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50jili login app Raimon Land Plc (RML) plans to include its flagship One City Centre (OCC) property in central Bangkok, valued at 14.8 billion baht, in a real estate investment trust (REIT) as part of its strategy to enhance long-term financial stability. The SET-listed luxury property developer is also preparing to issue new debentures or secure loans from leading financial institutions while expediting the sale of completed real estate inventory to enhance cash flow, said chief financial officer Sorrapong Mamuang. The OCC building, which has an occupancy rate of nearly 80% at present, has attracted significant interest from domestic and international investors. RML is in advanced negotiations with five major investors and expects to finalise the REIT conversion by next year. "With the OCC building as a key component of our strategy, we are on track to achieve profitability and strengthen our financial position. Our pipeline of new project launches, coupled with the successful execution of our turnaround strategy, positions RML for sustainable growth and long-term stability," he said. Mr Sorrapong also clarified points raised by the Stock Exchange of Thailand regarding the company's third-quarter financial statements, saying every investment decision is carefully evaluated for risk and long-term value. "RML reaffirms that all operations adhere to legal and regulatory requirements and emphasise that the investments pose no negative impact on its financial standing," he said. RML has allocated pre-development funds to support a new mixed-use project scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2025. These temporary funds are held with a trusted executive and serve to reassure the landowner of RML's readiness to invest while minimising investment risk. Previous management decided in 2019 that RML should secure land for a condominium in Sukhumvit. Following a re-evaluation by the current management and development constraints, the company decided to set aside an impairment provision to reflect the project's adjusted valuation. Terms are being negotiated and a resolution is expected by the first quarter of 2025. In 2022, RML invested in convertible notes of Nautilus Data Technologies, a US-based data centre company that is preparing for a Nasdaq launch within two years. While some shareholders have committed additional funds, RML is carefully evaluating its next steps, ensuring all decisions align with shareholder interests and long-term financial objectives, he said. RML has also signed a joint venture agreement for a villa project to be launched in the first quarter of 2025. The project is being adjusted to comply with new legal requirements in Phuket while both RML and its partners remain committed due to its strong business potential. "We are confident that our investments will not only ensure financial stability but also create growth opportunities for the future," said Mr Sorrapong.Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in northern Gaza on Friday, igniting fires and forcing many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather, the territory’s health ministry said. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighborhoods, according to staff. The ministry said a strike on the hospital a day earlier killed five medical staff. Israel’s military said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants in the area of the hospital, without details. It repeated claims that Hamas fighters operate inside Kamal Adwan but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that. The Health Ministry said troops forced medical personnel and patients to assemble in the yard and remove their clothes. Some were led to an unknown location, while some patients were sent to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which was knocked out of operation after an Israel raid this week. Israeli troops during raids frequently carry out mass detentions, stripping men to their underwear for questioning in what the military says is a security measure as they search for Hamas fighters. The Associated Press doesn’t have access to Kamal Adwan, but armed plainclothes members of the Hamas-led police forces — tasked with keeping security and officially separate from the group’s armed wing — have been seen in other hospitals. The Health Ministry said Israeli troops also set fires in several parts of Kamal Adwan, including the lab and surgery department. It said 25 patients and 60 health workers remained in the hospital out of 75 patients and 180 staff who had been there. The account could not be independently confirmed, and attempts to reach hospital staff were unsuccessful. “Fire is ablaze everywhere in the hospital,” an unidentified member of the staff said in an audio message posted on the social media accounts of hospital director Hossam Abu Safiya. The staffer said some evacuated patients had been unhooked from oxygen. “There are currently patients who could die at any moment,” she said. A largely isolated north Since October, Israel’s offensive has virtually sealed off the northern Gaza areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and leveled large parts of them. Tens of thousands of Palestinians were forced out but thousands are believed to remain in the area, where Kamal Adwan and two other hospitals are located. Troops raided Kamal Adwan in October, and on Tuesday troops stormed and evacuated the Indonesian Hospital. The area has been cut off from food and other aid for months , raising fears of famine. The U.N. says Israeli troops allowed just four humanitarian deliveries to the area from Dec. 1 to Dec. 23. The Israeli rights group Physicians for Human Rights-Israel this week petitioned Israel’s High Court of Justice seeking a halt to military attacks on Kamal Adwan. It warned that forcibly evacuating the hospital would “abandon thousands of residents in northern Gaza.” Before the latest deaths Thursday, the group documented five other staffers killed by Israeli fire since October. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza vowing to destroy Hamas after the group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in which militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others. Around 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, around a third believed to be dead. Israel’s nearly 15-month-old campaign of bombardment and offensives has devastated the territory’s health sector. A year ago, it carried out raids on hospitals in northern Gaza, including Kamal Adwan, Indonesian and al-Awda Hospital, saying they served as bases for Hamas, though it presented little evidence. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, and wounded more than 108,000 others, according to the Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Deaths from the cold in Gaza More than 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians have been driven from their homes, most of them now sheltering in sprawling, squalid tent camps in south and central Gaza. Children and adults, many barefoot, huddled Friday on the cold sand in tents whose plastic and cloth sheets whipped in the wind. Overnight temperatures can dip into the 40s Fahrenheit (below 10 Celsius), and sea spray from the Mediterranean can dampen tents just steps away. “I swear to God, their mother and I cover ourselves with one blanket and we cover (their five children) with three blankets that we got from neighbors. Sea waters drowned everything that was ours,” said Muhammad al-Sous, displaced from Beit Lahiya in the north. The children collect plastic bottles to make fires, and pile under the blankets when their only set of clothes is washed and dried in the wind. At least three babies in Gaza have died from exposure to cold in recent days, doctors there have said. Khaled and Keath reported from Cairo. Wafaa Shurafa, Fatma Khaled And Lee Keath, The Associated Press

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In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. It's a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still unsatisfied but some hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. World Resources Institute president and CEO Ani Dasgupta called it “an important down payment toward a safer, more equitable future,” but added that the poorest and most vulnerable nations are “rightfully disappointed that wealthier countries didn’t put more money on the table when billions of people’s lives are at stake.” The summit was supposed to end on Friday evening but negotiations spiraled on through early Sunday. With countries on opposite ends of a massive chasm, tensions ran high as delegations tried to close the gap in expectations. Here's how they got there: Rich countries have agreed to pool together at least $300 billion a year by 2035. It’s not near the full amount of $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, and that experts said was needed. But some delegations said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future. The text included a call for all parties to work together using “all public and private sources” to get closer to the $1.3 trillion per year goal by 2035. That means also pushing for international mega-banks, funded by taxpayer dollars, to help foot the bill. And it means, hopefully, that companies and private investors will follow suit on channeling cash toward climate action. The agreement is also a critical step toward helping countries on the receiving end create more ambitious targets to limit or cut emissions of heat-trapping gases that are due early next year. It’s part of the plan to keep cutting pollution with new targets every five years, which the world agreed to at the U.N. talks in Paris in 2015. The Paris agreement set the system of regular ratcheting up climate fighting ambition as away to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The world is already at 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) and carbon emissions keep rising. The deal decided in Baku replaces a previous agreement from 15 years ago that charged rich nations $100 billion a year to help the developing world with climate finance. The new number has similar aims: it will go toward the developing world's long laundry list of to-dos to prepare for a warming world and keep it from getting hotter. That includes paying for the transition to clean energy and away from fossil fuels. Countries need funds to build up the infrastructure needed to deploy technologies like wind and solar power on a large scale. Communities hard-hit by extreme weather also want money to adapt and prepare for events like floods, typhoons and fires. Funds could go toward improving farming practices to make them more resilient to weather extremes, to building houses differently with storms in mind, to helping people move from the hardest-hit areas and to help leaders improve emergency plans and aid in the wake of disasters. The Philippines, for example, has been hammered by six major storms in less than a month, bringing to millions of people howling wind, massive storm surges and catastrophic damage to residences, infrastructure and farmland. “Family farmers need to be financed," said Esther Penunia of the Asian Farmers Association. She described how many have already had to deal with millions of dollars of storm damage, some of which includes trees that won't again bear fruit for months or years, or animals that die, wiping out a main source of income. “If you think of a rice farmer who depends on his or her one hectare farm, rice land, ducks, chickens, vegetables, and it was inundated, there was nothing to harvest,” she said. Election results around the world that herald a change in climate leadership, a few key players with motive to stall the talks and a disorganized host country all led to a final crunch that left few happy with a flawed compromise. The ending of COP29 is "reflective of the harder geopolitical terrain the world finds itself in,” said Li Shuo of the Asia Society. He cited Trump's recent victory in the US — with his promises to pull the country out of the Paris Agreement — as one reason why the relationship between China and the EU will be more consequential for global climate politics moving forward. Developing nations also faced some difficulties agreeing in the final hours, with one Latin American delegation member saying that their group didn't feel properly consulted when small island states had last-minute meetings to try to break through to a deal. Negotiators from across the developing world took different tacks on the deal until they finally agreed to compromise. Meanwhile, activists ramped up the pressure: many urged negotiators to stay strong and asserted that no deal would be better than a bad deal. But ultimately the desire for a deal won out. Some also pointed to the host country as a reason for the struggle. Mohamed Adow, director of climate and energy think tank Power Shift Africa, said Friday that “this COP presidency is one of the worst in recent memory,” calling it “one of the most poorly led and chaotic COP meetings ever.” The presidency said in a statement, “Every hour of the day, we have pulled people together. Every inch of the way, we have pushed for the highest common denominator. We have faced geopolitical headwinds and made every effort to be an honest broker for all sides.” Shuo retains hope that the opportunities offered by a green economy “make inaction self-defeating” for countries around the world, regardless of their stance on the decision. But it remains to be seen whether the UN talks can deliver more ambition next year. In the meantime, “this COP process needs to recover from Baku,” Shuo said. ___ Associated Press reporters Seth Borenstein and Sibi Arasu contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.Biden-Harris Administration Announces Awards for Up to $2,2 Billion for Two Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs to Bolster America’s Globa

Awkward I’m A Celebrity blunder as two stars are ‘mixed up’ by cameramanFarage: Badenoch must apologise for ‘crazy conspiracy theory’ on Reform numbersTHE cryptocurrency industry is pushing president-elect Donald Trump’s team to kick start his promised crypto policy overhaul when he takes office next month with executive orders that would help push tokens mainstream, according to industry officials. Trump plans to issue a flurry of executive orders and directives on everything from immigration to energy on his first day in office on Jan 20, Reuters reported this month. On the campaign trail, Trump courted crypto cash with promises to be a “crypto president”, and the industry wants him to make good on that pledge with executive orders creating a Bitcoin stockpile, ensuring the industry can access banking services, and creating a crypto council, the sources said. They are pushing for those executive orders within Trump’s first 100 days in office, and expect at least one could come on Jan 20, said two other sources with knowledge of the matter. “Given the tenor of the campaign, it would be imperative for executive orders to really set out what the actual priorities will be on day one and provide some kind of roadmap,” said Rebecca Rettig, chief legal and policy officer at crypto company Polygon Labs. Worried about crime and volatility, President Joe Biden’s regulators cracked down on crypto companies, but Trump has pledged to reverse course. His crypto policy team is already taking shape, with the announcement this month of crypto-friendly Securities and Exchange Commission chair Paul Atkins and White House crypto czar David Sacks. “There has been an effort in the Washington bureaucratic swamp to stifle innovation... but president Trump will deliver on his promise to encourage American leadership in crypto,” Trump transition team spokesperson Brian Hughes said. Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, hit new records above US$107,000 this month after Trump reiterated his plan, first unveiled in a speech in July, for a strategic bitcoin reserve. Bitcoin has since fallen back below US$100,000. Analysts are divided on whether Trump could use executive powers to create the reserve, potentially via the Treasury Department, or whether an act of Congress would be necessary. One industry group, the Bitcoin Policy Institute, has gone as far as to draft a text of a potential executive order Trump could use to establish such a stockpile. That draft would designate bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset and require the Treasury Secretary to spend US$21 billion over a year to amass a national bitcoin stockpile, according to the draft seen by Reuters. Zack Shapiro, the Bitcoin Policy Institute’s head of policy, said the United States should get ahead of geopolitical rivals in monetising Bitcoin, “rather than have the price run up without the United States having any reserves”. He declined to say if the group had shared the draft with Trump’s team. Trump also said in July that he would not let banks “choke” crypto firms out of the traditional financial system, and some executives expect he will also try to address that issue with an executive order. Crypto companies have long complained that banks will not work with them due to regulatory scrutiny, although regulators say banks are free to lend to crypto firms that follow the law. While an executive order directing bank regulators to go easy on crypto would send a signal to agency officials and provide them with political cover, it’s unlikely to have legal force since federal bank regulators are independent, some executives warned. “(They) are not going to change policy on the ground on day one,” said Jonah Krane, partner at financial firm Klaros Group. “But they will tell you what direction this administration wants to head.” Trump has also said he will create a crypto industry council and his team is discussing how to structure and staff it. Previous administrations have stood up specialised councils via executive orders, executives noted. More broadly, Trump could also try to address crypto complaints that existing regulations are not fit for the industry with an executive order articulating core principles for crypto regulation, similar to an order Trump issued in 2017 directing regulators to review banking rules. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you get something like an executive order early on that directs the agencies to re-examine their rules in this space,” Krane added. REUTERS

Trump says Microsoft's Bill Gates has asked to visit him in FloridaNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks climbed Thursday after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 pulled 0.5% higher after flipping between gains and losses several times during the day. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend to do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 461 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1%. Nvidia rose just 0.5% after beating analysts’ estimates for profit and revenue yet again, but it was still the strongest force pulling the S&P 500 upward. It also gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that topped most analysts’ expectations due to voracious demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Its stock initially sank in afterhours trading Wednesday following the release of the results. Some investors said the market might have been looking for Nvidia’s revenue forecast to surpass expectations by even more. But its stock recovered in premarket trading Thursday, and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said it was another “flawless” profit report provided by Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang, whom Ives calls “the Godfather of AI.” The stock meandered through Thursday as well, dragging the S&P 500 and other indexes back and forth. How Nvidia’s stock performs has more impact than any other because it’s grown into Wall Street’s most valuable company at roughly $3.6 trillion. The frenzy around AI is sweeping up other stocks, and Snowflake jumped 32.7% after reporting stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company, whose platform helps customers get a better view of all their silos of data and use AI, also reported stronger revenue growth than expected. BJ’S Wholesale Club rose 8.3% after likewise delivering a bigger profit than expected. That may help calm worries about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. A day earlier, Target tumbled after reporting sluggish sales in the latest quarter and giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Nearly 90% of the stocks in the S&P 500 ended up rising Thursday, and the gains were even bigger among smaller companies. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped a market-leading 1.7%. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, helped keep indexes in check. It fell 4.7% after U.S. regulators asked a judge to break up the tech giant by forcing it to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser. In a 23-page document filed late Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice called for sweeping punishments that would include restrictions preventing Android from favoring its own search engine. Regulators stopped short of demanding Google sell Android but left the door open to it if the company’s oversight committee continues to see evidence of misconduct. All told, the S&P 500 rose 31.60 points to 5,948.71. The Dow jumped 461.88 to 43,870.35, and the Nasdaq composite added 6.28 to 18,972.42. In the crypto market, bitcoin eclipsed $99,000 for the first time before pulling back toward $98,000, according to CoinDesk. It’s more than doubled so far this year, and its climb has accelerated since Election Day. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to make the country “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Bitcoin got a further boost after Gary Gensler, the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said Thursday he would step down in January . Gensler has pushed for more protections for crypto investors. Bitcoin and related investment have a notorious history of big price swings in both directions. MicroStrategy, a company that’s been raising cash expressly to buy bitcoin, saw an early Thursday gain of 14.6% for its stock quickly disappear. It finished the day with a loss of 16.2%. In the oil market, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2% to bring its gain for the week to 4.8%. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.8%. Oil has been rising amid escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war. In stock markets abroad, shares of India’s Adani Enterprises plunged 22.6% Thursday after the U.S. charged founder Gautam Adani in a federal indictment with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. The businessman and one of the world’s richest people is accused of concealing that his company’s huge solar energy project on the subcontinent was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme. Stock indexes elsewhere in Asia and Europe were mixed. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 4.43% from 4.41% late Wednesday following some mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week in the latest signal that the job market remains solid. Another report, though, said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly shrank. Sales of previously occupied homes, meanwhile, strengthened last month by more than expected. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Yuri Kageyama contributed.NEW YORK — The rumbling buses echoed for blocks on the quiet campus at Fordham University. Nebraska’s sprawling football operation had arrived. This isn’t the typical home team, the FCS-level Rams that just completed a 2-10 season. The Huskers took the practice field on a cold and sunny Thursday afternoon flanked by social-media cameras and a host of staffers. A post-practice grab-and-go buffet line greeted players afterward as they headed the few miles back toward downtown Manhattan and an evening at a high-profile ping-pong club. “Just looking around, spending time with each other,” freshman linebacker Vincent Shavers said of more time in New York City. “I ain’t never did this before with no other team so I’m very happy. I’m grateful for them.” Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” played on the sound system as Nebraska went through workouts two days before the Pinstripe Bowl. The Huskers practiced at Joe Moglia Field — Moglia, a Fordham alumnus, was once the executive advisor to former NU coach Bo Pelini in 2009 and 2010 — on an artificial surface shared also by the Fordham soccer and baseball teams. Baseball’s press box named after another famous graduate, Vin Scully, was only yards away as the visiting Big Ten team went through drills. The gated campus — just a couple blocks away from bustling neighborhood streets in the Bronx — was covered with small piles of snow scattered throughout. Temperatures in the sun felt perhaps in the mid-40s while shady conditions felt closer to 20. New Nebraska assistant coaches Daikiel Shorts (receivers) and Phil Simpson (outside linebackers) spoke with a smattering of reporters afterward along with a few players. Coach Matt Rhule will talk midday Friday as part of a Pinstripe availability before kickoff Saturday at noon eastern time. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Tyler Perry Studios president Steve Mensch dies aged 62 in Florida plane crashMADRID (AP) - Results from Spanish football: Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Vancouver Canucks defenceman Filip Hronek is expected to be out until the end of January as he recovers from a lower-body injury. General manager Patrik Allvin issued a statement Tuesday saying Hronek underwent a successful procedure for the undisclosed ailment and is expected to miss about eight weeks. He says the 27-year-old Czech blueliner will not require surgery for an upper-body injury. Hronek hasn't played since going into the endboards hard late in Vancouver's 5-4 loss to the Penguins in Pittsburgh last Wednesday. He's been paired with captain Quinn Hughes for much of the season and registered eight points (one goal, eight assists) in 21 games. The Canucks (13-7-3) have dealt with a litany of notable absences this season, including all-star goalie Thatcher Demko, who remains sidelined with a knee injury, and star centre J.T. Miller, who's on an indefinite leave for personal reasons. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024.

The president of Napier's Mongrel Mob Barbarian chapter, 'Heil Dogg', is being farewelled at a tangi on Friday. Police are preparing for a large number of gang members from across the country to visit the region, and say extra staff have been called in to monitor the funeral. Angus Benson, also known as Angus Ratima and 'Heil Dogg', will be taken from Palmerston North Hospital to his mother's place in the Napier suburb of Maraenui, and then to the Mongrel Mob's Napier Aoteoroa gang pad for his final night before the funeral on Friday. A social media post about the tangi urged people to "Travel safe to all our whānau coming from all over the nation". Friends and family shared their condolences on social media, saying it was a "such a big loss to the Maraenui and Napier community", and that he was "another solid brother gone way too soon". Police say his death was not being treated as suspicious and will be referred to the Coroner. A source told RNZ the tangi is expected to be peaceful, and gang members will respect the new laws banning patches in public. Police have reiterated that anyone wearing gang insignia would be arrested under the recent Gangs Act. One person had already been arrested for wearing a Mongrel Mob t-shirt on Tuesday, but police determined he was not part of the group attending the funeral. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 6:02 p.m. ESTNoneBlack Friday shopping certainly looks different now than it did in the past. There’s no more waiting in lines in the middle of the night to save some money. Now, AI tools are available at your fingertips to help you with your holiday shopping. Technology is making shopping for deals even easier, and many times you don't even have to leave your couch. "It is kind of sad I do miss the old getting up at 4:00 in the morning and standing in line,” said shopper Jennifer Turner. “There was just kind of something fun about that." Black Friday may have fewer lines and less chaos than it used to, but now there's technology to help you save time and money on your shopping. "They can get all the stuff they need days in advance, not to worry about those, Black Friday crowds anymore,” said Walmart regional manager Matt Goans. “They can order it the same day and have it delivered same day or within the next day. It's that convenient now." AI is making it even easier to do your holiday shopping this year. With Google Lens, you can scan any product you're looking at in the store and it will bring up a list of how much the item costs at other stores. It makes it easy to compare prices quickly on your phone before you buy. The vice president for Google Shopping told Good Morning America the number one thing people think about when shopping during the holidays is the price. Google Lens lets shoppers know about the best time and place to buy. All you need is the Google app to utilize the feature. I put it to the test at Walmart this week. I scanned a "Moana 2" toy with Google Lens. It instantly brought up the same toy and its prices at Walmart, the Disney store, Amazon and Target. The holidays are full of joy, but of course, it can also come with some stress, like when it comes to deciding what gifts to get for everyone on your list. Walmart now has AI tools to help with that, too. "If you're looking for that gift, for that certain someone, you can use the Walmart app, and there's an AI-generated search tool you can use,” Goans said. “So if you're looking for like your grandkids or your kids or your aunt or uncle, you're not sure what to get them, a compiled list available on Walmart app to look at what those popular gifts may be." Walmart said its new AI features are transforming the holiday shopping experience. This year you can spend more time with your loved ones, and less time searching for deals, so you don't waste your money. "Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps"). Follow John: Follow Taylor: For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com

Nova Scotia Liberals saw support crumble after campaign linking them to TrudeauOTTAWA — Canada has again breached its years-long policy and voted in support of a United Nations motion critical of Israel, based on concerns about the viability of a two-state solution. "The dynamics in the broader region show very clearly that conflict management, as opposed to genuine conflict resolution, is not in fact a sustainable path to peace, security and prosperity," Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, told a UN plenary Tuesday. For years, Canada backed Israel in votes at the international body, but the federal Liberals changed that policy a year ago, citing concerns over policies that undermine Ottawa's decades-long policy of advocating for an eventual Palestinian country that would exist in peace alongside Israel. That change also came amid widespread concern from humanitarian groups and legal experts about Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law in its campaign in the Gaza Strip. UN member states passed a motion 157 to 8, with seven abstentions, reaffirming the illegality of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories and condemning the use of force against Palestinian civilians. The motion passed Tuesday also calls for a peace conference, and is similar to motions brought before the UN multiple times. It called out "terror against civilians on all sides" but did not name Hamas or any Palestinian militant group, drawing criticism from Israel advocates. Rae said the motion should have been more balanced, but Ottawa wanted to signal its concern about the viability of a Palestinian state. "We voted in favour of this resolution, like many, many others (did) to signal our firm commitment to the two-state solution," he said. Rae reiterated condemnation of the October 2023 attack by Hamas against Israel, and called for the return of all hostages including the body of Canadian citizen Judih Weinstein Haggai. "All Palestinians deserve to be led by a legitimate and representative government without the participation of a terrorist organization such as Hamas," Rae told the UN plenary. Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong decried today's vote as singling out Israel, writing on the platform X that supporting the motion would "reverse Canada's long-standing position on Israel." He said that a Conservative government would be "ensuring alignment with our closest democratic allies." Tuesday's vote was supported by the U.K., Japan and most European Union states. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs says the Liberals had voted against similar motions for almost a decade. "Today's reversal to vote yes instead represents an abandonment of Canada's long-standing, principled foreign policy," the group wrote on X. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. RB Gus Edwards could move up as the lead back for Los Angeles as J.K Dobbins (knee) is expected to miss the game . Edwards was activated from injured reserve earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night's 30-23 loss to Baltimore. WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn't recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Dobbins appeared to injure his right knee in the first half of the loss to the Ravens, though coach Jim Harbaugh did not provide details. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a 22-17 loss to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. They will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league's only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert's favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

ERES Provides Update On Previously Disclosed Strategic Transactions

 

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2025-01-15
NoneNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes fell Thursday following some potentially discouraging data on the economy . The S&P 500 slipped 0.5% for its fourth loss in the last six days. It’s a pause for the index, which has been rallying toward one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 234 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.7% from its record set the day before. A report early in the morning said more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than expected. A separate update, meanwhile, showed that inflation at the wholesale level, before it reaches U.S. consumers, was hotter last month than economists expected. Neither report points to imminent disaster, but they dilute one of the hopes that’s driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year : Inflation is slowing enough to convince the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates, while the economy is remaining solid enough to stay out of a recession. Of the two reports, the weaker update on the job market may be the bigger deal for the market, according to Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley. A surge in egg prices may have been behind the worse-than-expected inflation numbers. “One week doesn’t negate what has been a relatively steady stream of solid labor market data, but the Fed is primed to be sensitive to any signs of a softening jobs picture,” he said. Traders are widely expecting the Fed will ease its main interest rate at its meeting next week. If they’re correct, it would be a third straight cut by the Fed after it began lowering rates in September from a two-decade high. It’s hoping to support a slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. Lower rates would give a boost to the economy and to prices for investments, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. A cut next week would have the Fed following other central banks, which lowered rates on Thursday. The European Central Bank cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as many investors expected, and the Swiss National Bank cut its policy rate by a steeper half of a percentage point. Following its decision, Switzerland’s central bank pointed to uncertainty about how U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory will affect economic policies, as well as about where politics in Europe is heading. Trump has talked up tariffs and other policies that could upend global trade. He rang the bell marking the start of trading at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday to chants of “USA.” On Wall Street, Adobe fell 13.7% and was one of the heaviest weights on the market despite reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company gave forecasts for profit and revenue in its upcoming fiscal year that fell a bit shy of analysts’. Warner Bros. Discovery soared 15.4% after unveiling a new corporate structure that separates its streaming business and film studios from its traditional television business. CEO David Zaslav said the move “enhances our flexibility with potential future strategic opportunities,” raising speculation about a spinoff or sale. Kroger rose 3.2% after saying it would get back to buying back its own stock now that its attempt to merge with Albertsons is off . Kroger’s board approved a program to repurchase up to $7.5 billion of its stock, replacing an existing $1 billion authorization. All told, the S&P 500 fell 32.94 points to 6,051.25. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 234.55 to 43,914.12, and the Nasdaq composite sank 132.05 to 19,902.84. In stock markets abroad, European indexes held relatively steady following the European Central Bank’s cut to rates. Asian markets were stronger. Indexes rose 1.2% in Hong Kong and 0.8% in Shanghai as leaders met in Beijing to set economic plans and targets for the coming year. South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.6% for its third straight gain of at least 1%, as it pulls back following last week’s political turmoil where its president briefly declared martial law. In the bond market, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose to 4.33% from 4.27% late Wednesday. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.50jili logo

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Braun's agenda: Tax relief, public safetyKUALA LUMPUR: In many respects, 2024 has been a good year for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government. Notwithstanding a poor rating on institutional reforms, Mr Anwar can take pride in how the past year has showcased Malaysia’s political stability, strong economic recovery and growing importance as a hub for artificial intelligence infrastructure investments, and ascending global voice for middle countries. To become prime minister, Mr Anwar had to work with his coalition’s arch-rival UMNO , to the dismay of many supporters. To govern, he had to reset the economic direction and refresh Malaysia’s global image. If anything, he would look back at 2024 as a validation of the tough choices he had to make since the November 2022 general election . Mr Anwar accepts that his government needs time to prove itself, confident that he will be able to turn the poor “D” rating by electoral reform group Bersih into an “A” in due course. The year ahead, however, will likely bring three major tests - political, economic and social - that will test Mr Anwar’s administration and ultimately determine whether Malaysia is indeed a country to watch. POLITICS: SABAH IS MORE THAN A STATE ELECTION For political stability, the only rule is to hold the parliamentary majority. On this front, 2024 has met the mark. Threats of defection against the unity government were minimal or non-existent, and internal conflict among government parties, chiefly DAP and UMNO, were contained among elite leadership. The unity government’s cooperation was successful enough in by-elections, as the unit won more than it lost. So much so that the leaders of the government parties are exploring another partnership in the next general election. Externally, the threats presented by opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional plateaued to a low level, as the chasms between Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and Bersatu, and between factions within Bersatu, widened substantially over prime ministerial candidature and political allegiances. Of course, the shadow of former prime minister Najib Razak continues to loom over this government, set off by the partial pardon in February 2024, which sparked outrage among Pakatan Harapan supporters, though celebrated by Najib loyalists in UMNO. A mixed result of Najib’s cases - discharge not amounting to acquittal on the case involving Abu Dhabi state fund International Petroleum Investment Company, but asked to enter defence in the 1MDB-Tanore trial - is an overall neutral effect for the unity government as it escapes the claim of favouritism or interference. In 2025, the most consequential political event that could pose a threat to the unity government, if it happens, is the Sabah state election. Although not due until December 2025, speculation has been rife that the Sabah legislative assembly may dissolve before then. That, however, was before the news of alleged corruption in the state broke out early last month. Before the news broke, the challenge of the Sabah state election was already obvious. Although Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), UMNO, and Warisan are part of the unity government at the federal level, UMNO and Warisan are opposition parties in Sabah. The question now is what contest formula will be used in Sabah. If the parties of the unity government compete against each other in the state, it could threaten the cohesion of the federal alliance. In other words, this could be the first real electoral test for Mr Anwar’s government - one that will determine if the novel concept of “competition amidst cooperation” is feasible to maintain. It goes without saying that where Mr Anwar stands on the corruption scandal involving the Sabah state government will also impact on his anti-corruption reputation. Relatedly, the Najib permutation is likely to revolve more around his appeal for house arrest rather than his court cases, which could take much longer to resolve. The government has already denied that a proposed new home detention law was to cater to Najib, but the continued pressure from Najib and his loyalists is hard to ignore. If the partial pardon already sparked dissatisfaction, an image of Najib going from prison to home detention will undoubtedly be worse. ECONOMY: SUBSIDY RATIONALISATION AS A HALLMARK REFORM Economically, Malaysia managed to keep domestic numbers stable while attracting record international investments. Improving GDP, inflation and jobs numbers point to a recovering economy amidst global uncertainty and decline. Notably, investments into artificial intelligence , semiconductors and data centres have been significant and will likely continue into 2025. The main question in analysts’ minds in the coming year will be the petrol subsidy rationalisation , which was promised in the Budget 2025 to be implemented by mid-2025. This is significant for several reasons. First, petrol subsidy rationalisation is generally a highly emotive issue, especially for an oil-producing country like Malaysia, which has long enjoyed low prices. Second, the extent of the government’s reform commitments comes down to this issue - past governments have tried and reversed when faced with pushback. Third, it is perhaps the last window for difficult reforms before the unity government enters into the “election cycle” of its final two years ahead of the next general election. Though Mr Anwar has rolled back subsidies relating to diesel, electricity, and select food items, the petrol subsidy rationalisation is unlike any other, thus presenting an outsized challenge to his administration. He has limited the scale by focusing only on the top 15 per cent of income earners, but there is no saying what impact this will have on the wider economy. If he passes this test, however, he would have achieved a feat that his predecessors could not. As a trade-dependent economy, how Malaysia fares in a US-China trade war under Trump 2.0 depends on the depth and breadth of those tariffs. If tariffs increase by at least 10 per cent, then the reshoring to Malaysia, as it had in 2024, will accelerate as more firms search for geopolitically neutral and geographically strategic areas with long-term planning. However, if the breadth of tariffs is higher, i.e affecting more products, as it has semiconductor equipment and solar panels in Malaysia, then the net benefit might be lower. SOCIETY: MALAYSIA’S ASCENDANT GLOBAL ROLE FOR MIDDLE COUNTRIES Finally, it would be remiss to assess 2024 without considering Malaysia’s social fabric, which has long been influenced by ethno-religious tensions. The controversies relating to KK Mart , halal certifications and Chinese-language signboards have been destabilising to varying degrees. While it is impossible to predict if similar incidents will occur in the coming year, it is likely that the any politicalisation of ethno-religious tensions, combined with existing on-the-ground polarisation, will result in reactions similar to those seen in the past year. Therefore, the speed and effectiveness of containment will be key in determining how well Malaysia’s social fabric holds together. There is another wildcard factor for 2025: ASEAN chairmanship . The opportunity it presents is for Malaysia to assert its place in a geopolitically contested world as a middle country. With its rising economic prominence, ASEAN’s bargaining strength in international politics will also increase, providing Mr Anwar the tailwind to influence global change. Middle countries wedged between superpowers will always have to hedge by being friendly to all, but pandering to none. The challenge lies in becoming more active globally without compromising long-term positions. If done successfully, this would serve as a much-needed unifying source of national pride - one that would strengthen Malaysian society, cutting across the ethno-religious stalemate. Maintaining political and economic stability are basic ingredients for a government’s success, but this is increasingly challenging for most countries, near or far. 2025 will likely be registered as the year sizable tests are put on Mr Anwar’s government. If he overcomes them - or better yet, converts them into triumphs - it may prove a consequential year that would put him in good stead. James Chai is a political analyst, columnist and the author of Sang Kancil (Penguin Random House).

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas won the Big 12 title in 2023 on its way out the door to the Southeastern Conference. It was still swinging open when Arizona State waltzed in and won the league title in its debut season. And now the old Big 12 champs meet the new Big 12 champs on the path toward a potential national title. The fifth-seeded Longhorns and fourth-seeded Sun Devils play News Years Day in the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff . Both had their doubters they could get here. Texas (12-2) still had to prove is was “ready” for the SEC. Arizona State (11-2) was picked to finish last in the Big 12. But the Sun Devils quickly started winning and having fun in some new road environments in college towns smaller than some of their stops in the more cosmopolitan old Pac-12. All-American running back Cam Skattebo led the barnstorming tour. “We were not used to getting tortillas thrown at us at Texas Tech. You're not used to some of these environments," Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday. “When you're in the Pac-12, you're playing in Seattle, you're playing in L.A., you're playing in Salt Lake City. We got to face a lot more small college town football with really, really great environments. ... It was definitely fun to join a new league," Dillingham said. And Dillingham laid down some Texas roots. The Sun Devils are recruiting Texas players out of high school, and the current roster has six transfers who started their college careers in burnt orange in Austin. “The guys we’ve gotten from Texas and coach (Steve Sarkisian's) program have been unbelievable,” Dillingham said. “We know what we’re getting when we’re getting a guy from that program, and that’s a guy who has worked really hard, competed and been pushed. Those are the things that we like to bring in.” Safety Xavion Alford was named All-Big 12 . Defensive end Prince Dorbah is another Sun Devils starter. Defensive lineman Zac Swanson, who has two sacks this season, is another former Longhorn who said he relished a chance to beat his former team. Recruited by Texas out of Phoenix, Swanson was a reserve in 2022 and 2023 behind future NFL draft picks T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. “That's a team who kicked me out and said I'd never I was never going to be good enough to play there,” Swanson said last week. “That's something that has been on my agenda for a while.” Dillingham joked he'd like to get more Texas transfers this week. Sarkisian simply noted that he wished he'd signed Skattebo, a Californian who transferred from Sacramento State after the 2022 season. “I was unaware, so kudos to them. They found him, he's a heckuva player,” said Sarkisian, who also is a California native. Sarkisian said he was impressed by the Sun Devil's first-year success in the Big 12. “We were in that Big 12, what, for 27 years? We won four. This is their first year in and they won a Big 12 Championship. It’s a really hard thing to do,” Sarkisian said. “They’re playing with a ton of confidence right now. The last two months, I think they’re playing as good a football as anybody in the country.” Despite wining that last Big 12 title and a playoff appearance in 2023, Texas still faced skeptics that the Longhorns would take their lumps in the SEC this year. Texas was more than ready for the league and the Longhorns made it to the SEC championship game. Their only two losses have been to Georgia, the No. 2 seed in the playoff. Sarkisian still remembers his 5-7 Texas debut in 2021. The program wasn't ready for the SEC and the playoff back then, but it certainly is now. Texas is the only one of last year's four playoff teams to make the expanded 12-team field this year. “There’s a lot to be proud of, but mostly I’m proud of our veterans, our leaders, our seniors, because those guys went from 5-7 in year one, they went through 8-5 in year two, and they didn’t jump ship. They hung in there with us. They believed in what they were doing,” Sarkisian said. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Best trending stories from the week. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. You may occasionally receive promotions exclusive discounted subscription offers from the Roswell Daily Record. Feel free to cancel any time via the unsubscribe link in the newsletter you received. You can also control your newsletter options via your user dashboard by signing in.

peterschreiber.media/iStock via Getty Images Jumia (NYSE: JMIA ) has long been touted as the "Amazon of Africa," though the stock's volatility over the years appears to be telling a different story. While the company has seen strong periods of success, becoming the next Amazon Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

This is CNBC's live blog covering European markets. European stocks are heading for a mixed open Wednesday with regional market attention focused on an upcoming no-confidence vote in France's parliament, the National Assembly. 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are The vote is expected to take place this evening after lawmakers have debated two motions of no-confidence, tabled by the leftwing New Popular Front alliance and rightwing National Rally party, against Prime Minister Michel Barnier's minority government. The motions come after Barnier used special constitutional powers on Monday to pass a contested budget bill without a parliamentary vote. National Rally has already said it will support the motion brought by its left-wing rivals, but will also support its own motion of no-confidence. It's highly likely that Barnier's government will collapse after the vote. On Wednesday, European services activity data is due and the OECD releases its latest economic outlook. In other news, political upheaval in South Korea is being closely-watched by investors in the Asia-Pacific region. Overnight, South Korean markets opened lower after President Yoon Suk Yeol's surprise decision to impose and then lift a martial law decree within hours. Money Report Kospi heavyweight stocks fall in volatile trade after President Yoon's martial law flip-flop Australia's third-quarter GDP grows at a slower-than-expected 0.3% amid higher rates and sticky inflation Read more South Korea stocks down around 2% as opposition prepares Yoon impeachment bill A coalition of lawmakers from opposition parties are planning to propose a bill to impeach Yoon on Wednesday, which should be voted within 72 hours if introduced, according to Reuters . Yoon's chief of staff and senior secretaries have reportedly offered to resign en masse. — CNBC's Dylan Butts contributed to this market summary. CNBC Pro: 'We really like the U.S.' Julius Baer portfolio manager says. Here's where she sees opportunity At a time when investors are mixed on the U.S. market, one portfolio manager remains optimistic and sees reason to stay invested over the longer-term. "We really like the U.S. Now that the election result is clear and behind us, we can reasonably assume a higher growth rate in the U.S., and that's probably going to lead to an end of year rally," Aneka Beneby, portfolio manager at Julius Baer International said, revealing segments she sees opportunities in. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Amala Balakrishner CNBC Pro: How are investors trading France’s political chaos? The French government is on the brink of collapse this week and investors are gearing up for a volatile week of trading, with some eyeing opportunities amid the chaos. Investors have shared how they're trading French bonds and laid out what could happen if the government falls, and other scenarios. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Ganesh Rao European markets: Here are the opening calls European markets are expected to open higher Tuesday. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 18 points higher at 8,322, Germany's DAX up 15 points at 19,922, France's CAC up 29 points at 7,245 and Italy's FTSE MIB up 43 points at 33,601, according to data from IG. Data releases Tuesday include U.K. retail sales and Spanish unemployment figures. — Holly Ellyatt Also on CNBC Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Salesforce, Okta, Box and more Stock futures are little changed after S&P 500 inches higher to a fresh record close Traders brace for Friday's jobs report, but Trump's next move may matter more

Ex-soldier, Iraq War veteran is Trump’s pick to serve as Army secretaryDAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Niger's ruling junta suspended the BBC for three months over the broadcaster's coverage of an extremist attack that allegedly killed dozens of Nigerien soldiers and civilians, authorities said Thursday. “BBC broadcasts false information aimed at destabilizing social calm and undermining the troops' morale,” communications minister Raliou Sidi Mohamed said in letters to radio stations that rebroadcast BBC content. Mohamed asked the stations to suspend BBC's programs “with immediate effect.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.None

Soccer-Keeping fans happy is Chelsea's aim, says MarescaAs the year edges towards its close, there’s a peculiar stillness that often blankets our lives. For many, this isn’t the calm serenity of reflection, but a foggy weight of feeling lost and numb. It’s a sensation that creeps in uninvited, leaving one questioning their place and purpose. I’ve been feeling it too – that aching disconnection from myself and the world around me. If you’re in this space now, know that you’re not alone, and more importantly, there are ways to steer through it. The reasons behind this pervasive end-of-year malaise are multi-faceted. Modern life, with its relentless pace, often pushes us to our limits. We spend months racing through responsibilities, barely pausing to take stock of what we truly need. By December, the weight of unmet expectations, personal setbacks, and societal pressures can feel overwhelming. The holiday season – advertised as a time of joy and connection – can amplify feelings of inadequacy or loneliness when our lives don’t align with the festive images we’re bombarded with, especially with constantly watching friends and family on social media happily enjoying their vacation trips across borders. There’s also the undeniable pull of the calendar itself. The end of the year feels like a natural checkpoint, a moment when we unconsciously measure ourselves against past ambitions. Did I achieve enough? Did I grow? Or have I simply drifted? These questions, while important, can spiral into self-doubt and emotional paralysis if we’re not careful. When I find myself in this space, everything feels muted. The things that usually bring joy seem distant. Even simple tasks feel insurmountable. It’s as though life has shifted to a slower, greyer frame, leaving me stuck in limbo. PHOTO: ENVATO PHOTO: ENVATO PHOTO: ENVATO PHOTO: ENVATO In speaking with friends, I’ve realised how common this is. There’s comfort in knowing that this emotional lull isn’t a personal failing but a shared human experience. So, how do we begin to climb out of this? How can we find warmth and meaning in a time that feels so bleak? Over the years, I have discovered a few small but profound ways to break free from the grip of numbness. RECONNECT WITH THE BODY When we’re lost in our minds, returning to the physical self can be grounding. Go for a walk, even if it’s just around your street. Feel the crunch of leaves underfoot or the brisk air against your skin. Gentle stretches, a yoga session, or even lying on the floor and simply breathing deeply can remind you of your body’s presence. Movement is a language of its own, one that speaks to our emotions when words fall short. Praying definitely helps me. The body’s motion as you perform your prayers has a profound effect. Even though you may be stuck in your head, the quiet time while praying somehow helps realign all your thoughts better. SIMPLIFYING YOUR DAYS In times of emotional overwhelm, even ordinary tasks can feel Herculean. Strip back your to-do list and focus on one or two meaningful actions per day. Perhaps it’s calling a loved one, preparing a wholesome meal or tidying a small corner of your space. Success in these little tasks creates momentum, helping to lift you out of inertia. As someone who has always been into writing, journaling has been my anchor during moments of disorientation. There’s something profoundly liberating about spilling your thoughts onto paper, unfiltered and un-judged. Write about your fears, your questions, and your dreams, even if they feel distant. Over time, patterns emerge, clarity returns, and the act itself becomes a form of self-compassion. REFRAME THE SEASON Honestly, the end of the year doesn’t have to be a time of regret or pressure. Instead, view it as an opportunity for rest and renewal. Nature itself slows down in the cool season; trees shed their leaves, animals hibernate. Even in the Bruneian context, the rain may pour heavy, but leaves still emerge anew. Why shouldn’t we, too, embrace this period as one for introspection and gentle recovery? Release the idea of ticking boxes and allow yourself to simply be. The tendency to withdraw during difficult times is also natural, but isolation can deepen the sense of being lost. Reach out to a trusted friend, a family member, or a professional. Sharing your thoughts aloud – even imperfectly – can break the cycle of rumination and remind you that connection is still possible. Finally, remember that feeling lost isn’t permanent. It’s a passage, not a destination. Much like the ebb and flow of tides, this too shall shift. Trust in your resilience, even when it feels distant. Trust that your sense of self will return, stronger and more aligned than before. As we step into the new year, let’s carry this understanding: it’s okay to feel unmoored. It’s okay to admit that life sometimes feels heavy. In acknowledging these truths, we grant ourselves the grace to heal and move forward. And perhaps, when the fog finally lifts, we’ll find ourselves not lost, but in a place we’d never have reached otherwise. – Izah AzahariNEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal , arguing continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that dismissal is warranted because of the “overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024.” They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent of his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted of . “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’" Trump’s legal team wrote. The Manhattan district attorney, they claimed, engaged in the type of political theater "that President Biden condemned.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. Former President Donald Trump walks to make comments to members of the news media May 30 after a jury convicted him of felony crimes for falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York. In their filing Monday, Trump's attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies wrongdoing. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, also would allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and since were selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. A dismissal would erase Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. Trump takes office Jan. 20. Merchan hasn’t set a timetable for a decision. Merchan could also decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option. Prosecutors cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump pledged to appeal the verdict if the case is not dismissed. He and his lawyers said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes. Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, with Melania Trump and Barron Trump, arrives to speak at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as Melania Trump looks on at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican Presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives with former first lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trump at the Palm Beach County Convention Center during an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, joined by, from right, Melania Trump and Barron Trump, arrives to speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican Presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives with =former first lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trump at the Palm Beach County Convention Center during an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump walk after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump walk after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump visits his campaign headquarters, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.

Denver Broncos playoff odds drop to 76% after road loss to ChargersLil Uzi Vert is causing a stir on social media through their latest selfie on Instagram. In the picture, they rocks numerous face piercings with the caption, "Back Bute," with a white heart emoji. When The Shade Room reposted the selfie, fans shared plenty of mixed responses, with many criticizing JT's relationship with the rapper. "Look like those connect the dot menu for the kids at IHOP," one user joked. Another wrote: "He look like he boutta destroy the Hidden Leaf Village with an Almighty Push." Others brought up Uzi's relationship with JT. "There’s no way JT finds this white emo girl attractive. Idk how she do it," one user wrote. One more countered: "Uzi’s actions tell me he just does whatever the hell he wants, unapologetically. With no regards on how ANYONE feels about it. Lol I ain’t mad at it." Read More: Rolling Ray Labels JT "The Man" In Her Relationship With Lil Uzi Vert NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 28: JT (L) and Lil Uzi Vert attend Jay-Z's 40/40 Club 18th Anniversary celebration at 40/40 Club on August 28, 2021, in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage) The viral selfie comes following the release of their latest album Eternal Atake 2 . While the project has been receiving mixed responses from fans, JT showed Uzi love for the release on social media at the time. She captioned a post about the album: “So proud of you always! [three white heart emojis] My top 3 is light year, pears to mars & Mr.chow honorable mention chill bae! Really the whole thing but that’s being bias because you do no wrong in my eyes! Forever your #1 fan! Paint the world white my baby, congratulations on EA2” Despite the release of Eternal Atake 2 , Uzi reportedly has more new music on the way. They told Rolling Stone that they're "on go" with plans for more frequent releases during a recent interview. Check out Lil Uzi Vert's latest post on social media below. Read More: JT Surprises Lil Uzi Vert With An Excursion At Sea: Watch

Luigi Mangione’s arrest thrust his family into the spotlight. Who are the Mangiones of Baltimore County?Falcons favored over the Raiders in Monday night matchup

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2025: Ogun Govt reveals readiness to build more housing estates

 

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The news about academic cheating has gone from worrying to post mortem. Colleges apparently can’t manage cheating on any level. As usual, a lot of handwringing and total lack of answers produce a sort of techno-manga doomscape. Those headlines create a bizarre set of situations from “ AI is an existential threat to colleges” from the Washington Post (paywall) to the truly alarming penalizing of a student for proofreading using Grammarly. The AI outscores the humans relentlessly at about 83%, according to Forbes . As usual, honesty gets you nowhere. See that quaint little rustic waste of time called the USA for details. Strangely, people aren’t happy with this 100% true-to-Western-cultural breakthrough into institutional incompetence and corruption. Despite the decades of noble roles of mainstream media and so many utterly futile public figures, people who can’t do their jobs aren’t much in demand. “Why not?” you enquire, grimly bolting yourself to the ridiculous shriveled lettuce of a society. Well, ‘cause: Education has become a stagnant backwater of regressive politics. They’re either scared of it or actively trying to prevent it. See Oklahoma for details. Defunding public education is actually a stated policy in the USA. If they seriously think everyone can afford private education, you can see the level of intellect in the mix. Past idiocies sabotaged education decades ago. The blame isn’t all one-way. Imbecile ideas like not teaching phonics (structuring basic words and concepts) did a lot of damage. Many people in multiple generations are functionally illiterate. The illiteracy of the system itself doesn’t exactly help in managing AI issues. Literacy isn’t just being able to read. It’s being able to understand what you read. It’s essential to critical thinking, of which we have so little lately. The future isn’t looking at all good for the skills bases required to manage new tech and things like human reality. Let’s get down to basics: 1, AI cannot replace humans. If you replace people with AI, you have to check absolutely everything. It’s actually more work. 2, AI doesn’t give you actual skills. You still need to learn and understand to know your stuff. Your overpriced education is utterly meaningless and useless if you can’t do the jobs. 3. It’s pretty easy to prove who can really do a job and who can’t. All you need is a simple competence test. See if the useless smug little brats can function. 4, Force AI providers to include AI detection capacity in their products by law. This “free lunch for fakes” stuff has to stop somewhere. Bear in mind that the present capacity is nothing like up to this task. According to the Forbes article above, the current 6% detection rate of AI is an overestimate. (Might help with scientific fraud and deranged social media bots, too.) This isn’t “artificial intelligence” yet. It’s “artificial idiocy”. It’s fixable. _________________________________________________ Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members. Editor-at-Large based in Sydney, Australia.

FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setupIs PEX Or PERT Better For Underfloor Heating?Some Educated Guesses About Trump’s Second Term

DETROIT — Fifty years later, a man who grew up in suburban Detroit tried to return a very overdue baseball book to his boyhood library. The answer: You can keep it — and no fine. Chuck Hildebrandt, 63, of Chicago said he visited the public library in Warren while in town for Thanksgiving, carrying a book titled "Baseball's Zaniest Stars." He borrowed it in 1974 as a 13-year-old "baseball nut" but never returned it. Chuck Hildebrandt of Chicago holds the book "Baseball's Zaniest Stars," which was due Dec. 4, 1974, at the Warren, Mich., library, on Dec. 10. Terrie Wendricks "When you're moving with a bunch of books, you're not examining every book. You throw them in a box and go," said Hildebrandt, who lived in many cities. "But five or six years ago, I was going through the bookshelf and there was a Dewey decimal library number on the book. 'What is this?'" Inside the book was a slip of paper indicating it was due back at the Warren library on Dec. 4, 1974. People are also reading... Hildebrandt told The Associated Press he decided to keep the book until 2024 — the 50th anniversary — and then try to return it. He figured the library might want to publicize the long overdue exchange. Chuck Hildebrandt of Chicago shows the library slip in the overdue book "Baseball's Zaniest Stars" on Dec. 10. Terrie Wendricks He said he recently met library director Oksana Urban, who listened to his pitch. Hildebrandt said he hasn't heard anything since then, though Urban told the Detroit Free Press that all is forgiven. "Some people never come back to face the music," she said of patrons with overdue books. "But there was really no music to face because he and the book were erased from our system." So "Baseball's Zaniest Stars" is back on Hildebrandt's shelf. In return, he's now trying to raise $4,564 for Reading is Fundamental, a nonprofit literacy group. The amount roughly represents a 50-year overdue library fine. Hildebrandt seeded the effort with $457. The right book can inspire the young readers in your life, from picture books to YA novels Taylor Swift 'Eras' tie-in book is a smash, selling more than 800,000 copies in first weekend Charles Dickens' characters come alive in a Dutch town enamored with the English author Best draft picks of all-time for every MLB team Best draft picks of all-time for every MLB team The Major League Baseball draft is unique among professional sports drafts. The 30 organizations pick teenagers and college students who will not join their big league clubs for years—if ever.These athletes will spend that time honing their craft in the minor leagues, where long bus rides and minuscule paychecks are the norm. A few will move quickly up the ranks, seizing playing time opportunities to advance their careers and making their names known to scouts, fans, and other observers around the country.Some of the best will become MLB stars, but there's minimal correlation to draft position. Four of the players on this list were picked after hundreds of other diamond darlings, and only two were #1 overall selections.There's also more than a handful who didn't do much for the teams that drafted them, including superstars such as Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, and Randy Johnson. Each of these players was traded before they evolved into Hall of Famers.Still, calling the draft a "crapshoot" might be going too far. College players are "slightly more likely" than high schoolers to reach the revered stadiums of the majors, and third-rounders have a better chance than fifth-rounders, for example, though the margins are slim, as Vice reported. Teams not only make picks based on years-in-advance projections but also whether they can sign players, a step that must be completed before those youngsters begin playing professionally.To see how clubs have fared since the inaugural draft in 1965, ATS.io compiled a list of the best draft pick by each franchise using data from Baseball Reference. The players were ranked using career wins above replacement, so not one recent choice was named. The amazing Mike Trout, a 32-year-old selected in 2009, is the youngest player. Unsigned picks were not considered, and players who were traded as picks were credited to their acquiring teams. Data is as of June 5, 2024. Mike Stobe // Getty Images Arizona Diamondbacks: Max Scherzer - Draft: 11th overall pick in 2006- Position: Pitcher- Games played: 457- Career stats: 214 wins, 3.15 earned run average, 1.08 walks plus hits per inning- College/HS: University of Missouri (Columbia, Mo.)- Wins above replacement: 75.0 Harry How // Getty Images Atlanta Braves: Chipper Jones - Draft: 1st overall pick in 1990- Position: Shortstop- Games played: 2,499- Career stats: 468 home runs, .303 batting average, .930 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Fla.)- Wins above replacement: 85.3 Kevin C. Cox // Getty Images Baltimore Orioles: Cal Ripken Jr. - Draft: 48th overall pick in 1978- Position: Third baseman- Games played: 3,001- Career stats: 431 home runs, .276 batting average, .788 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Aberdeen HS (Aberdeen, Md.)- Wins above replacement: 95.9 Focus on Sport // Getty Images Boston Red Sox: Roger Clemens - Draft: 19th overall pick in 1983- Position: Pitcher- Games played: 709- Career stats: 354 wins, 3.12 earned run average, 1.17 walks plus hits per inning- College/HS: University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas)- Wins above replacement: 139.2 Rick Stewart // Getty Images Chicago Cubs: Greg Maddux - Draft: 31st overall pick in 1984- Position: Pitcher- Games played: 744- Career stats: 355 wins, 3.16 earned run average, 1.14 walks plus hits per inning- College/HS: Valley HS (Las Vegas, Nev.)- Wins above replacement: 106.6 Ron Vesely/MLB Photos // Getty Images Chicago White Sox: Frank Thomas - Draft: 7th overall pick in 1989- Position: First baseman- Games played: 2,322- Career stats: 521 home runs, .301 batting average, .974 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Auburn University (Auburn, Ala.)- Wins above replacement: 73.8 David Seelig // Getty Images Cincinnati Reds: Johnny Bench - Draft: 36th overall pick in 1965- Position: Catcher- Games played: 2,158- Career stats: 389 home runs, .267 batting average, .817 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Binger HS (Binger, Okla.)- Wins above replacement: 75.1 James Drake // Getty Images Cleveland Guardians: Jim Thome - Draft: 333rd overall pick in 1989- Position: Shortstop- Games played: 2,543- Career stats: 612 home runs, .276 batting average, .956 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Illinois Central College (East Peoria, Ill.)- Wins above replacement: 73.1 Ronald Martinez // Getty Images Colorado Rockies: Todd Helton - Draft: 8th overall pick in 1995- Position: First baseman- Games played: 2,247- Career stats: 369 home runs, .316 batting average, .953 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: University of Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.)- Wins above replacement: 61.8 Dustin Bradford // Getty Images Detroit Tigers: Justin Verlander - Draft: 2nd overall pick in 2004- Position: Pitcher- Games played: 518- Career stats: 260 wins, 3.25 earned run average, 1.12 walks plus hits per inning- College/HS: Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.)- Wins above replacement: 81.7 Rob Carr // Getty Images Houston Astros: Kenny Lofton - Draft: 428th overall pick in 1988- Position: Outfielder- Games played: 2,103- Career stats: 130 home runs, .299 batting average, .794 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: University of Arizona (Tucson, Ariz.)- Wins above replacement: 68.4 Sporting News // Getty Images Kansas City Royals: George Brett - Draft: 29th overall pick in 1971- Position: Shortstop- Games played: 2,707- Career stats: 317 home runs, .305 batting average, .857 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: El Segundo HS (El Segundo, Calif.)- Wins above replacement: 88.6 Focus on Sport // Getty Images Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout - Draft: 25th overall pick in 2009- Position: Centerfielder- Games played: 1,518- Career stats: 378 home runs, .299 batting average, .991 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Millville Senior HS (Millville, N.J.)- Wins above replacement: 86.1 Dustin Bradford // Getty Images Los Angeles Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw - Draft: 7th overall pick in 2006- Position: Pitcher- Games played: 425- Career stats: 210 wins, 2.48 earned run average, 1.00 walks plus hits per inning- College/HS: Highland Park HS (Dallas, Texas)- Wins above replacement: 79.7 Allen J. Schaben // Getty Images Miami Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton - Draft: 76th overall pick in 2007- Position: First baseman- Games played: 1,589- Career stats: 417 home runs, .258 batting average, .874 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Notre Dame HS (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)- Wins above replacement: 44.3 Rob Foldy // Getty Images Milwaukee Brewers: Robin Yount - Draft: 3rd overall pick in 1973- Position: Shortstop- Games played: 2,856- Career stats: 251 home runs, .285 batting average, .772 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: William Howard Taft Charter HS (Woodland Hills, Calif.)- Wins above replacement: 77.4 Rich Pilling // Getty Images Minnesota Twins: Bert Blyleven - Draft: 55th overall pick in 1969- Position: Pitcher- Games played: 692- Career stats: 287 wins, 3.31 earned run average, 1.20 walks plus hits per inning- College/HS: Santiago HS (Garden Grove, Calif.)- Wins above replacement: 94.5 Owen C. Shaw // Getty Images New York Mets: Nolan Ryan - Draft: 295th overall pick in 1965- Position: Pitcher- Games played: 807- Career stats: 324 wins, 3.19 earned run average, 1.25 walks plus hits per inning- College/HS: Alvin HS (Alvin, Texas)- Wins above replacement: 81.3 Focus on Sport // Getty Images New York Yankees: Derek Jeter - Draft: 6th overall pick in 1992- Position: Shortstop- Games played: 2,747- Career stats: 260 home runs, .310 batting average, .817 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Central HS (Kalamazoo, Mich.)- Wins above replacement: 71.3 Tom Szczerbowski // Getty Images Philadelphia Phillies: Mike Schmidt - Draft: 30th overall pick in 1971- Position: Shortstop- Games played: 2,404- Career stats: 548 home runs, .268 batting average, .908 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Ohio University (Athens, Ohio)- Wins above replacement: 106.9 Jonathan Daniel // Getty Images Pittsburgh Pirates: Barry Bonds - Draft: 6th overall pick in 1985- Position: Outfielder- Games played: 2,986- Career stats: 762 home runs, .298 batting average, 1.051 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Arizona State University (Tempe, Ariz.)- Wins above replacement: 162.8 George Gojkovich // Getty Images San Diego Padres: Ozzie Smith - Draft: 86th overall pick in 1977- Position: Shortstop- Games played: 2,573- Career stats: 28 home runs, .262 batting average, .666 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)- Wins above replacement: 76.9 Focus on Sport // Getty Images San Francisco Giants: Will Clark - Draft: 2nd overall pick in 1985- Position: First baseman- Games played: 1,976- Career stats: 284 home runs, .303 batting average, .880 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, Miss.)- Wins above replacement: 56.5 David Madison // Getty Images Seattle Mariners: Alex Rodriguez - Draft: 1st overall pick in 1993- Position: Shortstop- Games played: 2,784- Career stats: 696 home runs, .295 batting average, .930 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Westminster Christian School (Miami, Fla.)- Wins above replacement: 117.6 John Reid III // Getty Images St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols - Draft: 402nd overall pick in 1999- Position: Third baseman- Games played: 3,080- Career stats: 703 home runs, .296 batting average, .918 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods (Kansas City, Mo.)- Wins above replacement: 101.4 Harry How // Getty Images Tampa Bay Rays: Evan Longoria - Draft: 3rd overall pick in 2006- Position: Third baseman- Games played: 1,986- Career stats: 342 home runs, .264 batting average, .804 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.)- Wins above replacement: 58.6 J. Meric // Getty Images Toronto Blue Jays: Roy Halladay - Draft: 17th overall pick in 1995- Position: Pitcher- Games played: 416- Career stats: 203 wins, 3.38 earned run average, 1.18 walks plus hits per inning- College/HS: Arvada West HS (Arvada, Colo.)- Wins above replacement: 64.2 G Fiume // Getty Images Washington Nationals: Randy Johnson - Draft: 36th overall pick in 1985- Position: Pitcher- Games played: 618- Career stats: 303 wins, 3.29 earned run average, 1.17 walks plus hits per inning- College/HS: University of Southern California (Los Angeles, Calif.)- Wins above replacement: 101.1Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.This story originally appeared on ATS.io and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Focus on Sport // Getty Images Oakland Athletics: Rickey Henderson - Draft: 96th overall pick in 1976- Position: Outfielder- Games played: 3,081- Career stats: 297 home runs, .279 batting average, .820 on-base plus slugging- College/HS: Oakland Technical HS (Oakland, Calif.)- Wins above replacement: 111.1 Bettmann // Getty Images Texas Rangers: Kevin Brown - Draft: 4th overall pick in 1986- Position: Pitcher- Games played: 486- Career stats: 211 wins, 3.28 earned run average, 1.22 walks plus hits per inning- College/HS: Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Ga.)- Wins above replacement: 67.8 Bernstein Associates // Getty Images Stay up-to-date on what's happening

Fetterman joins Truth Social and says a pardon is 'appropriate' for Trump's hush money case

Social media users are misrepresenting a report released Thursday by the Justice Department inspector general's office, falsely claiming that it's proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The watchdog report examined a number of areas, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Claims spreading online focus on the report's finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who had been tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the events. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A December 2024 report released by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General is proof that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a setup by the FBI. THE FACTS: That's false. The report found that no undercover FBI employees were at the riot on Jan. 6 and that none of the bureau's informants were authorized to participate. Informants, also known as confidential human sources, work with the FBI to provide information, but are not on the bureau’s payroll. Undercover agents are employed by the FBI. According to the report, 26 informants were in Washington on Jan. 6 in connection with the day's events. FBI field offices only informed the Washington Field Office or FBI headquarters of five informants that were to be in the field on Jan. 6. Of the total 26 informants, four entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 13 entered a restricted area around the Capitol. But none were authorized to do so by the FBI, nor were they given permission to break other laws or encourage others to do the same. The remaining nine informants did not engage in any illegal activities. None of the 17 informants who entered the Capitol or surrounding restricted area have been prosecuted, the report says. A footnote states that after reviewing a draft of the report, the U.S. attorney's office in Washington said that it “generally has not charged those individuals whose only crime on January 6, 2021 was to enter restricted grounds surrounding the Capitol, which has resulted in the Office declining to charge hundreds of individuals; and we have treated the CHSs consistent with this approach.” The assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office's counterterrorism division told the inspector general's office that he “denied a request from an FBI office to have an undercover employee engage in investigative activity on January 6.” He, along with then-Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D'Antuono, said that FBI policy prohibits undercover employees at First Amendment-protected events without investigative authority. Many social media users drew false conclusions from the report's findings. “JANUARY 6th WAS A SETUP!" reads one X post that had received more than 11,400 likes and shares as of Friday. “New inspector general report shows that 26 FBI/DOJ confidential sources were in the crowd on January 6th, and some of them went into the Capitol and restricted areas. Is it a coincidence that Wray put in his resignation notice yesterday? TREASON!” The mention of Wray's resignation refers to FBI Director Christopher Wray's announcement Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January. Other users highlighted the fact that there were 26 FBI informants in Washington on Jan. 6, but omitted key information about the findings of the report. These claims echo a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the Capitol in a violent clash with police. The report knocks that theory down. Wray called such theories “ludicrous” at a congressional hearing last year. The inspector general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the false claims about its report. In addition to its findings about the the FBI's involvement on Jan. 6, the report said that the FBI, in an action its now-deputy director described as a “basic step that was missed,” failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence ahead of time. That was a step, the report concluded, “that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6.” However, it did credit the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known “domestic terrorism subjects” who planned to come to Washington that day. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general’s recommendation “regarding potential process improvements for future events.” — Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck .

Internet Of Things Technology Market Size To Worth USD 637 Billion By 2033 With A 6.5% CAGR By Exactitude ConsultancyIn this giving season, New York City’s nonprofit sector faces overlapping crises that are fraying the very fabric of community support for millions of New Yorkers. News reports in recent weeks have detailed the bureaucratic nightmare nonprofits have faced for years: chronic delays and systematic failures in government payments are pushing many to the brink of financial collapse. Nonprofits are the backbone of critical social services programs for millions of New Yorkers in education, healthcare, and community development. Yet, our mission-driven nonprofit community has been asked to soldier on through a conditions that no company in the private sector would accept, including severely delayed payments, unpredictable reimbursement cycles, and suffocating administrative hurdles. Get the Full Story These payment delays frequently stretch over many months, sometimes even years, and they aren’t just inconveniences—they’re existential threats. Organizations are forced to dip into reserve funds, take out emergency lines of credit, or dramatically cut services just to stay afloat. Some have been forced to reduce staff or shut down entirely. Nonprofits are also facing a seachange in their relationship with private donors and supportive community members, who increasingly want more meaningful involvement that goes beyond just writing a check. Across the country, there is a growing skepticism towards traditional institutional approaches, driven by a broader decline in trust in established organizations. Flexible giving vehicles, like donor advised funds, offer unprecedented creativity in how supporters can take action on causes they care about. This change in how philanthropy works actually presents an enormous opportunity to reimagine how we support vulnerable communities in New York – and should be part of the solution to the contracting challenges. Community organizations should be working to lower barriers to participation, making it easier for community members to contribute in ways that feel authentic and impactful. At Brooklyn Org, we’re embracing this challenge head-on. We’ve rebranded so our name reflects a more accessible, and less institutional, approach to connecting with Brooklyn’s residents. But this change goes well beyond a cosmetic name-change: it means creating multiple pathways for New Yorkers to engage that go beyond making large financial contributions. It means investing in new programs that provide opportunities for volunteering, small-scale giving, and direct community involvement. Community foundations must also transform the help we provide to nonprofits to build their own capacities. Brooklyn Org has helped more than 250 nonprofits understand how to more effectively tell their own stories, reach broader audiences, and even recruit new board members by leveraging AI technology and new digital outreach techniques. We also must expand our understanding of who can be a donor, moving beyond transactional fundraising to create genuine community connections. Instead of targeting the same traditional donor pools, we must work to engage a more diverse group of supporters—racially, economically, and generationally. This means launching new initiatives, like membership programs, that focus on building sustained relationships and experiences. This moment of challenge is, in reality, a moment of incredible potential. By reimagining philanthropy—making it more accessible, transparent, and personally meaningful—we can create a more robust, engaged, and supportive community ecosystem. New York has always responded to challenges with innovation, and this moment should be no different. The future of giving isn’t about institutions. It’s about connections. It’s about empowerment. And it’s about recognizing that every one of us has a role to play in building the community we want to see. Jocelynne Rainey is the President and CEO of Brooklyn Org .

Retail sales rose at healthy pace last month in latest sign of US economy's health WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers stepped up their spending at retail stores last month, providing a boost to the economy in the early phases of the winter holiday shopping season. Retail sales rose 0.7% in November, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, a solid increase and higher than October’s 0.5% gain. The boost in spending underscores that the economy is still growing at a healthy pace even with higher interest rates, a trend that could cause the Federal Reserve to lower borrowing costs more slowly next year than they have previously signaled. Tuesday’s report arrives just a day before the Fed is set to announce its latest rate decision Wednesday. Americans end 2024 with grim economic outlook, but Republicans are optimistic for 2025: AP-NORC poll WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds that Democrats are feeling more pessimistic about the U.S. economy after Donald Trump's victory. Republicans, meanwhile, are still dour about the current state of the economy but hopeful that growth will be stronger next year when Trump returns to the White House as president. The latest survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggests that some Americans are evaluating the economy more by who holds political power than on what the underlying trends suggest. This was a persistent challenge for President Joe Biden and raises the possibility that Trump might also struggle to translate his economic ideas into political wins. Biden calls for ban on congressional stock trading WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has endorsed a ban on congressional stock trading in an interview that’s being released this week. It's the first time he's publicly backed the idea. He made the comments to Faiz Shakir, a political adviser for Sen. Bernie Sanders. Shakir interviewed the Democratic president for A More Perfect Union, a pro-labor advocacy and journalism organization. The Associated Press reviewed a video of the interview before its release. A bipartisan proposal to ban trading by members of Congress and their families has dozens of sponsors, but it has not received a vote. What does Big Tech hope to gain from warming up to Trump? NEW YORK (AP) — In a string of visits, dinners, calls, monetary pledges and social media overtures, big tech chiefs have joined a parade of business and world leaders in trying to improve their standing with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January. The tech list includes Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Meanwhile, the list of what the executives may be hoping for includes an open path toward developing artificial intelligence, easier access to energy for data centers and an easing of antitrust enforcement. Federal Reserve is likely to slow its rate cuts with inflation pressures still elevated WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans hoping for lower borrowing costs for homes, credit cards and cars may be disappointed after this week’s Federal Reserve meeting. The Fed’s policymakers are likely to signal fewer interest rate cuts next year than were previously expected. The officials are set to reduce their benchmark rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, by a quarter-point to about 4.3% when their meeting ends Wednesday. The problem is that while inflation has dropped far below its peak of 9.1% in mid-2022, it remains stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target. Why is tech giant SoftBank investing over $100 billion in the US? BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese tycoon Masayoshi Son has joined President-elect Donald Trump in announcing plans by technology and telecoms giant SoftBank Group to invest $100 billion in projects in the United States. Trump said the investments would create 100,000 jobs over four years, twice what Son promised when he pledged $50 billion in U.S. investments in 2016. Son is known for making bold choices, sometimes paying big and sometimes not. SoftBank has investments in dozens of Silicon Valley startups, big companies like semiconductor maker Arm and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The stock market rally and craze for AI has boosted the value of its assets, but some question if its investments will create that many jobs. Business owners should not forget anti-money laundering rule currently in legal limbo Small business owners should not forget about a rule that requires them to register with an agency called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, by Jan. 1. The registration is part of the Corporate Transparency Act passed in 2021. Registering isn’t difficult, but if a small business owner is unaware of the requirement, they could be slapped with penalties of up to $10,000. For now, the rule is in legal limbo. On Dec. 3 a federal court in Texas issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of the rule. Stellantis pledges invest $2.1 million in Italian production in 2025 during talks with government MILAN (AP) — The Stellantis automaker has pledged to invest 2 billion euros or $2.1 billion in Italian production next year and spend another 6 billion euros or $6.3 billion in the supply chain. The head of European operations for the world's fifth-largest carmaker made the pledge during a meeting with Italian ministers, regional officials and unions following the forced resignation of former CEO Carlos Tavares earlier this month. The Italian government was seeking reassurances of Stellantis' commitment to Italy. Billion-dollar donation from Netflix's Reed Hastings leads 2024's list of biggest gifts Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg made the largest contributions in 2024, and financial aid, especially for medical students, got most of the money. The Chronicle’s annual list of the biggest charitable donations from individuals or their foundations totaled nearly $6 billion in 2024, with half of that coming from three contributions of $1 billion or more each. Two of those three gifts went to medical schools to provide financial aid. Altogether, four of the top donations on the list, totaling $2.3 billion, went to support financial aid. Stock market today: Wall Street trims its stellar gains as Nvidia's star dims again NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are trimming some of their stellar gains for the year. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% in Tuesday afternoon trading, though it’s still near its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 242 points, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.2% from its record set the day before. Nvidia, the superstar stock that’s been a big reason for Wall Street’s run to records this year, fell toward its eighth loss in the last nine days. Treasury yields held relatively steady after sales at U.S. retailers strengthened by more than expected. Bitcoin set another record.AmeraCell Accessible Affordable Bio Hacking in Katy Texas an American Life Sciences Clinic 12-17-2024 08:12 PM CET | Associations & Organizations Press release from: ABNewswire Image: https://www.abnewswire.com/uploads/c46306625cd5028d1dcf9ba4de05042c.png Katy, TX - AmeraCell, a pioneering life science company, is thrilled to announce its expansion into Katy, Texas. This strategic move marks a significant milestone in AmeraCell's mission to democratize access to innovative, life-changing therapies. AmeraCell's Katy location will offer a comprehensive range of life science solutions, including: - Bio-Hacking: Personalized wellness programs leveraging cutting-edge technology and medical expertise - Stem Cell Therapy: MSC stem cell joint injections and IV hydration treatments for chronic pain, inflammation, and degenerative diseases - Anti-Aging: Regenerative medicine solutions for rejuvenation and age management "AmeraCell is committed to empowering individuals with the latest advancements in life sciences," said AJ Pakpour, Founder. "Our expansion into Katy, Texas reflects our dedication to improving healthcare one cell at a time " AmeraCell's team of expert physicians clinicians and master injectors in Katy, Texas will provide personalized care and guidance to patients, ensuring a comprehensive and supportive experience. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please visit AmeraCell [ https://ameracell.com/pharmacy ] or call 407 801 2269 About AmeraCell AmeraCell is a life science company pioneering innovative therapies and treatments. With multiple locations nationwide, AmeraCell is revolutionizing healthcare delivery and improving patient outcomes. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sa=X&sca_esv=f406572c760609c9&hl=en-us&biw=430&bih=856&kgmid=%2Fg%2F11lmg5l1fm&q=AmeraCell%20Clinics&shndl=30&source=sh%2Fx%2Floc%2Fact%2Fm4%2F3 Note to editor: - High-resolution images and interview opportunities available upon request. - AmeraCell's Katy location is now accepting patients and offering consultations. Media Contact Company Name: AmeraCell Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=ameracell-accessible-affordable-bio-hacking-in-katy-texas-an-american-life-sciences-clinic ] Address:300 N Atlantic Ave #108 City: Cocoa Beach State: FL 32931 Country: United States Website: https://ameracell.com/pharmacy This release was published on openPR.

DDG is all sorts of enraged today following a recent collaboration with streamer, plaqueboymax. The rapper and fellow content creator was on his platform, and he participated in a segment similar to "Hot Ones" called "Dry Ones." It's also a Q&A and if you decide to not answer the question posed to you, the person has to eat a Popeyes biscuit. At around the 21-minute mark of the YouTube clip below it becomes plaqueboymax's turn to ask DDG a singeing question. After some deliberating, he decides to ask him who his favorite ex was that he actually dated. Immediately, the Michigan native was already imagining the "TikTok clip" coming. But he played along anyway and said that it was someone whose name "starts with a K." He had said that it's been about five years since they last spoke. However, he did admit that they "had a good run." DDG, being in the public eye for a while, read the situation perfectly, because The Shade Room clipped his answer and reshared it on social media. But this has since led to a lot of angry reactions from fans who saw the full stream, and DDG himself. Read More: Owen Wilson & Matt Rife To Star In Comedy Film About Rolling Loud Festival What the clip from the outlet doesn't show that the YouTube one does is what he says prior to his answer. "'Cause we ain't talkin' about family." Plaqueboymax then wanted to clarify, "So favorite ex besides... you know." Of course, they are referring to one Halle Bailey, whom DDG split up from earlier this year. Many fans pointed out this fact in the comments section of The Shade Room 's repost. "The SHADEroom purposely cut out the besides Halle part. Yal really are a BIG part of the problem 🤦🏽‍♀️" one user writes. "Shade room intentionally left off the Halle part bro they really be working overtime to promote drama 😂" another adds. DDG also went off on the media outlet for doing so. "HALLE IS NOT MY EX, SHE IS MY FAMILY, I EXCLUDED HER. I DONT GIVE A 2 F*CKS ABOUT THAT OTHER WOMAN, IM JUST PLAYING THE GAME. THIS IS OUT OF CONTEXT!" Based on the all-caps writing and language used, you can tell he's visibly upset with how this was handled. In hindsight, he might have been better off just eating another biscuit and calling it a day. On the other hand, he did want to play along and provide content for plaqueboymax, so he was really in a sticky situation from the jump. Read More: Will Smith Addresses Diddy “Freak Off” RumorsWall Street bulls mounted a valiant effort and pushed the stock market sharply Friday on a double dose of encouraging news. But the rally was not enough to overcome Wednesday's Fed-driven plunge. The S&P 500 dropped for the second straight week, losing 2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average made it three down weeks in a row, with a loss of more than 2.2%. The Nasdaq posted a 1.8% weekly decline, breaking a four-week winning streak. Looking under the hood of the S&P 500, all sectors closed lower for the week, despite Friday's rally. Energy was the worst-performing sector followed by real estate and materials. > Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are Investors got several important updates this week that influenced markets — the most consequential being the Fed's 25-basis-point interest rate cut at the conclusion of its December two-day meeting on Wednesday afternoon. While the move was largely expected, the market took issue with the monetary policy committee's more hawkish outlook on rate cuts in 2025. The so-called dot plot, which illustrates central bankers' future rate expectations, pointed to a committee consensus that it will be appropriate to reduce rates only twice next year, half the number of moves indicated back in September. There is no denying that rate expectations are important, but we would caution Club members from allowing updates like this to weigh on investment decisions too heavily. While we now know who will sit in the White House come Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, and have since received more updates on inflation and the job market, nobody truly knows what 2025 will bring. There will be countless updates on inflation, rates, geopolitics, and more over the coming months, some of which we can see coming and some that will completely surprise us. The Fed, as it has been and as it should, will adjust its outlook accordingly. While we certainly don't want to fight the Fed, we also don't want to let every word out the mouth of a Fed official have us running to our brokerage account and making sweeping changes to our exposure. Rather, as long-term investors, we have the luxury of knowing that when the market might overreact to updates from the Fed or any other event, it can provide us with opportunities to buy shares in great companies with staying power. This is exactly what we did last week as the market got more and more oversold, according to our trusted S&P 500 Short Range Oscillator . In other words, keep focused on the fundamentals and use the volatility to your advantage. The other big update came Friday, with the cooler-than-expected personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge. Headline November PCE showed a 2.4% increase versus the 2.5% gain expected. Core PCE, excluding volatile food and energy prices, rose 2.8% year over year versus the 2.9% increase expected. While still above the Fed's 2% target inflation rate, the PCE data was just what the oversold market needed, and it was off to the races, turning sharp premarket losses into a powerful Friday rally. Helping the market take another leg higher, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee told CNBC in a Friday interview that "rates come down a fair bit more" if the economic conditions over the last 18 months continue over the next 12 to 18 months. Goolsbee's comments soothed a nervous market following Wednesday's hawkish remarks from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell in his post-meeting news conference. Not to mention, if rates do remain higher for longer, that's not exactly a bad thing as it almost certainly means that the economy is still growing, and we would much rather be in a market contending with high rates because the economy is strong than a market benefiting from low rates because the economy is struggling to avoid a recession. Looking ahead, it will be a light week with the stock market closing at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday and closing all day on Wednesday for Christmas Day. That said, November new home sales are out Tuesday. Housing reports have been and will continue to be a key watch item for investors given that shelter cost inflation has proven extremely sticky and a key source of upward pressure on inflation, which is in turn keeping rates elevated. However, investors should take any positive update from Tuesday's report with a grain of salt. Mortgage rates rebounded following the Fed's rate announcement on Wednesday, and investors are going to be far more focused on figuring out what that means for home sales and affordability going forward than what's in this backward-looking release. Week ahead Monday, Dec. 23 Tuesday, Dec. 24 Wednesday, Dec. 25 Thursday, Dec. 26 Friday, Dec. 27 (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable TrusT.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.

FILE PHOTO Shaila Rana , Purdue University and Nelly Mulleneaux , Purdue University Imagine this: Two days before your family holiday party , you get a text about an online order you placed a week ago, saying the package is at your door. It comes with a photo – of someone else’s door. When you click the attached link, it takes you to the online store, where you enter your username and password. Somehow that doesn’t work, even though you answered your security questions. Frustrated, you call customer service. They tell you not to worry since your package is still on the way. You receive your package a day later and forget all about the earlier hassle. In the end, it was just a mistake. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You are unaware of the terrifying thing happening in the background. You’ve fallen for a classic package-delivery scam , and a form of “ smishing ,” or SMS phishing. And you’re not alone. One in three Americans have fallen victim to cybercrime, according to a 2023 poll. That’s up from 1 in 4 in 2018. As cybersecurity researchers , we want to spread the word to help people protect themselves. Old-fashioned threats haven’t disappeared – identity thieves still steal wallets, dumpster dive for personal information and skim cards at ATMs – but the internet has made scamming easier than ever. Digital threats include phishing attacks that use fake emails and websites, data breaches at major companies , malware that steals your information , and unsecured Wi-Fi networks in public places. A whole new world of scams Generative AI – which refers to artificial intelligence that generates text, images and other things – has improved dramatically over the past few years. That’s been great for scammers trying to make a buck during the holiday season. Consider online shopping. In some cases, scammers craft deepfake videos of fake testimonials from satisfied “customers” to trick unsuspecting shoppers. Scam victims can encounter these videos on cloned versions of legitimate sites, social media platforms, messaging apps and forums. Scammers also generate AI-cloned voices of social media influencers appearing to endorse counterfeit products and create convincing but fraudulent shopping websites populated with AI-generated product photos and reviews. Some scammers use AI to impersonate legitimate brands through personalized phishing emails and fake customer service interactions. Since AI-generated content can appear remarkably authentic, it’s become harder for consumers to distinguish legitimate online stores from sophisticated scam operations. But it doesn’t stop there. “ Family emergency scams ” exploit people’s emotional vulnerability through deepfake technology. Scammers use AI to clone the voices of family members, especially children, and then make panic-inducing calls to relatives where they claim to be in serious trouble and need immediate financial help. Some scammers combine voice deepfakes with AI-generated video clips showing the “loved one” in apparent distress. These manufactured emergency scenarios often involve hospital bills, bail money or ransom demands that must be paid immediately. The scammer may also use AI to impersonate authority figures like doctors, police officers and lawyers to add credibility to the scheme. Since the voice sounds authentic and the emotional manipulation is intense, even cautious people can be caught off guard and make rushed decisions. How to protect yourself Protecting yourself against scams requires a multilayered defense strategy. When shopping, verify retailers through official websites by checking the URL carefully – it should start with the letters “HTTPS” – and closely examining the site design and its content. Since fake websites often provide fake contact information, checking the “Contact Us” section can be a good idea. Before making purchases from unfamiliar sites, cross-reference the business on legitimate review platforms and verify their physical address. It’s essential to keep all software updated, including your operating system, browser, apps and antivirus software. Updates often include security patches that fix vulnerabilities hackers could exploit. For more information on the importance of software updates and how to manage them, check out resources like StaySafeOnline or your device manufacturer’s official website. Regular updates are a crucial step in maintaining a secure online shopping experience. Make sure you only provide necessary information for purchases – remember, no one needs your Social Security number to sell you a sweater. And keeping an eye on your bank statements will help you catch any unauthorized activity early. It may seem like another chore, and it probably is, but this is the reality of our digital world. To protect against family emergency scams, establish family verification codes, or a safe word, or security questions that only real family members would know. If you do get a distressed call from loved ones, remain calm and take time to verify the situation by contacting family members directly through known and trusted phone numbers. Educate your relatives about these scams and encourage them to never send money without first confirming the emergency with other family members or authorities through verified channels. If you discover that your identity has been stolen, time is critical. Your first steps should be to immediately contact your banks and credit card companies, place a fraud alert with the credit bureaus, and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission and your local police. In the following days, you’ll need to change all passwords, review your credit reports, consider a credit freeze , and document everything. While this process can be overwhelming – and extremely cumbersome – taking quick action can significantly limit the damage. Staying informed about AI scam tactics through reputable cybersecurity resources is essential. Reporting suspected scams to relevant authorities not only protects you, but it also helps safeguard others. A key takeaway is that staying vigilant is critical to defending against these threats. Awareness helps communities push back against digital threats. More importantly, it’s key to understand how today’s scams aren’t like yesteryear’s. Recognizing the signs of scams can provide stronger defense during this holiday season. And as you develop your threat identification techniques, don’t forget to share with your family and friends. Who knows? You could save someone from becoming a victim. Shaila Rana , Professor of Information Technology, Purdue Global, Purdue University and Nelly Mulleneaux , Faculty, School of Business and Information Technology, Purdue Global, Purdue University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article . Want stories like this delivered straight to your inbox?Stay informed. Stay ahead. Subscribe to InqMORNING

 

50jili fun

2025-01-15
PRINCETON, New Jersey, Dec 16 (Reuters) - For weeks, residents of New Jersey and other U.S. states have reported seeing thousands of unidentified lighted drones flying overhead, a phenomenon that has sparked conspiracy theories and prompted lawmakers to demand the Biden administration explain what was behind the mysterious sightings. U.S. officials have said that most of the sightings involve manned aircraft and that there is no evidence of any threat to public safety or national security. But those responses have done little to reassure anxious Americans or placate state and local officials. Here is what we know so far. Since November, hundreds of people have shared videos and photos online of bright objects in the night sky. While the majority of incidents have come in New Jersey, people in other states, including Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts and New York, have reported seeing what appear to be drones as well. An official told reporters on Saturday that there had been more than 5,000 reported sightings, but that fewer than 100 merited further investigation. Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan posted a video of purported drones above his home in Davidsonville, Maryland, though some social media users responded that at least some of the lights in his video appeared to be stars in the constellation Orion. The sightings have created a social media frenzy. A Facebook group entitled "New Jersey Mystery Drones - let's solve it" had nearly 75,000 members as of Monday, with people posting theories ranging from extraterrestrials to foreign actors. Officials from the White House, FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have all asserted that the objects pose no threat. In a Saturday media briefing organized by the Biden administration, an FBI official told reporters that the agency was working with 50 local, state and federal partners to investigate, and that no evidence pointed to "large-scale" drone activities. Many of the objects have been sighted along regular flight paths, the official added. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in an ABC News interview on Sunday that there was "no question" New Jersey residents were seeing some drones , though he added that at least some of the sightings were of manned aircraft. He suggested the increased activity could reflect a 2023 change in a Federal Aviation Administration rule to allow nighttime flying of drones. Some state officials, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, have called on Congress to enact stricter rules for drones while giving states wider authority to combat drone activity. "This has gone too far," Hochul said in a statement on Saturday, a day after the runways at a local airport in New York were shut down for an hour due to drones. On Sunday, Hochul posted on X that the federal government was sending a drone detection system to New York. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wrote a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday asking for more federal resources to investigate the phenomenon. President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday that the U.S. military should tell the American public about the nature of the drone sightings. "The government knows what is happening," Trump told a press conference . "For some reason, they don't want to comment. And I think they'd be better off saying what it is our military knows and our president knows." It's not clear. Officials have said most of the sightings were of manned aircraft, but local, state and federal authorities are still investigating. Some lawmakers have suggested that foreign countries could be dispatching the drones. U.S. Representative Chris Smith told Fox News that a Coast Guard vessel off the New Jersey shore was trailed closely by more than a dozen drones and speculated that a foreign power could be behind the activity. He said he has asked the military to authorize the shooting down of a drone to learn more. Another congressman from New Jersey, Jeff Van Drew, said in a statement last week that drones had been spotted hovering near a nuclear plant and suggested an Iranian "mothership" might be responsible for the flying objects. A Defense Department spokesperson said there was no truth to that notion. Boston police arrested two men on Saturday after a drone was detected "dangerously close" to Logan International Airport, the city's police department said. Using drone monitoring technology, police were able to track the operators' position to a nearby island, where they confronted three individuals who fled on foot. Two of the three were taken into custody and charged with trespassing, with additional charges possible. Sign up here. Reporting by Joseph Ax in Princeton, New Jersey; Editing by Frank McGurty and Matthew Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabEcuador's President Daniel Noboa has ordered an intensified search for four adolescent boys who disappeared during a military operation, as public anger over the incident flared weeks ahead of elections. But, in a radio interview on Monday, Noboa also said that a "technical analysis" was needed before the incident could be called a forced disappearance, despite prosecutors saying it was being investigated as an illegitimate use of force. Demonstrations were planned on Monday to call attention to the case. Many Ecuadoreans suspect soldiers kidnapped the four boys, aged between 11 and 15, who went missing two weeks ago while they were out playing football. The father of two of the boys, Luis Arroyo, told the TV channel Ecuavisa he received a call from a man who put one of his sons on the line. The boy said that soldiers had abruptly arrived, firing in the air and forcibly taking them, and that they had been beaten. Noboa, on the social media platform X, said on Sunday: "I have ordered the intensification of all actions necessary to locate the four children and to find those responsible so they answer for their acts." Ecuador's joint chief of staff, Admiral Jaime Vela, "ruled out... any involvement" of military personnel in the boys' disappearance. Vela said the armed forces would not interfere in the investigation, "nor will they cover up any event." Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo has attributed the boys' disappearance to "criminal groups" and alleged the case was being used for "political interests." The disappearance has sparked widespread indignation in Ecuador, where kidnapping, extortion, and murders are now commonplace. Noboa, 37 and US-born and educated as the heir to a banana fortune, is looking to win a four-year mandate in the February 9 general elections. He is currently serving out the final months of the term of his predecessor, Guillermo Lasso, who called an early election to avoid impeachment. Noboa has boosted the use of security forces to battle powerful drug gangs in Ecuador and sworn to turn back the tide of violence engulfing the once-peaceful South American country. – TIMES/AFP Ads Space Ads SpaceThe Darnold-Jefferson connection is thriving for the surging VikingsHow a piece of tape could help treat snoring and sleep apnoea50jili net casino

A teen was shocked to receive his first Christmas gift from a youth homeless charity after struggling with a difficult home life. James came into contact with the Quarriers just before after being forced to rely on temporary accommodations and sleeping on friends couches because "home wasn’t a good place”. After moving into his own flat he faced spending the festive season alone. The 16-year-old, like many youngsters from a difficult background, had missed out on many of life’s most basic joys due to poverty and family instability. One of those joys the charity was able to give him, was his first Christmas gift. Julia Cringean, Project Manager for Quarriers Youth Housing Support Services said: “When we told him we had a present for him, he was visibly shocked "He said: ‘I’ve never had a gift at Christmas'. Knowing that he was finally included, that someone cared enough to make his Christmas special, meant the world to him.” “Homelessness is horrendous at any time. But for a young person, especially at Christmas, it can feel unbearable. “Many of the young people we support don’t have a stable family to rely on. At Christmas, that missing family support is felt even more deeply. We want to make Christmas as nice as it possibly can be for them. They need essentials - and they need to feel included in the festive season.” The Quarriers have now launched their Christmas Appeal to provide a special gift for every young person it supports who is experiencing homelessness. They are calling for Glaswegians to give the gift of Christmas this year and provide dignity and practical support to a young person going through difficult times. Quarriers Youth Homeless Services, five of which are based in Glasgow city centre, provides support to young people, including those leaving care or at risk of homelessness. The service aims to provide a person-centred, holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to enable young people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless to access appropriate advice/guidance; access and sustain temporary or permanent accommodation safely; improve their quality of life; and be socially included. Julia continued: “Poverty and homelessness rob young people of a fair start in life, impacting everything from their education to their mental health. Our Christmas Appeal is one way we can bring hope to these young lives, offering gifts that are symbols of care and belonging.” To learn more clickSuspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records show

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College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out( MENAFN - GetNews) A new digital platform launches its innovative model that promotes 20-Hour Work Week, offering insights to improve productivity and enhance work-life balance. Chennai, Tamil Nadu - December 16, 2024 - The 20 Hour Work Week, a pioneering initiative headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, has begun redefining productivity by highlighting emerging trends that shape work-life balance. With a strong focus on effective time management and productivity optimization, the platform is driving the conversation around creating harmony between professional and personal lives. The platform offers research-backed strategies, tools, and guidance for maximizing productivity while reducing traditional work hours. The 20 Hour Work Week introduces actionable strategies to help professionals maximize their output while embracing a reduced-hour work schedule. This shift addresses the growing need for better work-life balance, catering to modern demands for flexibility and efficiency. “The traditional 40-hour workweek no longer aligns with the needs of a dynamic workforce,” said Praveen Kumar, founder of the platform.“By optimizing time managemen , individuals can achieve more in less time while reclaiming balance in their lives.” Among the key strategies that the 20 Hour Work Week promoted include prioritizing high-impact tasks, minimizing distractions, and leveraging technology to streamline workflows. These methods empower professionals to excel in their careers without sacrificing personal well-being. The 20 Hour Work Week platform also underscores the importance of productivity optimizatio in achieving work-life balance. By adopting tools and practices designed to reduce wasted effort, people have a greater chance of enjoying a more fulfilling professional journey. Industry experts have noted a direct correlation between shorter work hours and increased employee satisfaction, further validating the organization's approach. Emerging trends in workforce management suggest that a transformative shift toward flexible and efficient work models prioritizes employee productivity and well-being. The 20 Hour Work Week delves deeply into these evolving trends, offering actionable strategies for organizations to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing landscape. By championing a results-driven approach over traditional metrics like hours logged, businesses can cultivate a dynamic culture that fosters workforce innovation and heightened job satisfaction, ultimately positioning themselves as industry leaders. The 20 Hour Work Week is not just about reshaping individual work schedules. It's also about driving organizational transformation. Studies reveal that such innovative models benefit employees and boost profitability by fostering a more engaged, motivated workforce that delivers exceptional results. The 20 Hour Work Week is paving the way for a future where productivity and well-being go hand in hand. The platform also offers tools, resources, and expert guidance to help businesses implement these transformative practices seamlessly. From webinars and eBooks to insightful case studies, these resources empower professionals and organizations to embrace the 20 Hour Work Week model with confidence and success. Our '50 Time-Saving Hacks for Entrepreneurs' ebook is more than just a collection of tips – it's a complete framework for transforming how entrepreneurs approach their work," said Praveen Kumar, Founder at 20-Hour Work Week. "Each hack is backed by real-world examples and implementation strategies that entrepreneurs can apply immediately. Discover how 20-Hour Work Week redefines productivity by exploring the model and visiting . About 20 Hour Work Week The 20 Hour Work Week is an innovative platform focused on reshaping modern work dynamics through strategies emphasizing time management and optimizing productivity. Based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the platform offers insights and resources to help individuals and businesses achieve sustainable work-life balance. By championing forward-thinking practices, the 20 Hour Work Week inspires professionals and organizations to embrace efficiency and well-being. MENAFN16122024003238003268ID1108999866 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

NEW YORK, Dec. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: New York, N.Y., December 8, 2024. Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of ordinary shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: ASML) between January 24, 2024 and October 15, 2024, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important January 13, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased ASML ordinary shares during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the ASML class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31159 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for more information. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 13, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the issuers being faced by suppliers, like ASML, in the semiconductor industry were much more severe than defendants had indicated to investors; (2) the pace of recovery of sales in the semiconductor industry was much slower than defendants had publicly acknowledged; (3) defendants had created the false impression that they possessed reliable information pertaining to customer demand and anticipated growth, while also downplaying risk from macroeconomic and industry fluctuations, as well as stronger regulations restricting the export of semiconductor technology, including the products that ASML sells; and (4) as a result, defendants’ statements about ASML’s business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the ASML class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31159 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com

The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.Bargain hunters are racing to snap up Aldi’s huge £12.99 Grinch teddy for Christmas – it is the perfect stocking fillerEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It was Sept. 10, 2023, the first game for Daniel Jones and the New York Giants since the quarterback signed a four-year, $160 million contract seven months earlier. Jones was pressured on 23 dropbacks and sacked seven times in a 40-0 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys . His top pass protector, left tackle Andrew Thomas , injured his hamstring and didn't return until the second half of that season. Things went poorly for Jones and the Giants after he signed that mega-deal, and the deterioration happened quickly. Jones was released on Friday, 439 days after the dismantling by the Cowboys. He'd won three of 16 starts, throwing 10 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions before being benched in favor of Tommy DeVito . Jones, 27, went to Giants ownership on Friday to ask for his release one day after spending part of Thursday's practice playing scout-team safety. The Giants and Jones decided it was best for the parties to split with seven games remaining in the season. Editor's Picks Could Daniel Jones still have success in the NFL? His case for another shot, plus five team fits 3h Ben Solak "Of course, this season has been disappointing for all and, of course, I wish I could have done more," Jones said Thursday during what was essentially his goodbye news conference. "I'm 100% accountable for my part. I did not play well enough, consistently enough, to help the team get the results." It barely got better after that loss to the Cowboys. Jones did play well in the second half the following week in Arizona, but by Week 4 of the 2023 season, Jones could be seen by a national audience getting sacked 10 times and throwing a pick-six in a blowout loss on "Monday Night Football" to the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium. He was never healthy again in 2023. Jones hurt his neck while getting pummeled late in a loss to the Miami Dolphins the following week. He returned four weeks later only to tear the ACL in his right knee in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders . Just like that, his season was over. So was any viable chance of at succeeding in New York. "Probably part of it was injuries," DeVito said. "Last year [Jones] got dinged up a bunch during the games, probably wasn't fully healthy at all times. But was still going out there and giving it his all. Some of the times probably wasn't able to get the best version of himself out there. Probably isn't fair to him but ... when you go out there to play, you go out there to play." Jones will ultimately be judged on the final results, which weren't good since a playoff win in 2022, the most successful season of his career. He finished that season sixth in the NFL with a QBR of 62.9, but ranks 26th among qualifying quarterbacks with a QBR of 53.0 since entering the league in 2019. The Giants flirted with drafting a quarterback this past offseason, a key topic highlighted on HBO's "Hard Knocks," which chronicled the team's preseason. The program showed coach Brian Daboll in a pre-draft meeting being asked if he would trade up for Jayden Daniels . "Daniels?" Daboll said. "I would." General manager Joe Schoen was also heard telling the New England Patriots to keep the Giants in mind if they were going to trade the No. 3 overall pick. Common sense says the Giants were never trading up for a non-quarterback, especially after sources confirmed their strong interest in Drake Maye . The North Carolina product was eventually selected No. 3 overall by the Patriots. Multiple sources close to the quarterback believe the public search for a quarterback affected Jones, placing extra pressure on him early this season. Not only was he coming back from a serious knee injury, but now Jones carried this burden to be successful immediately. Jones clearly wasn't the same quarterback this season as he was in 2022. His accuracy -- never among the biggest concerns with Jones in the past -- was a problem from the start of training camp. At times this summer, he was consistently underthrowing deep balls. In an effort to self-correct, Jones admitted overthrowing. This acknowledgement perhaps detailed the internal battle he was facing post-knee surgery and two neck injuries. Best of NFL Nation • Steelers, fans not rattled by anti-Terrible Towels • Chubb opens up about road to recovery • Is Mike Evans' 1,000-yard streak in jeopardy? • Cowboys having tough transition at DC • QB Anthony Richardson's legs key for Colts Even with the perception that he had improved receivers, including dazzling rookie Malik Nabers , Jones' confidence didn't appear high, and multiple players told ESPN his relationship with Daboll appeared different. One described it as "weird" at times. The tension seemed to boil to the surface in front of an international audience watching the Giants playing the Carolina Panthers in Germany two weeks ago. Daboll, who took over playcalling this season to try to fix a broken offense, called for a flea-flicker on a third-and-1. Two receivers were wide open but Jones failed to throw the football. Daboll was shown on TV yelling while running up the sideline. After about 20 yards he ran into one of the open wide receivers, Wan'Dale Robinson , and slapped his hand. They both seemed to know that a big play was there to be had. Several Giants players were watching the play together on their phones when the media entered the locker room at Allianz Stadium. It seemed evident at that point the Giants would soon turn the page on Jones, whose QBR this season is a career-worst of 46.5. They surprisingly went to DeVito, the third-stringer and emergency quarterback for every game this season, over second-stringer Drew Lock . Whatever the reasons for that decision, Jones had bottomed out during the team's five-game losing streak, signaling his end with the Giants. He was benched, eventually released. The contract will go down as one of the worst in Giants history. His tenure will ultimately be considered unsuccessful, with one winning season in six years. "Playing in New York didn't help," wide receiver and close friend Darius Slayton said. "The media pressure is so immense on the coach and the players. It's eventually going to deteriorate."Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records show

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Common Myths About Dental Implants Debunked by Highland Implant Center 12-24-2024 12:14 AM CET | Associations & Organizations Press release from: ABNewswire Despite being one of the most effective and long-lasting solutions for replacing missing teeth, dental implants are often surrounded by misconceptions that deter patients from considering them. Highland Implant Center, with locations in Raleigh and Zebulon, is debunking the most common myths about dental implants to help patients make informed decisions about their oral health. Myth 1: Dental Implants Are Too Expensive One of the most prevalent myths about dental implants is that they are prohibitively expensive. While the upfront cost of implants may be higher than other options like dentures or bridges, they offer significant long-term value. Dental implants are designed to last a lifetime with proper care, eliminating the need for frequent replacements or adjustments. This durability makes them a cost-effective investment in oral health and quality of life. Myth 2: The Procedure Is Painful Many patients hesitate to pursue dental implants due to fear of pain. However, advancements in dental technology and anesthesia techniques have made the implant process virtually painless. Most patients report minimal discomfort during the procedure, comparable to that of a routine dental extraction. Recovery is typically smooth, with mild soreness that can be managed with over-the-counter pain relief. Myth 3: Implants Are Difficult to Maintain Another common misconception is that dental implants require extensive maintenance. In reality, caring for dental implants is similar to maintaining natural teeth. Regular brushing, flossing, and routine dental check-ups are all that's needed to keep implants in excellent condition. Unlike dentures, implants do not require special adhesives or cleaning solutions, making them a convenient and low-maintenance option. Myth 4: Dental Implants Look Artificial Dental implants [ https://www.highlandimplantcenter.com/robotic-full-mouth-dental-implants/implant-expectations/ ] are designed to blend seamlessly with natural teeth, both in appearance and function. The prosthetic crowns attached to implants are custom-made to match the color, shape, and size of a patient's existing teeth, resulting in a natural and aesthetically pleasing smile. Myth 5: Not Everyone Is a Candidate for Dental Implants While certain factors such as bone density and overall health can influence candidacy for implants, advancements in dental technology have expanded the range of patients who can benefit from this treatment. Procedures like bone grafting can help patients with insufficient jawbone support achieve successful implant placement. Highland Implant Center: A Trusted Partner in Dental Implant Care Highland Implant Center is committed to providing accurate information and exceptional care to patients considering dental implants. With state-of-the-art technology and a patient-focused approach, the center offers customized solutions to meet the unique needs of each individual. Serving Raleigh, Zebulon, and the surrounding areas, Highland Implant Center specializes in dental implants, helping patients restore their smiles, confidence, and oral health. Schedule a Consultation Today If you've been hesitant about dental implants due to myths or misconceptions, now is the time to get the facts. Contact Highland Implant Center to schedule a consultation and explore how dental implants can transform your smile. For more information, visit highlandimplantcenter.com [ https://www.highlandimplantcenter.com/ ] or call (919) 618-7047. About Highland Implant Center Highland Implant Center is a premier provider of implant dentistry, serving patients in Raleigh, Zebulon, and the surrounding areas. With a commitment to advanced technology, compassionate care, and exceptional results, the center helps patients achieve healthy, beautiful smiles through expert dental implant solutions. Media Contact Company Name: Highland Implant Center Contact Person: Media Relations Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=common-myths-about-dental-implants-debunked-by-highland-implant-center ] Phone: (919) 618-7047 Address:3421 Olympia Dr Suite 201 City: Raleigh State: NC Country: United States Website: http://www.highlandimplantcenter.com/ This release was published on openPR.

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The Last Arecibo Message Celebrates the Observatory and One of its Greatest AccomplishmentsOpposition Leader Peter Dutton had confirmed he would only display the Australian flag as prime minister, as he has in opposition, opting not to replicate Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s trio of the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. Speaking to Peta Credlin on Sky News last night, Dutton said he was “very strongly of the belief” that we should be “united under one flag”. “We’re asking people to identify with different flags, no other country does that,” Dutton said. “We are dividing our country unnecessarily.” Dutton concluded that while we should have respect for the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander flags, they are “not our national flags”. Asked about Dutton’s confirmation on Nine’s this morning, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said he was “trying to get a headline”. “I think we can take a lot of pride in our history and the future of this country,” she said. “I think this is Peter Dutton just doing what he knows how to do best. Try and get a headline with no substance, no real policies about, for example, tackling cost of living or things that really matter to the Australian people.” Also speaking to Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie said Australians “want to be united as one”. “I’m excited to be part of a future Dutton government if we get that great privilege. And to restore the primacy of the Australian flag.” A police operation to clamp down on illegal electric motorbike use has been bestowed with what might be the quirkiest name of 2024. With , Operation Zappo Stoppie is tasked with reducing the illegal use of unregistered electric bikes in the Noosa area. A 58-year-old Sunshine Beach man was fined this week for allegedly allowing his teenage children to ride unregistered vehicles after a previous warning. Under Operation Zappo Stoppie, police have charged 24 people, completed 27 street checks, warned 31 children, issued eight infringements and impounded three bikes. “The rules around the use of a motorbike doesn’t change, regardless of if it’s powered by petrol or an electric battery,” Noosa Heads Senior Constables Danny Baker said in a statement. “We will continue with enforcement activities like Operation Zappo Stoppie.” Opposition Leader Peter Dutton had confirmed he would only display the Australian flag as prime minister, as he has in opposition, opting not to replicate Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s trio of the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. Speaking to Peta Credlin on Sky News last night, Dutton said he was “very strongly of the belief” that we should be “united under one flag”. “We’re asking people to identify with different flags, no other country does that,” Dutton said. “We are dividing our country unnecessarily.” Dutton concluded that while we should have respect for the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander flags, they are “not our national flags”. Asked about Dutton’s confirmation on Nine’s this morning, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said he was “trying to get a headline”. “I think we can take a lot of pride in our history and the future of this country,” she said. “I think this is Peter Dutton just doing what he knows how to do best. Try and get a headline with no substance, no real policies about, for example, tackling cost of living or things that really matter to the Australian people.” Also speaking to Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie said Australians “want to be united as one”. “I’m excited to be part of a future Dutton government if we get that great privilege. And to restore the primacy of the Australian flag.” A trio wanted over the attack on a synagogue remain on the run, as the Joint Counter Terror Team takes over the investigation into Friday’s arson at the Adass Israel Synagogue at Ripponlea in Melbourne’s south-east. Authorities declared the fire a likely terror attack on Monday and confirmed investigators were looking for three suspects, but would not give details on who the attackers might be. Monday’s terror declaration opens up a raft of extra powers for investigators including the ability to stop, search and seize people without a warrant as well as detain and question those they believe have knowledge of, or links to, the attack. The JCTT is made up of state and federal police and ASIO officers. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also declared a federal taskforce to investigate acts of antisemitism in recent months. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says her government is looking at introducing laws to protect people at places of worship from protesters, similar to the state’s laws for abortion clinics. The community has vowed to rebuild the synagogue, built by Holocaust survivors, after Torahs, books and papers were destroyed by fire and water, and walls inside the building collapsed. Along with the mugginess in Brisbane since the weekend, we’re expecting a high chance of showers today. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a 80 per cent of showers, most likely from late this morning. The mercury should reach 28 degrees today, a maximum it’s predicted to hit – give or take a few degrees – every day for the rest of the week. Here’s the seven-day outlook: Stories making the rounds beyond Brisbane this morning include: The man suspected of killing a UnitedHealth executive in a brazen shooting outside a Manhattan hotel last week . The suspect, identified as Luigi Mangione, 26, was spotted at a McDonald’s by someone who believed he resembled the gunman. The Coalition is after scrapping a separate pledge to cut the number of net arrivals to 160,000 a year, as an exclusive survey shows strong majority support for a lower intake. A Nevada commissioner has ruled against Rupert Murdoch’s bid to change his family trust to consolidate control of his media empire in the hands of his son Lachlan. under a travel advisory issued by a US-based Jewish human rights organisation following the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue by suspected terrorists. say the conditions on the ground in the war-torn country are deteriorating and they fear the chaos that might follow the overthrow of the central government. Good morning, thanks for joining us for live news blog. It’s Tuesday, December 10, and we’re expecting showers today and a top temperature of 28 degrees. In this morning’s local headlines: As the Kangaroo Point Bridge opens this weekend and ferry services from Mowbray Park return, those hoping for , documents obtained by this masthead reveal. An Instagram influencer has admitted in Brisbane Magistrates Court to using her job at a government health agency to . MPs elevated to chair Queensland parliamentary committees may get less attention than ministers or opposition frontbenchers, but they . So far, this summer has been much stickier than usual. Escaping the heat and humidity has not been easy, with many relying on running their air-conditioners day and night. And Australian swimming legend after suffering serious injuries in a fall at her home on the Sunshine Coast.Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 8350jili online

Key posts 3.51am Labor eyes last chance of 2024 to tick policy boxes 3.40am Here’s what to know about the new COP29 funding deal 3.29am What’s making headlines Hide key posts Posts area Latest 1 of 1 Latest posts Latest posts 3.51am Labor eyes last chance of 2024 to tick policy boxes By David Crowe Labor will harden its demands on the Greens to pass more than a dozen bills through parliament in the next four days in the belief that voters will blame the smaller party at the next election for blocking the government’s agenda. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seeking to have the draft laws passed without a single deal with the Greens after months of argument over housing, the environment, university fees, school funding and other reforms. Loading The approach reflects a crucial calculation that the Greens have lost ground in recent state and local government elections and are at risk of losing federal seats because voters think the party has moved too far to the left on economic policy and the Middle East. But in two significant retreats, Labor shelved a bill on Sunday that sought to crackdown on misinformation and did not put forward a long-awaited ban on gambling advertising after earlier saying it would unveil the package before the end of the year. Read more about the bills before the parliament in the final sitting week of the year here. 3.40am Here’s what to know about the new COP29 funding deal In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. It’s a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still deeply unsatisfied but some hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. An attendee reacts during a closing plenary session at the COP29 UN Climate Summit. Credit: AP Here’s how they got there: What was the finance deal agreed at climate talks? Rich countries have agreed to pool together at least $300 billion a year by 2035. It’s not near the full amount of $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, and that experts said was needed. But delegations more optimistic about the agreement said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future. What will the money be spent on? The deal decided in Baku replaces a previous agreement from 15 years ago that charged rich nations $100 billion a year to help the developing world with climate finance. The new number has similar aims: it will go toward the developing world’s long laundry list of to-dos to prepare for a warming world and keep it from getting hotter. That includes paying for the transition to clean energy and away from fossil fuels. Countries need funds to build up the infrastructure needed to deploy technologies like wind and solar power on a large scale. Loading Why was it so hard to get a deal? Election results around the world that herald a change in climate leadership, a few key players with motive to stall the talks and a disorganized host country all led to a final crunch that left few happy with a flawed compromise. Developing nations also faced some difficulties agreeing in the final hours. Meanwhile, activists ramped up the pressure: many urged negotiators to stay strong and asserted that no deal would be better than a bad deal. But ultimately the desire for a deal won out. AP 3.29am What’s making headlines By Josefine Ganko Good morning and welcome to the national news blog from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. My name is Josefine Ganko, I’ll be with you on the blog for the first half of the day. It’s Monday, November 25. Here’s what’s making headlines this morning. Pressure is on the Albanese government to make headway on its long list of stalled legislation during the final sitting week of 2024. Peter Dutton will use a private Coalition meeting to calm MPs who are fearful that Labor’s teen social media ban is a Trojan Horse for government control of the internet. A media storm threatens to thwart plans to transfer five of the Bali Nine drug traffickers to Australia by the end of the year after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese asked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to approve the transfer during a meeting in Peru last week. Overseas, countries at the COP29 summit in Baku adopted a $460 billion a year global finance target on Sunday to help poorer nations cope with impacts of climate change. Latest 1 of 1 Latest Most Viewed in National LoadingCompany powers down planned expansion of B.C. battery plant



Woman believes she saw drone shot down over Suffolk air baseWhen Russia launched its unprovoked attack on Ukraine in February 2022, one of the first energy resiliency cracks to emerge was the vulnerability of the Ukrainian nuclear fleet. Now, even as the war approaches its fourth year, energy planners in Ukraine are turning to wind power and other renewable resources for energy security, resilience, and integration with the European green hydrogen economy. Building new energy facilities in wartime can be a Sisyphean task. However, wind power is a special case. In a typical wind farm, turbines are scattered over long distances. Knocking one out with a missile is just a temporary setback. Putting every turbine in a wind farm out of commission is not worth the expense, time, and risk. In the case of Russia, the missile strategy has focused on breaking down willpower by attacking hospitals, schools, and other civilian targets, not taking down a wind turbine or two. Substations and transmission lines are still vulnerable, but the repair and replacement timeline is shorter for those types of infrastructure than repairing the significant damage to a fossil energy power plant, let alone a nuclear facility. “Despite all the cheerleading for nuclear energy over at the COP28 climate talks, national security risks have taken center stage ever since Russia launched its unprovoked attack on Ukraine,” CleanTechnica observed last year. Nuclear advocates have raised the tempo since then. However, as of last year, Ukraine was already well on its way to making a mark in the wind power field, with plans for building the largest onshore wind farm in Eastern Europe. Almost as a sort of test case for wind power resiliency, early in the war, the Ukrainian energy firm DTEK Renewables began building a 19-turbine, 114-megawatt wind farm just 60 miles from the front line, in the Mykolaiv region near the Black Sea. The wind farm went into operation last May as the Tyligulska Wind Power Plant, billed as the only facility of its kind to be completed in an active conflict zone. DTEK also signaled its intention to expand the wind farm to 500 megawatts with a commitment to order 64 additional turbines from its partner, Vestas. “ This wind farm has become a symbol of resilience and faith in the Ukrainian energy sector, as it was built by Ukrainians during a full-scale war just 100 km away from the front,” DTEK observed in an update on the project earlier this year. DTEK also noted that the new wind power plant incorporates new technologies aimed at increasing the capacity of Ukraine’s transmission connections with Europe. “Ukraine needs distributed generation, including wind power, more than ever,” DTEK emphasized. They did not let the grass grow under their feet. In 2023, the company also began planning for the 650-megawatt DTEK Poltavska Wind Power Plant, to be located on lands of the Hlobyne territorial community in Poltava Oblast. The wind farm, including environmental studies , is moving forward, with construction slated for 2025. Vestas is just one of the non-domestic energy stakeholders supporting Ukraine’s transition to wind power and other renewables. Another example is the UK firm Elementum Energy , which is focusing on operations in western Ukraine. Last year, the company added 60 megawatts of wind power to the Ukrainian grid with the completion of Phase 2 of the Dnistrovska Wind Farm. This year, the company took the final steps towards acquiring a group of wind power projects totaling 200 megawatts, described in an email to CleanTechnica earlier this week. “This project demonstrates the critical role of business in recovery and sustainable development during uncertain times,” explains the Elementum’s Managing Director, Olga Rybachuk. In addition to its own investment, Elementum expects funding from international development banks and credit agencies as well as local banks. The entire group of projects is on the fast track for construction-readiness by the end of next year. In a poke at nuclear advocates, Elementum also emphasizes that “wind farms also offer a practical and resilient solution to energy needs during crises” due to their study-to-commissioning development cycle of just three years. Wind power is just one element in Ukraine’s plans for a green recovery . Energy planners are leveraging biomass and other renewable energy resources , too, with the aim of joining the European Union as a strong contributor to decarbonization and economic development rather than coming hat in hand as a supplicant seeking aid. Considering the EU’s focus on building a new green hydrogen economy , it’s not surprising to find Ukraine focusing on green hydrogen as well. Aside from the potential for exporting green hydrogen to Europe, Ukraine will also need a robust green hydrogen industry to decarbonize its steel industry in accordance with EU standards. In a recent analysis posted by the World Economic Forum, energy analysts point out that pre-war Ukraine was the 14th largest producer of steel in the world, but it was “also one of the dirtiest in the world.” “In 2020, the Ukrainian steel industry was responsible for 48 Mt CO2, 15% of the country’s entire carbon dioxide emissions,” write Oxford University Associate Professor Vlad Mykhnenko and Alli Devlin, Senior Decarbonisation Advisor for the organization ResponsibleSteel . Mykhnenko and Devlin note that Ukraine has already developed a near zero emission roadmap to decarbonize its steel industry with the assumption that it will join the EU. “This makes Ukraine’s steel decarbonisation non-negotiable,” they emphasize. With EU accession in mind, the two analysts also make the case for shifting the primary location of the Ukrainian steel industry from the eastern part of the country to the west, taking advantage of both land and sea transportation routes to the EU. As one of several ripple effects, the new green steel industry will also propel the demand for both green hydrogen and green ammonia fuel for steelmaking. In that context, Elementum Energy’s investment in wind power across the western region of Ukraine is particularly significant. Another investor of note is the German firm NOTUS Energy, which unveiled a plan last year to repurpose the site of the notorious Chernobyl nuclear disaster for wind power and other renewables in partnership with the Ukrainian transmission stakeholder Ukrenergo. NOTUS’s initial studies yielded the potential for a 1-gigawatt wind power opportunity. “A wind farm of this size would make a substantial contribution to the expansion of renewable energies in Ukraine and strengthen the independence and decentralization of the Ukrainian energy supply,” explained the Ukrainian branch of the firm, NOTUS energo Ukraina. Next steps include radiation and environmental analyses as well as an assessment of the transmission infrastructure. That could take a while, so stay tuned for more on that. Despite the lessons of Chernobyl, Ukrainian energy planners have not entirely ditched the idea of expanding nuclear capacity. At COP28 last year, Ukraine joined the US and 20 or so other nations in endorsing a declaration calling for a tripling of nuclear energy globally . Nevertheless, the US and other members of the international community have raised grave concerns about nuclear power plant security in the face of Russia’s continued attacks on civilian infrastructure. Against this backdrop, wind power advocates and other renewable energy stakeholders have a strong case to make for transitioning to a low carbon economy without the risk of another nuclear disaster. Follow me via LinkTree , or @tinamcasey on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Photo (cropped): Wind power continues to add megawatts of clean power to the Ukrainian electricity grid, even as Russia continues its drive to demolish the country’s energy infrastructure (Dnistrovska wind power plant courtesy of Elementum Energy, via email). CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email Reddit

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — It wasn’t how Duke drew up the final play, but it worked out perfect for the Blue Devils in Saturday’s 23-17 victory over Wake Forest. Maalik Murphy threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Moore as time expired, allowing Duke to end the regular season with three consecutive victories. Murphy said he realized he took too long to make a decision after the last snap. “I knew at that point I had to make a play,” he said. “The damage was already done, time was ticking.” With the score tied at 17, the Blue Devils (9-3, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) moved 76 yards in 1:22 after forcing a Wake Forest punt. It appeared that Duke might run out of time in the slow-developing play, but Moore improvised and broke free along the right side, caught the ball at the 10-yard line and spun into the end zone to complete a comeback from 14 points down in the second half. “The play that Maalik and Jordan put together was magical,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “Nobody thought a 5-yard route would turn into a (long) touchdown.” So instead of a long field-goal attempt, Duke had something better. “I just decided to take it down the field,” Moore said. “I think that’s a testament to our chemistry. ... Maalik had the confidence in himself to make that kind of play.” It resulted in Duke’s sixth victory by seven points or less. “It’s like a perfect exclamation point to our season,” Diaz said. “An unbelievable way to finish our season.” Murphy racked up with 235 yards on 26-for-34 passing. Moore, who was down with an injury after a reception earlier in the second half, made five catches for 98 yards. Hank Bachmeier threw for 207 yards and a touchdown as Wake Forest (4-8, 2-6) ended its second straight four-win season with a four-game losing streak. “A heartbreaking loss,” Demon Deacons coach Dave Clawson said. “It’s a tough way to lose a game and a tough way to end the season.” Tate Carey’s 8-yard run, Matthew Dennis’ 37-yard field goal and Horatio Fields’ 9-yard reception across 11 minutes of game time gave Wake Forest a 17-3 lead with nine minutes left in the third quarter. Duke took advantage of a short field following a punt, moving 42 yards in four plays to score on Star Thomas’ 3-yard run. The Blue Devils recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and converted on Murphy’s 2-yard run with 12:57 left to pull even. “What has been proven is that we’re mentally tough,” Diaz said. “We’re not going to do everything perfect.” Taylor Morin became Wake Forest’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 2,974. He picked up 47 yards on eight catches on Saturday. Morin, in his fifth season, passed former NFL player Ricky Proehl, who had 2,929 yards in the late 1980s. Duke: The Blue Devils have secured at least a nine-win season for the second time in three seasons, this one coming in Diaz’s first season. They racked up a 4-0 record against in-state opponents, including comebacks to top North Carolina and Wake Forest. “Every quest that we have for championships starts in our own state,” Diaz said. Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons punted on their final three possessions of the season. They finished with a 1-6 record in home games. “It’s been a tough year, a long year, and I’m proud of our team and how hard they fought,” Clawson said. Duke: Awaits a bowl invitation Wake Forest: Enters the offseason with a losing record for the third time in five seasons. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Hyderabad’s rapid urbanisation and shifting climate patterns make precise weather forecast indispensable for effective disaster management, said HYDRAA commissioner A.V. Ranganath here on Friday. He was speaking at a workshop, commemorating 150 years of India Meteorological Department (IMD), to discuss the critical role of weather and climate services in addressing urban challenges such as floods, traffic disruptions, and economic losses caused by extreme weather. On Hyderabad’s vulnerabilities, he said “Hyderabad was once known for its interconnected lakes, which served as a natural flood mitigation system. Today, this connectivity has eroded, due to which there is severe waterlogging during heavy rains.” He said the HYDRAA partnership with IMD was transformative. “Their precise forecasts allow us to act swiftly, minimising loss of life and property,” he said. Dr M. Mohapatra, director general of IMD, highlighted the organisation’s evolution since its inception in 1875. “IMD is not just a weather agency; it’s a life-saving institution. Telangana can greatly benefit from adopting these technologies, such as automated data collection and location-based forecasting,” he said. Scientist Dr K. Naga Ratna, head of the meteorological centre at Hyderabad, underscored the importance of IMD’s services in Telangana’s context. “With urbanisation growing at an unprecedented pace, accurate weather data is crucial for guiding urban planning, agriculture, and public health. Our goal is to ensure weather alerts are taken seriously by both the public and decision-makers,” she said. The workshop featured two technical sessions where experts and stakeholders discussed weather-related challenges and solutions. Dr S. Balachandran, DDGM, RMC Chennai, provided an overview of IMD’s national and regional forecasting services, highlighting their relevance to urban and rural areas alike. Dr Naga Ratna presented a detailed account of IMD Hyderabad’s contributions, emphasising its role in hyper-local weather forecasting for Telangana. Other presentations from stakeholders included those from Telangana State Disaster Management Authority, agriculture departments, research institutions, Central Water Commission, Unicef, NRSC and TSDPS. The discussions also addressed the economic impact of extreme weather, such as prolonged traffic jams during heavy rains. “IMD’s work is central to building resilient communities and mitigating the impacts of climate change,” said Dr. Mohapatra. The workshop highlighted the need for greater public awareness and technological upgrades, ensuring that weather and climate services continue to play a transformative role in Telangana’s development.

The St. Paul Fire Department said it quickly extinguished an attic fire that spread to the roof Friday night at the building housing Patrick McGovern’s Pub, a popular bar and eatery near Xcel Energy Center downtown. Firefighters responded after a call came in just before midnight Friday. Fire officials said Saturday that power lines were downed in front of the building at 225 7th St. W., and that the initial investigation pointed toward electrical contact from the downed lines as the cause. The official cause is still under investigation. Officials said they weren’t sure what brought down the power lines, but the restaurant in a social media post early Saturday said “a careless driver hit a transformer and fled the scene last night.” “McGoverns turret started on fire,” the restaurant said in the posting . “Thankfully no one at McGoverns was injured. Will keep everyone posted when we know more.” Fire officials said all occupants of the three-story building escaped safely.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — It wasn’t how Duke drew up the final play, but it worked out perfect for the Blue Devils in Saturday’s 23-17 victory over Wake Forest. Maalik Murphy threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Moore as time expired, allowing Duke to end the regular season with three consecutive victories. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a weekNone

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Iran’s council on safeguarding the Internet has voted to lift bans on the WhatsApp messenger and the Google Play apps, state media reported. The Supreme Cyberspace Council voted unanimously in favor of lifting restrictions on some foreign-owned applications, including WhatsApp and Google Play, during a meeting on December 24, state news agency IRNA said. "Today, we took the first step toward lifting Internet restrictions with unanimity and consensus," Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi said on X. It was not immediately clear when the decision would come into force. The Supreme Cyberspace Council holds its meetings behind closed doors and its members' votes are not made public. IRNA reported that the members of the council voted to lift restrictions while at the same time " emphasizing the importance of rule-of-law governance in cyberspace." The two apps were restricted in 2022 following the Woman, Life, Freedom protests that were severely suppressed. The Supreme Cyberspace Council, which was established by order of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has also emphasized "supporting domestic platforms." On the eve of the council’s meeting, Mehr News Agency published a document indicating that, based on a Supreme Cyberspace Council plan, an "advertising support package" is to be allocated to domestic messaging services. The document states that the “first phase” of the council’s plan will include “building infrastructure” for domestic content platforms. While the bans on WhatsApp and Google Play were lifted by the council, other popular social media platforms including Facebook, X, Telegram, and YouTube remain blocked in Iran. Critics of the restrictions have argued that the controls have been costly for the country. "The restrictions have achieved nothing but anger and added costs to people's lives," social and political activist Ali Rabiei said on X on December 24. Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif added that President Masud Pezeshkian believes in removing restrictions and does not consider the bans to be in the interest of the people and the country. “All experts also believe that this issue is not beneficial to the country's security," Zarif said on December 24. Others, however, warned against lifting the restrictions. The reformist Shargh daily reported on December 24 that 136 lawmakers in Iran's 290-member parliament sent a letter to the council saying the move would be a "gift” to Iran's enemies. The lawmakers called for allowing access to restricted online platforms only "if they are committed to the values of Islamic society and comply with the laws of" Iran. The fall of Bashar al-Assad's government at the hands of rebels, including Ankara-backed factions, has effectively made Turkey the dominant foreign actor in Syria at the expense of Iran and its ally Russia . Turkey and Iran have competed for years for influence in the South Caucasus, and this rivalry appears to have now extended to the Levant. "The Islamic republic has had significant misgivings about Turkish influence in Syria, be it economic, political, or military, long before the fall of Assad. But with the loss of Iran's sole state ally in the region, these concerns are set to be magnified exponentially," said Behnam Taleblu, an Iran analyst at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Still, experts say Turkey's rising profile in Syria to the detriment of Iran does not necessarily mean Ankara-Tehran relations will be significantly impacted. What Is Turkey After? Since the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Iran and Russia backed Assad while Turkey supported rebel groups opposed to his rule. Iran needed Assad to remain in power so that it could use Syria as a staging ground to fund and arm its proxies and partners, especially the Lebanese group Hezbollah. For Russia, Assad's rule meant Moscow could maintain its Hmeimim air base and naval base in Tartus, which gave it easier access to the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea. Ankara wanted a government in Syria more aligned with its regional vision and policies, especially those that would restrain Kurdish groups in northeastern Syria. A coalition of Kurdish parties, including the Democratic Union Party (PYD), heads the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. PYD's armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG), leads the U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). "Turkey has had three core concerns in Syria: fighting the YPG/PYD, enabling the return of Syrian refugees to Syria, and preventing further refugee flows into Turkey," said Daria Isachenko, a Turkey expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Assad's downfall on December 8 has stemmed the influx of refugees into Turkey, but the "first two concerns remain," Isachenko added. Syria is now effectively ruled by the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies -- some of whom are linked with Turkey , Iran's rival. Isachenko says Turkey's growing influence in Syria could further strengthen its position in the Mediterranean Sea if Ankara signs a Libya-style maritime deal with the new authorities in Damascus. The Road Ahead Turkey's growth in stature and Iran's weakened position in Syria could have ramifications for developments in the South Caucasus, where Iran, Russia, and Turkey vie for influence. Experts say while the Astana talks -- a format sponsored by the three countries to end the conflict in Syria -- may be dead, it still served as a platform for managing different interests. "Coordination and consultation on conflict management between Turkey and Iran as well as Russia on the Middle East and the South Caucasus should not be ruled out," Isachenko said. She adds that even in Syria, Turkey and Iran may find some of their interests aligned, such as finding a common adversary in Israel, which has moved into Syrian territory since the fall of Assad. Still, some argue that Tehran will seek to undermine Turkey in Syria in the hopes of returning the country into its so-called axis of resistance -- Iran's loose network of regional allies and proxies. "The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps will look for ways to claw back influence in Syria," said Taleblu of FDD. "Downtrodden, disposed, and spurned local actors are easy to co-opt, particularly in states where central authority is weak." The Kurdish Question U.S. support for the Kurdish-led SDF has weakened in recent years due to a combination of factors, including the withdrawal of a majority of U.S. troops in 2018 and 2019 and pressure from Washington's NATO ally, Turkey. Ankara, which launched an incursion into northern Syria in 2019 against Kurdish forces, is now in a strong position to further challenge the Kurds, experts say. Since Assad's fall, Ankara-backed rebel groups have clashed with Kurdish forces and seized the previously Kurdish-controlled cities of Manbij and Tarafat near the border with Turkey. Wladimir van Wilgenburg, an Iraqi Kurdistan-based analyst who has co-authored books on Syrian Kurds, says the presence of the 900 remaining U.S. troops might offer some protection to the Kurds but the situation remains precarious. "The new administration in Damascus likely will prefer relations with Turkey over the SDF," he said. "The situation is difficult for the Kurds unless they reach an agreement with HTS." HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa , previously known by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, wants to unify all armed groups in Syria under one banner. But if the SDF were to join, it would effectively end Kurdish autonomy in Syria, Wilgenburg says. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called on Syrians to resist the emerging rebel-led government after the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad, saying the uprising was orchestrated by the West. Speaking in an address on December 22, Khamenei said Syrians, especially the country's youth, "should stand with strong will against those who designed and those who implemented the insecurity." Assad left the country in the late hours of December 8 after the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies -- some of whom are linked with Turkey -- overran government forces in a blitz offensive. While Assad was granted political asylum in Russia by President Vladimir Putin after more than five decades of iron-fisted rule by his family, the HTS has since moved quickly to establish an interim government, and its leader, Riad al-Asaad, has said he is confident the factions that helped topple Assad will unite as one force. HTS and the transitional government have insisted the rights of all Syrians will be protected, but Khamenei said he believes a group aligned with the Islamic republic's government would end up prevailing in Syria. However, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on December 22. Details of the meeting were not immediately released, but Turkey has long been seen as a backer of HTS as it looked to remove Assad. The toppling of Assad was seen by many as another blow to Tehran, which has seen regional groups aligned with it -- parts of the so-called axis of resistance -- suffer major setbacks in the past 14 months. Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, has been decimated by Israel, which launched a war against the group in the Gaza Strip and Hamas fighters in October 2023 crossed into Israel and killed 1,200 people while taking another 250 hostage. That conflict spread to Lebanon, home of the Tehran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. Israel has severely weakened Hezbollah -- killing its longtime leader and many of its top officials -- after the group launched attacks on Israel that it said was in support of Hamas. A U.S.-brokered deal to end hostilities in Lebanon took effect last month. Khamenei downplayed the links to Iran, saying they have fought against Israel on their own beliefs. "They keep saying that the Islamic republic lost its proxy forces in the region. This is another mistake. The Islamic republic does not have a proxy forces," he said. “If one day we plan to take action, we do not need proxy force,” he added. Despite sitting atop the world's second-largest natural gas reserves, energy shortages have become a feature of winters in Iran. Iran grapples with air pollution all year, but air quality significantly worsens during winter when power plants are forced to burn low-quality heavy fuel oil -- mazut -- to compensate for the lack of gas. A rare cold snap in recent weeks has exposed the extent of Iran's struggles to meet the rising demand for gas, with school classes forced to go online and government offices ordered shut to conserve energy. Highlighting the severity of the crisis, President Masud Pezeshkian last week appealed to the public to turn their thermostats down by 2 degrees Celsius to help address the energy deficit. Other government officials have followed suit with similar pleas, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi telling his staff to wear warmer clothes at work. Temperatures have plunged as low as -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of Iran in recent days. "The situation is bad due to very cold weather, especially in Tehran and the northern provinces, but it's exacerbated by the structural trend toward runaway consumption over the last two to three years without an accompanying increase in production," said Gregory Brew, an Iran and energy analyst at the U.S.-based Eurasia Group. Old Infrastructure, Poor Management Energy subsidies in Iran mean energy bills are generally low, which has promoted overconsumption. But making matters worse is a devastating combination of mismanagement and outdated infrastructure that has significantly contributed to Iran's inability to meet the rising demand for gas. Gas flaring -- the burning of gas that comes out of the ground when drilling for oil -- is a major problem. Iran does not have the technology to collect it, so it is wastefully burned. World Bank data shows that Iran ranked second globally in 2023 in terms of the volume of gas flaring, burning around 21 billion cubic meters. That is more than double that of the United States, which ranked fourth, and enough to supply 40 percent of the gas demand in neighboring Turkey, which has a population similar to Iran's. Iran's major gas reserves are in the south, southwest, and offshore, so an expansive and powerful grid is needed to transport gas to the north. To do that, Iran needs to invest heavily both in expanding its aging infrastructure and increasing production, said Brew. "But that's difficult to do without investment constrained by both a weak economy and international sanctions," he added. The United States has imposed sweeping sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear and missile programs. The sanctions have crippled the Iranian economy and dented Tehran's ability to sell oil and gas, its key exports. They have also prevented Iran from accessing foreign investment and technology. The South Pars Field in the Persian Gulf is the world's largest natural gas field, and Iran shares it with Qatar, where it is referred to as the North Dome. While Qatar has signed lucrative deals with international energy companies to develop its section of the gas field, Iran has had to rely on lackluster domestic capabilities to exploit it. Iran's seemingly never-ending struggle with gas shortages in winter has led many to question the rationale behind exporting gas to neighboring Iraq and Turkey. "Given how constrained it is by sanctions, Iran has to find and exploit any means of increasing exports, which increases pressure on supply at home," Brew said. The stand-off with the West over Iran's nuclear program means the odds of sanctions being lifted are slim, and with Donald Trump returning to the White House in January, the pressure will increase even further, experts said. The U.S. State Department condemned the 10-year sentence handed down by Iranian authorities against Reza Valizadeh , a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and former journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Farda. "We strongly condemn this sentencing and call for his immediate release and the release of all political prisoners in Iran," a spokesperson told Radio Farda on December 17. "The Iranian government has repeatedly suppressed press freedom through threats, intimidation, detentions, forced confessions, and the use of violence against journalists in Iran," the spokesperson added. According to court documents sent to the journalist's lawyer on December 10 and subsequently reviewed by RFE/RL, Valizadeh was sentenced by Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of "collaborating with a hostile government." In addition to the prison term, Valizadeh was banned for two years from living in Tehran and adjacent provinces, from leaving the country, and from joining political or social organizations following the completion of his sentence. Valizadeh resigned from Radio Farda in November 2022 after a decade of work. He returned to Iran in early 2024 to visit his family but was arrested on September 22. His two court sessions, held on November 20 and December 7, reportedly lacked a prosecution representative, with the judge assuming that role. Sources close to the journalist claim he fell into a "security trap" despite receiving unofficial assurances from Iranian security officials that he would not face legal troubles upon returning to Iran. The State Department earlier condemned Valizadeh's detention, calling it "unjust" and inconsistent with international legal standards. Press freedom organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, urged Iranian authorities to release Valizadeh immediately. RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus also called for Valizadeh to be released, saying the charges against him, his conviction, and sentence were unjust. "Time and again, the Iranian regime has attempted to spread its malign influence around the world, trampling on human rights at every opportunity," Capus said in a statement. "Clearly, this regime feels threatened by the forces of freedom, including independent journalism." Iran is routinely accused of arresting dual nationals and Western citizens on false charges to use them to pressure Western countries. In September 2023, Iran released five Americans jailed in Iran in a prisoner swap. Valizadeh is the first U.S. citizen known to have been arrested since that deal. Iran is also among the most repressive countries in terms of freedom of the press. Reporters Without Borders ranked Iran 176th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index. The Paris-based media watchdog says Iran is now also one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists. Iran closed government offices and shifted school classes online on December 16 due to freezing temperatures and a severe gas shortage. Northern provinces have experienced temperatures plunging to -20°C (-4°F) in recent days, accompanied by widespread gas supply disruptions. President Masud Pezeshkian called on citizens last week to lower their thermostats by 2 degrees Celsius to conserve energy. Other government officials have made similar pleas online. Despite sitting on the world’s second-largest proven gas reserves, Iran’s aging infrastructure has struggled to meet increasing demand during winter. To read the full story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here . Iranian police released singer Parastoo Ahmadi in the early hours of December 15 following a brief detention after she performed without the mandatory head scarf, her lawyer has confirmed. Ahmadi caused a stir on social media earlier this week after recording a performance with her hair uncovered and wearing a dress. The performance, recorded with a crew of male musicians, was uploaded to YouTube. The police on December 14 claimed she was released after a "briefing session" but a source close to the family told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that she remained in custody. Her lawyer Milad Panahipur also denied the police claim, writing on X that the authorities were "lying" about her release. The following day, Panahipur confirmed Ahmadi, who had been detained in her home province of Mazandaran, was released at 3 in the morning. Two of her bandmates, Soheil Faqih-Nasri and Ehsan Beyraqdar, were also detained briefly. Ahmadi’s Instagram account is no longer accessible, but her YouTube account remains active. The video of her performance, dubbed "an imaginary concert" because female performers cannot sing solo in front of an audience, has received around 1.6 million views on YouTube since it was uploaded on December 11. On December 12, the authorities said legal proceedings had been launched against Ahmadi and her bandmates for the "illegal concert." Ahmadi, who gained prominence during the 2022 nationwide protests after singing a song in support of demonstrators, has been widely praised for her performance. On social media, many have hailed her for fighting "gender apartheid" and showing "bravery, resilience, and love." A rising number of women have been flouting the mandatory hijab in public since the 2022 protests, which gave rise to the Women, Life, Freedom movement. The authorities have tried to crack down and recently passed a law enhancing the enforcement of the hijab by introducing hefty fines, restricting access to basic services, and lengthy prison sentences. The new hijab and chastity law, which has been widely criticized by even conservative figures, is scheduled to go into effect this month, but at least two lawmakers have said its implementation has been postponed by the Supreme National Security Council. An Iranian court has sentenced Reza Valizadeh , a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and former journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Farda, to 10 years in prison on charges of "collaborating with a hostile government." According to court documents sent to the journalist’s lawyer on December 10 and subsequently reviewed by RFE/RL, Valizadeh was sentenced by Judge Iman Afshari of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, Branch 26. In addition to the prison term, Valizadeh was banned for two years following the completion of his sentence from living in Tehran and adjacent provinces, from leaving the country, and from joining political or social organizations. Valizadeh resigned from Radio Farda in November 2022 after a decade of work. He returned to Iran in early 2024 to visit his family but was arrested on September 22 . His two court sessions, held on November 20 and December 7, reportedly lacked a prosecution representative, with the judge assuming that role. Sources close to the journalist claim he fell into a "security trap" despite receiving unofficial assurances from Iranian security officials that he would not face legal troubles upon returning to Iran. The U.S. State Department earlier condemned Valizadeh’s detention, calling it "unjust" and inconsistent with international legal standards. Press freedom organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, urged Iranian authorities to release Valizadeh immediately. RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus also called for Valizadeh to be released, saying the charges against him, his conviction, and sentence were unjust. "Time and again, the Iranian regime has attempted to spread its malign influence around the world, trampling on human rights at every opportunity," Capus said in a staetment. "Clearly, this regime feels threatened by the forces of freedom, including independent journalism." Valizadeh remains in Tehran’s Evin prison under severe restrictions, with limited access to legal representation and family. Iran is routinely accused of arresting dual nationals and Western citizens on false charges to use them to pressure Western countries. In September 2023, Iran released five Americans jailed in Iran in a prisoner swap. Valizadeh is the first U.S. citizen known to have been arrested since that deal. Iran is also among the most repressive countries in terms of freedom of the press. Reporters Without Borders ranked Iran 176th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index. The Paris-based media watchdog says Iran is now also one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists. The husband of prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been detained by security forces, according to their daughter. Mehraveh Khandan said on Instagram that her father, Reza Khandan, was arrested on December 13 at her home in Tehran. The circumstances of Khandan's arrest and the charges against him were not known. Mohammad Moghimi, a lawyer, said on X that the reason for the arrest was likely related to a six-year prison sentence in a case in which he represented Reza Khandan and activist Farhad Meysami. The sentence against Reza Khandan was handed down in February 2019 by Tehran's Revolutionary Court. Meysami also faced a similar sentence in the case. Reza Khandan had been charged with "assembly and collusion against national security," "propaganda against the state," and "spreading and promoting unveiling in society." The sentence against Reza Khandan also banned him from membership in political parties and groups, leaving the country, and using the Internet and other media and press activities. Sotoudeh, a vocal advocate for numerous activists, has been arrested several times since 2010. Her detention has included periods of solitary confinement, highlighting the challenges faced by human rights defenders in Iran. Sotoudeh was arrested last year during the funeral of 17-year-old Armita Garavand, who died of injuries suffered in an alleged confrontation with Iran's morality police in the Tehran subway over a violation of Iran’s compulsory head scarf law. Reza Khandan said at the time of his wife's arrest in October 2023 that she started a hunger and medication strike after she was severely beaten when she was taken into custody. Sotoudeh was released about two weeks later. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in his first public comments since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted , accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the rebel uprising that toppled the regime over the weekend. Khamenei on December 11 also implicitly blamed Turkey for the lightning push of Syrian rebels who reached Damascus from their strongholds in the northwest with little resistance. "It should not be doubted that what happened in Syria was the product of a joint American and Zionist plot," he said. "Yes, a neighboring government of Syria plays, played, and is playing a clear role...but the main conspirator, mastermind, and command center are in America and the Zionist regime," Khamenei added. The U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies -- some of whom are linked with Turkey -- ousted Assad on December 8, less than two weeks after launching their offensive. Syria under Assad served as a crucial part of a land corridor connecting Iran to the Levant, which was considered the logistical backbone of the so-called axis of resistance -- Iran's loose network of regional proxies and allies. Iran spent billions of dollars and sent military advisers to Syria to ensure Assad remained in power when civil war broke out in 2011. Russia -- where the ousted Syrian leader has been granted political asylum -- also backed Assad, while Turkey has supported rebel groups who aimed to topple the regime. A Khamenei adviser once described Syria as the "golden ring" in the chain connecting Iran to its Lebanese partner, Hezbollah. With the ring broken and Hezbollah's capabilities degraded after a devastating war with Israel, experts say the axis has become severely weak. Khamenei said only "ignorant and uninformed analysts" would assess that the axis has become weak and vowed that its reach "will expand across the region more than before." Reza Alijani, an Iranian political analyst based in France, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Khamenei's comments were more "trash talk" than anything else. "The axis may not have been defeated, but it has suffered a serious blow and the Islamic republics arms in the region have been deal major hits," he said. Alijani argued that factions within the Islamic republic's core support base may be starting to question Khamenei's policies and vision after the recent setbacks, which he said is a cause for concern among the clerical establishment's top brass. Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking China's resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. I'm RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish and I'm back after a reporting trip in Taiwan. I'm off again for the holidays but will be back here with another newsletter at the end of the year. Here's what I'm following right now. Beijing Watches Assad Fall The full effects from the swift collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria is still playing out on the ground, but his sudden fall is set to shake up the Middle East and beyond. Here's what it means for China. Finding Perspective: China has been aligned with Assad since Syria's civil war began in 2011 but largely through its close ties to Russia and Iran, which backed the Syrian leader. At the United Nations, Beijing has often voted with Moscow, blocking condemnations of Assad as well as cross-border aid. Beijing supported the Assad regime with eight vetoes at the UN, which is half the total vetoes China has ever used. Beijing significantly reduced its presence in Syria amid the conflict, though it kept building close ties with Assad, eventually culminating in his state visit to China in 2023. Chinese investment in Syria was scarce, and beyond a strategic partnership agreement and a pledge to join the Belt and Road Initiative there has been essentially no Chinese investment in Syria and no major contracts with Chinese firms in the country since 2010. So why did Beijing throw its weight behind Assad? Revisiting The Arab Spring: For Beijing, the biggest issue was the symbolism and appearance of stability that Assad represented, especially given he was first threatened by a popular uprising that then set the Syrian civil war in motion. The spread of revolutions in the Arab world in 2011 was alarming for the Chinese Communist Party. Inside China at the time, popular grumbling with corruption at various levels of government was common, and the party was concerned the protests across the Middle East could inspire its own population, especially given simmering tensions in Tibet and Xinjiang at the time. Added to that was the rise of the Islamic State in Syria. The war led to thousands of Uyghurs, the predominantly Muslim group from western China, traveling to Syria to fight against the Syrian government. Many of those fighters said they were there to learn how to use weapons and then return to China, and fears over the return of battle-hardened fighters to Xinjiang was one of the pretexts Xi expressed to top party brass to launch the crackdown and camp system in western China that targeted the Uyghur population, according to a set of leaked internal government documents obtained by the New York Times. Why It Matters: From this logic, Beijing's support for Assad makes sense, but it's a big bet that hasn't paid off. The fall of Assad is also a reflection of the weakened regional power of two of its main partners: Iran and Russia. Their inability to prop up Assad indicates they've been consumed by the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Ukraine, which may be a concern for Beijing looking ahead. The rapid collapse of the Syrian government is also an unwelcome message at home for Beijing, which was reflected in the way Chinese media covered the events for Chinese viewers. As images circulated around the world of jubilant crowds and the toppling of statues, Chinese state media's coverage on CCTV mostly centered around a fixed live shot of Damascus without a crowd in sight. Three More Stories From Eurasia 1. China Flexes Its Muscles Around Taiwan Beijing said it is taking "necessary measures" to defend the country's sovereignty and will not tolerate "separatist" activities, as Taiwan reported another rise in Chinese warplanes and ships near the island. The Details: Taiwan's Defense Ministry said China was deploying its largest navy fleet in regional waters in nearly three decades, posing a threat to Taiwan that is more pronounced than previous Chinese war games. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, had been expected to launch drills to express its anger at President Lai Ching-te's tour of the Pacific that ended last week, which included stopovers in Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam. Without any announcement from China on military drills, Taiwan officials are calling the ongoing activity a training exercise and warned it could be used to further violate Taiwan's territorial boundaries. China, which views Lai as a separatist, held major military exercises around Taiwan following his inauguration in May and his National Day speech in October. It also held a major drill after Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Taiwan in 2022. 2. The California Connection A Chinese company that owns a California electronics distributor has sent hundreds of shipments of restricted dual-use technology to Russia since the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, including to sanctioned companies with ties to the Russian military, my colleagues Mike Eckel and Mark Krutov report . What You Need To Know: The findings further highlight the difficulty Western countries have had in trying to choke off the Russian military's access to Western technology for use in its weapons and operations as its war on Ukraine continues. At least one component manufactured by the company, Yangzhou Yangjie Electronic Technology Company Limited, was found in a Russian weapons guidance system recovered from the battlefield in Ukraine, according to a public database maintained by the Ukrainian military. Yangjie Technology, located in the city of Yangzhou northwest of Shanghai, has sent more than 200 shipments of specific goods to Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to customs records obtained by C4ADS, a Washington-based, nonprofit data-analysis and global-research organization. The listed contents of those shipments -- totaling at least 238 -- included electronic components categorized as "high-priority" by the United States due to their potential use in Russian weapons systems, according to the data obtained by C4ADS and shared with RFE/RL, which independently corroborated more than 150 such shipments. 3. China And Serbia Eye New Cooperation On Extraditions Serbia has extradited five Chinese citizens in the past five years, according to data obtained by my colleague Mila Manojlovic from RFE/RL's Balkan Service. What It Means: The data shows extraditions are already taking place. That cooperation is also set to grow as Serbia's Justice Ministry prepares to submit to parliament a draft extradition law with China that, if passed, would expand the scope of cooperation between Beijing and Belgrade. That extradition deal, which would regulate the bilateral extradition of citizens charged with crimes, is seen by experts as a response to the influx of tourists and Chinese nationals to Serbia that have corresponded with high-profile Chinese investments and loans for projects through the BRI. According to data from Serbia's National Employment Service, more than 45,000 work permits have been issued to Chinese citizens since 2016, the year the ruling Serbian Progressive Party started intensifying relations with Beijing and expanding BRI projects. Serbia's Interior Ministry told RFE/RL there are currently 3,433 Chinese citizens registered in the country. Across The Supercontinent Looking at 2025: Here's my look at what's on Taiwan's agenda as we prepare to enter 2025, as part of a wider lookahead from across RFE/RL coverage region. My segment begins at 7:25. Train Links: The first train carrying goods from China to Afghanistan arrived in Mazar-e Sharif on November 23 after crossing through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The Taliban said 55 containers arrived in Afghanistan after a 22-day journey, marking the inauguration of the first direct train link between China and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The New Normal: From attacks in Pakistan to new episodes in Tajikistan, my colleagues Bashir Ahmad Gwakh and Frud Bezhan look at how new violence in South and Central Asia could affect Chinese investment projects across the region. A Late Warning: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on December 2 warned her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that Beijing's support for Russia would "impact" ties with Europe. One Thing To Watch According to a draft sanctions package obtaind by RFE/RL, the European Union has proposed for the first time to target Chinese companies and individuals with visa bans and asset freezes over their dealings with Russian firms linked to Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. The draft version of the sanctions package was first shared with EU countries on November 22 and would still need to be approved before the end of the year by all 27 member states in order to come into effect. That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have. Until next time, Reid Standish If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here . It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday. Syria's interim prime minister took power with the support of the rebels who ousted President Bashar al-Assad as outside powers -- including Russia, Turkey, the United States, and Israel -- maneuvered to protect their geopolitical interests in the war-torn Middle East nation. In an address on recently captured state TV, Muhammad al-Bashir said he would lead Syria's interim authority through March 1 as the new rulers, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants, looked to solidify control after deposing Assad over the weekend. Little-known Bashir, born in Idlib Province in 1982 and an engineering graduate, had once worked for Syria's state gas entity and has served as head of the rebel's so-called Salvation Government for the past year. HTS has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union. In recent years, the group severed ties with Al-Qaeda and sought to remake itself as a pragmatic alternative to the Syrian government, although Western powers and rights groups remain cautious. Meanwhile, Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, on December 10 told NBC News that Moscow is providing sanctuary to Assad after transporting him there "in the most secure way possible." He didn't provide further details. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on December 9 that President Vladimir Putin made the decision personally to grant asylum to Assad and his family. Earlier on December 10, loud explosions were heard amid reports Israel has been systematically striking Syrian military installations following the ouster of Assad’s brutal regime. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the military had struck several Syrian sites and had hit its naval vessels in overnight strikes. "The [military] has been operating in Syria in recent days to strike and destroy strategic capabilities that threaten the State of Israel. The navy operated last night to destroy the Syrian fleet with great success," Katz said. Katz said Israel’s military has been ordered to create a weapons-free zone in southern Syria "to prevent the establishment and organization of terrorism] in the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said Israel had "destroyed the most important military sites in Syria," including “airports and their warehouses, aircraft squadrons, radars, military signal stations, and many weapons and ammunition depots in various locations in most Syrian governorates." The reports came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is "transforming the face of the Middle East" and defeating its enemies "step by step" in what he called an "existential war that has been imposed upon us." Netanyahu said Assad's regime had been a "central element of Iran's axis of evil," accusing it of facilitating a "weapons pipeline" between Iran and the Lebanon's Hezbollah militia, which has been declared a terrorist organization by the United States. Israel has launched a monthslong air campaign in Lebanon against Hezbollah. Washington has also conducted some 75 air strikes on Islamic State (IS) militants, who still have a presence in Syria, in recent days to prevent the group from taking advantage of the turmoil that followed Assad's fall. "You can expect that kind of activity will continue. We don't want to give [IS] an opportunity to exploit what is going on," White House national-security spokesman John Kirby said on December 10. The United States has about 900 troops in Syria as part of its decade-long fight against IS. "[IS] will try to use this period to reestablish its capabilities, to create safe havens," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on December 9. "As our precision strikes over the weekend demonstrate, we are determined not to let that happen." Washington said it is seeking ways to engage with Syrian rebel groups and is reaching out to partners in the region, including Turkey, to initiate informal contacts. "We have the ability to communicate with the opposition groups, and we'll continue to do that," Kirby said in his briefing. The Syrian Observatory also said IS militants killed at least 54 government soldiers who were fleeing advancing rebels "during the collapse of the regime" in the Sukhna area of Homs Province. The report could not immediately be verified. Meanwhile, satellite imagery by Planet Labs showed Russian naval ships have left their Syrian base at Tartus, with some dropping anchor offshore. Imagery showed at least three vessels -- including two guided missile frigates -- some 13 kilometers off the coast. Russia has an estimated 7,500 troops and multiple military sites in Syria, including an air base at Hmeimim along with the strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which are also used to support the Kremlin's actions in North and sub-Saharan Africa. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose government has ties to many of the rebel groups involved in the takeover, said Ankara will act against anyone seeking to compromise its Syrian territory. "From now on, we cannot allow Syria to be divided again.... Any attack on the freedom of the Syrian people, the stability of the new administration, and the integrity of its lands will find us standing against it," he said. Turkey has claimed U.S.-backed Syrian-Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria to be "terrorists" linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been designated as a terrorist group by Ankara, as well as by Washington. Tehran, which was also a long-standing backer of Assad, on December 10 said some 4,000 Iranian citizens have left Syria over the past three days. Iranian proxies are thought to have multiple military sites inside Syria, some of which have been hit by Israeli air attacks, but the government has so far been relatively muted in its response to Assad's fall. On December 9, the UN Security Council held a closed-door meeting on the situation in Syria called by Russia, which together with Iran, has been a main backer of Assad's regime. "The Council, I think, was more or less united on the need to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of Syria, to ensure the protection of civilians, to ensure that humanitarian aid is coming to the population in need," said Russia's UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, in a statement released after the meeting. The HTS-led rebels announced on December 9 that they were granting amnesty to all military personnel conscripted during Assad's rule, which began in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad, who had seized power in 1970. Ahmad al-Sharaa, 42, previously known by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, has become the public face of HTS, which itself was formerly known as the Al Nusra Front, among other names. Several European states on December 9 announced they were suspending the granting of asylum requests from Syrians as they awaited developments. The flood of Syrian refugees during the country's 14-year civil war has often been used by far-right politicians in Europe to inflame passions and bolster their support among voters. The EU has urged a peaceful political transition in Syria, saying that "it is imperative that all stakeholders engage in an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned dialogue on all key issues." But EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said the bloc was "not currently engaging with HTS or its leaders, full stop." The Syrian civil war began after Assad's regime unleashed a brutal crackdown in March 2011 against peaceful demonstrators inspired by the wave of protests known as the Arab Spring that were sweeping the Middle East at the time. Beginning in 2015, Russia intervened in the civil war on Assad's side, unleashing a massive bombing campaign against the rebel groups, including Islamist militants, causing numerous civilian casualties and prompting tens of thousands to flee. The fall of the Assad regime marks a major geopolitical setback for the Kremlin, which, along with Iran, has propped up his government, experts say. Iran spent decades building the so-called axis of resistance, its network of regional armed proxies, Tehran-backed militant groups, and allied state actors. The network was the lynchpin of Tehran's efforts to deter Israel and the United States and exert its influence across the Middle East. But the fall of the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Tehran, has done irreparable damage to the network, analysts say. For Iran, Syria provided a crucial land corridor to the Levant that was considered the logistical backbone of the axis. The corridor, also known as the Shi'ite Crescent, connected Tehran to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, a key ally and an integral part of the axis. "There is no axis without access," said Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. "The resistance is not done, but losing the ability to logistically support Hezbollah means the loss of Iran's strategic depth." Broken Corridor Underscoring Syria's importance, Iran spent billions of dollars to keep Assad in power. Tehran intervened militarily in Syria's civil war in 2013 and played a key role in shoring up Assad's forces. It deployed hundreds of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officers to recruit and train tens of thousands of local and foreign Shi'ite fighters. After the loss of the land corridor connecting axis members from Iran to Lebanon, "we are likely to see a much-diminished resistance in the coming months and years," said Farzan Sabet, senior research associate at the Geneva Graduate Institute. The axis, he said, will have "a considerably lower capacity to rebuild or conduct military operations in the future." At its height, the axis was active in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and was meant to give Iran the ability to hit its enemies outside its own borders while allowing it to maintain a position of plausible deniability. But the axis has suffered a series of debilitating setbacks in recent months. Syria is now effectively ruled by the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies -- some of whom are linked with Turkey, Iran's rival. The HTS seized power in Damascus on December 8. Hezbollah has been severely weakened after a bruising, yearlong war with Israel, which killed the group's longtime leader , Hassan Nasrallah. Meanwhile, Israel's devastating war in the Gaza Strip has diminished the capabilities of U.S.-designated Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, another axis member. Events in Syria "will certainly place significantly more restraints on Iran’s ability to maintain its regional influence," said Raz Zimmt, senior researcher at the Israeli-based Institute for National Security Studies. Iran's 'Very Bad' Options Weakened regionally, Iran now has tough decisions to make, including reconsidering its deterrence strategy and possibly developing a nuclear bomb, experts say. Zimmt says Iran has two "very bad options" -- to do nothing and recognize that its deterrence against Israel has been compromised, or weaponize its nuclear program and expose itself to the possibility of an Israeli attack. Things look equally grim for Iran’s axis of resistance, according to Sabet, who says Tehran will be under pressure to pull back its regional activities. Sabet says Iran will seek to exploit any potential chaos in the region, including in post-Assad Syria, to reassert its influence. "If the civil war in Syria is not quickly settled and a new order created, it might become precisely the type of environment where the Islamic republic has historically thrived," Sabet said. The collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime sparked nationwide celebrations, as scenes of jubilation and chaos unfolded across the country. In the early hours of December 8, videos emerged on social media showing groups of people gathering on Umayyad Square in Damascus, a key landmark in the capital. Thousands more joined them throughout the day, with some participants climbing atop a tank. Social media footage verified by RFE/RL showed people exiting the central bank building in Damascus carrying bags and boxes. Looting was reported in the capital and in other cities across the country, according to multiple eyewitness accounts. At the gates of the presidential palace in Damascus, video footage captured jubilant men cheering and firing weapons into the air. People were seen entering the palace freely throughout the day after Assad fled the country. Russian state media reported later on December 8 that he and his family had arrived in Moscow and been granted asylum. Video footage from inside the palace showed crowds milling around, as well as people carrying out furniture and valuables, leaving trashed rooms behind them. Verified video footage obtained by RFE/RL also showed the building of the Syrian Interior Ministry's immigration and passport department ablaze in Damascus. Statues of Assad's late father, Hafez al-Assad, who created the authoritarian system his son inherited, were dismantled nationwide after a lightning-fast rebel offensive. On Arwad Island, off the coast of Tartus and around 10 kilometers from a Russian naval base, jubilant crowds toppled a statue of the elder Assad, who died in 2000, and climbed onto the monument in celebration. In Latakia, a coastal town that was a stronghold of the Assad family, another statue of Hafez al-Assad was torn down and dragged through the streets behind a truck as revelers rode atop it. Images also showed the aftermath of the storming of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, which appeared to have been abandoned earlier on December 8. Iranian media reported that diplomats had already evacuated the premises. President-elect Donald Trump said Russia and Iran are in a "weakened state" and called on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to end the nearly three-year war in Ukraine. Trump made the comments in a post on Truth Social on December 8 as Syrian rebels captured Damascus , ending the half-century rule of the Russia- and Iran-backed Assad family. The incoming U.S. president said Russia and Iran couldn't come to the support of Syrian dictator Assad because they were in a "weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success." Russia has lost about 600,000 soldiers since invading Ukraine in February 2022, Trump said, adding that Ukraine has lost about 400,000 defending its territory. "There should be an immediate cease-fire and negotiations should begin," Trump said. "I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!" The Kremlin did not immediately respond to Trump's comment. Paris Meeting Trump said in the post that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy "would like to make a deal." Trump held talks with Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on December 7 to discuss the war. Zelenskiy called the trilateral talks "good and productive" and said the leaders discussed the potential for "a just peace." Trump and Zelenskiy were among world leaders who gathered in Paris on December 7 to mark the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. "We talked about our people, the situation on the battlefield, and a just peace for Ukraine. We all want to end this war as quickly and fairly as possible," Zelenskiy said in a December 7 post on Telegram . "President Trump, as always, is determined. We are thankful for that," he added. Macron said , "Let us continue joint efforts for peace, security." Trump , who will take office on January 20, has criticized the tens of billions of dollars the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion. He has claimed he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. Experts say it will be difficult to hammer out a peace deal quickly because there are so many aspects, including security guarantees for Ukraine and sanctions relief for Russia. In the meantime, the outgoing Biden administration has been accelerating weapons shipments to Ukraine ahead of the transfer of power to Trump to bolster its defenses. Washington said on December 7 that it is preparing a $988 million package of arms and equipment to Ukraine, funds taken from the remaining $2.21 billion available in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The funds will be used to buy precision missiles for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and for drones, the Pentagon said. European countries are also stepping up aid in case the Trump administration ends U.S. support for Kyiv. Zelenskiy announced on December 7 that Ukraine had received a second shipment of sophisticated F-16 fighter jets from Denmark. Copenhagen announced last year it would deliver a total of 19 aircraft to Ukraine. "The second batch of F-16s for Ukraine from Denmark is already in Ukraine. This is the leadership in protecting life that distinguishes Denmark," he wrote on Telegram . Syrian rebels led by Islamist militants have entered the central city of Homs as they close in on Damascus while the country’s main allies -- Russia and Iran -- scrambled to protect the regime of authoritarian President Bashar al-Assad and their own assets in the country. Abu Mohammad al-Golani, a leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, said late on December 7 that the insurgent fighters were "in the final moments of liberating" Homs, a city of 775,000 people. HTS is considered a terrorist group by the United States, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. Experts said the future of the Assad regime was hanging in the balance -- and that, if it fell, it would also represent a major geopolitical setback for the Kremlin which, along with Tehran, has supported the Syrian government through many years of civil war. Media reports said many residents of Damascus were stocking up on supplies as thousands were attempting to leave the country through the border with Lebanon -- itself a war-torn nation in the increasingly chaotic Middle East. As fighting on the ground and rebel gains intensified, the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, and Turkey held emergency talks in Doha, Qatar, on December 7 calling for an end to hostilities in the most serious challenge to Assad’s rule in years. The U.S. State Department told RFE/RL that Washington was closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Syria. A spokesperson said the United States and its partners and allies urged that civilians, including members of minority groups, be protected. The spokesperson said it was time to negotiate an end to the Syrian conflict consistent with principals established in UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The spokesperson added that the refusal of the Assad regime to engage in the process has directly led to the current situation. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War ( ISW ) said that “Assad regime forces have collapsed and Assad’s backers do not appear willing to bolster the Syrian Arab Army by rapidly deploying additional forces.” Russia has multiple military sites in Syria, including an air base at Hmeimim and strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which are also used to support the Kremlin’s actions in Africa. The ISW said that Moscow had not yet begun to evacuate the base, “but it remains unclear whether Russia will keep its vessels at the port as Syrian rebels continue to advance swiftly across regime-held territory.” The American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats blog said the Assad regime “faces an existential threat given the widespread collapse of regime forces and lack of sufficient external backing to bolster these forces.” It added that “Russia will face logistic challenges that will undermine its Africa operations if it loses its footprint in Syria.” Mark Katz, a professor emeritus at George Mason University who focuses on Russia and the Middle East, told RFE/RL that the Kremlin risks losing its air assets in Syria if it can’t agree with Turkey on the use of its airspace. “In one sense, the Turkish government might be happy to grant permission as the more the Russian Air Force is out of Syria, the happier Ankara will be,” he said. "Russia would also face difficulties relocating its warships because they would need Turkey's permission to get into the Black Sea. They would have to go through NATO waters," he added. Meanwhile, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said the United States “should have nothing to do” with the war in Syria, where a small contingent of U.S. forces remain deployed in some areas. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT,” he wrote on the Truth Social platform. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Fast-moving developments on the ground were difficult to confirm, but media outlets quoted witnesses as well as rebel and Syrian army sources as saying militant fighters were continuing to make large gains on December 7 in their effort to topple Assad. Some reported signs of panic in Damascus, with shortages of critical supplies, although the government said Assad was at work as usual in the capital. Government forces and their Russian allies appear to have failed in their attempt to halt the rebel push toward Homs, which stands at an important intersection between the capital, Damascus, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus. Homs is 140 kilometers from the capital. Witnesses and army sources told Reuters and other news agencies that rebels had entered Homs amid reports that government forces had pulled out. Celebrations were reported in some areas of the city. Homs Province is Syria’s largest in size and borders Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan. The city is also home to one of Syria’s two state-run oil refineries. The AFP news agency quoted security sources as saying hundreds of Syrian government troops, some injured, had fled across the border into Iraq. The surprising offensive was launched last week by a coalition of rebel groups led by the Islamist HTS faction. Besides HTS, the fighters include forces of an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Turkey has denied backing the offensive, though experts say insurgents would not have launched it without the country's consent. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said civilians were fleeing from Homs toward the Mediterranean coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government and the site of the Russian air and naval bases. Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declined to comment on the fate of the Russian bases, saying he “wasn’t in the business of guessing.” The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and inflict losses on Assad, as well as his Russian and Iranian allies. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. Following the foreign ministers' meeting in Doha, Lavrov said -- referring to HTS rebels -- that it was "inadmissible to allow terrorist groups" to take control of Syrian territory and that Russia would oppose them with all means possible. Since the rebels seized control of Aleppo a week ago, they have moved on to capture other major cities with Assad’s forces providing little resistance. Besides capturing Aleppo in the north, Hama in the center, and Deir al-Zor in the east, rebels rose up in southern Suweida and Deraa, saying on December 6 they had taken control of the two cities and posting videos showing insurgent celebrations there. Taking Deraa and Suweida in the south could allow a concerted assault on the capital, Damascus, the seat of Assad's power, military sources said. Video posted online showed protesters in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana chanting and tearing down a statue of Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1971 until his death in 2000, when his son took power. Golani, the HTS leader, told CNN in an exclusive interview on December 5 from Syria that Assad’s government was bound to fall, propped up only by Russia and Iran. “The seeds of the regime’s defeat have always been within it,” he said. “But the truth remains, this regime is dead.” Iran is poised to significantly increase the production rate of highly enriched uranium, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned in a confidential report. The IAEA report said the effect of the change "would be to significantly increase the rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent," according to news agencies quoting the report on December 6. This means the rate of production will jump to more than 34 kilograms of highly enriched uranium per month at its Fordow facility alone, compared to 4.7 kilograms previously, the report to the IAEA's board of governors says. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, who spoke to reporters about the report on the sidelines of an international conference in Bahrain, said the increase would represent “seven or eight times or even more," calling the development very concerning. “They were preparing, and they have all of these facilities sort of in abeyance and now they are activating that. So we are going to see,” he said, adding that it would be a “huge jump” if Iran begins increasing its enrichment. The report also said Iran must implement tougher safeguard measures such as inspections to ensure Fordow is not being "misused to produce uranium of an enrichment level higher than that declared by Iran, and that there is no diversion of declared nuclear material." Iran's decision to accelerate production of enriched uranium is in response to recent censure by the IAEA, Grossi told the AFP news agency. "This is a message. This is a clear message that they are responding to what they feel is pressure," the UN nuclear watchdog's head said. Tehran was angered by a resolution last month put forward by Britain, Germany, and France, known as the E3, and the United States that faulted Iran's cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. Britain, Germany, and France have adopted a tougher stance on Iran in recent months, in particular since Tehran ramped up its military support to Russia. In addition, there was little progress last week when European and Iranian officials met to determine whether they could enter serious talks on the nuclear program before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January. Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers and is now appointing hawks on Iran to his planned administration. While Iran maintains its program is peaceful, Iranian officials increasingly threaten to potentially seek a nuclear bomb and an intercontinental ballistic missile. But experts war that the enrichment of uranium at 60 percent is just a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent, and they say there is no justification for enriching uranium to such a high level under any civilian program. The news of Iran's decision to increase uranium enrichment came just hours after Tehran claimed it had conducted a successful space launch with its heaviest payload ever. Official media reported that the launch of the Simorgh rocket took place at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Semnan Province located about 220 kilometers east of Tehran. Western governments have expressed concern that the Tehran’s ballistic missile program is coming closer to having the ability to launch a weapon against distant foes like the United States. The Simorgh carried what Iran described as an “orbital propulsion system” and two research systems to a 400-kilometer orbit above the Earth. It also carried the Fakhr-1 satellite for Iran’s military, the first time Iran’s civilian program is known to have carried a military payload. Iran has said its space program, like its nuclear activities, is for purely civilian purposes. Russian forces bombed a key bridge and highway to try and slow a lightning advance by rebels toward the Syrian city of Homs as thousands fled the area. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said civilians were fleeing from Homs towards the Mediterranean coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government and the site of Russian air and naval bases. The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and deal losses to the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, as well as his allies in Russia and Iran. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. A Syrian Army officer was quoted by Reuters as saying that Russian bombing overnight had destroyed the Rastan bridge along the key M5 highway linking Homs to Hama, another city the rebels captured a day earlier. The rebels, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have made major advances over the past several days, including the capture of Aleppo, the country's largest city, as well as 14 central villages and towns, and gotten as close as 35 kilometers from the Russian-operated Khmeimim air base. HTS is considered a terrorist group by the United States, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, is key to the defense of Damascus and the gateway to the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, the former being home to a strategic Russian naval base. In his first media interview in several years, Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the group's leader, told CNN the goal "remains to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad regime, and it is our right to use all available means to achieve this goal." Besides HTS, the rebels also include an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. The foreign ministers of Iraq, Syria, and Iran were to meet on December 6 to discuss the situation, while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the top diplomats from Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara will meet in Qatar on December 7. The state news agency TASS reported on December 6 that Russia's embassy in Syria had urged Russian nationals to leave the country due to the situation. Lengthy prison terms, hefty fines, and travel bans. Those are among the punishments facing women who violate Iran's new hijab law. Approved on November 30, the Hijab And Chastity law has triggered uproar in the Islamic republic, where even senior clerics have criticized it. The 74-article law also calls on the public to report alleged violators to the police and penalizes businesses and taxi drivers who refuse to do so. "You cannot even call this a law," Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent activist and human rights lawyer based in Iran, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda. Laws are meant to protect citizens, she said, but the new legislation "robs women of their security on the streets." A growing number of Iranian women have refused to wear the mandatory head scarf -- a key pillar of Iran's Islamic system. The hijab was central to the unprecedented protests that erupted across Iran in 2022. The demonstrations were triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was arrested for allegedly violating the hijab law. During the protests, women and girls removed and burned their head scarves. The authorities waged a brutal crackdown on protesters, killing hundreds and arresting thousands. Sotoudeh said many Iranians want those responsible for the deaths to be "punished." Instead, she said, "lawmakers passed a bill in a vengeful act against women and men." She warned that critics "will take steps" if the law is not repealed, suggesting that protests may be planned. Sotoudeh has been in and out of prison for years for her activism and taking up sensitive legal cases, including women detained for peacefully protesting the mandatory hijab. 'Unimplementable' Law In recent years, the authorities have doubled down on their enforcement of the hijab. They have reintroduced patrols by the so-called morality police that were suspended in the wake of the 2022 protests. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has also established a new unit in Tehran to enforce the hijab. Its members are called "ambassadors of kindness." In November, the Tehran Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice announced the creation of a "clinic" to offer "scientific and psychological treatment" to women who refuse to follow the Islamic dress code. In response, Iranian psychologists raised the alarm about the consequences of "labeling healthy people as sick." Sotoudeh and Sedigheh Vasmaghi, a rights activist and Islamic scholar, slammed the new hijab law as "shameful" and "medieval" in a joint statement issued on December 1. The new legislation has proved so controversial that President Masud Pezeshkian said on live television on December 2 that "it cannot be easily implemented." He also questioned the new penalties for convicted hijab violators. Even several senior clerics have warned against enforcing the new law. "Not only are large parts of this law unimplementable...but it defeats its purpose and will lead to the youth hating religious teachings," Ayatollah Mostafa Mohaqeq Damad wrote in an open letter to top clerics on December 2. In a joint statement on December 4, three prominent guilds representing the entertainment industry said any law that "turns your homeland into a big prison is meaningless" and urged the authorities to repeal it. Britain’s counterterrorism police say they are awaiting the extradition of two Romanian men who are suspects in the stabbing in March of a journalist working for a Persian-language media organization in London. Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on December 5 that Nandito Badea, 19, and George Stana, 23, had been arrested in Romania and charged in the attack on Pouria Zeraati, a London-based TV host for the Iran International news network. Badea and Stana appeared in a Romanian court after their arrest on December 4 for the start of extradition proceedings," a CPS spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying. "We continue to work closely with Romanian authorities, to ensure that our extradition request is progressed through the courts." British authorities have authorized charges against both of "wounding and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm," according to a statement issued by the London Metropolitan Police. Zeraati, a British-Iranian journalist, suffered injuries after being stabbed near his home on March 29 in southwestern London. Counterterrorism police have led the investigation into the attack over concerns he had been targeted because of his job at Iran International, which is critical of Iran's government. “We now await the extradition process to progress so that the men can face prosecution here in the U.K.,” Acting Commander Helen Flanagan of the Counter Terrorism Command said in the statement. Flanagan said the command planned no further comments on the investigation and urged others not to speculate about the case, given criminal proceedings are now pending. Officials had previously said that the Romanians were suspected of being associates of an Eastern European crime network hired to carry out an attack directed by Iran’s security services. The suspects were likely hired to carry out the attack and had arrived in Britain shortly before the incident, according to British police sources quoted by The Guardian newspaper. British police, security officials, and politicians have issued a number of warnings about what they say is Iran's growing use of criminal proxies to carry out attacks abroad. The U.S. Justice Department last month unsealed criminal charges that included details of a plot allegedly backed by Iran to kill President-elect Donald Trump before the November 5 election. FBI Director Christopher Wray said at the time that the charges exposed Iran's “continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens” and dissidents who criticize the Iranian regime, which has rejected accusations that it is involved. One of the targets of the alleged plot was dissident journalist Masih Alinejad, who said on X that she was shocked to have learned of the conspiracy from the FBI. Alinejad, who has criticized Iran's laws requiring women to wear a hijab, was the target of a kidnapping plot in 2021 according to U.S. prosecutors, and in 2022 a man was arrested with a rifle outside her home. Britain and the United States have imposed sanctions on Iranian officials who they say have been involved in threats to kill journalists on their soil. Iran International said the network is pleased that the police investigation has made progress. “It is reassuring for our journalists, as for others in organizations under similar threat," said Adam Baillie, a spokesman for the network, according to Reuters. Authorities initially believed three suspects were involved in the attack on Zeraati. The three men abandoned their vehicle shortly after the incident and left the country by air within hours, police said. A third person was detained in Romania on December 4, but was later released, according to individuals familiar with the case quoted by The Washington Post. The London Metropolitan Police statement did not mention the third person or specifically accuse those arrested of acting on behalf of Tehran. Zeraati did not comment directly on the developments but posted links on his X account to news stories about the arrests made in Romania. The Syrian Army said it was redeploying troops "to preserve civilians lives and prevent urban combat" after Islamist-led rebels entered the key city of Hama, another loss for the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, as well as his allies in Russia and Iran. "Over the past few hours, with the intensification of confrontations between our soldiers and terrorist groups...these groups were able to breach a number of axes in the city and entered it," a Syrian Army statement said on December 5. Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, is key to the defense of Damascus and the gateway to the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, the former being home to a strategic Russian naval base. Syrian and Russian forces had shelled the rebels a day earlier and used air strikes to try and stop their advance. "With that (advance in Hama), Assad's in real trouble. Homs is next & its countryside is FAR more amenable to facilitating an opposition advance," Charles Lister, a senior fellow and the director of the Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs at the Middle East Institute, wrote on X. The rebels, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have made major advances over the past several days, including the capture of Aleppo, the country's largest city, as well as 14 central villages and towns, and gotten as close as 35 kilometers from the Russian-operated Khmeimim air base. Syria turned over the air base to Russia in 2015 as Moscow moved in to help Damascus turn the tide of a four-year civil war in its favor. Besides HTS, the rebels also include an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. The United Nations has said tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced by the fighting. Imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been temporarily released for at least three weeks after receiving urgent medical care, her lawyer said on December 4. "According to the medical examiner's opinion, the Tehran Prosecutor's Office suspended the execution of Ms. Narges Mohammadi's sentence for three weeks and she was released from prison. The reason for this is her physical condition after tumor removal and bone grafting, which was done 21 days ago," human rights lawyer Mostafa Nili said in a post on X. Sources confirmed to RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Mohammadi, 52, had been released. Analysts said that by suspending Mohammadi's sentence instead of granting her a medical furlough, the time she spends outside of prison will be added to her sentence. A medical furlough would have meant time spent outside of prison would be considered the same as time spent incarcerated. A United Nations spokesman told AFP it was important that Mohammadi was released temporarily for health reasons in order to receive adequate treatment. The spokesman said the UN reiterated its call for her immediate and unconditional release. Mohammadi has been campaigning for human rights in Iran for decades and has been in and out of prison for the last 20 years. She has been convicted five times since March 2021 and is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for "spreading propaganda" against the Islamic republic. Last month, her husband, Taghi Rahmani, said his wife had been moved to a Tehran hospital after suffering health issues for more than two months. "She had an operation, and the operation was on the right leg, and even moving in the prison, sitting, and doing simple things became impossible for her, and even some prisoners went on hunger strike demanding her release," Rahmani told Radio Farda. "Although prison is not a place for Narges, there is no place for human rights activists in prison at all. She should not go back to prison and all human rights activists and civil activists should be released from prison," he added. Despite being nearly continuously incarcerated since 2010, Mohammadi has often tried to raise awareness about prison conditions and alleged abuses faced by female prisoners. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023. Her teenage children accepted the award in Oslo on her behalf and read out a statement by Mohammadi in which she criticized Iran's "tyrannical" government. "Weeks of enduring excruciating pain in prison, despite tireless advocacy from human rights organizations, and international figures, highlights the persistent disregard for Narges Mohammadi’s basic human rights and the inhumane treatment she endures -- even after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize," the Narges Foundation said in a statement . "The Narges Foundation asserts that a 21-day suspension of Narges Mohammadi's sentence is inadequate. After over a decade of imprisonment, Narges requires specialized medical care in a safe, sanitary environment -- a basic human right. As doctors have emphasized, a minimum of three months' recovery is crucial for her healing."

New shoplifting data explains why they’re locking up the toothpasteThe grand 'Chhavni Pravesh' procession marked a ceremonial beginning for the next year's Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. Under the guidance of Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Arun Giri Ji, the procession celebrated the entry of saints into the fairgrounds with grandeur. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took stock of the arrangements for the Khichdi Mela in Gorakhpur, emphasizing its cultural and religious importance. His directives focused on ensuring security and convenience for attendees, aiming to uphold the event's traditional significance. Apart from that, Adityanath reviewed Gorakhpur's development projects, advocating for improved urban transport and coordinated parking solutions. These initiatives are expected to contribute to the city's development as a smart city ahead of the festivities. (With inputs from agencies.)Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion stun fans by revealing their natural hair The rappers were praised by fans for showing off their natural hair They previously wore wigs in their music videos for WAP and Bongos READ MORE: Cardi B denies plastic surgery rumors By J. PETERSON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 19:21, 22 November 2024 | Updated: 19:37, 22 November 2024 e-mail 40 shares 19 View comments Fans of rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion have been blown away after the pair took to social media to unveil their real, natural hair to the world. Cardi, 32, was the first to share her hair, with the Bodak Yellow hitmaker reposting a video of herself to Instagram that she'd originally taken in October. As she caressed her luscious mane in the clip, Cardi said, 'It literally took three hours to take down.' She added, 'I ain't gonna lie. I haven't washed my hair in two months.' Megan, 29, followed by posting a picture of her sleek and straight locks from behind, captioning it, 'My hair grew so much, [oh my god].' Both Cardi and Megan wore multi-colored wigs and hair pieces in the music videos for their collaborations WAP and Bongos . The footage of their natural hair was reposted by Hollywood Unlocked , and the comments came in thick and fast. 'Cardi B needs to launch a hair care line. I will actually buy that,' gushed one. Fans of rappers Cardi B (pictured) and Megan Thee Stallion have been blown away after the pair took to social media to unveil their real, natural hair to the world Both Cardi and Megan wore multi-colored wigs and hair pieces in the music videos for their collaborations WAP and Bongos 'I love to see this. It's unfortunate people still in 2024 feel as if Black women cannot grow hair down their back,' wrote another. 'Cardi came a long way... I remember how damaged her hair was,' a third wrote. 'I love that both of them have healthy hair. If people weren't so "anti-Black" they would realize a lot of Black women have long beautiful hair!' added a fourth. Last year, Cardi confessed that she keeps her hair in perfect condition by using homemade hair oil . Before that, she'd told fans that one of her haircare tricks was boiling onions and using the 'odorless' water to wash her raven mane for extra shine. 'The facts are you need hair products and good care that works for you to maintain it and keep it healthy,' she shared. 'Sometimes it's not even just about growth it's about keeping it healthy and the growth comes.' In 2021, the former stripper stressed that 'being mixed don't mean your hair is always long and curly' and claimed society 'tried to make us believe our hair won't grow this long' but 'it's not true.' Megan posted a picture of her sleek and straight locks from behind As she caressed her luscious mane in the clip, Cardi said, 'It literally took three hours to take down' Cardi and Megan rocked matching wigs in the music video for WAP 'A lot of hair products we used back then weren't good for our hair but that's all we had to choose from. Also we couldn't afford to get to the salon regularly, if at all,' Cardi mused. 'Now everybody is getting better options, making affordable good products, learning from natural hair YouTube and TikTok about how to care for our hair better,' she continued. 'I want women of color with tighter curl patterns to know that you don't have "bad hair." There's no such thing as bad hair, and "good" hair don’t mean a certain texture. All hair is good.' The hitmaker also frequently dons colorful wigs and hairpieces coiffed by her hairstylist Mia (aka Tokyo Stylez) for shoots and concerts rather than damaging her own natural hair. Cardi B Megan Thee Stallion Share or comment on this article: Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion stun fans by revealing their natural hair e-mail 40 shares Add comment

NoneDAZN ADVANCES GLOBAL EXPANSION WITH ACQUISITION OF FOXTEL, A LEADING AUSTRALIAN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA GROUPThe ( ) is a very popular on the ASX, with an ETF size of $17.7 billion. It's the biggest ETF on the ASX. However, being popular doesn't necessarily mean it's going to deliver big returns. In the last five years, the VAS ETF has delivered an average return per year of 8.2%. That's not bad. Compare that to the ( ), which tracks 500 of the largest US companies. It has returned an average annual return of 16.3%. What's the difference? The IVV ETF provides the most exposure to leading US growth shares, whereas the VAS ETF gives a lot of exposure to and . Those two sectors can perform well in a one-year time period, but they're not known for producing big returns over multiple years. There are some internationally based businesses on the ASX, but the ASX share market largely represents the Australian economy. A big portion of our economy relates to property and digging stuff out of the ground, so it's not surprising the index includes significant representation from those two sectors. Look at the biggest companies in the VAS ETF and their , according to the ASX. ( ) – $261 billion ( ) – $201 billion ( ) – $135 billion ( ) – $114 billion ( ) – $110 billion ( ) – $85.4 billion ( ) – $85.2 billion ( ) – $83 billion Wesfarmers has significant exposure to the Australian property market with its Bunnings business, which makes the lion's share of profit. I'd say CSL, Macquarie, and Wesfarmers are the only ones on that list delivering solid long-term earnings growth and are likely to continue that trend. Earnings growth is the key driver of the share prices of profit-making companies, in my view. I think that explains why the VAS ETF unit price has only risen 15% in five years – earnings growth by the big miners and banks hasn't been compelling. Of course, there are some compelling that are increasing earnings. They just haven't been a large slice of the pie (yet). With how quickly some ASX growth shares are scaling, they are becoming a more influential part of the (ASX: XKO) – the index the VAS ETF tracks. The bigger these ASX growth shares become, the closer the VAS ETF could be to being called a growth fund. It would also help if the market caps of ASX bank shares and ASX mining shares declined, though I'm not hoping for that. Now, let's look at some of the largest fast-growing businesses and their market caps. I expect that (at least) one of the names below could eventually become larger than one of the major banks. ( ) – $40 billion ( ) – $34.4 billion ( ) – $26 billion ( ) – $25.4 billion . I think this is a positive development for the ASX share market. The VAS ETF is an effective way to invest in the ASX share market, but I'm not expecting it to deliver as much capital growth as the global share market or individual ASX growth shares. That's why I'm looking for opportunities in those two areas.

SOUTH EASTON, Mass. (AP) — Louie Semona's 22 points helped Stonehill defeat New Hampshire 90-83 on Sunday. Semona also added six rebounds for the Skyhawks (7-7). Chas Stinson scored 16 points while going 6 of 10 and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line and added five assists and three steals. Josh Morgan shot 4 of 8 from the field, including 0 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the line to finish with 12 points. Sami Pissis finished with 20 points for the Wildcats (2-12). Khalil Badru added 15 points for New Hampshire. Giancarlo Bastianoni also put up 14 points and 12 rebounds. The loss was the Wildcats' sixth in a row. Stonehill's next game is Sunday against Lafayette on the road, and New Hampshire visits Iowa on Monday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Texans get visit from longtime foe Derrick Henry when the Ravens visit on Christmas DayDAZN ADVANCES GLOBAL EXPANSION WITH ACQUISITION OF FOXTEL, A LEADING AUSTRALIAN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA GROUP

Texans get visit from longtime foe Derrick Henry when the Ravens visit on Christmas Day

 

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50jili rewards Jimmy Carter, the 39th president and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has died at 100

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has died at 100We regularly answer frequently asked questions about life in the era of COVID-19. If you have a question you’d like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: “Coronavirus Questions.” See an archive of our FAQs here. I just never got the latest COVID booster. Should I go for it? And when should I get it for maximum holiday protection when traveling and partying? If you’re among those who haven’t rolled up a sleeve for the latest version of the vaccine — which rolled out in September — you’ve got plenty of company. A Dec. 2 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that in the U.S., for example, just under 20% of eligible people have gotten the updated vaccine, which was formulated to include a strain of the original virus and one from recently circulating variants. “That uptake is nowhere near where it should be,” says Dr. Robert Hopkins, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. And who’s eligible? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, everyone 6 months and older. You may be wondering: Do I really need it if I’m in good health? Data shows that COVID vaccines are protective against severe disease and long COVID, reducing the risk of an emergency room or clinic visit — and the risk of death. Plus, “potentially preventing any COVID infection keeps you from being sick, getting long COVID and making someone sick who could really be at risk,” says Jeffrey Townsend, a professor of evolutionary biology and head of a lab at the Yale School of Public Health that has been studying COVID throughout the pandemic. But maybe you’ve just had COVID...And you’re wondering. Isn’t that giving me enough protection? Just as protection from the COVID-19 vaccine decreases with time, so does immunity after an infection.. Philadelphia-area health experts see shift in attitudes on vaccination in ‘post-COVID’ era Misinformation, distrust in medical providers, politics and experiences during the height of COVID are playing into people’s views of vaccination, experts say. 3 months ago If you’re ready to go for a jab, you might have a few questions. Like: Which of the three available vaccines to go for? There are MRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna and a non- MRNA version from Novavax. (mRNA vaccines use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein — or even just a piece of a protein — that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. The Novavax vaccine is based on an older technology. “Between the two mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, there is no reason to get one over the other,” says Andrew Pekosz, vice chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “The [MRNA vaccines] target the same variant, are similarly effective and elicit similar side effects.” Pekosz adds that the Novavax protein-based vaccine will also “generate immune responses that recognize current variants,” noting adding that people who have had a particularly adverse response to a previous mRNA vaccine might consider the Novavax vaccine as an alternative, as protein-based vaccines generally don’t induce as strong side effects. As for timing, if you’d like maximum protection for end-of-year travel and partying, keep in mind that it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to be fully effective. And while COVID isn’t surging at the moment in the U.S. and other places, Dr. Hopkins says winter outbreaks are expected — a winter surge has always been part of COVID’s timetable. Meanwhile, if you’ve had a recent COVID infection you have a different vaccine timeline. Because you develop antibodies to the virus after a COVID infection, the CDC says people “may wait” three months after an infection to get the vaccine. That’s because the immune response to the new dose will be strongest if your antibodies are waning. There’s a new study that looks at vaccine timing. The study is geared toward a future time when COVID has a clear season where it regularly peaks (as flu does), but it does contain relevant info on so-called “breakthrough” infections — when you catch COVID soon after being vaccinated. In the study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases , study author Jeffrey Townsend and his team recommend a timetable: for someone who got a booster in September, then caught COVID between October and April. The optimal time for the next dose is the following mid-to-late September. For breakthrough infections between mid-May and early September, the wait time before the next booster falls to six months because of the likelihood of a winter outbreak. Townsend says the study’s recommendations are different than the CDC’s because the agency looked at when antibodies begin to fall, and the study looked at when antibodies fall to the level where you’d be vulnerable to reinfection. But the study does not offer official guidance so a conversation with your doctor might be in order. “Many of my colleagues have discussed that timing of vaccination relative to infection is something we need to be taking into account more,” says Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease researcher at Stanford Medical School. He advises people to test if they have COVID symptoms in part so they can fine tune their vaccine schedule. “Doctors have to take into consideration what’s unique to the patient in front of them,” says Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health For example, people who are immunocompromised may be advised to boost more frequently since their antibodies can wane faster. And people who are 65 and older have been advised by the CDC to get a second dose of the new booster six months after the first. Montgomery County faith leaders and independent pharmacists bring vaccines to people’s homes with new program The vaccine program is open to all county residents and offers shots for COVID, flu, RSV and other diseases. 2 months ago Of course, even having a debate over whether to get an updated vaccine is a rich world problem. Rachel Weintraub, an associate professor of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School says that while most countries haven’t reported their uptake of booster doses, the educated guess is that boosters are not widely available in low- or middle-income countries. For one thing, COVAX, the program that deployed vaccines in lower- and middle-income countries, closed up shop at the end of 2023. “In many countries,” says Weintraub, the COVID vaccine shifted into the regular immunization program with some countries choosing to prioritize vaccines for other conditions.” Weintraub says that when COVAX closed, only 57% of eligible folks had received two doses in low- and middle-income countries, compared to a global average of 67%. And even in the U.S. there’s no guarantee that the supply of boosters or messaging to promote them will continue. Jennifer Kates, senior vice president and director of the Global Health & HIV Policy Program at health research group KFF, says the next administration “has significant authority to affect both the availability of COVID vaccines and messaging about their importance, authority that will undoubtedly influence individual behavior and state and local decisions.” Kates says the FDA Commissioner has the authority to approve and authorize new formulations of COVID vaccines and the CDC Director has the authority to set recommendations for the public. “Messaging around vaccines is an important [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] function, and the frequency, cadence, content, and channels of such messaging will set the scene for how vaccines are received by the public.” And while doctors’ offices often no longer stock COVID vaccines, says Rebecca Weintraub, many pharmacies do, and you can often schedule an appointment on line. If you are insured, your insurance will cover the cost so long as the pharmacy or doctor is in network. No insurance? Call your local health department to ask about free or low-cost options. (Without insurance the cost is over $200 — the federal government no longer covers the cost for everyone as it did at the height of the pandemic.) Fran Kritz is a health policy reporter based in Washington, D.C., and a regular contributor to NPR. She also reports for the Washington Post and Verywell Health . Find her on Twitter: @fkritz Never miss a moment with the WHYY Listen App! Play, pause, and rewind the live radio stream, access on-demand audio features, and dive into podcasts from both local and national sources. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pure Storage® (NYSE: PSTG), the IT pioneer that delivers the world's most advanced data storage technology and services, today announced a collaboration with Kioxia Corporation ("Kioxia"), a world leader in memory solutions, to develop cutting-edge technology that addresses the growing demand for high-performance, scalable storage infrastructure among today's hyperscale environments. Industry Significance: Traditional storage solutions, particularly those relying on hard disk drives (HDDs), struggle to meet the demands of hyperscale environments due to their limited speed, scalability, reliability, and excessive power consumption. HDDs are ill-equipped to handle the massive, fast-growing volumes of data generated in these environments without introducing latency and bandwidth limitations, and are difficult to scale and integrate seamlessly into modern data centers. To eliminate these obstacles, the latest collaboration between Pure Storage and Kioxia will deliver a data storage platform engineered from the ground up to tackle the needs of hyperscale environments, allowing for rapid scale while lowering power consumption and reducing the overall physical footprint of hyperscale data centers. News Highlights: With the combination of Pure Storage's advanced data storage platform with Kioxia's industry-leading QLC flash memory, hyperscalers can now keep pace with growing data demands without sacrificing performance. Benefits include: Executive Insight: "Collaborating with Kioxia allows Pure Storage to bring the full potential of all-flash storage technology to hyperscale environments. Pure has a decade of experience in delivering systems that manage flash for enterprise businesses. Now we're using those innovations, and Kioxia's latest technology, to enable the hyperscalers. Together, we're creating a solution that will empower these organizations to manage their data seamlessly, with speed and efficiency at the core." – Bill Cerreta , GM, Hyperscale, Pure Storage "Our collaboration with Pure Storage marks an exciting milestone in the evolution of hyperscale storage. As data volumes continue to explode, we're committed to delivering a solution that combines high performance with lower operational costs. All-flash technology is the future of storage, and through this collaboration, we are driving the innovation needed to address the complexities of today's hyperscale environments." - Caesar Ichimura , Chief Marketing Officer, Kioxia Corporation About Pure Storage Pure Storage (NYSE: PSTG) delivers the industry's most advanced data storage platform to store, manage, and protect the world's data at any scale. With Pure Storage, organizations have ultimate simplicity and flexibility, saving time, money, and energy. From AI to archive, Pure Storage delivers a cloud experience with one unified Storage as-a-Service platform across on premises, cloud, and hosted environments. Our platform is built on our Evergreen architecture that evolves with your business – always getting newer and better with zero planned downtime, guaranteed. Our customers are actively increasing their capacity and processing power while significantly reducing their carbon and energy footprint. It's easy to fall in love with Pure Storage, as evidenced by the highest Net Promoter Score in the industry. For more information, visit www.purestorage.com . Pure Storage, the Pure Storage P Logo, and the marks in the Pure Storage Trademark List are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pure Storage Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. The Trademark List can be found at purestorage.com/trademarks . Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Analyst Recognition A Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Primary Storage A Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for File and Object Storage Platforms Connect with Pure Blog LinkedIn X Facebook View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pure-storage-and-kioxia-collaborate-to-drive-scalability-efficiency-and-performance-in-hyperscale-data-centers-302321513.html SOURCE Pure StorageNominations Open for 2025 Defense IT Summit Flywheel AwardsAmazon CEO Andy Jassy just unveiled a powerful new AI model to compete with Google Gemini and OpenAI's GPT-4

In the latest instalment of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! an unexpected bond has formed, with viewers now clamouring for a podcast featuring the duo. During Monday's episode, Loose Women's GK Barry, whose real name is Grace, and Reverend Richard Coles had a candid conversation in the jungle. Grace queried Richard about the challenges of being gay while serving as a clergyman, asking: "Did you find it quite difficult being gay and doing that job?" Richard openly responded: "No, not at all. I've never given it a moment's twinge of anxiety over whether God thought it was alright or not. Whether other people thought it was alright or not, well I'm happy to have that argument." He further commented on his sexuality: "Also, I was not the first. Sometimes I look at documents from the early church, or the church of the middle ages and I just think - so gay," reports the Express . ITV I'm A Celebrity viewers demand 'selfish' campmate's exit I'm A Celebrity's Ant and Dec hit out at 'harsh' ITV bosses in scathing rant Grace shared her surprise connection with Richard in the Bush Telegraph, saying: "I came into this jungle, maybe not knowing who I would gel with or who I would be close with in here and never in a million years if you told me that I would be getting on best with a reverend would I have believed you. But, he is honestly... I think he might be my favourite person in here." She also confided in Richard about her past religious experiences, including attending a religious camp where she was advised against premarital sex. Despite the guidance, she recalled thinking at 13: "Well, that's not gonna happen. I see my future and it involves scissoring now." After GK explained "scissoring" to the Rev, the conversation shifted as GK quizzed Richard about the most interesting person hed encountered. Richard's response was heartfelt: "I think I'm looking at her." Social media users were quick to comment on the burgeoning friendship between GK and Richard, drawing parallels with previous campmates - Georgia Toffolo and Stanley Johnson. One fan said: "GK and Richard's friendship reminds me so much of Toff and Stanley." Another chimed: "GK Barry and Rev are fantastic Together." A third also enthused: "Gk Barry and the rev is giving Toff and Stanley!" There were calls for GK and Richard to team up post-show, with a viewer suggesting: "We need to get GK Barry and Rev. Richard Coles a video podcast after this." Meanwhile, viewers have noted tension in the jungle particularly after Dean McCullough disregarded a warning from his fellow contestant Tulisa Constostavlos. In Sunday's episode of the hit ITV series, Tulisa and Corrie ac tor Alan Halsall stepped down from their leadership roles, handing over the reins (and comfortable beds in the Leaders' Lodge) to McFly's Danny Jones and boxing icon Barry McGuigan, requiring them to integrate into the main camp. Tulisa staked out a place beside the campfire but had a clear message for Radio 1s Dean McCullough: refrain from any early morning musical theatre performances as it wouldnt sit well with her. In the latest instalment, Tulisa fancied a lie-in that was until her fellow campmates decided it was time for her to rise and shine with some musical theatre tunes. Dean commented: "Now that she's out of the Leaders' Lodge, Tulisa has warned me that there must be no musical theatre early in the morning, so I made it my mission to make sure the camp woke up this morning with the sound of lovely singing!" Meanwhile, new arrival Maura Higgins celebrated turning 34 in the camp, while Dean tackled his sixth Bushtucker Trial, nicknamed Jack and the Scream Stalk, snagging an impressive 10 out of 12 stars and setting a new personal best. I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is on ITV1 and ITVX

MLB Salary Arbitration Eligibles ListISRO to demonstrate docking of satellites in space in January, launch on MondayPresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have congratulated John Dramani Mahama on his electoral victory in Ghana’s December 7 presidential election. The Nigerian President’s message was conveyed in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. According to the statement, President Tinubu spoke with Mahama to express his hopes for continued regional stability under Mahama’s leadership. “In a telephone call to Mahama, President Tinubu hoped that Mahama’s ascension to power for the second time would further bring stability to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which President Tinubu is the chairman,” the statement read. President Tinubu commended Ghanaians for their commitment to democracy and praised the peaceful and transparent conduct of both the presidential and parliamentary elections. “He applauded Ghanaians for demonstrating again to the world that democracy is the preferred path to achieving political stability, economic development, social justice, and transparent governance in Africa,” the statement added. Read also: Police rescue kidnapped 4-yr-old, arrest suspect who used snacks to lure children He also recognized the courage and sportsmanship of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana and candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), who conceded defeat before the official results were announced. Tinubu remarked that Bawumia’s actions underscored Ghana’s democratic values and maturity. Reflecting on Mahama’s return to Jubilee House, Tinubu noted it as a testament to the Ghanaian people’s confidence in his leadership. “President Tinubu noted that President-elect Mahama’s return to Jubilee House, having served as President from 2012 to 2017, reflected the Ghanaian people’s trust in his stewardship and vision to take the country to greater heights.” The Nigerian leader also emphasized the importance of the historical and cultural ties between Nigeria and Ghana. He reaffirmed his commitment to fostering stronger bilateral relations and working together to achieve shared goals in areas such as economic integration, democracy, and the rule of law. Tinubu extended his gratitude to outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo for his leadership and significant contributions to Ghana’s progress and regional stability. “The President looks forward to working with President Mahama’s incoming administration to strengthen bilateral ties across various sectors and build a brighter future in the West Africa region,” the statement concluded. In a separate statement, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, also congratulated the people of Ghana on their successful and peaceful elections. Touray praised the nation’s democratic maturity and highlighted the smooth transition of power. “The President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Touray, congratulates the Ghanaian people on their successful and generally peaceful elections,” the statement read. Touray extended his congratulations to John Mahama on his victory and commended Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia for his prompt concession. “The president equally commends Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia for his timely concession, which demonstrates his statesmanship and love for country,” the statement added. As Mahama prepares to assume office, both President Tinubu and ECOWAS expressed optimism about the future of Ghana and its role in fostering regional cooperation and stability. Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate Now

President-elect Donald Trump is naming the former U.S. Border Patrol chief pushed out by the Biden administration to lead the Customs and Border Protection, which monitors hundreds of ways to enter the country. Trump's CBP nominee Rodney Scott is a 29-year border-enforcement veteran who clashed with President Joe Biden's team on how best to tackle illegal immigration and other border-related matters. He was asked to leave his Border Patrol position within the first six months of Biden taking office in 2021. Scott's return signals how seriously Trump is taking his ambitious immigration and border security agenda, which includes launching a mass deportation effort within his first 100 days. As the border patrol chief during Trump's first tenure as president, Scott helped implement the Remain in Mexico Policy , Title 42 and Safe Third Country agreements. The president-elect said he was "thrilled" to bring Scott back to public service. Customs and Border Protection has more than 60,000 federal employees, which makes it one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country. It carries the responsibility of inspecting roughly 300 ports of entry, such as airports, seaports and land borders. That will be a significant role in Trump's returning administration should he keep his pledge to impose strict tariffs on foreign countries such as Canada, Mexico and China. Trump has unveiled a host of other appointments as part of his immigration crackdown featuring well-known hardliners such as Caleb Vitello, an assistant director for firearms and tactical programs as acting director of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement; Tony Salisbury as deputy homeland security adviser; and Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, to be ambassador to Chile. Heather Gonzalez, vice president of American Families United Vice President, a liberal-leaning immigration reform group , said Friday the nominations, "signal a dangerous commitment to continuing and even escalating" policies that could lead to family separation. "We reject any attempt to further criminalize immigrants, vilify them and break up families for political gain," Gonzalez said. "The nominees' track records suggest they will not work to protect the values of family unity and justice that are foundational to our nation. Instead, their leadership will only deepen the wounds inflicted on communities already living in fear and uncertainty." But South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who has been plucked to be Trump's head of the Department of Homeland Security, praised Scott and Vitello's selection in a social media post Friday, welcoming both to the team. "Together, we will Make America Safe Again," Noem said in a post on Truth Social. Contributing: Josh Meyer

TORONTO — Canadian Western Bank says it has delayed the release of its fourth quarter financial results without saying why. The bank, which was scheduled to release results Friday, says it will instead put them out in mid-December. CWB's shares fell almost 12 per cent in morning trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange and was still down almost five per cent by mid-afternoon. National Bank is currently working to buy CWB in a deal that's expected to close by the end of 2025. The takeover has shareholder and Competition Bureau approval, but still requires the go-ahead from Canada's banking regulator and the finance minister. The bank on Friday declared it had raised its quarterly dividend by three per cent from the previous quarter to 36 cents. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:CWB) The Canadian PressNominations Open for 2025 Defense IT Summit Flywheel AwardsMicrosoft announces quarterly dividend