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NPP’s Ekua Amoako Defends EC and Slams NDC’s Allegations of Election RiggingTORONTO — Canada's main stock index pushed higher to end Monday up almost 150 points on light trading action, while U.S. stock markets also gained ahead of the Christmas break. "Today is a quiet pre-Christmas Day of trading," said Kevin Burkett, a portfolio manager at Victoria, B.C.-based Burkett Asset Management. While markets in both Canada and the U.S. were mild, Burkett suggests watching the markets closely during the holiday season, a contrast to what's typically a sleepy period for markets. "We're continuing to watch markets very closely here because you've got some tectonic plate shifting in terms of the macroeconomic backdrop," he said. "It's all the political conversations both in Canada and in the U.S." Burkett added fiscal policy seems to be disconnected from monetary policy in the post-pandemic period. "The fiscal policy may shift and that shift absolutely has market implications both in the short and long term," he said. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 149.50 points at 24,748.98. Statistics Canada released its latest numbers on Canada's economic growth, up 0.3 per cent in October — driven by the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector. The loonie continued its slide, trading for 69.47 cents US compared with 69.61 cents US on Friday. The telecom sector was the biggest loser at the closing on TSX, which Burkett attributed to "tax loss selling happening at the end of the year." Competition Bureau Canada announced on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc. for allegedly making misleading claims about its infinite wireless plans. The stock price for Rogers, which is hovering near 52-week lows, fell 0.7 per cent on Monday. Meanwhile, BCE was down almost 1.4 per cent and Telus dropped 0.9 per cent. Burkett suggested the day's poor performance among telecom companies was likely tax loss selling since it's almost the end of the year. "It's been a tough year for the communication services sector," he said. South of the border, communications services was the top-performing sector, led by large-cap tech companies. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 66.69 points at 42,906.95. The S&P 500 index was up 43.22 points at 5,974.07, while the Nasdaq composite was up 192.29 points at 19,764.89. The February crude oil contract was down 22 cents at US$69.24 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was down six cents at US$3.35 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was down US$16.90 at US$2,628.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down one cent at US$4.09 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX: GSPTSE, TSX: CADUSD, TSE: BCE, TSE: RCI. B) Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press
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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Miguel Tomley scored 28 points as Weber State beat Pepperdine 68-53 in the Desert Division championship game of the Arizona Tip-Off on Saturday night. Tomley shot 7 for 12 (6 for 7 from 3-point range) and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Wildcats (4-4). Blaise Threatt added 21 points and seven rebounds. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Patriots vs. Chargers: Everything we know about New England’s Week 17 game
CAMDEN, N.J. , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc. announced pricing today on the rugged 2025 Forester Wilderness SUV. The go-anywhere 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness is based on the previous-generation model and features increased capability, including 9.2 inches of ground clearance for adventure-seekers starting at $34,995 MSRP. In addition to longer coil springs and shock absorbers, the 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness adds 17-inch matte-black alloy wheels wrapped in All-Terrain Yokohama GEOLANDAR® tires for increased traction on muddy, wet, or snowy roads or trails. A full-size spare is tucked underneath the cargo area for added confidence off the pavement. The 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness includes a unique front fascia with a hexagonal grille and hexagonal LED fog lights, larger cladding around the wheels, and a front skid plate to help protect the SUV off-road. A useful anti-glare, matte black decal helps diffuse light from the hood for better outward vision and gives the Subaru Forester Wilderness a visually distinctive appearance on the road and the trails. Water-resistant StarTex® seating surfaces are easily cleanable, while all-weather mats and a standard cargo tray are well-suited for muddy gear and boots. The Wilderness also boasts more robust, ladder-style roof rails that can support up to 800 pounds while stationary, including a rooftop tent. Inside, the Subaru Forester Wilderness' standard 60/40-split folding rear seats open up to 69.1 cubic feet of cargo space with a wide 51.2-inch rear gate opening width to help load bulky gear. With the rear seats upright, the Wilderness comfortably seats up to five people with 39.4 inches of rear seat legroom and 26.9 cubic feet of cargo room behind the second row. For even more gear, the Subaru Forester Wilderness has a towing capacity of up to 3,000 pounds and comes standard with Trailer Stability Assist. Standard EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology features Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control; Pre-Collision Braking; Pre-Collision Throttle Management; Lane Departure and Sway Warning and Lead Vehicle Start Alert. Automatic Emergency Steering works with EyeSight and Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert to assist with steering control to help avoid a collision at speeds slower than 50 mph. Every 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness is powered by a 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER® engine paired with a Lineartronic Continuously Variable Transmission. The efficient engine sends 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels via standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. A SUBARU STARLINK® 6.5-inch Multimedia system with a high-resolution touchscreen, Apple CarPlay® and AndroidTM Auto compatibility, and Bluetooth® hands-free streaming connectivity is standard. The front center console comes equipped with dual UBS-A input/charge ports, while the rear center console is equipped with dual USB-A charge ports for second-row riders. A single option package is available for the 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness and adds an 8.0-inch SUBARU STARLINK® 8.0-inch Multimedia Navigation System, Harman Kardon® premium audio with 576-watt equivalent amp and nine speakers, and Power Rear Gate for $2,000 MSRP. The 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness is assembled alongside the all-new 2025 Subaru Forester in Gunma, Japan . The Forester Wilderness will arrive at Subaru retailers in early 2025. 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness Model/Trim Transmission Applicable Option MSRP MSRP plus Destination and Delivery ($1,420) i Forester Wilderness CVT 31, 33 $34,995 $36,415 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness Option Packages Code Description MSRP 31 Standard Model N/A 33 STARLINK 8.0-inch Multimedia Navigation System + Harman Kardon Premium Speaker System + Power Rear Gate $2,000 Destination & Delivery is $1,420 for Forester Wilderness and may vary in the following states: CT, HI, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI and VT. D&D is $1,570 for retailers in Alaska. About Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. ( SOA ) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered in Camden, N.J. , the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of about 640 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants, including Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. , the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise , which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $320 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged over 100,000 volunteer hours. Subaru is dedicated to being More Than a Car Company® and to making the world a better place. For additional information, visit media.subaru.com . Follow us on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , TikTok , and YouTube . Dominick Infante Director, Corporate Communications 856.488.8615 dinfante@subaru.com Aaron Cole Product Communications Manager 720.231.0809 acole1@subaru.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/subaru-announces-pricing-on-2025-forester-wilderness-302313781.html SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalition
And the ASX’s most shorted stock (still) is...Ituka scores 18 off the bench, Jacksonville State downs East Carolina 86-78
Former Kentucky WR Dane Key set for transfer to Nebraska
From Washington we've been hearing the expression "lame duck" quite a bit lately, but it has not of course been a discussion about the health of the waterfowl population in the American capital but a reference to Joe Biden as he completes his final term as president. According to the Oxford English Dictionary lame duck refers to someone "continuing in a post, but with little power, influence or enthusiasm." The expression apparently dates back to the 18th century and became a familiar term at the London Stock Exchange regarding unsuccessful stockbrokers who couldn't pay their debts. People may well ask why it was ducks and not other birds which were unfortunate enough to be landed with the "lame" tag. After all it's hardly positive PR for the common duck. You only have to look at a duck and the word "lame" springs to mind. The alternatives are not very appealing, however. A "hamstrung heron.",. "pickled parrot", "plastered partridge" or "incapacitated ostrich" don't quite create the required image in the same way as the poor old duck. One explanation is that ducks were traditionally a popular target for hunting expeditions in which some of them were shot but not necessarily killed, which left them lame. Unfortunately in this unforgiving world the lame ducks then became "sitting ducks" and ultimately "dead ducks." And after that it was only a matter of time before they were sitting on the dining table as "duck l'orange". Gourmet surprise Duck featured in a famous Fawlty Towers episode "Gourmet Night" in which Basil (John Cleese) attempts to introduce haute cuisine to attract a better class of clientele, or as he so eloquently puts it, "no riff-raff". Unfortunately his dreams of gourmet bliss are thwarted by a drunken chef. At one stage we are even treated to the unforgettable sight of Basil impersonating a duck. Eventually Basil informs guests they are limited to a choice of Duck With Orange, Duck With Cherries or the intriguing Duck Surprise which turns out to be duck without orange or cherries. It will come as no surprise the gourmet night was not a success. Howzat! It is not only in politics that the English language is unkind to ducks. In sport it's a word no cricketer wants to hear. When someone is out for a duck it means they were dismissed without scoring a run. Even worse is a "golden duck" when you are out first ball. I regrettably know all about this, having suffered that fate too many times. For the curious, cricketers originally called nought a "duck" because a duck's egg is a very similar shape to the number zero. Gershwin and Miles I didn't realise this year marked the 100th anniversary of the George Gershwin classic Rhapsody in Blue until I read John Clewley's informative column in Life (19/11). It was one of the first albums I bought as a teenager in the early 1960s. My mum was delighted as she was getting weary of the early Elvis hits and the rest of the rock and roll "racket" I was listening to on the radio. It wasn't long before I purchased the Porgy and Bess album by the magnificent jazz trumpeter Miles Davis with the Gil Evans orchestra. I remember the first time I played it to my dad he grudgingly admitted it was "an improvement on the usual stuff" I listened to although he wasn't keen on the " trumpeter's squeaky bits". I still play the album on a regular basis. It includes wonderful interpretations of Summertime, It Ain't Necessarily So and I Loves You Porgy . About Elvis... I should explain my reference to Elvis. Back in 1956 when I had already been packed off to bed, my older brother Eric was downstairs in the kitchen tuning in to Radio Luxembourg and the amazing sounds of Heartbreak Hotel and Don't be Cruel came thundering up the stairs. I had never heard anything like it. Later there was Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock. It was raw, unrestrained and so different to the fluff I had been brought up on. Alas, a few years later I was sorry to see Elvis opting for the Hollywood movie route and sadly many of his songs became as bland as his films. He was a good guy though. Living in hope You may recall that earlier this month Collins Dictionary announced "brat" as its word of the year, a not particularly appealing offering I might say. Now Cambridge Dictionary have come up with their own word which they say was looked up nearly 130,000 times this year on their website. The word is "manifest" which Cambridge defines as "to use methods such as visualisation and affirmation to help you imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that in doing so will make it more likely to happen.'' Sounds like a long-winded way of saying "hope for the best". Food for thought One of the Cambridge runner-up words for 2024 was "ecotarian" which apparently means a "person who only eats food produced or prepared in a way that does not harm the environment." That sounds like someone who could become an incredibly boring guest at a dinner party. Anyway, having just polished off a plate of bacon and eggs I suspect that rules out any claims I might have to being a budding "ecotarian."
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers, meet your latest lobbyists: online influencers from TikTok. The platform is once again bringing influencers to Washington, this time to lobby members of Congress to reject a fast-moving bill that would force TikTok's Beijing-based parent company to sell or be banned in the United States. On Tuesday, some influencers began a two-day advocacy event in support of TikTok, which arranged their trip ahead of a House floor vote on the legislation on Wednesday. But unlike a similar lobbying event the company put together last March when talks of a TikTok ban reached a fever pitch, this year’s effort appeared more rushed as the company scrambles to counter the legislation, which advanced rapidly on Capitol Hill. Summer Lucille, a TikTok content creator with 1.4 million followers who is visiting Washington this week, said if TikTok is banned, she “don’t know what it will do” to her business, a plus-sized boutique in Charlotte, North Carolina. “It will be devastating,” Lucille said in an interview arranged by the platform. In an unusual showing of bipartisanship, a House panel unanimously approved the measure last week. President Joe Biden has said he will sign the legislation if lawmakers pass it. But it’s unclear what will happen in the Senate, where several bills aimed at banning TikTok have stalled. The legislation faces other roadblocks. Former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump, who holds sway over both House and Senate Republicans, has voiced opposition to the bill, saying it would empower Meta-owned Facebook, which he continues to lambast over his 2020 election loss. The bill also faces pushback from some progressive lawmakers in the House as well as civil liberties groups who argue it infringes on the First Amendment. TikTok could be banned if ByteDance, the parent company, doesn’t sell its stakes in the platform and other applications it owns within six months of the bill’s enactment. The fight over the platform takes place as U.S.-China relations have shifted to that of strategic rivalry, especially in areas such as advanced technologies and data security, seen as essential to each country’s economic prowess and national security. The shift, which started during the Trump years and has continued under Biden, has placed restrictions on export of advanced technologies and outflow of U.S. monies to China, as well as access to the U.S. market by certain Chinese businesses. The Biden administration also has cited human rights concerns in blacklisting a number of Chinese companies accused of assisting the state surveillance campaign against ethnic minorities. TikTok isn’t short on lobbyists. Its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance has a strong lobbying apparatus in Washington that includes dozens of lobbyists from well-known consulting and legal firms as well as influential insiders, such as former members of Congress and ex-aides to powerful lawmakers, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will also be in Washington this week and plans to meet with lawmakers, according to a company spokesperson who said Chew’s visit was previously scheduled. But influencers, who have big followings on social media and can share personal stories of how the platform boosted their businesses — or simply gave them a voice — are still perhaps one of the most powerful tools the company has in its arsenal. A TikTok spokesperson said dozens of influencers will attend the two-day event, including some who came last year. The spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about how many new people would be attending this year’s lobbying blitz. The company is briefing them ahead of meetings with their representatives and media interviews. Lucille, who runs the boutique in North Carolina, says has seen a substantial surge in revenue because of her TikTok page. The 34-year-old began making TikTok content focusing on plus-sized fashion in March 2022, more than a decade after she started her business. She quickly amassed thousands of followers after posting a nine-second video about her boutique. Because of her popularity on the platform, her business has more online exposure and customers, some of whom have visited from as far as Europe. She says she also routinely hears from followers who are finding support through her content about fashion and confidence. JT Laybourne, an influencer who also came to Washington, said he joined TikTok in early 2019 after getting some negative comments on videos he posted on Instagram while singing in the car with his children. Laybourne, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, said he was attracted to the short-form video platform because it was easy to create videos that contained music. Like Lucille, he quickly gained traction on the app. He says he also received more support from TikTok users, who reacted positively to content he produced on love and positivity. Laybourne says the community he built on the platform rallied around his family when he had to undergo heart surgery in 2020. Following the surgery, he said he used the platform to help raise $1 million for the American Heart Association in less than two years. His family now run an apparel company that gets most of its traffic from TikTok. “I will fight tooth-and-nail for this app,” he said. But whether the opposition the company is mounting through lobbyists or influencers will be enough to derail the bill is yet to be seen. On Tuesday, House lawmakers received a briefing on national security concerns regarding TikTok from the FBI, Justice Department and intelligence officials. AP Journalist Didi Tang contributed to this report. This story was originally published on March 12, 2024. It was updated on December 23, 2024 to clarify a quote by TikTok content creator Summer Lucille.Chilliwack left 'high and dry' by province with stalled shelter project: councillorKai Havertz lifts Arsenal to second to show there is life without Saka
Mike McDaniel stepped in to keep Dolphins from trading veteran DT Calais Campbell to Ravens
Guwahati: Samagra Shiksha Assam, in partnership with Mission Gyan , introduced “e-Kaksha” on Saturday. A digital educational platform providing comprehensive learning content for students from classes 1 to 10, the initiative aims to improve educational standards throughout the state. The platform addresses the issue of subject-specific teacher shortages, particularly in rural and remote regions, by offering students access to quality video lessons. Students can utilise these resources at their own pace, facilitating a better understanding of essential concepts. To access the lessons, one needs to visit the official YouTube channel, e-Kaksha Assam, which has currently has over 10.7K subscribers and approximately 1,000 uploaded videos. Education minister Dr Ranoj Pegu, who launched the education platform at the state mission office of Samagra Shiksha on Saturday, posted on his ‘X’ handle, “Inaugurated 1,000 video lessons (e-contents) in Assamese language for students from Class I to X. These video lessons named ‘E-Kaksha’ shall be freely available on YouTube and Mission Gyan App.” The event was also attended by Sanjoy Dutta, executive director, Samagra Shiksha, along with other officials.“The initiative offers lessons in a variety of subjects, including English, Assamese, Geography, History and Social Science etc., all available in the Assamese language for students,” read a release. Meanwhile, during the programme 45 teachers received certificates, recognising their contributions to e-Kaksha content development. Pegu commended Samagra Shiksha and Mission Gyan for their collaboration, benefiting the students. He praised the teachers for creating clear, topic-focused videos and requested content development in Bengali and Bodo medium as well. “By leveraging technology and ensuring that the lessons are delivered in Assamese, the programme is tailored to the local needs of the students, making it easier for them to connect with the content and absorb the material more effectively,” the statement further read. We also published the following articles recently Samagra Shiksha Assam launches e-kaksha for digital edu Samagra Shiksha Assam, in collaboration with Mission Gyan, launched e-Kaksha, an educational platform providing video lessons for classes 1 to 10 on YouTube. Aimed at addressing teacher shortages in rural areas, it features 1,000 Assamese language videos covering various subjects. Education minister Dr Ranoj Pegu encourages content development in Bengali and Bodo as well. MP urges Centre to release funds for Tamil Nadu under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan DMK MP P Wilson has urged the Union government to release Tamil Nadu's funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. Union minister Jayant Chaudhary highlighted that Tamil Nadu's modified MoU dropped a key paragraph on NEP 2020 implementation, which led to delays. The state is encouraged to sign the MoU without modifications for fund release. YouTube lessons for govt school students of Assam soon Education minister Ranoj Pegu announced that state government schools will soon have lessons for classes I to XII available on YouTube. All schools will have smart classrooms by next year. Pegu also disbursed Rs 18 crores to support students under the fee waiver scheme and discussed measures to address teacher shortages and future recruitment processes.Will Nvidia Reach $4 Trillion? 3 Reasons It Could Happen by the End of the Year.None
Former Kentucky WR Dane Key set for transfer to NebraskaEditorial Roundup: United States
By Elizabeth Ayoola, NerdWallet The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. Kids are often pretty good at being consumers. If you’re a parent with a small business, you have the opportunity to show your kids firsthand what it means to be a producer. Small Business Saturday, which takes place on Nov. 30 this year, may be a great time to do just that. Small Business Saturday was established by American Express in 2010 and encourages consumers to patronize their local stores as a way to keep dollars circulating within their community. Here are three reasons you should consider getting your kids involved in Small Business Saturday, according to two mompreneurs. Ronne Brown is the owner of HERLISTIC, a plant-derived beauty and feminine care brand in Washington, D.C. She’s been participating in Small Business Saturday since she established her business in 2020. The entrepreneur gets her kids (ages 24, 18 and 12), plus her bonus daughter, 10, to help out on Small Business Saturday and beyond. Brown’s kids help with customer service, shipping and fulfillment tasks. That could include counting inventory, quality control or packaging boxes. Other times, help looks like Brown’s 12-year-old daughter keeping her up-to-date with TikTok trends and influencers in the beauty field. “I just want them to understand the price and the value of a dollar and what it actually costs to make it,” Brown says. The mompreneur also hopes her kids learn the benefits of commitment and hard work. “What I want to show them is that you have to work hard every day. And there are gonna be moments where you’re gonna be tired, you’re gonna be exhausted, and you’re not gonna want to do things, and you’re going to have to push through,” she says. Hiring your kids to do legitimate work during Small Business Saturday provides a chance for them to learn pillars needed for a strong financial foundation: earning money , saving money and investing. That said, before hiring kids, it’s critical to understand the child labor laws for your state in addition to the IRS’ rules around hiring kids. Brown says she pays all of her children, including her 24-year-old son who is on payroll. Additionally, she teaches them about investing in the stock market. “I want them to understand the importance of making money, but also investing the money that they’re making,” she says. “Because when I pay them, I always ask them, ‘so what are you gonna do to double this money?’” If you hire your minor kids, they could get a headstart on investing by putting some of their income into a custodial Roth IRA , which requires earned income to open. You could also open them a custodial brokerage account. Another perk of your kids earning income by working for you is that they may be exempt from paying federal income taxes if they earn less than the standard deduction . In 2024, that threshold is $14,600. Having your kids add helping hands, whether it be doing administrative tasks or helping customers, can ensure you keep up with a potential increase in sales. A 2024 NerdWallet holiday spending report found that 16% of 2024 holiday shoppers plan to shop on Small Business Saturday this year. Lisset Tresvant, owner of Glow Esthetics Spa in Hollywood, Florida, has been participating in Small Business Saturday since the genesis of her business in 2019. “I do tend to sell more because people are usually more inclined to purchase because of the sales, and it gives them a reason to support us,” she says. To help with the demand, Tresvant’s daughter, 12, and son, 9, fill her skincare products, add labels and help prep items for shipping. Tresvant says she decided to let her kids get involved in her business so they have a better understanding of what she does. Looking beyond Small Business Saturday, hiring your child can also help with succession planning , which is about planning for your departure from your business. Tresvant hopes to pass hers down to her kids one day. “They understand that I’m building this legacy just for not myself, but for them as well,” says Tresvant. More From NerdWallet Elizabeth Ayoola writes for NerdWallet. Email: eayoola@nerdwallet.com. The article 3 Reasons to Involve Your Kids in Small Business Saturday originally appeared on NerdWallet .Chilliwack council waived fees and development cost charges (DCCs) totalling almost $1.2 million at the Nov. 19 council meeting for an affordable housing project on Spadina Avenue. But before the vote, Coun. Jeff Shields took the opportunity to raise a "big" concern he has about another project, the Trethewey supportive housing and homeless shelter project. "You know this is pretty important what we're doing here as a city," Shields said about "foregoing" almost $1.2 million in fees for the affordable housing project. As housing is not a municipal jurisdiction, waiving the associated fees and DCCs is the city's contribution to these projects. "We have the good people of the United Church that donated a church property worth a fair bit of money in a nice area of town. We have really stepped up and showed our commitment to building housing but now I have this big concern with the other partner in this, which is the provincial government, responsible for building this housing. "As we know we have one sitting over there on Trethewey and we're into the second or third year of it sitting there not done. And I don't have great confidence but I do hope the province is going to do a whole lot better on this one than it did on the last one," the councillor said. Chilliwack has proven "over and over again" that it is willing to commit to this kind of housing, Shields said. "And still we kind of get left out, and left high and dry." The councillor added he hopes the Spadina project won't be a repeat of the stalled Trethewey project. Mayor Ken Popove originally said at a council meeting in September that the delayed Trethewey project got bogged down in litigation, apparently after the builders went broke. City officials were notified by BC Housing that they were working toward a completion date of March 2025 for Trethewey. Mamele'awt Qweesome Housing Society (MQHS), a non-profit urban Indigenous housing society, applied to have the fees waived for the Spadina project under the City of Chilliwack's Community Development Initiatives funding policy, for $31,394 in fees, as well as the development cost charges of $1,183,977. The Spadina project will deliver 64 units of affordable rental housing for seniors and low-income renters earning less than the median income for Chilliwack. The site and structure will be leased and operated by MQHS through a 60-year leasehold. Karen Stanton, director of public safety and social development, told council she did some followup since she knew the building process was a concern, clarifying that the Province/BC Housing was funding the Spadina project and offering operating subsidies as well. "But the project management is undertaken by housing consulting firm, CPA Consultants, who were the consultants on the Paramount project, and the builder is Vanmar Construction." Final approval of the tender for the Spadina project is expected in December, with a tentative plan to break ground in the new year, followed by a 20-month construction period. "If the experience we had with the Paramount is any indication, we should be in good shape," Stanton said. Mayor Popove added a reminder that "it took seven years from inception to buildout for the Paramount. So don't hold your breath."Costco plans to eliminate its popular book sections from most of its over 600 locations in the U.S. starting in January. The bulk retailer made this decision to focus on more efficient stocking practices. According to The New York Times, Costco executives explained that, unlike other items that can be stocked using forklifts, books require manual handling as they are displayed on tables. This move is part of several adjustments Costco has implemented to adapt to changing consumer needs. Earlier this year, the retailer announced a price increase for membership fees and introduced a policy requiring membership ID cards to be scanned for entry. The popular Gold Star membership saw a $5 increase, rising from $60 to $65 in September. Another factor influencing the decision was the growing trend of customers purchasing books online through platforms like Amazon and other websites. Despite the change, the company has left room for the possible return of books if sales in the remaining stores perform well. Books will still be available in 100 Costco locations year-round, according to Publishers Weekly. "If book sales do well at stores where they remain, books could return to more locations. However, if sales continue to lag, additional book sections may be removed," the company stated. Executives are also closely monitoring the performance of book sales at competing retailers, particularly for high-demand titles like Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which is exclusively available at Target. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.
Iran said on Sunday that it would hold nuclear talks in the coming days with the three European countries that initiated a censure resolution against it adopted by the UN's atomic watchdog. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of Iran, France, Germany and the United Kingdom would take place on Friday, without specifying a venue. "A range of regional and international issues and topics, including the issues of Palestine and Lebanon, as well as the nuclear issue, will be discussed," the spokesman said in a foreign ministry statement. Baghaei described the upcoming meeting as a continuation of talks held with the countries in September on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. On Thursday, the 35-nation board of governors of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution denouncing Iran for what it called a lack of cooperation. The move came as tensions ran high over Iran's atomic programme, which critics fear is aimed at developing a nuclear weapon -- something Tehran has repeatedly denied. In response to the resolution, Iran announced it was launching a "series of new and advanced centrifuges". Centrifuges enrich uranium transformed into gas by rotating it at very high speed, increasing the proportion of fissile isotope material (U-235). "We will substantially increase the enrichment capacity with the utilisation of different types of advanced machines," Behrouz Kamalvandi, Iran's atomic energy organisation spokesman, told state TV. The country, however, also said it planned to continue its "technical and safeguards cooperation with the IAEA". During a recent visit to Tehran by IAEA head Rafael Grossi, Iran agreed to the agency's demand to cap its sensitive stock of near weapons-grade uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in power since July and a supporter of dialogue with Western countries, has said he wants to remove "doubts and ambiguities" about his country's nuclear programme. In 2015, Iran and world powers reached an agreement that saw the easing of international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme. But the United States unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed biting economic sanctions, which prompted Iran to begin rolling back on its own commitments. On Sunday afternoon, the United Kingdom confirmed the upcoming meeting between Iran and the three European countries. "We remain committed to taking every diplomatic step to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, including through snapback if necessary," London's Foreign Office said. The 2015 deal contains a "snapback" mechanism that can be triggered in case of "significant non-performance" of commitments by Iran, allowing many sanctions to be reimposed. Ali Vaez, an Iran expert with the International Crisis Group think tank, told AFP that Friday's meeting was set to happen earlier, but "those plans were derailed as a result of Iran-Israel tensions" over the Gaza war. Though the parties will be meeting "without knowing what the incoming Trump administration wants to do", Vaez said that "after a lose-lose cycle of mutual escalation, now both sides are back to realising that engagement might be the least costly option." Tehran has since 2021 decreased its cooperation with the IAEA by deactivating surveillance devices monitoring the nuclear programme and barring UN inspectors. At the same time, it has increased its stockpiles of enriched uranium and the level of enrichment to 60 percent. That level is close, according to the IAEA, to the 90 percent-plus threshold required for a nuclear warhead, and substantially higher than the 3.67 percent limit it agreed to in 2015. pdm/smw/ami3 reasons to involve your kids in Small Business Saturday