
When Anant Nag gave the title of Shyam Benegal’s debut filmTuesday, December 24, 2024 The global business travel insurance market, which was valued at $3.61 billion in 2020, is forecast to reach $20.19 billion by 2030. This growth represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.2% from 2021 to 2030, according to a new market analysis report by Allied Market Research. The market expansion is driven by several factors, including increasing demand for business travel insurance, the rise of multi-trip coverage, and technological advancements in insurance services. Factors Driving the Growth of the Business Travel Insurance Market One of the primary factors contributing to the growth of the business travel insurance market is the rising need for immediate coverage for business-related travels. This insurance not only covers personal belongings and business equipment but also offers security against unexpected damages or interruptions during business trips. As business travel continues to increase globally, so does the demand for travel insurance that covers risks and mishaps while employees are abroad or traveling domestically. Another driving factor is the significant increase in spending by businesses on different types of insurance policies. Companies recognize the importance of protecting their workforce during international and domestic business trips, thereby fueling the demand for comprehensive insurance packages. Additionally, with advancements in digital tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), global positioning systems (GPS), and data analytics, insurance providers are able to offer more affordable and tailored policies that meet the specific needs of business travelers. COVID-19 Impact and Recovery The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the business travel sector, leading to a sharp decline in global travel and, consequently, in the demand for business travel insurance. With travel rules fluctuating and a global sense of uncertainty, the market for business travel insurance saw a notable dip. However, as global travel restrictions ease and business travel resumes, the market is expected to recover and experience rapid growth in the coming years. The increasing resumption of international and domestic business travel, combined with the introduction of more flexible and robust insurance products, has encouraged businesses to invest in insurance solutions. The market is now poised for a strong recovery, as both businesses and employees recognize the need for adequate protection during their trips. Segments and Trends Shaping the Market The business travel insurance market is segmented based on coverage type, distribution channels, and applications, which help provide a clearer understanding of the evolving market landscape. Opportunities and Challenges in the Market The growing adoption of digital tools by insurance providers offers significant opportunities for the market. Technologies like AI, machine learning, and big data analytics are helping insurers create more personalized and flexible insurance plans for business travelers. The use of these technologies also streamlines the claims process, providing a more efficient experience for travelers and businesses alike. Despite these advancements, challenges remain in raising awareness about the importance of business travel insurance. Many businesses still do not have adequate insurance policies in place for their employees, particularly for domestic and regional travel. The lack of knowledge about available policies and coverage options impedes the growth of the market to some extent. However, increased education and marketing efforts by insurers are expected to address this issue over time. Key Market Players and Strategies The global business travel insurance market is highly competitive, with several key players leading the market. These companies include: These market leaders are focusing on strategies such as partnerships, collaborations, and product innovations to strengthen their position in the industry. Many of these companies are leveraging new technologies and digital platforms to reach business clients more effectively and offer tailored insurance solutions. Conclusion As business travel rebounds globally, the business travel insurance market is set to experience substantial growth. With a projected market size of $20.19 billion by 2030, businesses are increasingly recognizing the value of protecting their employees during trips. The multi-trip segment, along with advancements in digital tools and AI-powered insurance services, will continue to drive this market forward, offering both opportunities and challenges for stakeholders in the coming years.Sarah Boone was sentenced to life in prison in an Orlando courtroom Monday afternoon for suffocating her boyfriend in a suitcase, bringing a nearly five-year legal saga to a close — for now. The sentence was handed down by Orange County Circuit Court Judge Michael Kraynick, who could have given Boone a minimum of 221⁄2 years for her second-degree murder conviction, at the end of a nearly two-hour hearing. Before the sentence was announced, Boone spent nearly 20 minutes addressing the court, saying the ordeal had renewed her faith in God. She said she blames herself for not ending her relationship with Torres sooner when he mistreated her, but that she still loves Torres and will see him again in the next life. She begged forgiveness from his family, who sat in the front row of the courtroom. “I think of him every day and still speak to him when alone in the rec yard,” Boone said. “I ask his forgiveness and that he looks for me at the gates of heaven so I can tell him how sorry I am endlessly and that I never stopped loving him.” Boone, 47, was convicted on Oct. 25 by a jury of five women and one man after about 90 minutes of deliberations. Boone initially told police Torres, 42, died the night of Feb. 23, 2020, in their Winter Park residence as a result of a drunken game of hide-and-seek gone horribly wrong. But her defense team later argued that she was an abused woman suffering from Battered Spouse Syndrome and killed Torres in self-defense. The trial delved deeply into Boone’s personal life, showing her often violent relationship with Torres as well as their frequent consumption of alcohol, which was described as central to their lives. At one point in her address Monday, Boone appeared to blame Torres’ family, causing Jorge’s mother and sister to temporarily leave the courtroom. “I also forgive the Torres family, his mother and father, foremost, also his two ex-wives, and daughters, all for knowing who Jorge was, capable of and had done in the past, his history of violence and where he learned it, then keep turning a blind eye when I would ask for help,” she aid. She also blamed the Internet, social media, online content creators and the media for making her a pariah. Prosecutor Dave Cacciatore Jr. said the lack of responsibility or remorse from Boone meant she didn’t deserve a lesser sentence. Torres’ mother, sister and daughter all spoke about how his death had impacted them. Family members of Jorge Torres, Jr. react at the sentencing of Sarah Boone in a courtroom of the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, December 2, 2024. Boone was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, Jr., in 2020 by suffocating him in a suitcase. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) Sarah Boone, convicted of second-degree murder in the suffocation death of her boyfriend inside a suitcase in 2020, was sentenced Monday to life in prison. The stiff sentence capped a near-five-year legal saga in which Boone went through nine attorneys and proceedings were delayed 16 times. She had rejected a 15-year plea deal prior to trial. Read the story at OrlandoSentinel.com or in the News Extra section of today's e-edition. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) Sarah Boone takes a seat as she takes the stand to read from a prepared letter during a sentencing hearing at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. Boone was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, Jr., in 2020 by suffocating him in a suitcase. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) Judge Michael Kraynick hands down a sentence of life in prison during a sentencing hearing for Sarah Boone at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. Boone was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, Jr., in 2020 by suffocating him in a suitcase. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) Sarah Boone makes an expression as she answers a question during her sentencing hearing at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. She was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, Jr., in 2020 by suffocating him in a suitcase. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) Sarah Boone, left, carries a prepared letter that she read to the court during her sentencing hearing at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. She was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, Jr., in 2020 by suffocating him in a suitcase. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) Sarah Boone takes the stand to read a prepared letter during a sentencing hearing at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. She was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, Jr., in 2020 by suffocating him in a suitcase. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) Family members of Jorge Torres, Jr. react at the sentencing of Sarah Boone in a courtroom of the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, December 2, 2024. Boone was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, Jr., in 2020 by suffocating him in a suitcase. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) His sister, Victoria, said that even five years later she still can’t shut a suitcase the entire way. His daughter, Anna, said she now has anxiety and depression, and her younger brother still wonders when he will see their father again. “Real love is missing. Sometimes when I look out the window, I’m waiting for him to come and say, ‘Mom, I love you,'” Torres’ mother said tearfully. Victoria and her mother embraced when Boone’s life sentence was announced. Several people spoke in Boone’s defense, including Diane Smith, a chaplain at the Orange County Jail, who said Boone enrolled in a Christian program there and has worked to do better over the past four years, including as a mentor to younger inmates. Boone’s bunkmate for about three years, Christina Piña, said she has been like a big sister to her. “[When] anybody need any help, or needed anything, they come to her, and even if they did wrong she would still go back and help them, and pray with them, and pray over them and everything,” she said. Lana Albert, a friend suffering from end-stage renal disease who Boone met online while in jail, appeared by Zoom from Minnesota to say that Boone offered to donate her a kidney. Boone’s attorney, James Owens, argued that Kraynick should give Boone less than the minimum 221⁄2 years for reasons including her mental illness. Forensic psychologist Dr. Julie Harper testified that the untimely death of Boone’s father when she was in high school affected her ability to form healthy relationships. Kraynick said an appellate attorney will be appointed for Boone. Owens says he believes there are good grounds for appeal and is meeting with Boone on Tuesday to discuss if they should file one. He is open to returning as Boone’s attorney if the appeals court grants her a new trial. She must appeal within 30 days.
A 7-year-old boy underwent open heart surgery after a malfunctioning drone struck him in the chest Saturday night in Orlando, Florida. Adriana Edgerton was at Lake Eola watching a drone show with her children when the incident occurred, according to in Florida. “Everyone’s natural instinct was to duck and scatter, and before we realized it, my daughter found my son on the floor unconscious. He had blood coming out of his face,” Edgerton said. “This should not have happened, and no family should be going through this. We were trying to watch a show and have a good time.” Harrowing footage shows the moment numerous went haywire before smashing into the bewildered crowd below. So apparently they had to cancel the 2nd drone show at tonight and I wonder if the drones that got knocked out during the 1st show was the cause 😬 — MosquitoCoFL Podcast (@MosquitoCoFL) The drone struck the boy in the chest so forcibly that it crushed one of his heart valves, Edgerton said. “The blade cut his mouth, but there’s an actual imprint of the drone on his chest,” she said. The drone malfunction, which occurred during the first of two planned shows that night, prompted the city to cancel the second, according to . Due to technical difficulties the 8 p.m. Holiday Drone Show at Lake Eola has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience. — City of Orlando (@citybeautiful) is investigating the incident, but so far it is unclear what caused the drones to malfunction. “Drone arrays and light shows are subject to FAA regulation,” the FAA said, according to WESH. “Typically, these events require a waiver to the regulation that prohibits operating more than one drone at a time. We thoroughly review each application to make sure the flying public and people on the ground will be safe.” 🚨!!️ Holiday Drone Show Turns Tragic in Orlando A 7-year-old boy watching a holiday drone show with his family in Orlando was seriously injured Saturday night when one of the drones malfunctioned and struck him in the chest, his mother reported. ⚠️ The Federal Aviation... — Kristy Tallman (@KristyTallman) A distressed Edgerton later shared a social media update as she waited in the emergency room. 🚨 : Here’s a video of the mother of the 7-year-old boy, in tears in a hospital room , as she shares on social media what happened the night her son, now fighting for his life, was injured during the Christmas holiday drone show. — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) On a page, Edgerton said her son would be spending in the intensive care unit. Sky Elements Drones, the Texas-based company responsible for the nationwide aerial shows, issued a statement on the incident. “Sky Elements Drones wants to extend our sincere hope for a full and speedy recovery to those impacted at our Lake Eola show in Orlando on Saturday, Dec. 21,” the statement read, per Click Orlando. “The well-being of our audience is our utmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused. “We are diligently working with the FAA and City of Orlando officials to determine the cause and are committed to establishing a clear picture of what transpired. Millions of people see our shows annually, and we are committed to maintaining the highest safety regulations set forth by the FAA.” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. . For more A.F. Branco cartoons, go to WesternJournal.com/cartoons.
Netflix will have one of its biggest days Wednesday since the site launched in 1998 when it airs two NFL games for the first time. “NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix” begins with a two-hour pregame show at 11 a.m., before Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City. Baltimore faces Houston in the second game. The streaming giant agreed to a three-year contract in May to carry Christmas Day games. Netflix’s 282.3 million subscribers in over 190 countries will be able to stream the games, marking the first time one outlet has distributed an NFL game globally. Netflix will have the games available in five languages — English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. The games will also air on CBS affiliates in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston. NFL policy dictates that games on cable or being exclusively streamed must also be on an over-the-air station in the competing teams’ markets. It will also be available on mobile devices in the U.S. for those who have NFL+. The biggest reason is money. The league is getting $150 million from Netflix for the two games this season. It also continues the NFL’s moves into streaming — Thursday night games are in their third season on Amazon Prime Video and the “Sunday Ticket” package moved to YouTube TV last year. That’s true, but the league wasn’t about to give up Christmas after seeing the ratings. Last year’s three games averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs led the way, averaging 29.48 million. The Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens and Texans played on Saturday, giving them the same turnaround they would have if they played on Sunday and then Thursday. All four have clinched playoff spots in the AFC, but seeding remains up for grabs. Kansas City (14-1) can clinch the top seed — which would mean a first-round bye and home field throughout the playoffs — with a win over the Steelers. Pittsburgh and Baltimore are tied atop the AFC North at 10-5, with the Steelers holding the tiebreaker due to a better conference record. Houston (9-6) has wrapped up the AFC South and holds the fourth seed. Netflix hopes so. Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction series and sports, said the system was stress tested, and then some, during the Nov. 14 bout, along with internet service providers reporting they were also overwhelmed by the surge that occurred before and during the fight. The bout peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, including 38 million concurrent streams in the United States. According to the website Down Detector, nearly 85,000 viewers logged problems with outages or streaming leading up to and during the fight. Possible? Yes. Likely? No. The largest audience for a streamed-exclusive NFL game was 23 million on Peacock for last season’s AFC wild-card game between the Miami Dolphins and Chiefs. Nielsen will measure the ratings for the Christmas Day games, with early numbers expected late afternoon on Thursday. It will probably beat kickoff for both games, but especially around 5:45 p.m. EST. That would be near halftime of the Ravens-Texans game, and when Beyoncé will be performing. Mariah Carey will kick off the day with a taped performance of “All I Want for Christmas is You.” There is no word if Taylor Swift will make the trip to Pittsburgh to watch her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Swift has been spending time in Kansas City since she wrapped up her Eras Tour two weeks ago. The NFL will have at least two games on Dec. 25 in 2025 and ’26, with Netflix slated to have at least one each year. Amazon Prime Video will have a night game with Christmas on a Thursday next year. Netflix’s worldwide partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment will begin on Jan. 6 when “Monday Night Raw” moves to the streaming service. 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By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Related Articles National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams National Politics | Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department’s operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Before Biden’s commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Berman said Trump’s statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump’s rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl’s mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden’s decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.