Here's what Apple's 2025 might look likeLautaro Martinez ended a near two-month goal drought as Inter Milan closed to within one point of Serie A leaders Atalanta by sweeping aside Cagliari 3-0. Martinez had gone eight matches since last finding the back of the net against Venezia on November 3 but after Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring in the 54th minute, the Argentina international struck in Sardinia. The Inter captain took his tally against Cagliari to 10 goals in as many games after 71 minutes before Hakan Calhanoglu capped an excellent night for the visitors from the penalty spot a few moments later. Inter’s fifth-successive league victory led to them temporarily leapfrogging Atalanta, who reclaimed top spot but saw their lead cut to a single point following a 1-1 draw at Lazio. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were grateful for a point in the end after falling behind to Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s first-half strike, only drawing level with two minutes remaining thanks to Marco Brescianini. Lautaro Valenti’s last-gasp strike condemned rock-bottom Monza to a 10th defeat in 18 matches as Parma edged a 2-1 victory, while Genoa defeated Empoli by the same scoreline.Papua New Guinea granted historic NRL expansion licence after years of campaigning
HALIFAX — An influential United States Republican senator delivered some blunt criticism of Canada's military spending on Friday, telling a major security conference in Halifax the federal government has to do better to please president-elect Donald Trump. In a panel discussion on the first day of the Halifax International Security Forum, Republican Sen. James Risch — who may become the next chair of the U.S. Senate's foreign relations committee — said he wasn't speaking for the incoming president. But he reminded delegates that Canada is failing to reach military spending levels equivalent to two per cent of its GDP — a commitment of the 32 NATO countries — leaving Canada one of a minority of alliance members no longer meeting the target. "My good friends in Canada say, 'We're working on this.' And we say, 'What does that mean?' And they say, 'We're kind of looking at (meeting the spending goal) by 2032,'" the Idaho senator said. "I don't speak for the president-elect of the United States, but if he were in this room, you would get a very large guffaw from him ... talking about 2032. It's got to be better than that. It really, truly has to be better than that." About 300 policy analysts, politicians and defence officials from 60 countries are participating in the 16th annual forum, which runs until Sunday. The gathering comes just under three weeks after the U.S. election that returned Trump to power with Republican majorities in the U.S. Senate and Congress. Earlier in the day at the conference, Defence Minister Bill Blair said his government knows it needs to increase defence spending, both to help Ukraine in its war with Russia, and to protect Canadian territory. But, Blair said, he has to ensure Canada gets "good value" for its investments. “When our allies say they want us to meet the commitment, I've told them the answer is ‘Yes,’ and I’ve told them you’re pushing on an open door," he said. "We are going to make those investments." Some of the American criticism is unfair, Blair said, as the Liberal government committed during a July NATO summit to "a credible and realistic plan" of spending two per cent of GDP on its military by 2032, as it buys a fleet of up to 12 new submarines. He said there are examples in which Canada can "accelerate" its spending by making purchases that mesh with its allies, citing Ottawa's announcement it would replace CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft with the Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The defence minister also announced that a surface-to-air defence system Canada bought two years ago has arrived in Ukraine to help protect the country against Russian missiles, though he would have liked the aid to have reached the war theatre sooner. “There's a lot in some of our procurement processes that have really slowed us down," he said. NATO's 32-member nations agreed to each spend the equivalent of at least two per cent of their GDP on defence, but Canada is among the nine members that aren't going to do that this year. The alliance's figures project that Canada will spend the equivalent of 1.37 per cent of its GDP on defence, placing it at the back of the pack. The Defence Department projects the figure to tick upward over the coming years, rising to 1.76 per cent by 2030. However, the Liberal government is also facing domestic criticism for not being clear on how it will make military spending one of its top priorities. Retired Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie — a former Liberal MP — told the House of Commons defence committee two days after the U.S. election that he detects "no sense of urgency" from the government to meet those commitments. Nicolas Todd, who is attending the security forum as vice-president of government relations with the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, said in an interview Friday that if the Liberal government wants to advance more rapidly on military spending, it needs to clearly signal its spending plans. "What we've seen so far is an expectation to hit two per cent. That's not a plan. We need a detailed, year-over-year money plan on what it will take," he said. He contrasted the government's announcement Thursday — a pause of the federal sales tax on a long list of items, at a cost of $6.3 billion — with a slow growth in military spending. Peter Van Praagh, president of the forum, said during the opening news conference that a path to world peace still depends on Ukraine defeating Russia, which will require continued support from the United States and its allies. “If Russia gets away with this naked aggression, we are entering a world where might makes right. That’s a world that is not safe for anybody,” he said. While military spending will be key to assisting Ukraine, Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the military committee of NATO, told the conference in a separate panel that procurement remains a major issue. The Dutch military officer said, "there isn't yet enough focus when it comes to defence production," as Russia has put its economy on a war footing. Bauer said that more than 1,000 days into the war in Ukraine, he's hearing from military chiefs of staff in the NATO alliance they have funds available to buy ammunition and armaments, but the defence industry can't deliver the munitions in a timely way. "We cannot support Ukraine at the pace that is necessary," he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press. Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press
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BLOOMINGTON — Residents of the City of Bloomington Township at risk of eviction or disconnection who may not be eligible for the township's general assistance programs may have another lifeline. On Monday, Bloomington Township's Board of Trustees voted to reinstate the Housing Eviction Relief Efforts program, which would offer up to $150,000 for rent, mortgage or utility assistance through the end of the township's fiscal year. Under the Illinois Township Code, a township is authorized to expend funds for matters related to public safety, health and social services for those in need . And Bloomington Township has existing reserves in its general fund for such matters. Bloomington Township Supervisor Deb Skillrud and the township's board determined inflation and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic have created significant and unintended consequences for township residents who may not qualify for existing assistance programs. Skillrud Skillrud said in the wake of the pandemic, her office saw a number of clients with a large amount of overdue payments even after receiving emergency assistance. This prompted the township to create the COVID Emergency Relief Program in 2021, which has now become known as the Housing Emergency Relief Efforts program, or HERE. The township had been setting aside $150,000 for the program and had provided about half of that amount in fiscal 2023. But when it was made available from December 2023 to March 2024, the entire budget was used. "The need was there, and it showed because we maxed out the amounts," Skillrud said. However, the program was paused this fiscal year once Community Service Block Grant funding became available for these at-risk individuals through Mid Central Community Action. But once that funding ran dry, the township decided to reintroduce the HERE program using reserves from its general fund. Eligible township residents must have a minimum 30 days of documented income at the date of submission of their application, be at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, hold a government-issued ID card for valid driver's license, be financially unable to alleviate a life-threatening circumstance which places the individual or family at risk of homelessness. Selected applicants may see relief funding of up to $3,000 through the end of the 2025 fiscal year on March 31. However, these funds would not go directly to an applicant. Payments would be made by the township directly to a vendor such as a landlord or utility company. For more information on how to apply for the HERE program, visit the Bloomington Township website . Inflation has hurt Americans financially in different ways, with the U.S. Census Bureau reporting that up to 45.8% of some households are having difficulty paying for essentials. In particular, inflation has put some Americans at higher risk for financial instability. With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked U.S. states according to where residents are struggling most financially. Data measures poverty rates, food insecurity, housing insecurity and elements of unemployment and unemployment benefits. To find the states where residents are financially hurting most, SmartAsset analyzed six metrics for U.S. states. The following metrics were half-weighted: unemployment rate and two-year change in the unemployment rate. This story was produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Contact Drew Zimmerman at 309-820-3276. Follow Drew on Twitter: @DZimmermanLee Family of 1: $30,120 annually, $2,510 monthly Family of 2: $40,880 annually, $3,407 monthly Family of 3: $51,640 annually, $4,303 monthly Family of 4: $62,400 annually, $5,200 monthly Family of 5: $73,160 annually, $6,097 monthly Family of 6: $83,920 annually, $6,993 monthly Family of 7: $94,680 annually, $7,890 monthly Family of 8: $105,440 annually, $8,787 monthly Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Government Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Billionaire Elon Musk called Canada’s prime minister an “insufferable tool” on his social media platform today. Musk’s comments were in response to Justin Trudeau likening Kamala Harris’s defeat in the U.S. presidential election to an attack on women’s rights and progress. This afternoon, Trudeau met with provincial and territorial premiers to discuss Canada’s approach to negotiations with the U.S. Canada is facing a threat of a 25 per cent tariff hike from incoming president Donald Trump, who defeated Harris in the November election. Earlier this week, Trump taunted Trudeau on social media, referring to the prime minister as the governor of what he called the “Great State of Canada.” The post was an apparent reference to a joke Trump cracked at his dinner with Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago estate nearly two weeks ago, where the president-elect teased that Canada could join the U.S. as its 51st state. Speaking on Tuesday night at an event hosted by the Equal Voice Foundation — an organization dedicated to improving gender representation in Canadian politics — Trudeau said there are regressive forces fighting against women’s progress. “It shouldn’t be that way. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. We were supposed to be on a steady, if difficult sometimes, march towards progress,” Trudeau said, adding he is a proud feminist and will always be an ally. “And yet, just a few weeks ago, the United States voted for a second time to not elect its first woman president. Everywhere, women’s rights and women’s progress is under attack. Overtly, and subtly.” In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk responded to a clip of Trudeau’s remarks, saying, “He’s such an insufferable tool. Won’t be in power for much longer.”TSA on What Netflix's 'Carry-On' Gets Wrong About Airport SecurityAt a town hall meeting with the bureau workforce, Mr Wray said he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought”. Mr Wray’s intended resignation is not unexpected considering that Mr Trump had picked Mr Patel for the role in his new administration. Mr Wray had previously been named by Mr Trump and began the 10-year term — a length meant to insulate the agency from the political influence of changing administrations — in 2017, after Mr Trump fired then-FBI director James Comey. Mr Trump had demonstrated his anger with Mr Wray on multiple occasions, including after Mr Wray’s congressional testimony in September. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” Mr Wray told agency employees. “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” Mr Wray continued: “It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway — this is not easy for me. I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people — but my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing what’s right for the FBI.” Mr Wray received a standing ovation following his remarks before a standing-room-only crowd at FBI headquarters and some in the audience cried, according to an FBI official who was not authorised to discuss the private gathering and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. Mr Trump applauded the news on social media, calling it “a great day for America as it will end the weaponisation of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice” and saying that Mr Patel’s confirmation will begin “the process of Making the FBI Great Again”. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr Patel would herald a radical leadership transformation at the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency. He has advocated shutting down the FBI’s Washington headquarters and called for ridding the federal government of “conspirators”, raising alarm that he might seek to wield the FBI’s significant investigative powers as an instrument of retribution against Mr Trump’s perceived enemies. Mr Patel said in a statement Wednesday that he was looking forward to “a smooth transition. I will be ready to serve the American people on day one”.
Assad’s secret police arrested and tortured me four times. My crime? I had same name as a wanted manDORTMUND, Germany, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck became the latest player to join the club's growing injury list after he turned his ankle in their 3-2 Champions League loss to Barcelona on Wednesday. Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin, who on Tuesday announced that defender Niklas Suele would be out for several months and is also missing defender Waldemar Anton, said Schlotterbeck's potential absence would be a major blow to the team. The Germany international was injured in the final move of the game after having headed the ball over the Barcelona goal. As he landed, he badly turned his ankle and had to be treated on the pitch after the final whistle before being taken off on a stretcher. "It would be a complete disaster if he was also sidelined," Sahin said. "I don't have a diagnosis yet but obviously he is completely dejected." "I saw the images and they are horrible. We will have a sleepless night tonight and then we will have to see how it develops tomorrow," said the coach. Dortmund, in sixth place in the Bundesliga, have been struggling with injuries for months and at some stage were missing as many as 10 players. The defeat against Barcelona saw Dortmund, last year's finalists, drop to ninth place on 12 points with two matches remaining, with the top eight earning automatic qualification for the round of 16. "I am fuming because we played well," Sahin said. "We have to win these games. We deserved more in the second half." "I do not want to hear that we played a good game. There is no room for mistakes and we have to learn that. We keep up with these top teams but in the end I want to sit here and say 'we won the game'. That is the development we need." Sign up here. Reporting by Karolos GrohmannEditing by Toby Davis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab