z ye
Cher on the Humor and Heartbreak of Her Extraordinary New MemoirBright Horizons Family Solutions ( NYSE:BFAM – Get Free Report ) was upgraded by analysts at Robert W. Baird from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report issued on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm presently has a $140.00 price target on the stock. Robert W. Baird’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 23.81% from the company’s previous close. Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on BFAM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Bright Horizons Family Solutions from $137.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Bright Horizons Family Solutions from $125.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 30th. UBS Group upped their target price on Bright Horizons Family Solutions from $145.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Bright Horizons Family Solutions from $142.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Bright Horizons Family Solutions from $114.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Bright Horizons Family Solutions has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.50. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on BFAM Bright Horizons Family Solutions Stock Up 1.8 % Bright Horizons Family Solutions ( NYSE:BFAM – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $719.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $713.16 million. Bright Horizons Family Solutions had a net margin of 4.44% and a return on equity of 13.23%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.78 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Bright Horizons Family Solutions will post 3 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Activity at Bright Horizons Family Solutions In related news, COO Mary Lou Burke sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.94, for a total value of $109,552.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 31,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,248,563.50. This represents a 2.51 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . 1.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Bright Horizons Family Solutions Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BFAM. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of Bright Horizons Family Solutions by 15.4% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,181,050 shares of the company’s stock worth $445,761,000 after purchasing an additional 423,456 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new stake in Bright Horizons Family Solutions during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,995,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Bright Horizons Family Solutions by 64.1% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 570,423 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,792,000 after acquiring an additional 222,823 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in shares of Bright Horizons Family Solutions by 174.0% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 344,397 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,260,000 after acquiring an additional 218,707 shares during the period. Finally, TimesSquare Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bright Horizons Family Solutions in the third quarter worth $13,639,000. Bright Horizons Family Solutions Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc provides early education and childcare, back-up care, educational advisory, and other workplace solutions services for employers and families in the United States, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, and India. The company operates in three segments: Full Service Center-Based Child Care, Back-Up Care, and Educational Advisory and Other Services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Bright Horizons Family Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bright Horizons Family Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
NoneTravis Hunter named AP player of the yearCOP29, the United Nations annual climate alarmism summit, ended in overtime this weekend with an agreement in which wealthy countries are obligated to invest $300 billion a year into “climate finance” for the next decade — outraging environmental activists who dismissed the sums as laughably small. The $300 billion agreement was $50 billion more than the wealthier participants were proposing as of Friday, when the summit was expected to end. Nonetheless, some extreme climate activists hoped to see commitments of as much as $1 trillion in wealth redistribution from richer states to “developing” countries, to be invested in mitigating the effects of alleged climate change. The parties agreed to the extra $50 billion after climate agitators pilloried the proposed $250 billion in public statements last week. “The proposed target to mobilise $250 billion per year by 2035 is totally unacceptable and inadequate to delivering the Paris Agreement,” Amb Ali Mohamed, Kenya’s Special Envoy for chair of the African Group of Negotiators, told leftist British newspaper the Guardian . “$250 billion will lead to unacceptable loss of life in Africa and around the world, and imperils the future of our world.” “This latest draft text on the New Collective Quantified Goal is not just a joke – it’s an insult to the billions of people in the Global South living on the frontline of the climate crisis,” the head of the Climate Action Network International, Tasneem Essop, reportedly said . “The $250 billion per year in public finance is peanuts, doubling a failed $100 billion goal instead of addressing real needs.” Reports from the inside of the event, hosted by fossil fuel giant Azerbaijan, described a “bitter,” exasperated, and ultimately disappointed contingent of activists. Bloomberg, reporting on site, offered dramatic details including several countries walking out of talks at some point and conference rooms running out of food, leaving diplomats irritated. The COP events – formally the “Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)” – are annual meetings in which party nations agree to commitments intended to combat the alleged climate crisis. The meetings have become increasingly contentious as the United Nations has offered hosting duties to nations with a vested interest in boosting the fossil fuel industry. Last year’ COP28 host was the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which gave the presidency of the event to the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber. This year, the president of host Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, opened COP29 by declaring oil and natural gas a “gift from God” and stating , “countries should not be blamed for having them, and should not be blamed for bringing these resources to the market, because the market needs them.” The main negotiation priority of COP29 was replacing the current commitment by “developed states” to invest $100 billion a year in climate financing, which expires in 2025. The negotiators agreed to a deal that tripled that investment. “Also included in the agreement was a broader goal of raising $1.3 trillion in climate finance annually by 2035,” the German outlet Deutsche Welle reported. “This would include funding from both public and private sources, which economists say matches the sum needed every year to address global warming.” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared himself disappointed with the presumably low funding commitments in remarks concluding the summit this weekend. “Developing countries swamped by debt, pummelled by disasters, and left behind in the renewables revolution, are in desperate need of funds,” he claimed. “An agreement at COP29 was absolutely essential to keep the 1.5 degree limit alive. And countries have delivered.” “I had hoped for a more ambitious outcome – on both finance and mitigation – to meet the great challenge we face,” he lamented, adding, “But this agreement provides a base on which to build.” Guterres scolded countries to rapidly act to pool money in response to the deal: “Commitments must quickly become cash. All countries must come together to ensure the top-end of this new goal is met.” The agreement, Bloomberg observed , did not clarify exactly where that money should go. “Going forward, contributions to multilateral lenders such as the World Bank from India, China and other developing countries will count, potentially paring what’s expected from rich nations,” the outlet explained. “It’s also still unclear just what counts as climate finance, a problem even under the prior agreement to provide $100 billion annually.” As “climate finance” could be in the form of loans with interest, they could become lucrative options for wealthy nations and disempower the poor, heavily indebted countries that the financing is intended to help, alarming many in the environmental movement. Bloomberg described the parties negotiating the deal as hungry, “bitter,” and despairing. “Delegates streaming out of the final session painted a mostly bleak picture of the result. Few negotiators counted themselves happy, and many more described a bitter taste left in their mouths,” the outlet detailed. One group of countries walked out of the talks entirely, though they did ultimately return to the negotiating table and accept the $300 billion deal, “mere billions instead of the more than $1 trillion per year that had been sought.” The wealthiest states at COP29 also appeared to leave disheartened after failing to add the world’s worst polluting state, China, as well as fossil fuel giants Saudi Arabia and the UAE to the group of countries expected to contribute towards the $300 billion. Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.
Savion Williams rushed for two touchdowns and Josh Hoover threw for 252 yards as TCU pulled away from Arizona in the second half, winning 49-28 on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. The Horned Frogs (7-4, 5-3 Big 12) scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions, starting late in the first half after the Wildcats (4-7, 2-6) pulled within 14-13. Williams carried nine times for 80 yards, scoring on runs of 1 and 20 yards in the first half. Hoover completed 19 of 26 passes, with one touchdown and one interception, before being pulled midway through the fourth quarter when the Frogs were up by 21. TCU took control after leading 21-13 at halftime, going up 35-13 on a 38-yard reception to JP Richardson midway through the third. Arizona kept its hopes alive, ending a 15-play, 75-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hunter on fourth down on the first play of the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion made it 35-21. But the Horned Frogs responded with another TD drive, capped by a 6-yard run by Cam Cook for a 42-21 advantage. Arizona added a 70-yard fumble return touchdown with one minute to go for the game's final score. Tetairoa McMillan caught nine passes for 115 yards to become the Arizona career leader in receiving yardage with 3,355. He surpassed his receivers coach, Bobby Wade (3,351), at the top spot. The Wildcats' Noah Fifita completed 29 of 44 passes for 284 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, which happened on the game's first snap. TCU promptly scored on a 4-yard run by Trent Battle, and Williams added a 1-yard TD run late in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead. But the Wildcats fought back, getting a 17-yard touchdown reception by Hunter and field goals of 53 and 43 yards from Tyler Loop to climb within 14-13 with 1:55 go before halftime. That's almost how the half ended, but the Horned Frogs converted third-and-18 on the ensuing drive and then gained 24 yards on third-and-25 to the Arizona 20. That set up a 20-yard run by Williams on fourth-and-1 with 13 seconds left for a 21-13 lead. --Field Level Media
Leicester could be snubbed by Graham Potter for a THIRD time as they begin search to replace sacked Steve Cooper, with two former Man United managers on their radar Steve Cooper was sacked on Sunday after managing just 15 games for Leicester Three managers have been earmarked to succeed the Welshman at the helm Liverpool correspondent LEWIS STEELE tells all on bombshell chat with Mo Salah - LISTEN NOW to It's All Kicking Off! New episodes every Monday and Thursday By TOM COLLOMOSSE and SAMI MOKBEL Published: 23:08, 25 November 2024 | Updated: 23:13, 25 November 2024 e-mail View comments Leicester have begun sounding out potential replacements for Steve Cooper with the club still hopeful they will have his successor in charge for Saturday’s match at Brentford . The Foxes are expected to make progress in their search on Tuesday, with the players due to resume training after 48 hours off. Coach Ben Dawson was due to lead the session as director of football Jon Rudkin attempts to appoint a permanent boss. David Moyes is thought to be among the names Leicester were keen to sound out, although it is unclear whether the former Everton and West Ham boss would want the job, given he would surely be a contender to return to Goodison Park if Sean Dyche fails to improve results. Mail Sport understands Leicester put out feelers to Graham Potter on Sunday night though yet again, Potter is thought to have been unconvinced. Potter was approached by Leicester after they sacked Brendan Rodgers 18 months ago, and after Enzo Maresca left for Chelsea at the end of last season. Steve Cooper was sacked after a 2-1 loss to Chelsea, amid a run of four games without a win David Moyes left West Ham in May after declining to enter negotiations over a new contract Graham Potter has not managed a club since April 2023, when he was sacked by Chelsea Ruud van Nistelrooy has been a manager since 2021 and has permanently managed two clubs Potter was reluctant to commit himself on both occasions and the signs are that he may swerve it a third time. That would leave former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who put himself forward for the job last summer. Van Nistelrooy impressed during his brief period in charge of United, between the sacking of Erik ten Hag and the appointment of Ruben Amorim. But it would be a gamble to appoint a coach who has such little Premier League experience. Leicester Ruud van Nistelrooy Graham Potter Share or comment on this article: Leicester could be snubbed by Graham Potter for a THIRD time as they begin search to replace sacked Steve Cooper, with two former Man United managers on their radar e-mail Add commentPresident-elect Donald Trump on Monday held a wide-ranging news conference in which he said he would preserve access to the polio vaccine but equivocated on other vaccines, pledged to look at bringing down the costs of pharmaceuticals and expressed doubts that his daughter-in-law might be Florida's next senator. Trump held forth for over an hour, the first time he took questions from reporters since winning the election. The event harkens back to his long-winding news conferences from his first term and is a stark contrast from President Joe Biden , who doesn't often take questions from reporters. Here's a look at some of what he touched on: Trump defended his choice for health secretary, prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , but said he personally is a “big believer” in the polio vaccine and would preserve access to it. “You’re not going to lose the polio vaccine," he said. “That’s not going to happen.” Over the weekend, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, spoke out in defense of the polio vaccine after a recent report disclosed that one of Kennedy's advisers filed a petition to revoke approval for the polio vaccine in 2022. Kennedy has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Trump seemed to question whether there’s a link, saying “We’re looking to find out,” and remarked on the rising cases of autism being diagnosed. “There’s something wrong, and we’re going to find out about it,” he said. There are no blood or biological tests for autism; instead, a doctor bases the diagnosis on a child’s behavior. While the autism diagnosis has been available for at least 80 years, the definition gradually expanded to include milder cases, which are more common. A study last year found that about a quarter of kids with autism — about 110,000 in the U.S. — have the most severe version of the developmental disability, which has left them unable to speak or with an IQ below 50 or both. Of Kennedy, “He’s going to be much less radical than you would think," he said. "I think he’s got a very open mind, or I wouldn’t have put him there.” Trump described a dinner he had this month with Kennedy; Dr. Mehmet Oz , a celebrity heart surgeon turned talk show host and lifestyle guru whom he's tapped to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and top pharmaceutical executives in which they discussed drug prices. Trump heaped praise on the companies — the same ones that Kennedy has routinely argued profit off of Americans unfairly — but said the high cost of health care was a focus of their dinner. “What came out of that meeting is that we’re paying far too much,” Trump said. Trump also hit pharmaceutical benefits managers, calling them “horrible middlemen” who drive up the cost of drugs. Pharmaceutical companies have been aggressively lobbying Congress to restrict the role of pharmaceutical benefit managers, which help health insurance companies’ biggest clients decide how and what prescription drugs will be covered in their insurance plans. “I don’t know who these middlemen are, but they are rich as hell," Trump said. The press conference was Trump’s most extensive public appearance since his victory six weeks ago — a rare absence from the public stage for the former reality star. But it also underscored how even while president-elect, Trump has seized the spotlight from Biden, who still has a month left on his term in office. Biden has not held a press conference in months and has had a limited public schedule. While Trump was addressing some of the top-of-mind issues of the day -- including sightings of drones flying over the Northeast -- Biden himself has been silent, leaving it to aides to try to calm the public. Trump seemed skeptical that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would appoint his daughter-in-law to be a Florida senator, taking the seat held by Marco Rubio, who has been nominated for secretary of state. Asked whether he expected DeSantis to name Lara Trump to replace Rubio, Trump said, “I probably don’t, but I don’t know.” Trump recently spoke with DeSantis at a memorial for Florida law enforcement officers. Trump's allies have been pushing DeSantis to nominate Lara Trump, who is married to Trump's son, Eric, and served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee this year. “Ron’s doing a good job with his choice," Trump said, without elaborating. He lavished praise on Lara Trump, including for her work at the RNC, where part of her duties involved focusing on “election integrity,” a priority of Trump's after he falsely claimed fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Trump indicated he would look at intervening in the potential ban of TikTok in the U.S. The popular social media platform must cut ties with its China-based parent company or be banned by mid-January under a federal law. He didn't offer specifics, but Trump credited the platform with helping him win the election. His campaign saw it as a bridge to reach younger, less politically engaged voters, particularly when clips circulated showing him with celebrities at UFC fights. “We’ll take a look at TikTok,” he said. “You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok." Trump tried to ban TikTok during his first term but changed his mind and pledged to “save” TikTok. Once he takes office, his Justice Department would be tasked with enforcing the new federal law against TikTok. Trump on Monday was meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at his Mar-a-Lago club, according to two people familiar with the president-elect’s plans who were not authorized to speak publicly about them and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Trump noted the differences between the first time he was to take office eight years ago and today, saying executives now want to meet with him. He said they were “hostile” back then. “Everybody was fighting me,” he said about his first term. “This term, everybody wants to be my friend. I don’t know. My personality changed or something.” While he left office in 2021 ostracized and angry, Trump has had a stunning turnaround leading to his election win. Last week, he was honored by being named Time magazine’s Person of the Year and ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. His meeting with the TikTok executive was part of a string of meetings he's had with Silicon Valley billionaires and other technology leaders since becoming president-elect. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai have all flown to Trump's club to meet with him. He revealed Monday that he had also met with Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will meet with him this week, Trump said. “We have a lot of great executives coming in — the top executives, the top bankers, they’re all calling," he said. "It’s like a complete opposite from the first one.” With multiple wars going on, Trump has sought to insert himself back on the world stage. He said he is working to get Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza to be released and had a “very good talk” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But on Monday he seemed to buffer expectations about his promise to solve the Russia-Ukraine war even before taking office, describing the conflict as a “tough one” and a “nasty one." “We are trying to get that war stopped, that horrible, horrible war” he said. “It’s a tough one. It’s a nasty one. It’s nasty. People are being killed at levels that nobody’s ever seen.” Russia's invasion of Ukraine is Europe’s biggest armed conflict since World War II and has cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides. Trump declined to say whether he's spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin since winning the election. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris this month when he visited for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. Trump's incoming press secretary has said that Trump invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other world leaders to his Jan. 20 inauguration, but Trump said Monday that Zelenskyy was not among them. “If he'd like to come, I'd like to have him," Trump said. Trump said Xi has not yet said whether he is coming. He described the Chinese leader as “a friend of mine” and “an amazing guy” but acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected their relationship. “It was a bridge too far for me,” he said. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Amanda Seitz in Washington and Colleen Long in Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.Trump says he's a 'believer' in polio vaccine, and other news conference takeaways
Samsung Biologics listed among top most sustainable companies in Dow Jones Sustainability World IndexVirtually no dentists in England are now taking on new NHS patients. A Mirror investigation suggests 96% of dental practices are not accepting new adult patients - despite a rule change wrongly indicating more were taking people on. Our Reach data unit analysed more than 6,500 practices on the NHS "Find a Dentist " website and found 4,800, or 73%, are not currently accepting new adult patients. One in 10 constituencies in England did not have a single NHS dentist accepting new adult patients. A joint Mirror investigation with the British Dental Association then contacted a sample of 100 practices which were listed as accepting new adult patients “when availability allows”. It revealed 84 of these are actually not currently accepting new NHS patients. One stated its waiting list was “at least ten years”. Taken together this suggests 96% of practices are not taking new adult NHS patients. BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said: "The information on the NHS website was redesigned to give cover to the last Government. But until the new Government keep their promises, millions will face long hours on the phone, struggling to access care." The Health Select Committee has labelled the NHS dental payment contract “not fit for purpose”. It pays dentists the same amount for three fillings as 20, and claws back vital funds from dentistry when practices miss targets. Along with huge real-terms cuts to the dentistry budget the payment contract has led to many dentists going private. The Tories’ unveiled a so-called "recovery plan" before the General Election before admitting it would not reform the contract or come with any additional funding. The BDA claimed it was designed to kick the issue of dentistry into the long grass. Just weeks later it published posters on social media promoting the plan, claiming nearly 500 more practices across England had started accepting new adult patients as of April 8. However this was because on April 2 the definition of access on the NHS Find a Dentist website was changed from just a yes/no answer, with the caveat added asking whether they were accepting new NHS patients “when availability allows”. Those who cannot get NHS appointments are largely reliant on expensive private care with rural and coastal areas some of the worst affected. See which dentists are accepting NHS patients in your area using our interactive map: The BDA said: “This status effectively measures whether practices ‘want’ to take on new patients, not if they actually can at this time.” The professional body says this approach gives patients “false hope” when in reality in the vast majority of cases they have no chance of an actual appointment. Our new analysis of the Find a Dentist website showed children are also struggling to get an NHS dentist. As of November 18 some 62% of NHS dentists on the site were not accepting children aged 17 or under. It suggests 43 constituencies don’t have a single practice accepting new child patients. For adult patients 53 constituencies with a combined adult population of 4.8 million people without any available NHS dentists at all. Mr Crouch added: “Every week I speak to MPs reporting how deep the crisis in NHS dentistry goes. There are votes to be won and lost here, and constituents are looking for action. If this ends up as another line on a pledge card at the next General Election there simply won’t be a service left to save.”
Husker Report Card: Grading Nebraska's performance against Wisconsin
China has launched a new AI Experts Committee to influence artificial intelligence’s global development and governance as part of its broader strategy. The committee was announced during the four-day World Internet Conference, also known as the Wuzhen Summit, held in Zhejiang province, China. The AI Experts Committee will be led by Wang Jian, founder of Alibaba Group Holding BABA Alibaba Cloud, who was named chief expert, SCMP reports . Also Read: Alibaba Reshapes E-Commerce Operations, Names Jiang Fan as Unit CEO The committee includes approximately 170 specialists, featuring prominent figures such as British computer scientist Wendy Hall, Vienna University of Technology professor Schahram Dustdar and Chinese-American scientist Zhang Ya-qin of Tsinghua University. Representatives from U.S. firms, including chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices, Inc . AMD , are also members. The committee aims to enhance international collaboration and promote China’s perspective on responsible AI governance. This initiative mirrors Beijing’s approach to influencing global standards, similar to its efforts in shaping 4G and 5G mobile technologies. Panel discussions at the Wuzhen Summit focused on AI innovation, governance, and its potential to empower productivity across industries. At the summit, Eddie Wu Yongming, CEO of Alibaba Group Holding, emphasized AI could transform productivity across various sectors, forming what he described as a “superintelligent body.” Meanwhile, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun shared plans to launch an intelligent-driving application by year-end, aligning with the company’s “All in AI” strategy. Ant Group CEO Eric Jing Xiandong underscored AI’s potential for personalization in services while emphasizing responsible risk management. The formation of this committee highlights China’s commitment to taking a leading role in global AI governance, even as it faces trade restrictions from the U.S. government. This effort aligns with Beijing’s broader ambitions to remain competitive in advanced technologies. China has been actively involved in boosting its AI semiconductor base after the U.S. imposed sanctions on advanced AI chip exports to the country, restricting it from advanced technologies from companies like NVIDIA Corp NVDA and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSM . Also Read: Alibaba’s Monetization Strategy Gains Momentum, But GMV Growth Lags: Analyst Photo: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
THE car’s glovebox is opened and hidden switches are flicked, then a magnet is placed next to the steering wheel, causing the front seats to rise upwards. The movement reveals a secret storage hole beneath, which stretches under the footwell. But this modified family car is not something from a James Bond film, but a smuggler’s vehicle, crafted to transport millions of pounds-worth of Class A drugs across the English Channel for sale on our streets. It is a sight all too familiar to Britain’s Border Force staff, who are encountering increasingly sophisticated ways of hiding drugs, cash, illegal cigarettes, guns and even people. Border Force invited The Sun behind the scenes at the Port of Dover to see for ourselves the daily battles its staff face to keep our streets safe. The agency’s South East Regional Director David Smith said: “We’re always broadening our techniques to make sure we stay one step ahead of the smugglers. READ MORE ON DRUG CRIME “Over the years, trends change and we’re always adapting to make sure we can find everything possible. Some of the concealments that are used to bring in illegal items are very technical.” Street value of millions But thanks to its specialists at ports across the UK, Border Force is finding more contraband than ever. The first six months of 2024 saw 92 per cent more illegal drugs intercepted, with 22,719 seizures, than in the same period in 2023. This included 19 tonnes of cocaine and 412kg of ketamine , and the force has intercepted the largest batch of pink cocaine — a drug cocktail that can contain ketamine, ecstasy, meth and crack — headed for the UK. Most read in The Sun Officers found 100kg of the new party drug hidden in a vehicle alongside 40kg of ketamine and 30kg of MDMA , or ecstasy, as it is known in tablet form. David said: “Pink cocaine can be made from various drugs, like MDMA, ecstasy and ketamine, but we’re now seeing it being mixed with some very nasty drugs including [synthetic opioids] fentanyl and nitazenes. “While it looks like a manufactured pill, you won’t know what you are getting.” The substance, which is hugely popular in drug hotspots such as Ibiza , is still relatively rare in the UK. Another smugglers’ vehicle discovered by the team was a white van with a hidden compartment under its wooden floor, which could only be opened by placing a magnet in a certain position. We’re always broadening our techniques to stay one step ahead of the smugglers. Some of the concealments that are used to bring in illegal items are very technical It was big enough to hide Class A drugs worth several million pounds. The force also seized a gas canister which sounded as if it contained liquid, and released gas when the valve was opened, but had a hollow section that could fit up to 20kg of narcotics. It was found when officers noticed wear and tear where it wasn’t expected. It is not unusual to find a mixture of drugs destined for different British gangs once they arrive on UK soil. David said: “Transporters of drugs are a bit like taxi services for gangs. “Some organised crime groups don’t have a method of transportation, and it’s usually passed to a third party who sorts it. It means that we can find products for multiple gangs in one vehicle.” In the first six months of this year Border Force also made 18,000 seizures of herbal cannabis , equalling 41 tonnes. David has been working for Border Force for more than three decades and has seen a big change in the volume of party drugs trafficked to the UK. He said: “We used to see a lot more Class B drugs but now the quantity of Class A coming in has massively increased. “In the first six months of this year we have seized 19 tonnes of cocaine, which would have a street value of £425million. Getting these drugs in is big business for gangs. “The 92 per cent increase we’ve seen compared to last year in the first six months is thanks to the dedicated officers. We have the most highly skilled officers anywhere in the world, and we work 24/7 to keep the UK safe.” Vehicles which are chosen to be searched are selected with the help of technology , plus trained officers who can “read” the drivers’ and passengers’ behaviour — and a spot of four-legged assistance. Transporters of drugs are a bit like taxi services for gangs Among those working a shift when The Sun visited was two-year-old cocker spaniel Glenn, who demonstrated how quickly the dogs in the Dover team — other cocker spaniels, some springer spaniels and a Labrador — can find drugs. It took him just seconds to identify a car boot as storing illegal substances, which he did simply by sitting down and looking at his handler. But while the dogs are not always able to sniff out the contraband, a non-indication from them does not mean a search won’t take place. The searches can be intelligence-led from tip-offs from Europol, Interpol or domestic police , and are also carried out when officers spot abnormalities and when drivers are spotted behaving strangely. The Border Force agents are determined that nothing they come across will put them off their pursuit of the smugglers, no matter how bizarre it might seem. And it doesn’t matter how disgusting the circumstances are either. Hidden in manure In a bid to avoid a search, some gangs cover their drugs in manure or grease, hoping it will hide the drugs’ smell from the dogs. We were also shown a video which demonstrated how 225kg of methamphetamines, known on the streets as meth, had been placed inside an industrial magnet and welded shut. Another showed how 16kg of cocaine had been concealed in a hidden section of a Hyundai’s boot which could only be opened using a certain set of switches. It is not just the gangs’ contraband that is targeted by the Border Force staff. They often seize their means of smuggling too, even when no drugs have been found. David said: “Sometimes we detect vehicles that have been adapted for transporting drugs or money around the UK that are destined for county lines gangs. The volume of drugs we’ve detected here and across the country this year shows that we are very good at what we do “We often have vehicles brought to us from elsewhere in the UK to search and find the concealments within them. “This is because our officers are some of the most highly trained in the world, and finding these compartments can be really tricky. “The volume of drugs we’ve detected here and across the country this year shows that we are very good at what we do. “We just want to stop the bad guys.” Seema Malhotra, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, said: “Party drugs like pink cocaine are illegal and highly dangerous. “Border Force are working around the clock to seize illegal drugs and help to keep our streets and our communities safer this Christmas party season. “Thanks to their expertise and vigilance, they are successfully intercepting these dangerous substances at our borders with increasing success. READ MORE SUN STORIES “Young people must be in no doubt about the harmful effects of the synthetic substances found in party drugs, which can often be a deadly concoction of chemicals that can have devastating consequences, ruining theirs and their loved ones’ lives. “My message to people going out over the festive people is to stay safe, and to the evil criminals lining their pockets — you will be caught and will face the full force of the law.”
An individual reported missing in the backcountry near Princeton hunkered down overnight before being found safe on Sunday, Nov. 24. The Penticton and District Search and Rescue team was called to provide mutual aid for the Princeton team after Princeton SAR spent Saturday night searching for the missing person. The conditions were reported to be dangerously cool overnight. As PenSAR's team members readied to deploy to the search in the air and on the ground, the missing person was found safe and uninjured. "Thanks to the hard work of Princeton SAR who searched all night, and the smart actions of the subject for remaining in their vehicle given the frigid temps, the search had a happy conclusion this morning," PenSAR wrote in a post to social media. The search and rescue team is warning that snow and winter conditions are now present, particularly in backcountry areas. PenSAR urges any backcountry explorers to ensure they are adequately prepared with emergency and recovery supplies, including extra food, water, warm layers and an SOS device, as well as items like tracks and chains for vehicles.