Oppo Find N5 Specifications Have Reportedly Been Leaked: From Design & Camera To Battery, Here's What We KnowThe ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women's championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league's policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player's name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an "alleged transgender" player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will "continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms," the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. "We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week." The conference said it was “satisfied” with the judge's decision and would continue upholding policies established by its board of directors, which “directly align with NCAA and USA Volleyball.” “We are excited to proceed with the Mountain West Conference Women's Volleyball Championship,” its statement added. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 -– making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season's awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they're playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday's semifinals. San Jose State will play the winner of Wednesday's match between Utah State and Boise State — teams that both forfeited matches to SJSU during the regular season. Boise State associate athletic director Chris Kutz declined to comment on whether the Broncos would play SJSU if they won their first-round tournament game. Utah State officials did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting "messages of hate" and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada's players stated they "refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes," without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women's Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women's sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the "likelihood of success" needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women's sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado's U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January.
Topline Most major banks call for a third consecutive year of strong returns for the S&P 500, the benchmark stock index tracking 500 of the largest public American companies, offering a welcome bullish signal for investors already enjoying a historic bull market. Key Facts Crucial Quote This is the “highest concentration market in 100 years,” Kostin said in a conference call with reporters. “But you look out longer term...the history of a high concentration market is it doesn't persist. It eventually fades. You get a broadening of the market.” Contra No surprise considering the often unpredictable nature of financial markets, price targets even from the most trusted names on Wall Street can prove imperfect. Last November, Goldman and Morgan Stanley projected the S&P to end 2024 at 4,700 and 4,500, respectively, both more than 25% below Monday’s price. Big Number 10,000. That’s where the bullish Yardeni predicts the S&P could climb to 10,000 by the end of 2029, forecasting a strong 16% annualized return. Key Background Up 27% year-to-date, the S&P is on track to top 2023’s 23% gain, excluding dividends. This would be the first time the index rose at least 20% in consecutive years since 1995 to 1998 during the internet boom. The S&P’s 58% gain dating back to the end of 2022 has it on pace for its best two-year gain since the late 1990s. Driving much of the S&P’s recent success, which came in the face of a historically challenging high-rate environment, were big technology stocks, with the likes of Amazon, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla all gaining more than 150% since the end of 2022. Further Readinghonored more widely for his humanitarian work around the globe after his presidency than for his White House tenure during a tumultuous time, has died. He was 100. "Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia," the Carter Center confirmed on Sunday. In November 2023, the Nobel Peace Prize-winner's wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, in the modest house they built together in 1961, when he had taken over his father's peanut warehouse business and was only beginning to consider a political career. In February 2023, he had announced he was ending medical intervention and Jason Carter had at the time of the announcement and said "They are at peace and – as always – their home is full of love," he posted on Twitter. At peace, perhaps, but still political: The former president vowed he for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. After serving a single term in the White House, Jimmy Carter became one of the most durable figures in modern American politics. Evicted from the White House at age 56, he would hold the status of former president longer than anyone in U.S. history, and in 2019 he surpassed George H. W. Bush as the nation's Carter remained remarkably active in charitable causes through a series of health challenges during his final years, including a in 2015. He was admitted to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta in November 2019 for a procedure to , a consequence of bleeding that followed a series of falls. A few months earlier, in May, he had undergone surgery after breaking his hip. In the White House from 1977 to 1981, Carter negotiated the landmark between Israel and Egypt, transferred the Panama Canal to Panamanian ownership, dramatically expanded public lands in Alaska and established formal diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. But the 39th president governed at a time of and gasoline shortages, and his failure to secure the release of Americans held hostage by Iran helped cost him the second term he sought. “He’s never going to be ranked as a great president; he’s middling as a president,” said historian Douglas Brinkley, author of a 1998 book on Carter, "The Unfinished Presidency." “But as an American figure, he’s a giant.” After losing his reelection bid to Ronald Reagan, and until well into his 90s, Carter continued working as an observer of elections in developing countries, building houses through the nonprofit and at the tiny Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, his hometown. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, 22 years after he left the White House. "I can't deny that I was a better ex-president than I was a president," he said with a wry laugh at a breakfast with reporters in Washington in 2005. "My former boss was humiliated when he lost in 1980; he felt he let himself and the American people down," David Rubenstein, a young White House staffer for Carter who became founder of the Carlyle Group and a billionaire philanthropist, told USA TODAY in an interview in 2019. "For a long time, he was basically the symbol of a weak president and a terrible person. And today, 40-some years later, he's seen as a very incredible person who has had many good things he did, though he didn't get reelected," Rubenstein said. James Earl Carter Jr. was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains to Earl Carter, a peanut warehouser who had served in the Georgia Legislature, and “Miss Lillian” Carter, a registered nurse and formidable figure who joined the Peace Corps when she was in her 60s. He grew up on a peanut farm in Plains, then graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. In the years after World War II, he served in the Navy's submarine service in the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. After doing graduate work in nuclear physics, he became a pioneer in the introduction of nuclear power in submarines. When his father died in 1953, Carter resigned his naval commission and took over operation of the family peanut farms with After a rough early patch, the business flourished, and Carter became increasingly active in community affairs and politics. During two terms in the Georgia state Senate, he gained a reputation as an independent voice who attacked wasteful government practices and helped repeal laws designed to discourage Black Americans from voting. But in 1966, he lost a race for governor to segregationist Lester Maddox in an election that analysts said reflected a Southern backlash against national civil rights legislation enacted in 1964 and 1965. In a second bid for governor in 1970, Carter minimized his appearances before Black audiences and won endorsements from some segregationists. After he was elected, though, Carter declared that the era of segregation in Georgia was over, and he was hailed as a symbol of a new, more inclusive South. Still, he was an unlikely presidential contender. When he launched his bid for the 1976 Democratic nomination, the former one-term governor was so obscure outside the Peach State that “Jimmy who?” became a campaign trope. He perfected the meticulous cultivation of voters in Iowa, and his unexpected victory in the opening presidential caucuses there provided a launching pad that long-shot contenders tried to emulate for decades. The boosted Carter's prospects. In the aftermath of President Richard Nixon’s decision to resign in 1974 rather than be impeached, Carter pitched himself to voters as an outsider who would reject Washington’s unsavory ways. “I’ll never lie to you,” he told them. In 1976, he narrowly defeated President Gerald Ford, whose campaign was damaged by verbal missteps and by controversy over his decision to pardon Nixon. Four years later, Carter would be ousted himself. He faced a damaging challenge for the Democratic nomination from the left by Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy and then a landslide defeat in the general election from the right by Reagan. The former California governor tapped into discontent with Carter’s leadership. “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Reagan asked voters in the iconic closing of their only campaign debate. Carter’s defenders argue that he was a better president than generally recognized. "I think that he is the most underappreciated modern president that we've had," said Stuart Eizenstat, a veteran Washington official and ambassador who was Carter’s chief domestic policy adviser in the White House. "The reason for that is the lingering memories of his presidency are negative ones – gasoline lines, high interest rates and inflation, the Iran hostage crisis, the Desert One failed rescue effort – and those totally obscure a really remarkable set of accomplishments both at home and abroad, which in many ways didn't materialize until after he left office." Eizenstat, author of "President Carter: The White House Years," published in 2018, said Carter's policies and appointments laid the groundwork for a stronger economy, energy independence, environmental protection, business innovation in transportation and more. On foreign policy, Carter painstakingly negotiated the 1978 Camp David Accords, a historic agreement between Israel's Menachem Begin and Egypt's Anwar Sadat that led to a formal peace treaty between the two countries the next year. But he stumbled when he came to the politics of the job. Despite having the advantage of a solidly Democratic Congress, many of his legislative proposals, including a consumer protection bill, stalled. The no-backroom-deals approach that helped him win the White House contributed to his difficulties in actually governing once he got there. He was mocked for charging members of Congress for their breakfast when invited to meet with him at the White House and for eliminating alcohol from most evening events. He was seen by some, then and later, as prickly and sanctimonious. Meanwhile, unemployment rose, interest rates for home mortgages climbed into double digits and Americans found themselves waiting in lines to buy gas in an oil crisis created by OPEC, the powerful international energy cartel. In a speech to the nation in July 1979, Carter described a “crisis of confidence" among the American people. Although he never said the word, it became short-handed as his “malaise” speech. "He lacked the political and managerial skills needed to make best use of the office he held," said Robert McClure, a political scientist at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Most damaging of all was the Iranian hostage crisis. Carter had agreed to allow Iran's deposed shah, a former U.S. ally who was living in exile, to receive cancer treatment in the United States. In protest, Iranian Islamist radicals overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans captive. The confrontation, which began on Nov. 4, 1979, would end only as Reagan was being inaugurated 444 days later. Carter chose diplomacy and economic sanctions over military action. He halted oil imports from Iran and froze Iranian assets in the U.S. He severed diplomatic relations with Iran and imposed a full economic embargo on the country. Finally, he approved a top-secret military mission to free the hostages, but it ended in catastrophe. Three helicopters developed engine trouble in a remote staging area in the Iranian desert, forcing the mission to be aborted. Eight U.S. troops were killed when a helicopter and a plane collided while forces were being withdrawn. It all added to the impression that Carter was out of his depth. "The hostage crisis left a bitter taste in voters' mouths, which Carter was never able to overcome," said Stephen Hess, a Brookings Institution scholar who worked on Carter's transition team when he was president-elect. On the day of Reagan's inauguration, Jan. 20, 1981, Iran agreed to accept $8 billion in frozen assets and a promise by the U.S. to lift trade sanctions in exchange for the release of the hostages. Minutes after Carter's successor took the oath of office, the hostages were freed. Carter left the White House, but he didn’t retire. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter established the Carter Center in Atlanta, their home base for decades as they worked on global health and democracy. He helped negotiate an end to the long civil war in Nicaragua between the Contra rebels and the Sandinistas. He met with North Korean leaders to try to end its nuclear weapons program. He mediated conflicts in Ethiopia, Liberia, Haiti, Bosnia, Sudan, Uganda and Venezuela. He led dozens of delegations of international observers to various countries to help assure elections were free and fair. For decades, the Carter Center also led an international campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease, a devastating tropical ailment that in 1986 afflicted an estimated 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia. In 2020, it was on the verge of eradication; just 27 cases were reported in six African countries. For a week each year, the Carters volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, a charitable group that renovates and builds homes for poor people around the world. He also wrote more than 30 books – controversial ones on the Palestinian territories and the Middle East and less controversial ones on Christmas memories and fly-fishing. He published a collection of his poems and a collection of his paintings. Again and again, he returned to writing about the lessons and demands of his Christian faith. Carter, who attended Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017, at times criticized the 45th president. In June 2019, at a Carter Center conference in suburban Virginia, he questioned the legitimacy of Trump's election, citing allegations of Russian interference that were later called into question. Trump responded at a news conference by calling Carter a "nice man, terrible president." But there were also times when Carter reached out to Trump. On the 40th anniversary of the normalization of U.S.-China relations, in 2019, he sent Trump a letter offering advice on managing that relationship. Carter said the phone conversation that followed was the first time the two men had spoken. In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize that supporters thought he had deserved years earlier, when it had been presented to Begin and Sadat. The Nobel committee honored Carter "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights and to promote economic and social development." "The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices," Carter said in accepting the prestigious award. "God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes – and we must." When he left the White House, Carter moved back home to Plains. Unlike most other modern presidents, he didn't choose to make money by delivering high-priced speeches or serving on corporate boards. But he did regularly speak to hundreds of visitors who would gather for his Sunday school class at Maranatha Baptist Church. In November 2019, he told those gathered that he didn't fear death. "It's incompatible for any Christian not to believe in life after death," Carter, then 95, told them, although he acknowledged he had wrestled with doubts throughout his life. In his prayers, he said, "I didn't ask God to let me live, but I just asked God to give me a proper attitude toward death. And I found that I was absolutely and completely at ease with death." In July 2021, he and his wife hosted a attended by about 300 friends, family members and fellow pols, among them Bill and Hillary Clinton. Carter, his fragility apparent, made a point of greeting the guests at each table for what many of them assumed would be the last time they saw him. "He was not a self-promoter in the White House or afterwards, and I think that hurt, because it leaves all the sour tastes from the failures and didn't allow the positives to shine through," Eizenstat said. When Eizenstat visited Carter in Plains in 2018, Carter told his former aide he was comfortable with letting history judge. As he approached his 90th birthday, Carter mused about his legacy in an interview with USA TODAY. "One is peace," he said. "I kept peace when I was president and I try to promote peace between other people and us, and between countries that were potentially at war, between Israel and Egypt for instance. And human rights. ... I think human rights and peace are the two things I'd like to be remembered for – as well as being a good grandfather." C
OTTAWA — The dismissal of a class-action lawsuit over rules governing the cross-border live bee trade is casting a spotlight on political division within Canada's beekeeping community. A federal judge has ruled against awarding commercial beekeepers damages from a decades-old partial ban on shipping live honeybees across the Canada-U.S. border, which is in place out of concerns that could bring in aggressive pests and diseases. Beekeepers from Western Canada involved in the suit claim the government's risk assessments that inform the tight restrictions are hurting their businesses and are blown out of proportion. Michael Paradis of Paradis Honey Ltd., a seven-generation family beekeeping business based in Girouxville, Alta., and one of the representative plaintiffs in the case, said he's disappointed with the ruling, saying it puts beekeepers in a "dangerous position" since the industry is already in crisis mode. "Canada does not have enough bees and cannot replenish its own stock at all," he said. "It's going to mean a lot more hardship for the industry if we cannot get access to the U.S. bees." Beekeepers were slammed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when fewer airline flights made it harder to import bees and they suffered a nightmare year of winter losses in 2022. Manitoba commercial beekeeper Brent Ash, one of the witnesses in the case, said the ruling will hamper the industry, and makes it especially tough for apiaries in colder parts of the country like the Prairies, where most of Canada's beekeepers are located. "Climate makes the regional divide difficult to keep those bugs alive over the course of the winter," he said, noting honeybees are not native to North America. But Steve Moore, president of the Ontario Beekeepers' Association, said his group worries about the risks of accidentally bringing in antibiotic resistant mites, the import of Africanized honeybees commonly known as killer bees, and a small hive beetle that's capable of damaging colonies. "In Ontario here, we feel quite strongly that we don't want to take the risk of it becoming even more challenging if some of these new and emerging threats come into the country in packages," he said. But he empathizes with the plaintiffs. "When we go into our apiaries, we get stung by our bees. When we come home, we might be stung by a low honey price, stung by rising cost of production or stung by high overwintering losses, with the threat of new and emerging pathogens. So, we're all facing the same challenges and it's a challenging time to be a beekeeper," he said. Even though a ban on U.S. live bee imports expired in 2006, Ottawa has not issued permits for the live worker bee boxes to be brought over the border since. The plaintiffs argued Ottawa owes them duty of care — and hundreds of millions in damages. The judge disagreed. "There is no duty of care owed and no negligence," Justice Cecily Strickland wrote in a lengthy ruling, adding the plaintiffs failed to establish that Ottawa hurt their businesses. The case has a long history, dating back to a court filing from 2012, and was only certified as a class action in 2017. The problem is even older. Headlines from the 1980s screamed about fears that deadly infectious mites from U.S. states could level Canadian bee populations. Risks to bee health have only compounded since then. A 2003 risk assessment by the regulator found that importing queen bees was less risky, since they are easier to inspect. So, Canada allows imports of queen bees and their worker-bee attendants from the U.S., Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Italy and Malta. "Bee packages carry a higher risk of disease introduction because they are shipped with the contents of their hive, which may include mites, parasites and bacteria," said a statement from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that welcomed the judge’s ruling. Canada does, however, also allow imports of worker bee packages from Italy, Chile, Australia and New Zealand, which sent Canada some 69,364 kgs of packaged bees in 2023, according to statistics from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. But importing from these countries also dramatically drives up import costs due to transportation. One of the plaintiffs, John Gibeau, wrote to CFIA a decade ago complaining that importing more than 1,200 packages for $170,000 would have cost half that if he could have purchased them from California instead. Gibeau said he wasn't ready to comment since he hasn't yet digested the ruling. Paradis said the larger issue for him than cost, though, is the quality of the bee stock and the timing of when shipments arrive. "We are looking at bees in the U.S. that are spring bees — young, invigorated bees," he said, adding that gives them longer lifespans in Canada. While he was disappointed, Paradis said one of the main reasons for the lawsuit was to "bring CFIA to the table and to actually have some discussions" on the import ban, something he said has only happened recently. Canada's honeybee pollination is estimated to contribute $3.18 billion directly to the economy, but that rises to $7 billion a year when canola pollination is factored in. Canada has some 794,341 beehives. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2024. Kyle Duggan and Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA - The dismissal of a class-action lawsuit over rules governing the cross-border live bee trade is casting a spotlight on political division within Canada’s beekeeping community. A federal judge has ruled against awarding commercial beekeepers damages from a decades-old partial ban on shipping live honeybees across the Canada-U.S. border, which is in place out of concerns that could bring in aggressive pests and diseases. Beekeepers from Western Canada involved in the suit claim the government’s risk assessments that inform the tight restrictions are hurting their businesses and are blown out of proportion. Michael Paradis of Paradis Honey Ltd., a seven-generation family beekeeping business based in Girouxville, Alta., and one of the representative plaintiffs in the case, said he’s disappointed with the ruling, saying it puts beekeepers in a “dangerous position” since the industry is already in crisis mode. “Canada does not have enough bees and cannot replenish its own stock at all,” he said. “It’s going to mean a lot more hardship for the industry if we cannot get access to the U.S. bees.” Beekeepers were slammed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when fewer airline flights made it harder to import bees and they suffered a nightmare year of winter losses in 2022. Manitoba commercial beekeeper Brent Ash, one of the witnesses in the case, said the ruling will hamper the industry, and makes it especially tough for apiaries in colder parts of the country like the Prairies, where most of Canada’s beekeepers are located. “Climate makes the regional divide difficult to keep those bugs alive over the course of the winter,” he said, noting honeybees are not native to North America. But Steve Moore, president of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, said his group worries about the risks of accidentally bringing in antibiotic resistant mites, the import of Africanized honeybees commonly known as killer bees, and a small hive beetle that’s capable of damaging colonies. “In Ontario here, we feel quite strongly that we don’t want to take the risk of it becoming even more challenging if some of these new and emerging threats come into the country in packages,” he said. But he empathizes with the plaintiffs. “When we go into our apiaries, we get stung by our bees. When we come home, we might be stung by a low honey price, stung by rising cost of production or stung by high overwintering losses, with the threat of new and emerging pathogens. So, we’re all facing the same challenges and it’s a challenging time to be a beekeeper,” he said. Even though a ban on U.S. live bee imports expired in 2006, Ottawa has not issued permits for the live worker bee boxes to be brought over the border since. The plaintiffs argued Ottawa owes them duty of care — and hundreds of millions in damages. The judge disagreed. “There is no duty of care owed and no negligence,” Justice Cecily Strickland wrote in a lengthy ruling, adding the plaintiffs failed to establish that Ottawa hurt their businesses. The case has a long history, dating back to a court filing from 2012, and was only certified as a class action in 2017. The problem is even older. Headlines from the 1980s screamed about fears that deadly infectious mites from U.S. states could level Canadian bee populations. Risks to bee health have only compounded since then. A 2003 risk assessment by the regulator found that importing queen bees was less risky, since they are easier to inspect. So, Canada allows imports of queen bees and their worker-bee attendants from the U.S., Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Italy and Malta. “Bee packages carry a higher risk of disease introduction because they are shipped with the contents of their hive, which may include mites, parasites and bacteria,” said a statement from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that welcomed the judge’s ruling. Canada does, however, also allow imports of worker bee packages from Italy, Chile, Australia and New Zealand, which sent Canada some 69,364 kgs of packaged bees in 2023, according to statistics from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. But importing from these countries also dramatically drives up import costs due to transportation. One of the plaintiffs, John Gibeau, wrote to CFIA a decade ago complaining that importing more than 1,200 packages for $170,000 would have cost half that if he could have purchased them from California instead. Gibeau said he wasn’t ready to comment since he hasn’t yet digested the ruling. Paradis said the larger issue for him than cost, though, is the quality of the bee stock and the timing of when shipments arrive. “We are looking at bees in the U.S. that are spring bees — young, invigorated bees,” he said, adding that gives them longer lifespans in Canada. While he was disappointed, Paradis said one of the main reasons for the lawsuit was to “bring CFIA to the table and to actually have some discussions” on the import ban, something he said has only happened recently. Canada’s honeybee pollination is estimated to contribute $3.18 billion directly to the economy, but that rises to $7 billion a year when canola pollination is factored in. Canada has some 794,341 beehives. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2024.
An emotional Temba Bavuma hailed the character of his team after South Africa qualified for the World Test championship final with a dramatic two-wicket win over Pakistan on the fourth day of the first Test at SuperSport Park yesterday. Needing 148 to win, South Africa crashed to 99 for eight owing to superb bowling by Mohammad Abbas. But Kagiso Rabada turned batting hero as he and Marco Jansen took South Africa to victory with an unbeaten ninth wicket partnership of 51. Rabada, so often a match-winner as a bowler, went on the attack as a batsman, hitting an unbeaten 31 off 26 balls, while Jansen provided solid support in making 16 not out. “It is an emotional moment for me,” South African captain Bavuma said at the post-match presentation. “As a team, we have overcome a lot. We haven’t been super-dominant with our performances, we haven’t been ruthless but we have always found a way to ensure the result was on our side. “Today was testament to that. It speaks a lot to the talent and character of the group.” South Africa’s win meant that only one of Australia and India can qualify for the final at Lord’s in June. Pakistan captain Shan Masood said he was proud of the effort of his players but lamented the failure to take ruthless advantage of their opportunities. “Twice we had them eight down and with the bat we could have extended our first innings and could have extended our lead (in the second innings). We have to learn to seize the moments.” Masood said Abbas, playing in his first Test in more than three years, had been “sensational”. The 34-year-old Abbas took a career-best six for 54. He bowled unchanged for 19.3 overs - four of them on Saturday when he took his first two wickets - in a spell of unremitting accuracy on a pitch which gave seam bowlers help throughout the match. Man of the match Aiden Markram and Bavuma batted solidly at the start of the day after resuming on 27 for three. However, Markram was bowled by Abbas for 37 by a virtually unplayable ball which kept low and seamed back off the pitch. Bavuma and David Bedingham added another 34 runs until Bavuma uncharacteristically charged down the pitch at Abbas and was given out caught behind for 40. He walked off immediately but Ultra Edge technology showed the only ‘spike’ was when the ball brushed his trouser pocket. It was the first of four wickets which fell for three runs in 12 balls. Naseem Shah bowled Kyle Verreynne and Abbas had Bedingham and Corbin Bosch caught behind off successive deliveries. Rabada and Jansen saw South Africa through to lunch at 116 for eight - then polished off the match in just 5.3 overs after the interval, with each stroke cheered by the home spectators. Both sides have a short break before they meet for the second and final Test in Cape Town on January 3. BRIEF SCORESSouth Africa 301 (Markram 89, Bosch 81*, Shahzad 3-75, Naseem 3-92) and 150 for 8 (Bavuma 40, Abbas 6-54) beat Pakistan 211 (Ghulam 54, Paterson 5-61, Bosch 4-63) and 237 (Shakeel 84, Babar 50, Jansen 6-52) by two wickets. Related Story Qatar Charity holds eye camp in Pakistan's Balochistan province Qatar, Pakistan strengthen fraternal tiesDaily Dose of Social Media: Swiatek’s proud message after BJK Cup, Jannik Sinner and Chris Evert praised Italy's title
Beckman became a top contender for the Division 1 title with a first-place finish in a meet last month in Clovis.
Column: Brady Corbet’s epic movie ‘The Brutalist’ came close to crashing down more than once
Column: Brady Corbet’s epic movie ‘The Brutalist’ came close to crashing down more than onceSource: Horns WR Bond to return vs. Arizona St.
Darnold gives Vikings another gem with career-high 377 yards in 27-25 win over Packers MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold added another exploit to his career-altering season, passing for a personal-best 377 yards and three touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings hung on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25 for their ninth consecutive victory. The Vikings are 14-2. They set up a final-week showdown in Detroit for both the division title and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs in the NFC. Jordan Love’s only touchdown pass for the Packers came with 2:18 left to pull the Packers within two points. Darnold responded with two completions for first downs to seal the game. Saquon Barkley tops 2,000 yards rushing and moves within 100 of Dickerson's record PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley became the ninth running back in NFL history to top 2,000 yards rushing in a season, reaching the milestone with a 23-yard run in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys. That rush gave Barkley 2,005 yards with one game left and left him exactly 100 yards from Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105, set in 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley could potentially top the record in next week’s finale against the New York Giants. However, that game will be mostly meaningless for the Eagles, who could opt to rest Barkley to protect him from injury ahead of the playoffs. Moment of silence for former President Jimmy Carter held before the Falcons-Commanders game LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — A moment of silence was held for former President Jimmy Carter before the Atlanta Falcons' game at the Washington Commanders. The Georgia native served as the 39th president of the United States at the White House less than 10 miles away from 1977-81. Falcons owner Arthur Blank in a statement called Carter an inspirational global humanitarian. Carter died earlier Sunday at the age of 100 in Plains, Georgia. He also has a connection to the NFL as the first president to host the Super Bowl champions at the White House when he welcomed the Pittsburgh Steelers there in 1980. NFC's No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18 The NFC’s No. 1 seed will come down to the final week when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings. The winner takes the NFC North and gets a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser gets the No. 5 seed and must play on the road in the wild-card round. The Vikings held on for a 27-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers to set up the high-stakes showdown in Week 18. The Lions visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Win, lose or tie, they have to beat the Vikings for a second time this season. Herro leads Heat over Rockets in game marred by fight and ejections in final minute HOUSTON (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 27 points before being one of six people ejected after a fight in the final minute of the Miami Heat’s 104-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Herro was thrown to the ground by the Rockets’ Amen Thompson with 35 seconds left and the Heat leading 99-94. Players and coaches from both benches then came onto the court. Both players were thrown out along with Rockets guard Jalen Green, coach Ime Udoka and assistant coach Ben Sullivan. Terry Rozier was also ejected for Miami. Bills clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the undisciplined Jets ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and the Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC’s No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the New York Jets. The Bills put the game away by capitalizing on two Jets turnovers and scoring three touchdowns over a 5:01 span in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Buffalo’s defense forced three takeaways overall and sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, including a 2-yard loss for a safety in the second quarter. The five-time defending AFC East champion Bills improved to 13-3 to match a franchise single-season record. Saquon Barkley tops 2,000 yards rushing as Eagles beat Cowboys 41-7 to clinch NFC East PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards to top 2,000 on the season, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett ran and threw for scores before departing with injured ribs, and the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title by routing the Dallas Cowboys 41-7. Barkley has 2,005 yards and needs 101 in next week’s mostly meaningless regular-season finale to top Eric Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. The Eagles led 24-7 in the third quarter when Pickett was drilled by defensive end Micah Parsons, ending his first start in place of the concussed Jalen Hurts. Penn State coach James Franklin says Nick Saban should be college football's commissioner SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Penn State coach James Franklin believes college football needs a commissioner and he even has a candidate in mind: former Alabama coach Nick Saban. Franklin made the suggestion Sunday at Penn State’s College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day ahead of the Fiesta Bowl. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions are preparing for their game against No. 3 seed Boise State on Tuesday. The veteran coach was responding to a question about Penn State’s backup quarterback situation after Beau Pribula transferred to Missouri before the playoff. Pribula’s decision highlighted some of the frustrating aspects of a new college football world in the Name, Image and Likeness era and the transfer portal, forcing players to make tough decisions at inopportune times. LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA's all-time scoring leader When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career. Rising Sun Devils: Arizona State looks to pull off another big surprise at the Peach Bowl ATLANTA (AP) — As they prepare for Arizona State’s biggest game in nearly three decades, the guys who made it happen aren’t the least bit surprised to be rated a nearly two-touchdown underdog in the College Football Playoff. That’s a familiar position for the Sun Devils. They've been an underdog most of the season. Of the eight teams still vying for a national championship, there’s no bigger surprise than 11-2 Arizona State. The Sun Devils went 3-9 a year ago and were picked to finish dead last in their first season in the Big 12 Conference. Now, they're getting ready to face Texas in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal game on New Year’s Day.‘Intrusive and presumptuous’: Fury in Germany after Musk backs far-right party ahead of elections