As we congratulate Team Answers on their well-deserved victory, we also extend our appreciation to all the teams who participated in the Unwavering Covenant Ant eSports National Challenge. Each team showcased their talent, sportsmanship, and commitment to excellence, enriching the tournament with their competitive spirit and passion for the game.As Xiaohua's bold declaration continued to circulate online, it sparked a discussion on the nature of idolatry and the lengths to which one might go to emulate their idol. While some viewed Xiaohua's statement as light-hearted and playful, others saw it as a profound display of devotion and admiration.
In conclusion, the resilience, adaptability, and strategic planning of the Chinese foreign trade industry have positioned it on a solid path towards achieving its goals for the year. With a focus on quality improvement, quantity stability, and sustainable practices, the sector is well-equipped to navigate the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities in the dynamic global market landscape. By staying agile, innovative, and customer-centric, Chinese exporters are set to leave a lasting impact on the international trade arena for years to come.Team Answers emerged as a powerhouse throughout the tournament, displaying impeccable coordination, precision, and mastery of the game. Their strategic maneuvers and flawless execution left spectators in awe and opponents in dismay. With each victory, they inched closer to the ultimate prize, fueled by their unwavering dedication and passion for the game.The commodities sector traded softer during the first week of December—a month that traditionally sees activity slow to a halt ahead of the holiday season and year-end. During this period, traders and investors typically focus on defending hard-earned gains while minimising losses, potentially leaving markets directionless as they prepare for 2025—a year expected to bring both significant risks and opportunities. The Bloomberg Commodity Total Return Index, which tracks a basket of 24 major futures markets spanning energy, metals, and agricultural commodities, slipped by 0.7% during the week, reducing its year-to-date return to 3.6%. Gains across the industrial metal, grains and soft sectors being offset by a near 4% setback in energy, courtesy of a near 10% slump in natural gas and distillate (diesel) weakness. On an individual level the top performing commodities were cocoa, wheat, copper and silver, while the weakness as mentioned was being led by natural gas, diesel, platinum and gold. Weekly performance table The main event of the week in commodities was the OPEC+ meeting, and following two postponements, the group delayed further to mitigate the risk of price weakness amid the release of currently unwanted barrels. This decision was underpinned by concerns about robust production from non-OPEC+ producers next year, potentially leading to a major crude surplus and, from OPEC’s perspective, undesirable price weakness. In the short term, the combination of US tariff threats, elevated OPEC spare capacity and rising production elsewhere—not least in the US, where output has reached a record 13.5 million barrels per day—has reduced the likelihood of an upside price movement. Nonetheless, some upside risks remain. These include the Trump administration potentially adding fresh sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, as well as geopolitical risks stemming from the Russia–Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict. A proposal by Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent to increase US production by 3 million barrels of oil equivalent through 2028 will likely centre on increased natural gas and natural gas liquids production. With WTI trading below USD 70, however, incentives for further production increases remain constrained. Brent and WTI crude oil futures have traded sideways over the past two years as OPEC successfully managed to reduce volatility while supporting prices during a period of softening demand in China. Brent support, as indicated in the chart, is found near USD 70 per barrel, followed by USD 65 per barrel, while the downtrend from 2022 currently provides resistance near USD 80 per barrel. Brent Crude – Source: Saxo The industrial metals sector was heading for its third consecutive weekly gain as it continued to claw back losses resulting from proposed US tariffs on imports, particularly from China—a move that could disrupt global trade and reduce demand for industrial metals. Copper, which dropped over 5% last month due to additional pressure from concerns about a potential slowdown in the energy transition, witnessed its best week since September. It moved solidly higher and away from recently challenged key support levels. Prices were supported by a continued decline in exchange-monitored warehouse stocks to a May low, particularly in China, and by investor optimism about measures to bolster China’s flagging economy being approved at a key meeting in Beijing next week. Despite the mentioned challenges next year, the global shift toward electrification continues, particularly in China, where the EV and hybrid boom increasingly signals a sooner-than-expected slowdown in demand for traditional fuels. In the US, the surge in power demand from data centres and AI technologies is reshaping the energy landscape. After two decades of flat electricity demand, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects consistent annual increases through 2050, driven largely by these energy-intensive industries. This growth is expected to boost not only natural gas demand but also the need for industrial metals like copper, which is critical for conducting increased electrical loads. High Grade Copper – Source: Saxo High-grade copper, in an uptrend since the 2020 low, approached support last month near USD 4.00 per pound before rebounding on renewed demand from China and the energy transition. For now, and until China provides further support, the price is likely to remain capped below USD 4.35 per pound. Silver’s 55% exposure to industrial uses saw the grey metal enjoy the tailwind from firmer industrial metal prices, leading to an outperformance against rangebound gold—its precious metal peer—which suffered a small weekly loss but remains well supported into 2025. Expectations for persistent global uncertainties are driving demand for gold as a safe-haven asset, supported by lower interest rates and continued central bank demand. While we believe gold will resume its ascent next year toward a fresh record high of around USD 3,000 an ounce, silver appears poised for even better performance due to a sizeable market deficit in 2025, driven by continued demand growth in electronics, particularly photovoltaics. Spot Silver – Source: Saxo Following a relative deep October to November correction, silver buyers returned after support was re-established at USD 29.65, the 0.618 correction of the September to November rally and now a twice rejected level. For now resistance at USD 31.65 has yet to be challenged and broken in order to achieve an even greater comeback. Other commodities performing well included cocoa, which returned to trade USD 10,000 per tonne, having started the year around USD 4,000 per tonne amid the prospect of a multiyear structural supply-demand deficit due to much weaker production in Ivory Coast and Ghana—two producers responsible for more than half the world’s production. Analysts expect the 2024/25 season to yield another deficit at a time when global stocks are already depleted. Meanwhile, Arabica coffee futures resumed their run higher following a sharp correction after prices recently reached but failed to break above the 1977 high at USD 3.3750. Coffee prices remain supported by a tightening supply outlook in Brazil, the world’s top producer of Arabica, and Vietnam, the main producer of the Robusta bean. A recent decline in wheat futures in Chicago and Paris, driven by the prospect of ample supplies, was arrested as the dollar softened and poor winter wheat crop conditions in Russia, combined with excessive rains in Australia—two major suppliers of the grain—lifted hopes for US and European export demand. The agricultural sector has experienced a very mixed year, with strong gains in cocoa, coffee, and orange juice due to the concentration of production in regions negatively impacted by adverse weather, partly offset by losses across key crops amid ample supply following another bumper production year globally. Source: Saxo Bank
In conclusion, the partnership between Gaode Maps and Lenovo Baiyin represents a significant step forward in the realm of professional computer services. By combining their respective strengths and resources, they have created a powerful and innovative solution that addresses the evolving needs of technology users. With a focus on accessibility, reliability, and customer satisfaction, this collaboration sets a new benchmark for excellence in the industry. Whether you're a student, a professional, or a tech enthusiast, you can now rest assured that help is just a click away.
So here's to you, Refund Brother – thank you for the laughs, the inspiration, and the reminder that a setback is not the end of the road. Your wit and charm will be missed, but your message of resilience and gratitude will continue to resonate with us all. Cheers to new beginnings, and may your next refund be the best one yet.Title: Mourinho: I Don't Want to See Manchester City Relegated, But I Want Justice & Big Clubs Should Not Escape Punishment
No. 24 Illinois cruises past Chicago State 117-64 behind Kylan Boswell's triple-doubleIRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties and other plays. Officials have missed several obvious facemask penalties this season, including two in a three-week span during Thursday night games. “When we see it, because I see it like yourselves and the fans, I have an opportunity to see it from a different angle and see it from a slow-mo,” NFL executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the league’s winter meetings. “When you think about the position of where the officials are, things are happening so fast. Sometimes the facemask can be the same color as the gloves. There’s a lot happening. Concerning? Yes, because that’s a big miss. That’s a big foul. That’s why we would like to consider putting that for the membership to consider putting that foul category that we can see, putting that (penalty flag) on the field to help. There is a frustration, and we believe that is one category we can potentially get right." Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was grabbed by his facemask and brought down in the end zone to end Minnesota’s comeback attempt against the Rams on Oct. 24. But there was no call. On Oct. 3, officials missed a facemask on Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving while he ran for 7 yards late in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay instead was called for holding on the play, got forced out of field-goal range and Kirk Cousins rallied the Falcons to an overtime victory. “That is one this year, the facemask seems like it was the obvious one” Vincent said. “That keeps showing up.” Vincent also cited hits on a defenseless player, tripping, the fair catch, an illegal batted ball, an illegal double-team block, illegal formations on kickoffs and taunting as other areas that warrant consideration for replay assist. Current rules only allow replay assist to help officials pick up a flag incorrectly thrown on the field, or in assisting proper enforcement of a foul called on the field. The NFL’s Competition Committee will review potential recommendations for owners to vote on for expanding replay assist. Vincent was emphatic about the league’s desire to eliminate low blocks that could lead to serious injuries. “The low block below the knee needs to be removed from the game,” Vincent said. “You look at high school, you look at college, too. Every block should be above the knee, but below the neck. All the work that we’ve done for the head and neck area, all the things that we’ve taken out of the game, this is the right time for us to remove the low block out of the game. Be consistent with high school. Be consistent with college. Every block should be above the knee and below the neck.” The league will consider changes to the onside kick after dramatically overhauling the kickoff rule on a one-year basis. “We need to look at that. That’s a dead play,” Vincent said of the onside kick’s low success rate. “That is a ceremonial play. Very low recovery rate. When we look at the kickoff and maybe where the touchback area should be during the offseason, we need to revisit the onside kick.” Options include giving the team an opportunity to run one play to gain a certain number of yards to keep possession. The Washington Commanders’ search for a new stadium site includes options in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, and work has escalated on one in particular. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and controlling owner Josh Harris met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week about the RFK Stadium site in Washington, which requires a bill getting through Congress to transfer the land to the District government before anything else can happen. “I think there’s a bipartisan support for this,” Goodell said, adding he’d like to see it get to a vote soon. “We hope that it will be addressed and approved so that it’s at least an alternative for the Commanders if we go forward. I grew up in Washington, and I know would be exciting for a lot of fans.” The NFL continues to discuss a potential 18-game season, but would need approval from the players’ union. “We are doing analysis I would say, but we are not finalizing any plans at this point,” Goodell said. “They’ll share that analysis with the players’ union, which would need to agree to any change.” AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflThe president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” A look at some of the issues covered: Trump has threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn’t believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher prices for U.S. consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. households won't be paying more as they shop. “I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow,” Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying they are "going to make us rich.” He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened additional tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. ”All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field,” Trump said. He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. “Honestly, they should go to jail,” Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump’s role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: “I have the absolute right. I’m the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I’m the president. But I’m not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who had investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. “Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee,” Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, “No,” and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. But at another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. “I want her to do what she wants to do,” he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, “I’m not looking to go back into the past.” Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. “I think you have to do it,” he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end “birthright” citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — although such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and have been shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, “I want to work something out,” indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not “want to be breaking up families” of mixed legal status, “so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.” Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he “absolutely” would remain in the alliance “if they pay their bills.” Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies’ commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated “fairly” on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin’s invasion. “Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure,” Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump has called for an immediate ceasefire . Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged: “I haven’t spoken to him recently.” Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to “impede the negotiation.” The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy , including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: “Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious” that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as his pick for FBI chief, then “he’s going to be taking somebody’s place, right? Somebody is the man that you’re talking about.” Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. “We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient,” he said. He added that “we're not raising ages or any of that stuff.” He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would “probably” not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, “Well, I commit. I mean, are -- things do -- things change. I think they change.” Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had “concepts” of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called “lousy health care.” He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for “better health care for less money.” Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Aldi has confirmed it will be closing all branches for three days as it announced when its stores will be open over Christmas and New Year. From Monday December 16 to Monday, December 23, shoppers can visit Aldi stores between 7am and 10pm. On Christmas Eve, stores will be open until 6pm — and will be closed as usual on Christmas Day and Boxing Day to 'give colleagues a well-deserved break'. Stores will re-open from 8am until 8pm on Friday, December 27, until Monday, December 30, but customers should check the details for their local store online. Shoppers also have until 6pm on New Year’s Eve to purchase any last-minute food and drink to see in the New Year. Stores will then be closed on New Year’s Day. The news comes after Aldi was confirmed by Which? as the UK’s Cheapest Supermarket for October 2024. And Aldi has been named the cheapest place to buy a Christmas tree by consumer champion Which? with prices starting from as little as £13.99. Sustainably grown in Scotland, Aldi’s trees are available in two sizes, medium and large and are available in stores whilst stocks last. The Scottish-grown Nordman Fir Christmas Trees will be returning in two sizes; medium (160-180cm), available from 21 st November, and large (190-210cm).The recent arrest of the man accused in the Dec. 4 death of United Healthcare’s CEO has resurfaced the writings of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, who was apprehended by authorities in 1996 at his Montana cabin near Lincoln after nearly 17 years of mailing bombs that killed three and injured nearly two dozen others. Luigi Nicholas Mangione, Ted Kaczynski In social media posts, Luigi Mangione called Kaczynski a “political revolutionary,” according to a police bulletin obtained by the Associated Press. Several news agencies are reporting that Mangione wrote about “The Unabomber Manifesto” by Kaczynski, also known as the “Industrial Society and Its Future,” in January on the book review site Goodreads. "It's easy to quickly and thoughtless write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic, in order to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies. But it's simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out," the reviewer wrote. “He was a violent individual − rightfully imprisoned − who maimed innocent people. While these actions tend to be characterized as those of a crazy luddite, however, they are more accurately seen as those of an extreme political revolutionary,” they wrote. Suspect Luigi Mangione is taken into the Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pa. Mangione, 26, an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, reportedly gave the manifesto a 4-star rating, or “liked it.” Ratings range from 1 star – “Didn’t like it” – to 5 stars: “It was amazing.” New York police officials have said Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used in the Manhattan killing of Brian Thompson, who led United Healthcare, the United States’ largest medical insurance company. Thompson, 50, was killed Dec. 4 as he walked alone to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, the Harvard-educated mathematician who retreated to a dingy shack in the Montana wilderness and ran a 17-year bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others, died June 10, 2023. He was 81. Branded the “Unabomber” by the FBI, Kaczynski died by suicide at the federal prison medical center in Butner, North Carolina. Kaczynski’s manifesto, a 35,000-word anti-technology tirade, was printed in 1995 in The New York Times and The Washington Post and eventually led to his arrest. His capture thrust Lincoln into the international spotlight as FBI agents, other law enforcement and hordes of media converged on a tiny mountain town, where he had lived as something of recluse. This April 6, 1996, file photo shows Ted Kaczynski's cabin in the woods outside Lincoln. Kaczynski, a Harvard-educated mathematician, died by suicide while in federal custody in 2023. He was 81. He had been transferred to a federal prison medical facility in North Carolina in late 2021 after spending the past two decades in a federal Supermax prison in Colorado. His brother, David Kaczynski, told several news agencies that his brother should not be someone to aspire to. "His actions are like a virus," David Kaczynski said, according to Yahoo News. "They could be like a virus unless they understand he was a very angry and disturbed man. It doesn't mean his ideas are ideas of a lunatic, but his behavior, I believe, is the behavior of a lunatic." "To the extent that he may have attributed at all to sort of normalizing or recasting the violent acts as beneficial to humanity is a terrible mistake," David Kaczynski added. Mangione is fighting attempts to extradite him to New York so that he can face a murder charge, the Associated Press reported. At the time of his arrest after being spotted Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Mangione was carrying a handwritten document expressing anger with what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed and power, the Associated Press reported. Assistant editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Assistant Editor {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Title: Lindelof Expected to Return in Midweek Europa League, Evans and Shaw's Comeback Dates Unknown