 33 points in 24 games (9 goals, 24 assists) and led the team in the wake of Matthews' injury. Without him, the team would be nowhere near as successful as they have been a quarter of the way through the season. Marner joins Team Canada for the 4th time as he joins up with some pretty prominent Canadian players such as Sidney Crosby , Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon among a slew of future Hall of Famers. More details to come. This article first appeared on Hockey Patrol and was syndicated with permission.
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Bayan al-Hinnawi, who spent years behind bars in Bashar al-Assad's Syria, joined crowds in the heartland of the Druze minority on Friday to celebrate the president's fall, "a dream" come true for the former prisoner. Hundreds of people descended on Sweida's main square, singing and clapping in jubilation, just days after Islamist-led rebels took the capital Damascus, sending Assad fleeing. The Druze-majority city in Syria's south has been a focal point of renewed anti-government demonstrations over the past year and a half. On Friday, residents waved Syria's pre-Assad flag of white, green and black with three stars, and raised olive branches in a sign of peace. Some of them have lost family members during the anti-government uprising that began in 2011 and spiralled into civil war. Others, like Hinnawi, had languished in prison under the Assad family's five-decade rule. "It was a dream," said 77-year-old Hinnawi of Assad's ouster. Decades ago, a few years after Hafez al-Assad seized power -- which he later handed over to his son Bashar -- a 23-year-old Hinnawi was jailed. He was released 17 years later. The grey-haired man said he had "dreamed that one day the regime would fall", but did not believe that he would live to see the day. "It's a wonderful sight. Nobody could have imagined that this could happen", he said. But his joy was incomplete, remembering the many who have died in jail. "I wish that those who died when I was imprisoned in Mazzeh or Saydnaya could see this scene," said Hinnawi. Since Assad's fall, rebel forces and residents have broken into both detention centres, freeing political prisoners and searching for long-missing loved ones. Activists and rights groups say the Assad government tortured and abused inmates at both facilities. "I got out when I was 40, I missed out of my whole life," said Hinnawi, who served in the Syrian army before being jailed. Recalling torture behind bars, he said that "no oppressor in history has done what they did to us." Since Sunday, the ousted government's security forces were nowhere to be seen in Sweida, and the office of Assad's Baath party has been abandoned, as have army checkpoints on the road to Damascus. Local armed men are present, but not the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham which spearheaded the rebel offensive against Assad. Siham Zein al-Din, who lost her son in 2014 after he defected from the national army to join rebel fighters, said he had "sacrificed his life... for freedom, for dignity". The family was still searching for Khaldun's remains, said his 60-year-old mother. Like her son, some members of the Druze community took up arms against Assad's forces during the war. The Druze, who also live in Lebanon, Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, make up about three percent of Syria's population, around 700,000 people. Beyond defending themselves from attacks in the areas where they live, Syria's Druze largely stayed on the sidelines of the civil war. Many managed to avoid compulsory conscription since 2011. Residents of Sweida have long complained of discrimination and the lack of basic services. Many buildings in the city are constructed from black volcanic stone that can be found in the area, and its roads have fallen into disrepair. Sheikh Marwan Hussein Rizk, a religious leader, said that "Sweida province has been marginalised" for decades, with most of its residents living in poverty. But, surrounded by the joyful protesters, Rizk said better days may be coming. "Today, we look to the future and ask for a helping hand... Our hand is extended to all Syrians." Next to him, resident Hussein Bondok held up a poster of his brother Nasser, a journalist and opposition activist who was last heard from in 2014 when he was arrested. Bondok, 54, said he believes his brother was likely killed under torture in one of Damascus's prisons. Nasser struggled for freedom, Bondok said. "I want to congratulate him now, because the seeds he had planted with his brothers-in-arms has become a tree." lk/ami/itChristmas will be here in less than two weeks, but for last-minute shoppers there are still great deals you can get delivered in time for the big day. Target has slashed the price of the JLab Go Air Pop wireless earbuds to just $10 -- that's a 60% savings. Just note that while there are multiple colors available for that price, only select options are available for shipping. If you want a different color you'll have to use delivery or in-store pickup, which may vary by location. Even so, this is a great chance to nab a budget stocking stuffer , white elephant gift or secret Santa gift before the holidays. Just act fast, because a deal this good won't stick around for long. While these earbuds are not the most sophisticated wireless earbuds out there, there is a lot to love about them -- especially at this price. The Go Air Pop earbuds provide up to 8 hours of playtime per charge or up to 32 hours of battery life total with the case. They also have three custom EQ sound settings to choose from, as well as touch sensors for volume control, music selection, call answering and smart assistant activation. There are also microphones in each earbud so you can stay connected on the go. Plus, this model is IP55-rated water-resistant and IPX4-rated sweat- and splash-proof. Why this deal matters Most of us are still seeking last-minute gifts that will delight our friends and family, and while these budget earbuds are already affordable at $25, this deal brings that price down to only 10 bucks. That's less than what a lot of us spend on takeout. If you're looking for more inspiration in this price range, check out our list of the best deals under $25 and our roundup of the best tech gifts under $25 .FILE – Author Percival Everett attends the 75th National Book Awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File) FILE – Taylor Swift performs during “The Eras Tour” on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) FILE – Riley Keough, left, and her mother Lisa Marie Presley arrive at the 24th annual ELLE Women in Hollywood Awards on Oct. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) FILE – First lady Melania Trump stands next to the 2020 Official White House Christmas tree as it is presented on the North Portico of the White House, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – This cover image released by FSG shows “Intermezzo” by Sally Rooney. (FSG via AP, File) FILE – This cover image released by Random House shows “From Here to the Great Unknown” by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough. (Random House via AP, File) FILE – This cover image released by Simon & Schuster shows “War” by Bob Woodward. (Simon & Schuster via AP, File) FILE – This cover image released by Dey Street Books shows “Cher: The Memoir, Part One,” releasing on Nov. 19. (Dey Street Books via AP, File) FILE – This cover image released by Random House shows “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder” by Salman Rushdie. The book, about the attempt on his life that left him blind in his right eye, will be published April 16, 2024. Rushdie’s first book since the 2022 stabbing he thought might end his life is both explicit in the violence Rushdie sustains and heroic in the will to live that Rushdie retains. (Random House via AP, File) FILE – Author Percival Everett attends the 75th National Book Awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File) By HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — Even through a year of nonstop news about elections, climate change, protests and the price of eggs, there was still time to read books. Related Articles Books | Nikki Giovanni, poet and literary celebrity, has died at 81 Books | Percival Everett, 2024 National Book Award winner, rereads one book often Books | Gift books for 2024: What to give, and what to receive, for all kinds of readers Books | Our critic’s picks: Best mystery fiction books of 2024 Books | 10 best books of 2024: The surprising reads that stuck U.S. sales held steady according to Circana, which tracks around 85% of the print market, with many choosing the relief of romance, fantasy and romantasy. Some picked up Taylor Swift’s tie-in book to her blockbuster tour, while others sought out literary fiction, celebrity memoirs, political exposes and a close and painful look at a generation hooked on smartphones. Here are 10 notable books published in 2024, in no particular order. Asking about the year’s hottest reads would basically yield a list of the biggest hits in romantasy, the blend of fantasy and romance that has proved so irresistible fans were snapping up expensive “special editions” with decorative covers and sprayed edges. Of the 25 top sellers of 2024, as compiled by Circana, six were by romantasy favorite Sarah J. Maas, including “House of Flame and Shadow,” the third of her “Crescent City” series. Millions read her latest installment about Bryce Quinlan and Hunter Athalar and traced the ever-growing ties of “Maasverse,” the overlapping worlds of “Crescent City” and her other series, “Throne of Glass” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” If romantasy is for escape, other books demand we confront. In the bestselling “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt looks into studies finding that the mental health of young people began to deteriorate in the 2010s, after decades of progress. According to Haidt, the main culprit is right before us: digital screens that have drawn kids away from “play-based” to “phone-based” childhoods. Although some critics challenged his findings, “The Anxious Generation” became a talking point and a catchphrase. Admirers ranged from Oprah Winfrey to Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee, who in a letter to state legislators advocated such “commonsense recommendations” from the book as banning phones in schools and keeping kids off social media until age 16. Bob Woodward books have been an election tradition for decades. “War,” the latest of his highly sourced Washington insider accounts, made news with its allegations that Donald Trump had been in frequent contact with Russian leader Vladimir Putin even while out of office and, while president, had sent Putin sophisticated COVID-19 test machines. Among Woodward’s other scoops: Putin seriously considered using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and President Joe Biden blamed former President Barack Obama, under whom he served as vice president, for some of the problems with Russia. “Barack never took Putin seriously,” Woodward quoted Biden as saying. Former (and future) first lady Melania Trump, who gives few interviews and rarely discusses her private life, unexpectedly announced she was publishing a memoir: “Melania.” The publisher was unlikely for a former first lady — not one of the major New York houses, but Skyhorse, where authors include such controversial public figures as Woody Allen and Trump cabinet nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And its success was at least a minor surprise. Melania Trump did little publicity for the book, and offered few revelations beyond posting a video expressing support for abortion rights — a break from one of the cornerstones of GOP policy. But “Melania” still sold hundreds of thousands of copies, many in the days following her husband’s election. Taylor Swift was more than a music story in 2024. Like “Melania,” the news about Taylor Swift’s self-published tie-in to her global tour isn’t so much the book itself, but that it exists. And how well it sold. As she did with the “Eras” concert film, Swift bypassed the established industry and worked directly with a distributor: Target offered “The Eras Tour Book” exclusively. According to Circana, the “Eras” book sold more than 800,000 copies just in its opening week, an astonishing number for a publication unavailable through Amazon.com and other traditional retailers. No new book in 2024 had a better debut. Midnight book parties are supposed to be for “Harry Potter” and other fantasy series, but this fall, more than 100 stores stayed open late to welcome one of the year’s literary events: Sally Rooney’s “Intermezzo.” The Irish author’s fourth novel centers on two brothers, their grief over the death of their father, their very different career paths and their very unsettled love lives. “Intermezzo” was also a book about chess: “You have to read a lot of opening theory — that’s the beginning of a game, the first moves,” one of the brothers explains. “And you’re learning all this for what? Just to get an okay position in the middle game and try to play some decent chess. Which most of the time I can’t do anyway.” Lisa Marie Presley had been working on a memoir at the time of her death , in 2023, and daughter Riley Keough had agreed to help her complete it. “From Here to the Great Unknown” is Lisa Marie’s account of her father, Elvis Presley, and the sagas of of her adult life, notably her marriage to Michael Jackson and the death of son Benjamin Keough. To the end, she was haunted by the loss of Elvis, just 42 when he collapsed and died at his Graceland home while young Lisa Marie was asleep. “She would listen to his music alone, if she was drunk, and cry,” Keough, during an interview with Winfrey, said of her mother. Meanwhile, Cher released the first of two planned memoirs titled “Cher” — no further introduction required. Covering her life from birth to the end of the 1970s, she focuses on her ill-fated marriage to Sonny Bono, remembering him as a gifted entertainer and businessman who helped her believe in herself while turning out to be unfaithful, erratic, controlling and so greedy that he kept all the couple’s earnings for himself. Unsure of whether to leave or stay, she consulted a very famous divorcee, Lucille Ball, who reportedly encouraged her: “F— him, you’re the one with the talent.” A trend in recent years is to take famous novels from the past, and remove words or passages that might offend modern readers; an edition of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” cuts the racist language from Mark Twain’s original text. In the most celebrated literary work of 2024, Percival Everett found a different way to take on Twain’s classic — write it from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. “James,” winner of the National Book Award, is a recasting in many ways. Everett suggests to us that the real Jim was nothing like the deferential figure known to millions of readers, but a savvy and learned man who concealed his intelligence from the whites around him, and even from Twain himself. Salman Rushdie’s first National Book Award nomination was for a memoir he wished he had no reason to write. In “Knife,” he recounts in full detail the horrifying attempt on his life in 2022, when an attendee rushed the stage during a literary event in western New York and stabbed him repeatedly, leaving with him a blinded eye and lasting nerve damage, but with a spirit surprisingly intact. “If you had told me that this was going to happen and how would I deal with it, I would not have been very optimistic about my chances,” he told The Associated Press last spring. “I’m still myself, you know, and I don’t feel other than myself. But there’s a little iron in the soul, I think.”
The No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions (11-2) host the No. 12 SMU Mustangs (11-2) at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Opening kick is at noon ET, and Penn State is an 8.5-point favorite. What channel is Penn State vs. SMU on? What time is Penn State vs. SMU? Penn State and SMU play at Noon ET. Penn State vs. SMU betting odds, lines, spread Odds courtesy of BetMGM Penn State schedule SMU schedule This content was created for Gannett using technology provided by Data Skrive.HP reports soft Q1 guidance; shares tumble in afterhours trading
HALIFAX — Former Halifax mayor Mike Savage was sworn in Friday as Nova Scotia’s 34th lieutenant-governor during a ceremony at the provincial legislature. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Savage’s appointment as the King’s representative in Nova Scotia in October. Savage, accompanied by his wife Darlene, was installed after taking the oath of office in the legislature’s ornate Red Room before a host of dignitaries, including Premier Tim Houston and Arthur J. LeBlanc, who had held the viceregal position since 2017. In his address, Savage noted the presence of his two sisters and spoke of his late mother Margaret and his late father John Savage, a former Liberal premier of Nova Scotia in the 1990s. “My late parents, John and Margaret, instilled in all of their children a deep appreciation for public service in every sense,” he said. “They recognized our good fortune and the importance of giving back through service to our families, friends and communities.” Before his appointment by the prime minister, Savage served 12 years as mayor of Atlantic Canada’s largest city and announced in February that he would not seek re-election. Before becoming mayor, he was the MP for the federal riding of Dartmouth-Cole Harbour fro seven years. “Having spent 20 years in elected office, part of it in the highly partisan atmosphere of Parliament and then in the less partisan role as mayor, I welcome this next stage as a non-political servant of the people,” Savage said. Viceregal appointees generally serve five-year terms, although LeBlanc, Nova Scotia’s first Acadian lieutenant-governor, served for nearly seven-and-a-half years. LeBlanc’s last official function took place on Thursday, when he presided over the swearing in of Houston’s new cabinet. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. The Canadian Press
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