ATLANTA — The first half of the SEC Championship game between powerhouses Texas and Georgia featured 9 total points – six for the Horns and three for the Bulldogs. At halftime, Texas had more penalties than points, something Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned as he was heading off to the locker room after the first two quarters. When asked by ESPN’s sideline reporter how Texas cleans some of that up, Sark didn’t mince words, suggesting things haven’t quite been called down the middle. “Well, hopefully they call them for holding one of these times, too,” Sark said. That was followed by a couple seconds of awkward silence before Sarkisian headed off. In the first half, Texas was penalized eight times for 80 yards. Georgia had two penalties for 19 yards. Texas’ offense was moving the ball in the first half, but failed to get into the end zone. Quarterback Quinn Ewers was 16 of 25 for 228 yards. RELATED: Who is Georgia's backup QB? Here's who entered the game for an injured Carson BeckWhat did you Google in 2024? From the elections to Copa América, here’s what search trends showWashington — Tech leaders and companies are shelling out big bucks to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, as they prepare for the next four years of a Trump White House. Amazon, run by billionaire Jeff Bezos, intends to donate $1 million to the president-elect's inaugural fund and will stream the ceremony on Prime, amounting to another $1 million in-kind donation, according to a source familiar with the donations. The Wall Street Journal first reported Amazon's plans. Mark Zuckerberg's Meta , the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also plans to send $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump's inaugural fund, according to an OpenAI spokesperson. Fox News Digital first reported Altman's intended donation. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement. Elon Musk , the world's richest man and CEO of X, Tesla and SpaceX, has become a regular presence by Trump's side at Mar-a-Lago, and spent $277 million to help get Trump elected. CBS News has also reached out to Reddit, as well as major corporations who have donated to inaugural funds in the past, including Walmart, Home Depot and Target, for information about their plans. According to a source at Google, the company donated $285,000 to Biden's inaugural fund four years ago. Google has not announced plans, so far, to donate to Trump's. The Information , a tech news site, and The Wall Street Journal reported that Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, had plans to meet with Trump. Tech company CEOs have been going to see Trump at Mar-a-Lago after years of watching his tone and stance change, or at least soften, after in-person meetings. Trump told CNBC in a Thursday interview that Bezos would visit him "next week." Bezos also owns the Washington Post, which declined to endorse a candidate in this year's presidential election, breaking with the paper's past precedent. "Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election," Bezos wrote at the time. Trump's relationship with social media and tech companies has, in the past, been tenuous if not downright hostile. During Trump's first term in the White House, he frequently blasted Bezos and Amazon, accusing the company of "doing great damage" to retailers and hurting "towns, cities and states throughout the U.S." He's insisted that Amazon should pay more for U.S. Postal Service deliveries. But Trump has dialed back his public hostility toward the company, and Bezos — who previously said Trump's treatment of Hillary Clinton in 2016 and refusal to accept the election results in 2020 "erodes our democracy around the edges" — has softened, too. Speaking at a New York Times DealBook Summit recently, Bezos said he's "very optimistic" about a second Trump term. "What I've seen so far is he is calmer than he was the first time and more settled," Bezos said. "You've probably grown in the last eight years. He has, too." Both X (which was called Twitter at the time) and Facebook prohibited Trump from posting to their platforms after hundreds of Trump supporters assaulted the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump did little to try to stop them. Musk reinstated Trump's X account in November 2022 after taking over the company, although Trump has largely posted to his own social media platform, Truth Social. Facebook and Instagram restored Trump's accounts in early 2023. Tech CEOs weren't so eager to donate to Trump's first inaugural committee after his 2016 victory. For Trump's 2017 inauguration , which raised an eye-popping $107 million, his biggest donors were largely affiliated with sports teams, casinos, venture capital firms and banks. His most generous donor, at $5 million, was the late Las Vegas Sands founder Sheldon Adelson, who died in 2021. But, other than GoDaddy.com founder Bob Parsons, the leaders of big-name tech companies weren't giving $1 million to Trump the first time around. Trump's inaugural committee, officially known as the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, Inc., is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) entity that's responsible for planning inaugural events, and can accept limitless donations. Trump allies former Sen. Kelly Loeffler and investor Steve Witkoff are the committee's co-chairs. When he announced his inaugural committee and co-chairs, Trump said the committee will "honor" the "magnificent victory" he and his team had to kick off his administration. Inaugural committees add the pomp and circumstance to an inauguration, but not at taxpayers' expense. They also offer a way for donors to curry favor with an incoming administration. Donors who give $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee can expect not only tickets but face-time with the incoming president and vice president, as well as Cabinet officials. A president-elect's inaugural committee is different from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, established by Congress, which is underwritten by taxpayers. The congressional committee, composed of members of both parties, plans and carries out the swearing-in ceremony, as well as an inaugural luncheon for the president and vice president at the Capitol. The presidential committee is responsible for all events other than those taking place at the Capitol. Only about $3.7 million was appropriated for the committee for the 2025 inauguration, according to the Congressional Research Service , but taxpayers will be spending more than that. The conservative National Taxpayers Union Foundation estimated that the 2021 inauguration, not counting the security lockdown following the Jan. 6 Capitol assault, cost at least $73 million. Libby Cathey contributed to this report. Elon Musk Amazon Mark Zuckerberg Jeff Bezos Donald Trump Presidential Inauguration Meta Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.It's been five years since the devastation of the bushfires. or signup to continue reading There were no parts of the east coast left untouched by the terrifying fires of 2019 and 2020, which raged on for months and months as drought and record temperatures combined to create a perfect storm. Communities were wiped out, habitats were lost and major cities were choked by an unbearable smoke haze. Thirty-three people lost their lives, 24 million hectares were razed, more than 3000 homes were destroyed and nearly 3 billion animals were killed or displaced. Bushfires have always been a part of the Australian landscape but Black Summer was truly unprecedented, as noted by , prompted by the fires. "Every state and territory suffered to some extent. The fires did not respect state borders or local government boundaries. On some days, extreme conditions drove a fire behaviour that was impossible to control," the royal commission's report said. Worryingly, the royal commission has warned such events are likely to be repeated in the future and may even be more severe. "A future where such events will, regrettably, be more frequent and more severe. Consecutive and compounding natural disasters will place increasing stress on existing emergency management arrangements," the commission's report said. In the summers since the 2019/20 bushfires, the weather across the east coast has not reached the blistering heights of that dreadful summer. There has been a lot more rain over this time and many parts of the east coast are not in drought like they were during that summer. But authorities are warning against complacency because while the conditions might not be the same as Black Summer, the threat remains present. Every season AFAC, the national council for fire and emergency services in Australia and New Zealand, releases an outlook on the bushfire risk. The damaging Black Summer bushfires were foreshadowed in fire season outlooks in 2019. That year, rainfall was very much below average over most of the continent, and it was the second-driest year since rainfall records began in 1990. Most of the east coast of Australia had above-normal fire potential. These forecasts turned out to be right, with very few areas left unaffected by the fires. AFAC chief executive Rob Webb said in the lead-up to the Black Summer bushfires, there had been a dry summer in 2018-19 followed by a very dry winter. He said the fires started much earlier than anticipated and had settled into the landscape. "Heading into Christmas of Black Summer, there were already fires in the landscape... and once they're in those remote areas until it rains they can't get around them," he said. "There's not the same dryness in the vegetation over such a wide area ... when the vegetation is really dry it means when lightning strikes in there, once the fire goes it will go more rapidly so it's harder to get around." NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Rob Rogers reflected on the five-year anniversary of the fires. He sent out a message on the anniversary of the deaths of NSW RFS volunteers from the Horsley Park Brigade who were killed while fighting the fires. "The Black Summer bushfires tested us in ways we could never have imagined," Commissioner Rogers said. "We saw unprecedented fire behaviour, destruction and loss, but we also witnessed the extraordinary dedication of our members and the support of people from across Australia and the world. "We remember our fallen colleagues with deep sadness and pride. Their sacrifices remind us of the importance of the work we do and why we all must remain vigilant and prepared as we face future fire seasons." For the 2024-25 summer seasons, most of the east coast has an average risk of bushfire for the summer. However, there are parts of central northern and central southern NSW at an increased risk. This includes an area west of Griffith and north of Dubbo and Cobar. A lot of Victoria is at risk, including the Mornington Peninsula and south-west Gippsland. A massive blaze has already engulfed ranges at the time of writing. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast both a warmer-than-average and wetter-than-average across most of the country. But the bushfire seasonal outlook warns that fires can occur anywhere. "Communities are encouraged to be vigilant and stay alert this summer even if in areas of Australia showing normal risk of fire as catastrophic fires can still occur during normal bushfire seasons," the outlook said. Mr Webb said a fire could wreak havoc in one afternoon if the weather allowed for it. "The important thing with any of these outlooks and it's a really challenging story to tell around preparedness, is that we know a normal fire season in Australia still gets fires," he said. "It doesn't take too much when you've got 45 degrees and lots of strong wings to get a fire going. It may not be as strong as it would be with bone-dry vegetation, but it will still go." It is a message shared by the head of the . "The last four years we've been very lucky since the 2019/20 season where that was our last real danger period. We've had wet seasons since," ACT Rural Fire Service chief officer Rohan Scott said. "When we say average fire conditions, that means we are still going to get fires [but] they're not going to be the fires we had in 19/20 due to the state of the fuel." Mr Webb said one of the most vital things going into any fire season was the ability for states to share and coordinate resources. He said this had become more streamlined over recent years. "The resources to train, the ability to share... that is one of the things that is absolutely vital that we're going to have to rely on in future years," he said. The Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Arrangements made a series of recommendations around national coordination in responding to natural disasters. It found a national approach was needed and Australians expected , despite states and territories holding primary responsibility for emergency management. "Achieving an effective national approach to natural disasters requires a clear, robust and accountable system capable of both providing a comprehensive understanding of, and responding to, the aggregated risks associated with mitigation, preparation for, response to and recovery from natural disasters," the report said. "Unprecedented is not a reason to be unprepared. We need to be prepared for the future." Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . Advertisement
An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition
A musician who spent the last three Christmas periods in hospital on her own due to Crohn’s disease is hoping to “re-write the story” to avoid a fourth December admission this year. Kirsten Parry, 29, an assistant director of music at a secondary school who lives in Ash, Surrey, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease – an autoimmune, lifelong condition where parts of the gut become swollen, inflamed and ulcerated – in June 2021. She noticed a change in bowel habits and her symptoms included abdominal pain, nausea, a loss of appetite and weight loss – and at her worst, she said she was having “accidents” and going to the toilet more than 20 times a day. Read more: Mum whose son was born premature praises support from the “incredible” staff in the neonatal unit Read more: ‘This might be my last Christmas – the thought my baby son might not remember me is heartbreaking’ She has spent the last three Christmas periods in hospital due to picking up infections which have “triggered Crohn’s flares” – and she said each admission has been “lonely” and “scary”. This year, although Kirsten has a “fear of sickness” during the winter period, she is hoping to avoid a fourth hospital admission over the festive period and wants to create “positive stories of Christmas”. Kirsten told PA Real Life: “Everyone seems to have so much energy and excitement at this time of year and I just don’t have that anymore. “I just keep getting these memories and intrusive thoughts of this time a year ago, and whenever I go into the bathroom, I think, this is where I was lying on the floor, screaming. “What I’m trying to do this Christmas is almost re-write it and think, well, I’m going to change the narrative this year and hope that I don’t have to go into hospital. “But also, I’m going to create so many positive memories, so that next year I’ve got positive stories of Christmas.” According to the charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Crohn’s disease is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) where parts of the gut become swollen, inflamed and ulcerated. Crohn’s is a lifelong condition and, currently, there is no cure – but medicines, surgery, or a combination of both can help keep symptoms under control. For Kirsten, she explained that she had “never had a medical condition in (her) life” up until her Crohn’s disease diagnosis in June 2021. Although she said there is not yet “solid evidence to connect the two”, she believes her symptoms started after she contracted Covid-19 in December 2020. “I started teaching in school again – this is January 2021 – but the children weren’t in school, I was teaching from my computer,” she said. “I remember having to set them off on a task, turn my camera and microphone off, run to the toilet, come back, set them on another task, run to the toilet, come back.” Kirsten said her symptoms included sharp abdominal pain, nausea, a loss of appetite, weight loss and diarrhoea, and she was going to the toilet with “urgency” around 10 times a day at this point. However, she believed these “distressing tummy symptoms” were related to the “stress and anxiety” of her job during the Covid-19 pandemic – and she did not book a GP appointment until her friend encouraged her to do so. After a blood test and two stool samples, it was revealed Kirsten’s faecal calprotectin levels – an inflammatory marker – were “abnormal” and she was referred to the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford. Following her referral appointment in April, Kirsten said she had a colonoscopy and an MRI scan, which led to her official Crohn’s disease diagnosis on June 24 2021. “Doctors and nurses said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s showing up as mild, so we should be able to sort this out with minimal medication’,” she said. “Apart from being a bit anaemic, I’ve never had anything wrong with me, so I was upset and confused.” Kirsten was prescribed the first of several medications, including Pentasa, followed by steroids such as Budesonide, but her faecal calprotectin levels continued to rise. She said she started having “accidents” and her symptoms worsened in “a debilitating way”. During an appointment with her consultant in August 2021, aged 25, she said she broke down in tears, feeling “mortified”, and thought: “I shouldn’t be having to change my underwear halfway through the day.” Although Kirsten’s scans showed her Crohn’s disease as being mild, she said her faecal calprotectin levels were still “through the roof” during follow-up appointments. She then developed “an unknown infection”, which led to sepsis, followed by Clostridioides difficile – a highly contagious bacterial infection – and she was hospitalised in December 2021. She said she was not allowed any visitors and, due to the condition being contagious, she could not leave her hospital room unless she needed to have an X-ray and she could only wash herself at the sink. “I started getting these new gastro symptoms, so I started passing blood,” she said. “I was bleeding and passing things that I’ve never seen before, including the lining of my colon.” Kirsten was discharged on Christmas Eve but, due to being “very thin and very weak” and living away from her family, she spent Christmas Day sleeping on the sofa at her friend’s house. During the following week, she said she started having “accidents during the night” and her inflammatory markers were “sky-high”, leading her to have a capsule endoscopy – a small capsule that takes pictures as it travels along your gut. She said this revealed her Crohn’s was, in fact, severe, not mild, and she had “ulceration everywhere” in her small bowel. Kirsten was then given a nasogastric (NG) tube to feed herself with a liquid diet for three months and she was prescribed the medication Infliximab, which has been a “game-changer”. Although this medication has helped alleviate her symptoms, she said she constantly thinks about three things: toilets, food and germs; during her day-to-day life, which is “exhausting”. “I would say I have an intrusive, anxious thought relating to either immunosuppression or Crohn’s probably every minute,” she said. “My head feels like it’s exploding sometimes.” Kirsten said her Crohn’s has led to six hospital admissions in total since her diagnosis – including during the Christmas periods in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, she was admitted due to an infection, which then triggered a Crohn’s flare and, in 2023, she was admitted with acute gastroenteritis – a condition that causes diarrhoea and vomiting. She said she has been able to manage her Crohn’s with regular check-ups and medications, and she is learning to base her thoughts and actions on “evidence”, rather than anxiety, as this can exacerbate her symptoms. She wants to encourage others to advocate for themselves and “trust (their) own instincts” when it comes to their health – and to enjoy Christmas this year, she is planning to “do something nice each day”, such as going for walks and meeting up with friends. Speaking about her advice to others, Kirsten said: “It’s only embarrassing if you let it be embarrassing.
Lebawit Lily Girma | (TNS) Bloomberg News When winter rolls around, travelers predictably turn their attention to beaches. And this year, it’s the destination that comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean” that’s experiencing outsize demand from Americans planning a warm island vacation. Talk about trashing stereotypes. Puerto Rico has recovered overseas visitors (excluding those from Canada and Mexico) faster than any U.S. state or territory — a staggering 85% increase over its 2019 overseas inbound visitor levels as of 2023, according to an October study from the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office. There are now more daily flights from the U.S. West Coast, and hotel bookings are 6% higher so far in this last quarter of 2024 year-over-year. It’s a trifecta of tourism growth: more visitors, but also longer stays and a higher spend that reached a record $9.8 billion in 2023, boosting small businesses as well as major brands. “We don’t have a slow season in Puerto Rico anymore,” says Brad Dean, chief executive officer at Discover Puerto Rico. Even if they’re not booking, people are dreaming about “La Isla.” By tracking flight searches for trips between November 2024 and February 2025, a measure of “inspirational” demand, tourism intelligence company Mabrian Technologies reports Puerto Rico is up 9% compared with the same period last year and leads Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas in the Caribbean proper. Only Costa Rica ranked higher in the wider region. Dean attributes Puerto Rico’s ongoing tourism growth to a strategic effort to reposition the island’s brand as more than a sun-and-sea destination, starting back in 2018. That led to the Live Boricua campaign, which began in 2022 and leaned heavily on culture, history and cuisine and was, Dean says, “a pretty bold departure” in the way Puerto Rico was showcased to travelers. He adds that at least $2 billion in tourism spend is linked to this campaign. “We (also) haven’t shied away from actively embracing the LGBTQ+ community, and that has opened up Puerto Rico to audiences that may not have considered the Caribbean before,” Dean says. Hotels are preparing to meet this growing demand: A number of established boutique properties are undergoing upgrades valued between $4 million and more than $50 million, including Hotel El Convento; La Concha, which will join the Marriott Autograph Collection; Condado Vanderbilt Hotel; and the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. That’s in addition to ultra-chic options that are coming online in 2025, including the adults-only Alma San Juan, with rooms overlooking Plaza Colón in the heart of Old San Juan, and the five-star Veranó boutique hotel in San Juan’s trendy Santurce neighborhood. The beachfront Ritz-Carlton San Juan in Isla Verde will also be reopening seven years after Hurricane Maria decimated the island. The travel industry’s success is helping boost employment on the island, to the tune of 101,000 leisure and hospitality jobs as of September 2024, a 26% increase over pre-pandemic levels, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Efforts to promote Puerto Rico’s provinces beyond the San Juan metro area — such as surfing hub Rincón on the west coast, historical Ponce on the south coast and Orocovis for nature and coffee haciendas in the central mountains —have spread the demand to small businesses previously ignored by the travel industry. Take Sheila Osorio, who leads workshops on Afro-Puerto Rican bomba music and dance at Taller Nzambi, in the town of Loíza, 15 miles east of San Juan; or Wanda Otero, founder of cheese-producing company Vaca Negra in Hatillo, an hour’s drive west of Old San Juan, where you can join a cheese-making workshop and indulge in artisanal cheese tastings. “The list of businesses involved in tourism has gone from 650 in 2018 to 6,100, many of which are artists and artisans,” Dean says. While New Yorkers and Miami residents have always been the largest visitor demographic, Dean says more mainland Americans now realize that going to Puerto Rico means passport-free travel to enjoy beaches, as well as opportunities to dine in Michelin-rated restaurants, hike the only rainforest in the U.S. and kayak in a bioluminescent bay. Visitors from Chicago and Dallas, for example, have increased by approximately 40% from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, compared with the same period in 2022-2023, and more travelers are expected from Denver now that United Airlines Holdings Inc. has kicked off its first nonstop service to San Juan, beginning on Oct. 29. Previously, beach destinations that were easy to reach on direct flights from Denver included Mexico, Belize and California, but now Puerto Rico joins that list with a 5.5-hour nonstop route that cuts more than two hours from the next-best option. Given United Airlines’ hub in San Francisco, it could mean more travelers from the Golden State in the near future, too. In December, U.S. airlines will have 3,000 more seats per day to the territory compared with the same period last year, for a total of 84,731 — surpassing even Mexico and the Dominican Republic in air capacity, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the island’s primary gateway, is projecting a record volume of 13 million passengers by year’s end — far surpassing the 9.4 million it saw in 2019. As for Hinchcliffe’s “floating island of garbage” line, Dean says it was “a terribly insensitive attempt at humor” that transformed outrage into a marketing silver lining, with an outpouring of positive public sentiment and content on Puerto Rico all over social media. Success, as that old chestnut goes, may be the best revenge. “It was probably the most efficient influencer campaign we’ve ever had,” Dean says, “a groundswell of visitors who posted their photos and videos and said, ‘This is the Puerto Rico that I know.’” ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
ROME, Ga. — A motorist was killed as police responded to a bomb threat at the Georgia home of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, authorities said. A police officer on the local bomb squad was traveling to the scene when he collided with another car on Monday, Rome police said in a statement. Greene identified the woman killed as Tammie Pickelsimer. The emailed threat — which warned of a pipe bomb in Greene’s mailbox and referenced Palestine — was sent to the assistant police chief. That touched off the police response, Greene said on social media. The source of the email was traced to a Russian internet address, she added. It was the latest instance of a crime known as “swatting” in which false threats are made to draw first responders to her home, Greene said. She said it has happened to her at least nine times. “These violent political threats have fatal consequences,” Greene said on the social media platform X, calling the crime a “despicable act.” “The perpetrator of this crime has committed murder in our small community of Rome, Georgia,” she added. The police officer was driving his personal vehicle to join the bomb squad on the call, police said. The officer was injured in the wreck, but the extent of his injuries was not immediately known Tuesday. “I’m sick to my stomach, but I’m also angry,” Greene said. “This should have never happened and I pray it never happens again.”
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size At the beginning of the year, we looked to our correspondents for tips of what to expect around the world in 2024. Among them was hope for change for millions of people who were to vote in elections in 50 countries. At least in the United States, that change turned out to be more of the same. Among the surprises, however, there was the end of a dynasty in Syria and the beginning of another in Indonesia. Here are some of the biggest stories of the past 12 months: Europe If 1992 was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s annus horribilis , then it’s hard to know how she’d have ranked this year for Britain ’s royal family. In January, her son and successor, Charles III, put out a rather benign statement that he would attend hospital the following week for a “corrective procedure” on his enlarged prostate . King Charles, Princess Catherine and Princess Charlotte at the Trooping of the Colours in June. Credit: Getty Images The statement was made shortly after it was revealed his daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, was expected to be in hospital for 10 to 14 days after undergoing abdominal surgery. Advertisement Things would snowball from there. Weeks later, the King would announce he had been diagnosed with cancer. Catherine’s recovery was kept under wraps until the rumour mill went into overdrive . A family photo was released, and it was a disaster. Even more questions were asked. Suddenly came an announcement: she, too, had cancer . Neither have been given the all-clear but have returned to light duties. Charles joined with Queen Camilla for a royal visit to Australia. But his relationships with son Harry and brother Andrew have continued to plague him. Australian-born Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark. Credit: Steen Evald Our own Princess Mary, was crowned Queen of Denmark in January after her mother-in-law, Margrethe, stepped down to make way for her son, Frederik. Two decades on from Mary’s fairytale wedding, she waved to the crowds in Copenhagen as the sovereign’s wife. Rumours have swirled about her marriage, too , and the Danish royals showed it ain’t just the Brits who have their problems. But 2024 was the year of the election. In Britain, Labor was swept to power after 14 years of Conservative rule, with Keir Starmer moving into 10 Downing Street in a landslide victory. Within weeks, however, his popularity would start to tumble in a string of scandals and misjudgments. Loading In the European Union elections, success by right-wing populist movements delivered a major shock across the continent. Germany ’s far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) was jubilant after beating Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left SPD to second place in the European Parliament elections with 16 per cent. Advertisement His problems at home reached a peak in December when he lost a confidence vote. In France , the EU results triggered an electoral earthquake. President Emmanuel Macron called a bombshell snap parliamentary election after his party was resoundingly defeated by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally. That result left the country without a clear winner but one clear loser: Macron. He continues to struggle to grasp any real power. But it was another story in France that shocked the nation and the world. Seventy-two-year-old grandmother Gisele Pelicot bravely retold the horrors done to her by her husband of 50 years and his 50 accomplices , to stop rape from being swept under the carpet. Gisele Pelicot exits the Avignon courthouse, in southern France, after all the men accused along with her husband of raping her were found guilty. Credit: AP In Georgia, mass protests were sparked by the government’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the EU and push back on Russian influence. In the end, a pro-Russia former Manchester City footballer, Mikheil Kavelashvili, became president . An election in Romania was also plagued by interference , with the result annulled and voters to go back to the polls next year. In May, Slovakia ’s Prime Minister Robert Fico survived a “politically motivated” assassination attempt, during which he was shot five times. He recovered and is one of many populists slowly diluting Europe’s unity towards Ukraine and against Russia . Advertisement Another blow for that cause was Austria ’s far-right Freedom Party, as they celebrated an unprecedented election victory. Its leader, Herbert Kickl , aligned himself closely with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his self-styled “illiberal democracy”. Kickl had also spoken of becoming Volkskanzler (people’s chancellor), which for some Austrians carries echoes of the term used to describe Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. Loading War continues in Ukraine after almost three years. Where and when it ends, no one knows. Children are struggling with the turmoil . President Volodymyr Zelensky has laid out a plan for peace. It’s likely many will die before that happens. Russia’ s Vladimir Putin is scrambling to conquer as much territory as possible before those peace talks begin. Last month, Russia captured an area the size of London while suffering its highest casualty rates of the war. – Rob Harris, Europe correspondent North Asia This year, China continued its re-engagement strategy with Australia, and finally agreed to remove the remaining trade restrictions on the live lobster trade and two beef exporters, ending the $20 billion of economic sanctions slapped on Australian industries during the Morrison government. Advertisement China lifted its import ban on Australian lobsters. Credit: Joe Armao Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers was the first Australian treasurer to visit China in seven years when he went to Beijing in September. His trip tapped into ongoing concerns about China’s struggling economy and the flow-on impact on Australia. Loading But the rapprochement has not dimmed security concerns posed by China’s increasingly aggressive tactics in the Indo-Pacific, which included confrontations with Australian naval forces and repeated clashes with Filipino vessels in the South China Sea this year that heightened fears of sparking a full-blown conflict. In the face of a drumbeat of negativity from economic analysts and investors, Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to reverse course in the second half of the year and began pursuing stimulus measures aimed at pumping money and confidence into his beleaguered housing sector. Taiwan inaugurated new president William Lai in May, drawing the ire of Beijing, which regards him as a “dangerous separatist” and responded by launching a round of war drills encircling the island. A second round of drills in October piled pressure onto Taiwan’s stretched defence systems. Japan ’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stepped down in September as his government slid to record low approval ratings. His replacement Shigeru Ishiba’s gamble in calling a snap election proved costly, leaving the governing Liberal Democratic Party scrambling to form a minority government. Advertisement In November, Hong Kong jailed Australian Gordon Ng and 44 other pro-democracy protesters on subversion charges under its Beijing-led national security crackdown, in a case that drew international condemnation for its perceived silencing of political dissent. It also reignited the debate about the role of Australian judges serving in Hong Kong’s top court . And in December, South Korea virtually imploded under President Yoon Suk Yeol who misread his electorate and fellow politicians, and declared martial law as a political manoeuvre, only to have to retract it when he was overruled by parliament . Having been impeached , he now awaits a court decision to confirm the parliamentary move. Members of the national federation of farmers, known as “Junnong”, and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, with effigies of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) and his wife, Kim Keon-hee. Credit: AP The year closed with the future of the Sino-American relationship, and hence global stability, facing a new era of uncertainty under the incoming second presidency of Donald Trump. Trump’s appointment of China hawks Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz to key administration positions, and his pledged to impose 60 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports , has set the stage for more turbulence between the two nations. – Lisa Visentin, North Asia correspondent South-East Asia After two failed attempts against Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto finally realised his decades-long dream of becoming president of Indonesia . Widodo was constitutionally barred from running for a third term, so when his sniffing around for ways to run again went nowhere, the president and Prabowo teamed up for some win-win. Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto (right) and his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, (Joko Widodo’s son) at a post-election party. TikTok helped the strongman dance his way to the presidential palace. Credit: AP Prabowo, the former son-in-law of late autocrat Suharto, enlisted Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to be his vice presidential running mate. Widodo then turned his back on his own party and threw his considerable political and popular weight behind his former enemy. Never mind his dodgy human rights track record as a military strongman, Prabowo won the February elections in a canter. After backroom deals with self-interested politicians and parties in the months leading up to October’s inauguration, the 73-year-old now sits atop a massive coalition, troubling democracy watchers. Singapore changed prime ministers for the first time in 20 years. Credit: iStock Singapore , too, underwent a rare change of boss . Lee Hsien Loong stepped down in May after 20 years as prime minister, handing the reins to his deputy, Lawrence Wong. Wong inherited a middle power punching way above its weight division, a stable and wealthy nation in a region of regular upheaval. He is an erudite statesman and seems eminently capable, but he has shown little interest in loosening the government’s tight grip on free expression. Thailand’s leadership transition, meanwhile, was a bin fire. Srettha Thavisin was tossed out by order of the dubious court system , which many Thais and observers consider a big-time cog in the self-serving military and royalist establishment. Pita Limjaroenrat’s Move Forward Party won the most votes in the 2023 election but was blocked from forming government by an unelected senate. Amid the chaos, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of controversial and once-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, became prime minister. Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte’s hatred for her boss , President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, crossed into the unhinged. In October, she warned “Bong Bong” she would dig up his old man’s bones and throw them into the sea. Last month, she told the press of her done deal with an assassin to have the president killed if she was killed first. She really said this. Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte’s death threat was taken seriously, though she later tried to walk back the remarks. Credit: AP The feud is unfolding amid investigations into Duterte’s alleged misuse of funds and her dad’s bloody “war on drugs”. It is not a great time for toxic politics in the Philippines, which is clashing almost weekly with China in the West Philippine Sea. In Vietnam , which has its own claims to the South China Sea, To Lam inherited the job of Communist Party secretary-general after 80-year-old statesman Nguyen Phu Trong died in July . In his 12 years at the top (not to mention nearly three decades in the Politburo), Trong significantly reduced poverty rates, strengthened ties with the United States and implemented a fierce anti-corruption drive dubbed the “blazing furnace”. As is often the case in South-East Asia, and Communist regimes more broadly, he also preferred his dissenters in jail. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet inspects an honour guard during a visit to Malaysia. The prime minister’s family retains control of many senior roles in the Cambodian government. Credit: AP Meanwhile, those who hoped Cambodian leader Hun Manet’s considerable Western education might yield democratic changes were sorely disappointed in his first full year as prime minister . He was gifted the job by his ruthless and ageing father Hun Sen, who still pulls strings, only now as president of the Senate. If anything, the intimidation of opposition and arrests of protesters have only increased. The most high-profile arrest was journalist Mech Dara, whose reporting touched on the businesses of Ly Yong Phat, a senator, tycoon and Hun Sen adviser, who was sanctioned by the US in September . Dara was bailed several weeks after his October arrest after a coerced public apology, a typical ploy of the Huns’ regime that they think demonstrates their beneficence. Myanmar , a nation with so much economic potential, continued to suffer repeated wrecking by military men. Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, still holds onto power through force despite serious losses to myriad armed opposition groups. ASEAN, a wet lettuce leaf among regional blocs, has been unable to bring the general to heel. Underscoring the complexity of this multi-front civil war, one of the worst atrocities came at the hands of a group fighting the junta, when the Arakan Army slaughtered hundreds of innocent Rohingya Muslims near the border of Bangladesh in August. In recent weeks, however, two major armed rebel groups – Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and ally the Ta’ang National Liberation Army – signalled they were ready for peace talks. Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones died after a suspected mass drink poisoning. The most tragic case closer to Australia in South East Asia was the methanol poisoning of backpackers in Laos in November, Australian 19-year-olds Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles among them. Several hostel staff have been detained , and investigations continue. – Zach Hope, South-East Asia correspondent South Asia The biggest election ever staged delivered a shock result in India . Ahead of the national poll, concluded on June 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to romp home. But once the 642 million ballots were counted his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost a swag of seats , he needed to rely on other parties to control parliament. Modi has dominated Indian politics for the past decade, but now faces a more uncertain era of coalition government. Elsewhere on the subcontinent, 2024 was marked by political turmoil. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP won power in 2014. This year, he was expected to romp it in, but his party lost many seats, complicating his rule. Credit: AP In Bangladesh , Sheikh Hasina, prime minister for 20 of the past 28 years, was driven out by a vast display of people power on the streets of the capital city, Dhaka. After she made a dramatic escape to neighbouring India on August 5, her government was replaced by military-backed caretaker regime led by Muhammad Yunus , an 84-year-old Nobel Laureate, economist and social entrepreneur. Yunus has the difficult task of building consensus for much-needed reforms and staging a fair election. There was political change in Sri Lanka as well when the little-known former Marxist, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, emerged the surprise winner in a presidential election held in September. The country continues to grapple with the aftermath of a debilitating financial crisis in 2022. In Pakistan, the incarceration of cricket great and former prime minister Imran Khan continues to roil politics and society. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), did surprisingly well in February elections and his supporters have since staged huge and sometime violent protests demanding his release. – Matt Wade, former India correspondent Middle East The power dynamics in the Middle East were dramatically reshaped this year, with Israel on the ascendancy and its bitter rival, Iran , substantially weakened. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in May, and things only got worse from there for the hard-line rulers in Tehran. Israel and Iran traded missile fire at several points throughout the year, setting off fears of an all-out regional war. Thanks to Israel’s Iron Dome system and support from Western nations, the Iranian strikes caused minimal damage, while Iran’s missile-production capability was crippled. After the monumental intelligence failure of last year’s October 7 attacks, the Jewish state regrouped and achieved some significant strategic victories. The Israeli military assassinated the mastermind of the October 7 attacks, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar , in Gaza and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. After a year of tit-for-tat fighting on its border with Lebanon, Israel escalated the fight against Hezbollah. This began with the shock September pager and walkie-talkie attacks against the Iranian proxy group and culminated in a ground invasion and air strikes on Lebanon. It ended on favourable terms for Israel, with Lebanese civilians paying a heavy price for a conflict many did not want to be involved in. Israeli bombardment and ground invasions have left vast areas of Gaza in ruins. Credit: Getty Images Meanwhile, the devastating war in Gaza continues and there is still no clear vision for what will come when it is over. Almost 45,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war and over 100 Israeli hostages still remain in Gaza. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, reflecting widespread international horror at the war. At home, though, Netanyahu’s popularity has been creeping up. In the most surprising development of all, Syria ’s President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime was swept from power in a matter of days in December. A defaced portrait of Bashar al-Assad inside the presidential palace. Credit: Nicole Tung/The New York Times Syrian rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took advantage of Assad’s key allies – Russia and Iran – being distracted by fighting elsewhere and stormed into Damascus with remarkable ease. This has injected new uncertainty into the region, with Iran again the loser after losing a crucial ally in Assad. By contrast, Turkey ’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is emboldened and empowered after backing the rebel forces. – Matthew Knott, Foreign Affairs correspondent North America This year was meant to culminate in an election rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. But after imploding on a debate stage in June, the United States ’ oldest president was forced to withdraw his bid for a second term, setting in motion one of the most extraordinary political comebacks in history. Donald Trump celebrates his victory flanked by daughter-in-law Lara Trump (left) and his wife, Melania. Credit: AP While Biden’s decision to pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris upended the trajectory of the 2024 campaign and sparked fresh enthusiasm among voters, it was not enough to dent the anger millions of Americans felt over soaring cost-of-living pressures or immigration. In a victory so resounding even some Republicans were shocked, Trump not only won all seven battleground states, he also narrowly secured the popular vote and helped Republicans take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It was a remarkable turnaround for a former president who began the year facing 91 charges and four criminal trials: one in Washington for trying to subvert the 2020 election; one in Georgia for election interference in that state; another in Florida for mishandling classified documents; and one in New York for falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal with a porn star . In the end, only the New York “hush money” trial would eventuate, resulting in Trump becoming the first convicted felon to run for the White House. A US Supreme Court decision to grant presidents substantial immunity for acts conducted in office helped him thwart all the other trials. Trump’s ascendancy was also fuelled by an attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania – an event that shocked the world, reignited the debate over political violence, and created one of the most iconic images in political history. Assassination attempt: A defiant Trump raises a fist to the crowd after his right ear was nicked by a sniper’s bullet in July. Credit: AP Two months later came another assassination plot – this time by a lone gunman hiding in the bushes of his golfing resort in West Palm Beach, Florida. In other North America news, environmental scientist Claudia Sheinbaum was elected Mexico ’s first female president; the war in Gaza sparked student uprisings at elite universities across the US; and Taylor Swift continued her global dominance, concluding her 149-show Eras Tour in Canada after becoming the most-awarded artist in VMA history. – Farrah Tomazin, North America correspondent South America Interest in South America rose briefly in Australian minds last month owing to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Lima, Peru , for the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation annual summit, overshadowed by incoming US president Donald Trump’s economic agenda. Albanese then went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for this year’s G20. Neither gathering produced groundbreaking deals , except to serve as further demonstration of China’s continued geopolitical wins and deepening ties in the region where it has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (front, second from right), holds hands with China’s Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Take the new $5.6 billion port President Xi Jinping – who arrived pushing for an “orderly multipolar world” – inaugurated in Chancay, north of Lima. The intended continental logistics hub creates a direct route between Asia and South America across the Pacific Ocean. Apart from allowing Beijing to look beyond Australia and Asia for imports such as iron ore, wine and soybeans, the port could also, says the US, be used as a foothold by Chinese military ships in the Americas . China’s influence in the region could also extend to ground stations for Chinese satellites. In Brazil, former president Jair Bolsonaro was indicted along with 36 others in a failed coup to reverse the last election and overthrow the government of President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in a US Capitol-inspired takeover of Congress in 2022. He denies the charges, which add to his long list of legal woes. Lula, 79, had emergency brain surgery to relieve bleeding but was back to work in a few days. In Argentina, the election of right-wing Trump-like disruptor and cloned-dog owner President Javier Milei provided some relief to the US, after Milei declared a preference for traditional Western alliances to the alternative BRICS – the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group that has evolved to admit myriad other countries, and hopes to launch an alternative trade currency to the US dollar. Argentinian President Javier Milei at home with his cloned mastiff puppies. Credit: Marcelo Dubini/Caras via The New York Times In Venezuela, new elections returned President Nicolas Maduro to power, but no one believed the results, which the opposition said were stolen and the UN human rights watchdog is investigating. The crisis-torn country was also in the headlines owing to campaign-mode Trump blaming “Venezuelan gangs” for rampant crime in the US. In December, prominent human rights lawyer Claudio Grossman quit the International Criminal Court in The Hague over what he said was its failure to prosecute members of Maduro’s government for crimes against humanity. In early December, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay , Paraguay and Bolivia , under the bloc Mercosur , signed a blockbuster free trade deal with the European Union. If ratified, it will create one of the world’s largest free trade zones, covering a market of 780 million people. But in France, the Netherlands and other countries with big dairy and beef industries, critics say it will create unfair competition. – Lia Timson, Deputy World Editor Oceania In New Zealand , the year started with a large “unity meeting” convened by Maori King Tuheitia to discuss action against changes proposed by the new coalition government of Prime Minister Chris Luxon, including the watering down of policies previously designed to elevate Maori language and recognition. Tuheitia said the Treaty of Waitangi was not open for reinterpretation. Tuheitia died in August , with King Charles leading the tributes, saying “a mighty tree has fallen”. His daughter, 27-year-old Nga Wai Hono i te Po Paki , was chosen by a council of 12 male elders to succeed him, over her two older brothers, although the crown is not automatically inherited. Tensions over the government’s “race-based” changes, and the introduction of a bill to reinterpret the treaty, spilt over when thousands participated in a seven-day march that ended in parliament , where Maori MPs interrupted proceedings with a haka that made headlines around the world. France declared a state of emergency in its Pacific territory, New Caledonia , in May after an electoral reform approved in Paris triggered protests and the death of three indigenous Kanak and a police official . It sent hundreds of police to help stem the riots, including soldiers to secure the port and airports, which were closed, trapping tourists on the otherwise idyllic islands . Macron then followed with a visit but was criticised as being out of touch . His government later blamed Azerbaijan and Russia for causing the chaos and stoking separatism . Continuing its efforts to keep Papua New Guinea closer to Australia than to China, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese headed to PNG and along with Prime Minister James Marape, did a two-day Kokoda hike, complete with birthday cake for his counterpart . It was all part of Anzac commemorations and soft diplomacy, which continues with the inclusion of a PNG rugby team in the NRL , helped along by $600 million from Australian taxpayers over 10 years . And a devastating earthquake struck Vanuatu in later December, causing many deaths, hundreds of injuries and crippling the nation’s electricity, water and communications systems. – Lia Timson, Deputy World Editor Prime ministers Anthony Albanese and James Marape take a selfie after the Anzac Day dawn service at the Isurava memorial site on the Kokoda Track in PNG. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer Africa In South Africa , Nelson Mandela’s party ANC lost its parliamentary majority 30 years after the vote that ended apartheid and brought it to power. President Cyril Ramaphosa managed to retain his job after a coalition deal with the country’s second-biggest party, the Democratic Alliance. In Kenya, the discovery of footprints near a lake added to evidence that two human species lived side-by-side 1.5 million years ago, in a closing reminder that humans are capable of getting along. with agencies Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here .
FACT CHECK: Video Claims To Show New Syrian Government FightingMMBL-Pathfinder Group has entered into a strategic partnership with HCLTech, a leading global technology company, to introduce innovative IT training programs in Sri Lanka. This collaboration is set to be a game-changer, with the newly established Pathfinder EdTech Institute at its core, aimed at creating a skilled workforce ready for the digital age. With a Mapping the Future of Tech Education this patronship is set to transform IT upskilling in Sri Lanka by delivering world class, Employment focused training programs through the career Shaper platform. and also designed to seamlessly connect academic learning with industry requirements. By incorporating HCLTech’s acclaimed training methods, expertly curated curriculum and state-of-the-art tech tools, this initiative promises to equip individuals with practical, job-ready skills. The official lunch of the Pathfinder EdTech was held on Thursday 19th December at the Taj Samudra. Waruna Sri Dhanapala act. Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy was the guest of honour of the event. Srimathi Shivashankar The program will debut with two training centers in Colombo and Jaffna, with plans to expand across the country. The first courses will cover essential topics such as Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, with more subjects to follow. The blended learning approach will combine tech-driven coursework, hands-on projects and internship opportunities, offering participants a comprehensive and immersive educational experience. “Our collaboration with MMBL-Pathfinder Group reinforces HCLTech’s commitment to empowering communities through transformative education. By bringing Career Shaper to Sri Lanka, we aim to nurture a generation of IT professionals ready to lead in the global digital economy,” said Srimathi Shivashankar, CVP and Global Head of EdTech, HCLTech. This initiative aligns with HCLTech’s vision of enabling accessible, high-quality tech education worldwide. Operating in over 59 countries, the company is a global leader in workforce transformation, leveraging emerging technologies to create impactful career pathways. Pathfinder EdTech Institute’s launch underscores Sri Lanka’s potential as a future hub for IT innovation. This partnership is poised to address the growing demand for skilled professionals in the country, contributing to its aspirations of becoming a regional leader in digital excellence. “By investing in Sri Lanka’s talent, we are not just advancing education but also creating opportunities for economic growth and innovation,” said Balasundaram, Director/Chief Executive Officer, MMBL- Pathfinder Group of Companies. HCLTech has significantly expanded its presence in Sri Lanka since entering the market in 2020. The company opened its largest facility in 2021 at the Cinnamon Life complex, Colombo, underscoring its commitment to making Sri Lanka a global IT services delivery hub, providing services in digital applications, system integration, product development and infrastructure management.
How To Watch NZ vs ENG 3rd Test 2024 Day 1 Free Live Streaming Online? Get Free Telecast Details of New Zealand vs England Match on TVMilestone deal for DAZN's position as the global home of sport. This acquisition establishes DAZN's sports platform in Australia , one of the world's most attractive sports markets. Foxtel Group will leverage DAZN's global reach, industry-leading technology and extensive content portfolio to further enhance the viewing experience for Australian sports fans. LONDON , NEW YORK , and SYDNEY , Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DAZN , a world-leading sports entertainment platform, has today announced an agreement to acquire Foxtel Group (' Foxtel ') from its majority shareholder News Corp and minority shareholder Telstra at an enterprise value of US$2.2 billion , subject to regulatory approval. The acquisition establishes DAZN as a leader in sports entertainment in Australia – a highly attractive sports market – while also expanding DAZN's global footprint and enhancing the group's standing as the global home of sport. The addition of Foxtel to DAZN brings the Group's pro-forma revenues towards US$6 billion and provides the additional content, expertise, and expansion opportunities to accelerate DAZN's growth trajectory. Foxtel is one of Australia's leading media companies, with 4.7 million subscribers, who will benefit from DAZN's extensive portfolio of sports content, platform technology, and global reach. From its beginnings as Australia's original pay-TV innovator, Foxtel has evolved to become a digital and streaming leader in sports and entertainment and the proposed transaction positions Foxtel for continued expansion as a digital-first, streaming-focused business. Foxtel will maintain its local character, led by the CEO, Patrick Delany , and his world-class management team. DAZN, a sports streaming platform with a truly global reach, is committed to growing the global audience for domestic Australian sports across the 200 territories in which it is available. Under the terms of the transaction, News Corp and Telstra will become minority shareholders in DAZN, enabling them to retain an interest in Foxtel. Shay Segev , Chief Executive Officer of DAZN, said: "Australians watch more sport than any other country in the world, which makes this deal an incredibly exciting opportunity for DAZN to enter a key market, marking another step in our long-term strategy to become the global home of sport. Foxtel is a successful business that has undergone a remarkable digital transformation in recent years, and we are confident that our global reach and relentless pursuit of innovation will continue to drive the business forward and ensure long-term success. "We are committed to supporting and investing in Foxtel's television and streaming services, across both sports and entertainment, using our world-leading technology to further enhance the viewing experience for customers. We are also committed to using our global reach to export Australia's most popular sports to new markets around the world, and we will continue to promote women's and under-represented sports. "We're looking forward to working closely with Patrick Delany and his team, as well as News Corp and Telstra as shareholders in DAZN, to realise our ambitious vision for the future of sport entertainment." Siobhan McKenna , the Chairman of Foxtel , said the agreement with DAZN was international recognition of the transformation of Foxtel from an incumbent pay TV operator to a sports and entertainment digital and streaming leader. "Over the last seven years the Foxtel team, with the strong support of News, have achieved an extraordinary turnaround in an intensely competitive environment." Foxtel Group CEO, Patrick Delany , said: "Today's announcement is a natural evolution for the Foxtel Group, having reinvented the company over the past five years as Australia's most dynamic technology-led streaming company. "Kayo and Foxtel provide Australian sports fans with access to the best Australian and international sport and shows, including AFL, NRL and Cricket with 4.7 million subscribers. "We are excited by DAZN's commitment to the Australian market. They are experts in the sports media business and can play a significant role in supporting Foxtel as the business grows its streaming capabilities, bringing a bigger and better service to customers across entertainment, news and sport. They are a perfect match for us as we look toward this next era of growth. "We have been grateful for the support of News Corp while we reimagined the future of Foxtel. In 2019, when we merged Foxtel and Fox Sports we had many people questioning our future. "After launching Kayo later in 2019 and BINGE in 2020, today we are the largest Australian-based streamer of sport and entertainment, we have stabilised our Foxtel base and launched Hubbl to help consumers find all the streamed content they love all in one place. This wouldn't have been possible without the support and encouragement of News Corp." NOTES TO EDITORS About DAZN As a world-leading sports entertainment platform, DAZN streams over 90,000 live events annually and is available in more than 200 markets worldwide. DAZN is the home of European football, women's football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL internationally. The platform features the biggest sports and leagues from around the world – Bundesliga, Serie A, LALIGA, Ligue 1, Formula 1, NBA, Moto GP, and many more including the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. DAZN is transforming the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, play, buy, and connect. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. DAZN partners with leading pay-TV operators, ISPs and Telcos worldwide to maximise sports exposure to a broad audience. Its partners include Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Sky, Movistar, Telenet, Vodafone, and many more. DAZN is a global, privately-owned company, founded in 2016, with more than 3,000 employees. The Group generated $3.2bn in revenue in 2023, having grown its annual revenues by over 50% on average from 2020 to 2023, through diverse revenue streams comprising subscriptions, advertising, sponsorship, and transactional. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit www.dazngroup.com . About Foxtel The Foxtel Group is one of Australia's leading media companies with 4.7 million subscribers. Its businesses include subscription television, streaming, sports production and advertising. The Foxtel Group is owned 65% by News Corp and 35% by Telstra. The Foxtel Group's diversified business includes Fox Sports, Australia's leading sports production company, famous for live sports and shows with the best commentators and personalities. It is also the home of local and global entertainment content and continues to be the partner of choice for the widest range of sports and international content providers based on established, long-term relationships, growing streaming audiences, and position as the largest Australian-based subscription television company. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dazn-advances-global-expansion-with-acquisition-of-foxtel-a-leading-australian-sports-and-entertainment-media-group-302337994.html SOURCE DAZNArt that flows between the rivers and into the sea
LA Galaxy strike early, hold off New York Red Bulls, 2-1, to win their record sixth MLS Cup championshipWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — If last month’s election wasn’t painful enough for Florida Democrats, they’re losing another state House seat after one of their members announced Monday that she’s switching parties. State Rep. Susan Valdés, a former school board member who was reelected as a Democrat last month, said on X that she is “tired of being the party of protesting.” Valdés ran to be chairperson for her local county’s Democratic executive committee earlier this month. She won her current term by nearly 5 percentage points but can’t run for reelection again because of term limits. Republicans have controlled the governor’s office and both branches of the Legislature since 1999. Valdés is serving her final two years before leaving office due to term limits. Republicans now have an 86-34 majority in the House. “I got into politics to be part of the party of progress,” Valdés wrote. “I know that I won’t agree with my fellow Republican House members on every issue, but I know that in their caucus, I will be welcomed and treated with respect.” House Speaker Daniel Perez reposted Valdés’ statement and welcomed her into the House, where Republicans have a supermajority of 86-34. House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said she was surprised and disappointed by Valdés’ announcement. “It is sad that she has elevated her own aspirations above the needs of her district,” Driskell wrote in a statement on X.
Trump Vows To Build More Monuments And People Have Thoughts