No. 11 Tennessee crushes UTEP to enhance CFP chances
Jowell Global Ltd. Announces First Half 2024 Unaudited Financial ResultsISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani security forces launched an operation Tuesday night to disperse supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan who had gathered in the capital to demand his release from prison. The latest development came hours after thousands of Khan supporters, defying government warnings, broke through a barrier of shipping containers blocking off Islamabad and entered a high-security zone, where they clashed with security forces, facing tear gas shelling, mass detentions and gunfire. Tension has been high in Islamabad since Sunday when supporters of the former prime minister began a “long march” from the restive northwest to demand his release. Khan has been in a prison for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases that his party says are politically motivated. Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, led the protest, but she fled as police pushed back against demonstrators. Hundreds of Khan’s supporters are being arrested in the ongoing nighttime operation, and police are also seeking to arrest Bibi. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters that the Red Zone, which houses government buildings and embassies, and the surrounding areas have been cleared. Leaders from Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, have also fled the protest site. Earlier Tuesday, Pakistan’s army took control of D-Chowk, a large square in the Red Zone, where visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is staying. Since Monday, Naqvi had threatened that security forces would use live fire if protesters fired weapons at them. “We have now authorized the police to respond as necessary,” Naqvi said Tuesday while visiting the square. Before the operation began, protester Shahzor Ali said people had taken to the streets because Khan had called for them. “We will stay here until Khan joins us. He will decide what to do next,” Ali said. “If they fire bullets again, we will respond with bullets,” he said. Protester Fareeda Bibi, who is not related to Khan’s wife, said people have suffered greatly for the last two years. “We have really suffered for the last two years, whether it is economically, politically or socially. We have been ruined. I have not seen such a Pakistan in my life,” she said. Authorities have struggled to contain the protest-related violence. Six people, including four members of the security services, were killed when a vehicle rammed them on a street overnight into Tuesday. A police officer died in a separate incident. Dozens of Khan supporters beat a videographer covering the protest for The Associated Press and took his camera. He sustained head injuries and was treated in a hospital. By Tuesday afternoon, fresh waves of protesters made their way unopposed to their final destination in the Red Zone. Most demonstrators had the flag of Khan’s party around their shoulders or wore its tricolors on accessories. Naqvi said Khan’s party had rejected a government offer to rally on the outskirts of the city. Information Minister Atta Tarar warned there would be a severe government reaction to the violence. He said the government did not want Bushra Bibi to achieve her goal of freeing Khan. “She wants bodies falling to the ground. She wants bloodshed,” he said. The government says only the courts can order Khan’s release. He was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. In a bid to foil the unrest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country. Messaging platforms were also experiencing severe disruption in the capital. Khan’s party relies heavily on social media and uses messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. The X platform, which is banned in Pakistan, is no longer accessible, even with a VPN. Last Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested. Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible because of shipping containers blocking the roads. All education institutions remain closed. Pakistan's Stock Exchange lost more than $1.7 billion Tuesday due to rising political tensions, according to economist Mohammed Sohail from Topline Securities. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
Biggest rivalry in AFLW history to write next chapter
Making a clean sweep in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday won all six Assembly seats in the by-elections. With this victory, the Mamata Banerjee-led party has further consolidated its position in the State Assembly. The bypolls were held in six constituencies — Sitai, Madarihat, Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur and Taldangra — on November 13 after the respective sitting MLAs, who had won the seats in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, resigned. In Sitai (north Bengal) and Haroa (south Bengal), TMC candidates clocked a victory margin of over one lakh votes. Continuing its winning streak of Lok Sabha poll victory, the TMC retained five Assembly seats and wrested Madarihat seat from the BJP, which had cemented its control in the constituency in the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections. This time, the electoral contest was viewed as a litmus test for the TMC, which is facing protests over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s State-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The body of the on-duty doctor was found inside the seminar room of the emergency building of the hospital on August 9. With the TMC cementing its dominance in West Bengal politics, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister and party supremo, thanked voters on social media. “I would like to thank ‘Maa, Mati, Manush’. Your blessings will help us continue working for the people,” Banerjee posted. “We are custodians of the people, not zamindars ,” she said. Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s second-in-command, also took to social media to congratulate all six TMC candidates – Sangita Roy, Jayprakash Toppo, Sanat Dey, Rabiul Islam, Sujoy Hazra and Falguni Singhababu – for their victories against BJP candidates. “A special thanks to the people of Madarihat for giving us the opportunity to serve you for the first time. I bow before the people of West Bengal for democratically dismantling the Bangla Birodhis , their fake narratives and reaffirming their trust in us,” Abhishek said in a post on ‘X’. BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar downplayed the significance of the by-election results. “Bypoll results cannot serve as a reliable indicator. Whether the people are with the Trinamool Congress or not will be reflected in the upcoming Assembly elections,” said Majumdar, adding that his party is hopeful of winning the 2026 Assembly polls. CommentsWall Street headhunters are gearing up for a 'bonkers' hiring market in 2025 — here's what to expectPrime Minister Narendra Modi hailed party workers on Saturday as the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory in Maharashtra. The senior politician hailed the poll results as a victory of ‘development, good governance and social justice’ while ‘lies and deceit’ suffered a crushing defeat. “This time Maharashtra has broken all records. This is the biggest victory for any party or pre-poll alliance in Maharashtra in the last 50 years. This is the third consecutive time that Maharashtra has blessed the alliance led by BJP. For the third time, BJP has emerged as the largest party in Maharashtra,” he said. PM Modi also noted that the BJP had received more seats than the Congress and its allies and that Maharashtra was the sixth state to have given the mandate to BJP three times in a row. “Biggest message from Maharashtra after Haryana polls is unity. 'Ek hain to safe hain' has become country's 'mahamantra'. Some people resorted to betrayal and tried to create instability in Maharashtra... voters have punished them. Voters are with those who put ‘nation first’...not with those putting ‘kursi first’. The 'INDI Alliance' is unable to understand the mood of the country,” he added.
What to know about ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon's HezbollahA week after a demoralizing loss to the Tennessee Titans, the AFC South-leading Houston Texans might have a perfect opportunity to reboot when they face the host Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Then again, maybe not. It depends, Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said, if the Texans (7-5) are "locked in" and able to make a December push. "I just look at it as being intensely focused on your job and being where you're supposed to be, executing the minor details of your job," Ryans said. "It all comes down to minor, minute details that you get exploited if you don't do them the correct way and teams find those and they make you pay. "And a lot of the things, as I talked to our guys about, are things that we can control." Jacksonville (2-9), sitting at the bottom of the AFC South, is coming off a humiliating 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions. It marked the fourth straight setback for the Jaguars, who had dropped their previous three games by a combined 13 points. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson noted that changes are coming, although he opted not to show his cards. "I'm not going to get into the whole details of things, but there are things in the run game that we have to get back to," Pederson said. "Even in the passing game, tweaking some things there. There are things that can, hopefully, help our production over the last six weeks." One of those things could be the return of starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has not played since Nov. 3 due to a left shoulder injury. Lawrence was a limited participant during practice on Wednesday, with Pederson telling reporters Monday that the signal-caller's status for Sunday would be determined as the week progresses. Pederson has also had his eye on Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has run into some struggles during his sophomore season. Stroud has thrown nine interceptions in 12 games (all starts) after throwing only five as a rookie. He was picked off twice in the 32-27 setback against Tennessee, also throwing for 247 yards and two touchdowns on 20-for-33 passing. Pederson still believes the 23-year-old can hurt the Jaguars, though. "Playing the quarterback position is hard," Pederson said. "I don't know everything that goes on down there. I'm sure there's been injury, guys have missed (time). He's missed his playmakers from time to time. And then there's the film. There's the film out there." The Texans have lost three of their past four games and four of their past six as defenses continue to solve Stroud. Defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) and Denico Autry (knee) were among those who didn't practice for Houston on Wednesday, and safety Jalen Pitre is expected to miss several weeks because of a shoulder injury. Linebacker Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) was the only Jaguar to miss practice on Wednesday. Cornerback Tyson Campbell (shoulder) joined Lawrence as limited. Sunday marks the second meeting of the season between the teams. The Texans topped Jacksonville 24-20 back on Sept. 29. --Field Level Media
Free-falling Pitt, Louisville lock up with bowl position in playPakistani authorities launch operation to clear Imran Khan supporters from the capital
China Telecom Gulf Officially Launches in Saudi Arabia for Business
He is not yet in power but President-elect Donald Trump rattled much of the world with an off-hours warning of stiff tariffs on close allies and China — a loud hint that Trump-style government by social media post is coming back. With word of these levies against goods imported from Mexico, Canada and China, Trump sent auto industry stocks plummeting, raised fears for global supply chains and unnerved the world’s major economies. For Washington-watchers with memories of the Republican’s first term, the impromptu policy volley on Monday evening foreshadowed a second term of startling announcements of all manner, fired off at all hours of the day from his smartphone. “Donald Trump is never going to change much of anything,” said Larry Sabato, a leading US political scientist and director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. “You can expect in the second term pretty much what he showed us about himself and his methods in the first term. Social media announcements of policy, hirings and firings will continue.” The first of Trump’s tariff announcements — a 25 percent levy on everything coming in from Mexico and Canada — came amid an angry rebuke of lax border security at 6:45 pm on Truth Social, Trump’s own platform. The United States is bound by agreements on the movement of goods and services brokered by Trump in a free trade treaty with both nations during his first term. But Trump warned that the new levy would “remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country” — sowing panic from Ottawa to Mexico City. Seconds later, another message from the incoming commander-in-chief turned the focus on Chinese imports, which he said would be hit with “an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs.” The consequences were immediate. Almost every major US automaker operates plants in Mexico, and shares in General Motors and Stellantis — which produce pickup trucks in America’s southern neighbor — plummeted. Canada, China and Mexico protested, while Germany called on its European partners to prepare for Trump to impose hefty tariffs on their exports and stick together to combat such measures. – Framing the debate – The tumult recalls Trump’s first term, when journalists, business leaders and politicians at home and abroad would scan their phones for the latest pronouncements, often long after they had left the office or over breakfast. During his first four years in the Oval Office, the tweet — in those days his newsy posts were almost exclusively limited to Twitter, now known as X — became the quasi-official gazette for administration policy. The public learned of the president-elect’s 2020 Covid-19 diagnosis via an early-hours post, and when Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on Trump’s order, the Republican confirmed the kill by tweeting a US flag. The public and media learned of numerous other decisions big and small by the same source, from the introduction of customs duties to the dismissal of cabinet secretaries. It is not a communication method that has been favored by any previous US administration and runs counter to the policies and practices of most governments around the world. Throughout his third White House campaign, and with every twist and turn in his various entanglements with the justice system, Trump has poured his heart out on Truth Social, an app he turned to during his 20-month ban from Twitter. In recent days, the mercurial Republican has even named his attorney general secretaries of justice and health via announcements on the network. “He sees social media as a tool to shape and direct the national conversation and will do so again,” said political scientist Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University professor. AFP
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RBB Bancorp (the "Company”) (NASDAQ: RBB) is pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2025, Mr. Johnny Lee, currently President and Chief Banking Officer of Royal Business Bank (the "Bank”), will be appointed as President of the Company, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank and a director of the Company and Bank. In addition, effective as of May 22, 2025, Mr. Lee will be appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Lee brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Company from various financial institutions, and the Company will continue to benefit and grow with his leadership. Prior to joining the Company in 2023, Mr. Lee, age 62, most recently served as Senior Managing Director, Head of International and Commercial Banking of East West Bank, from 2021 to 2023. Prior thereto, Mr. Lee also served in the following roles at East West Bank: Head of Venture Lending, Emerging Technologies, from 2018 to 2023; Managing Director & Chief Administrative Officer, US Greater China (Bridge) Banking, from 2015 to 2018; and Managing Director, International Banking Group, Corporate Banking Division, from 2013 to 2015. Mr. Lee has over 35 years of banking experience. Effective January 1, 2025, Mr. David Morris, will resign from his position as Chief Executive Officer of the Bank and President of the Company. Mr. Morris will continue serving as the Company's Chief Executive Officer until he retires effective as of May 21, 2025. Mr. Morris will remain on the Boards of Directors of the Company and the Bank. "We wish to express our sincere appreciation for the tremendous work Mr. Morris has completed for the Company over the past 15 years and we are grateful for his service and dedication. Our Company has grown substantially due in large part to his strategic efforts and we are so pleased he plans to continue his service as a director of both the Company and the Bank after he retires from the day-to-day responsibilities as CEO of the Company,” said Christina Kao, the Company's Chair of the Board of Directors. "We are also pleased to have Mr. Lee become President and CEO of the Bank at the start of the year and Chief Executive Officer of the Company in May of 2025 through a succession plan. Mr. Lee is a remarkably talented executive, and I look forward to his continued leadership and ongoing contributions as we continue to attract top-tier banking professionals to grow our team and strive to deliver value to our customers, community, and shareholders.” Commenting on his new appointment, Mr. Lee stated, "I am delighted to be part of the collaborative Royal Business Bank team. The Company has demonstrated outstanding growth and performance while delivering shareholder value and serving the Asian American community and Asian-centric businesses. I look forward to leading the Company to achieve success for the benefit of our employees, clients and shareholders." In additional leadership changes, effective January 1, 2025, Mr. Mina Rizkalla, currently Senior Vice President/BSA Officer & Deputy Chief Risk Officer for the Bank since 2023, will become Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for the Company and the Bank and will report to Mr. Lee. Mr. I-Ming (Vincent) Liu, currently Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for the Company and the Bank, will relinquish the Chief Risk Officer position and remain with the Bank as Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff and will report to Mr. Lee. In his new role, Mr. Liu will assist with the announced senior leadership succession plan and transition timeline. Corporate Overview RBB Bancorp is a community-based financial holding company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had total assets of $4.0 billion. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Royal Business Bank, is a full service commercial bank, which provides consumer and business banking services predominately to the Asian communities and Asian-centric businesses in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Ventura County in California, in Las Vegas, Nevada, in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan in New York, in Edison, New Jersey, in the Chicago neighborhoods of Chinatown and Bridgeport, Illinois, and on Oahu, Hawaii. Bank services include remote deposit, E-banking, mobile banking, commercial and investor real estate loans, business loans and lines of credit, commercial and industrial loans, SBA 7A and 504 loans, 1-4 single family residential loans, trade finance, a full range of depository account products and wealth management services. The Bank has nine branches in Los Angeles County, two branches in Ventura County, one branch in Orange County, California, one branch in Las Vegas, Nevada, three branches and one loan operation center in Brooklyn, three branches in Queens, one branch in Manhattan in New York, one branch in Edison, New Jersey, two branches in Chicago, Illinois, and one branch in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Company's administrative and lending center is located at 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90017, and its operations center is located at 7025 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, California 90621. The Company's website address is www.royalbusinessbankusa.com . Safe Harbor Certain matters set forth herein (including the exhibits hereto) constitute forward-looking statements relating to the Company's current business plans and expectations and our future financial position and operating results. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance and/or achievements to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the effectiveness of the Company ' s internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures ; the potential for additional material weaknesses in the Company ' s internal controls over financial reporting or other potential control deficiencies of which the Company is not currently aware or which have not been detected; business and economic conditions generally and in the financial services industry, nationally and within our current and future geographic markets, including the tight labor market, ineffective management of the United States ( " U.S. ” ) federal budget or debt or turbulence or uncertainly in domestic of foreign financial markets; the strength of the U.S. economy in general and the strength of the local economies in which we conduct operations; our ability to attract and retain deposits and access other sources of liquidity; possible additional provisions for loan losses and charge-offs; credit risks of lending activities and deterioration in asset or credit quality; extensive laws and regulations and supervision that we are subject to, including potential supervisory action by bank supervisory authorities; increased costs of compliance and other risks associated with changes in regulation, including any amendments to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and other money laundering statutes and regulations; potential goodwill impairment; liquidity risk; fluctuations in interest rates; risks associated with acquisitions and the expansion of our business into new markets; inflation and deflation; real estate market conditions and the value of real estate collateral; environmental liabilities; our ability to compete with larger competitors; our ability to retain key personnel; successful management of reputational risk; severe weather, natural disasters, earthquakes, fires; or other adverse external events could harm our business; geopolitical conditions, including acts or threats of terrorism, actions taken by the U.S. or other governments in response to acts or threats of terrorism and/or military conflicts, including the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East, which could impact business and economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad; public health crises and pandemics, and their effects on the economic and business environments in which we operate, including our credit quality and business operations, as well as the impact on general economic and financial market conditions; general economic or business conditions in Asia, and other regions where the Bank has operations; failures, interruptions, or security breaches of our information systems; climate change, including any enhanced regulatory, compliance, credit and reputational risks and costs; cybersecurity threats and the cost of defending against them; our ability to adapt our systems to the expanding use of technology in banking; risk management processes and strategies; adverse results in legal proceedings; the impact of regulatory enforcement actions, if any; certain provisions in our charter and bylaws that may affect acquisition of the Company; changes in tax laws and regulations; the impact of governmental efforts to restructure the U.S. financial regulatory system; the impact of future or recent changes in the FDIC insurance assessment rate and the rules and regulations related to the calculation of the FDIC insurance assessments; the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices or accounting standards, as may be adopted from time-to-time by bank regulatory agencies, the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other accounting standards setters, including Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 (Topic 326, "Measurement of Current Losses on Financial Instruments, commonly referenced as the Current Expected Credit Losses Model, which changed how we estimate credit losses and may further increase the required level of our allowance for credit losses in future periods; market disruption and volatility; fluctuations in the Company's stock price; restrictions on dividends and other distributions by laws and regulations and by our regulators and our capital structure; issuances of preferred stock; our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, and the potential resulting dilution of interests of holders of our common stock; the soundness of other financial institutions; our ongoing relations with our various federal and state regulators, including the SEC, FDIC, FRB and DFPI; our success at managing the risks involved in the foregoing items and all other factors set forth in the Company's public reports, including its Annual Report as filed under Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and particularly the discussion of risk factors within that document. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements except as required by law. Any statements about future operating results, such as those concerning accretion and dilution to the Company's earnings or shareholders, are for illustrative purposes only, are not forecasts, and actual results may differ. Lynn Hopkins, Chief Financial Officer (657) 255-3282 [email protected] Source: RBB Bancorp
Four most surprising NHL teams of the season so farNEW YORK (AP) — Ayden Pereira rushed for 136 yards on 17 carries and threw for a touchdown and Merrimack's defense smothered Fordham 19-3 in a season finale. Jay Thompson had three solo sacks and was credited with four of Merrimack’s 11 sacks. The Rams (2-10) finished with just four first downs and were held to minus-29 yards rushing and 31 total yards offense. The Warriors (5-6) also made two interceptions. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Planning your evening meals just got a whole lot easier. We're all familiar with the struggle of dreaming up varied and mouth-watering options every night - it can be quite the mission, particularly when time is tight, and you need something swift. If you're weary of the same old dishes constantly gracing your dinner table, fret not; we've unearthed a smashing chicken that's not only quick to prepare in about 30 minutes but will inject some excitement into your daily diet. And what's more, this adaptable dish goes splendidly with a wide array of sides - whether it's a dollop of indulgent mashed potatoes or nestled on a bed of light, fluffy rice. The real charm here is that by varying your side dishes, you can offer the same crowd-pleaser multiple times without falling into a dining rut. The meal causing a stir is a delectable creamy Tuscan chicken delight that's achieved viral status on social media for its ease of preparation and robust taste. Kyra, a food and lifestyle guru on TikTok, brought this recipe to prominence, hailing the dish as "easy" and "healthy". Considering it involves just six key ingredients and a mere half-hour to make, it appears she's struck culinary gold. Although the video caption did not outline a specific cooking method, Kyra began by placing two chicken breasts onto a chopping board and cutting them in half to create four thinner portions. The video shows her then sprinkling the chicken with a liberal amount of paprika and seasoning, making sure to cover both sides. She then fried the chicken breasts in a pan coated with oil, occasionally turning them over until they were seared and browned on both sides. Once they were cooked, she took the chicken out of the pan and instantly added butter and chopped garlic, stirring continuously until the aroma was released. Next, Kyra added quartered tomatoes, chicken stock, and soft cheese to the pan, stirring constantly until the cheese melted into a creamy sauce. After that, she put the chicken back into the pan, added some spinach on top, and let it simmer until the spinach had wilted and the chicken was fully cooked. To complete the meal, Kyra served the chicken with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli, although viewers were free to serve it however they pleased. The recipe seemed to be a hit, with many expressing their eagerness to give it a try, describing the final product as "absolutely mouthwatering". The video received plenty of positive comments, with one user saying: "I see this all the time! I think it's my sign to make it." Meanwhile, another satisfied foodie shared their experience: "I made this tonight, step by step, except I just air-fried baby potatoes. Overall, the chicken came out so good!"