Hyderabad: The task force south zone police raided a house at Bahadurpura and arrested six people where gambling was organized. An amount of Rs. 20,930 along with playing cards were seized from them. On information, the police raided the house at Kishanbagh and found the six accused playing three card games and placing bets. The organizer was collecting a huge commission from the participants for inviting them to play the game. The six people along with the cash were handed over to Bahadurpura police station. On November 7, officials arrested 13 people including two organisers, during a midnight raid at two illegal gaming houses, seized playing cards and cash amounting to ₹1,33,990/-. The raid was conducted within the limits of Jubilee Hills and Film Nagar police stations.HCC in Lincoln enrolling students in welding classes LINCOLN — Heartland Community College in Lincoln is now enrolling students in welding classes. The program provides more opportunities for Logan County students while also maintaining the welding skills and industrial technology offerings on the main campus in Normal, according to a news release. “Welding is an in-demand career in Logan County and Heartland is excited to provide the training locally for students to enter the workforce in just four months," Heartland Community College Lincoln Director Jennifer Kirby stated in the news release. Lincoln welding classes will be held in the spring 2025 semester, beginning with an eight-week 100-level intro course. Students will be able to advance to a 200-level advanced course after the completion of the first. Students completing the two-course sequence will earn the Gas Metal Arc Welding Basics micro-certificate and will be eligible to complete the larger 16-hour Welding Skills Certificate. The Welding Skills Certificate is stackable into a larger Industrial Technology Applied Associate of Science degree. Scholarship opportunities are available for this program. For more information on welding courses or other questions, email Lincoln.Center@heartland.edu or call 217-735-1731. ‘Paw & Claus’ offers pet photos with Santa BLOOMINGTON — The Humane Society of Central Illinois is planning a holiday fundraiser this Wednesday in Bloomington. A press release from the Humane Society said it's hosting a "Paws & Claws" photo event with Santa from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Moose Lodge, 614 IAA Drive in Bloomington. The statement said Santa will be available for photos with pets. A $10 minimum donation is required, and a holiday-themed photo frame will be offered for an additional $10. Photos will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. A hot chocolate bar for people and pup cups for dogs will be available. Photography will be provided by One Klik Away Photography. The Humane Society said it's running its year-end "Home for the Holidays" fundraising campaign and has raised $40,000 of its $50,000 goal. Lil John to play at Devon in Decatur on July 25 DECATUR — Hip-hop artist Lil Jon will appear at the Devon Lakeside Amphitheater on Friday, July 25. Lil Jon is known for a number of hits that have become dance floor mainstays, including "Turn Down for What," "Snap Yo Fingers," "Get Low," "Yeah!", "Shots" and more. An opening act has not yet been announced, but will be announced Wednesday, Dec. 11, the Devon said on its Facebook page. The Lil Jon show is not part of the Devon's season tickets package. Tickets for the show will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at devonamphitheater.com . Ticket prices range from $59 for the lawn, $69 for the terrace, $79 for reserved seating and $79 for the pit. Pantagraph staff Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
King and PM honour former US president Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100
Seibert misses an extra point late as the Commanders lose their 3rd in a row, 34-26 to the Cowboys LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown, Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown, and the Cowboys pulled out a 34-26 victory Sunday that extended the Commanders’ skid to three games. Seibert was wide left on the point-after attempt following a bad snap. On the ensuing onside kick attempt, Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a touchdown as the Cowboys ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Earlier in the fourth quarter, KaVonte Turpin returned a kickoff 99 yards for a TD. Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs win at the buzzer again, topping Panthers 30-27 on Shrader's field goal CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns, Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Carolina Panthers 30-27 to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season. The Chiefs bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes. Noah Brown caught two TD passes and DeAndre Hopkins also had a touchdown catch. Bryce Young finished 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers, who had their two-game winning streak snapped. From Maui to the Caribbean, college hoops' Thanksgiving tournaments a beloved part of the sport College basketball is ready for its Thanksgiving Week closeup. The schedule is full of early season tournaments that could create buzzworthy marquee matchups. And many of those come in warm-weather locations. The Maui Invitational in Hawaii turns 40 years old this year. It opens Monday with a field that includes two-time reigning national champion and second ranked UConn. The Battle 4 Atlantis men's tournament in the Bahamas opens Wednesday. It has a field topped by No. 3 Gonzaga. There are also multiple women's events in the Bahamas featuring ranked teams, including the fourth Atlantis women's tournament. AP Top 25: Alabama, Mississippi out of top 10 and Miami, SMU are in; Oregon remains unanimous No. 1 Alabama and Mississippi tumbled out of the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll and Miami and SMU moved in following a chaotic weekend in the SEC. Oregon is No. 1 for the sixth straight week and Ohio State, Texas and Penn State held their places behind the Ducks. The shuffling begins at No. 5, where Notre Dame returned for the first time since Week 2 after beating Army for its ninth straight win. No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Tennessee each moved up two spots. Miami, SMU and Indiana round out the top 10. Thitikul finishes eagle-birdie to win CME Group Tour Championship and claim record $4M prize NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Down by two shots with two holes to play, Jeeno Thitikul knew exactly what was needed to capture the biggest prize in women’s golf history. And a eagle-birdie finish for the second straight day made it happen. Thitikul claimed the record-setting $4 million first-place check by winning the CME Group Tour Championship on Sunday. It was the biggest money prize in women’s golf history. Thitikul shot a 7-under 65 on Sunday and finished the week at 22 under, one shot ahead of Angel Yin (66). Yin had a two-shot lead walking to the 17th tee, only to wind up settling for the $1 million runner-up check. Jannik Sinner leads Italy past the Netherlands for its second consecutive Davis Cup title MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Jannik Sinner clinched Italy's second consecutive Davis Cup title and capped his breakthrough season at the top of tennis by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (2), 6-2 for a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the final of the team competition in Malaga, Spain. Matteo Berrettini won Sunday's opening singles match 6-4, 6-2 against Botic van de Zandschulp. The Italians are the first country to win the Davis Cup twice in a row since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013. The No. 1-ranked Sinner stretched his unbeaten streak in singles to 14 matches and 26 sets. Netherlands reached the Davis Cup final for the first time. Verstappen still manages to win 4th straight F1 title in one of worst seasons of his Red Bull career LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen won an unbelievable 19 races last season that included an incredible streak of 10 in a row in what would arguably go down as one of the greatest years in Formula 1 history. And yet it is this year’s eight-win season — his lowest victory total since 2020 — that Verstappen considers a career-defining campaign. Those eight wins were enough to win him a fourth consecutive F1 championship on Saturday night with his easy drive at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The championship made Verstappen only the sixth driver in F1 history to win four or more titles. Maverick McNealy birdies the last hole at Sea Island to finally become PGA Tour winner ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Maverick McNealy is finally a winner on the PGA Tour, and it took a shot he won't soon forget. McNealy was part of a four-way tie for the lead when he drilled a 6-iron to 5 feet on the final hole at Sea Island for birdie and a 68. That gave him a one-shot victory over Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria and Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton. Berger and Henrik Norlander moved into the top 125 to keep full PGA Tour cards for next year. Clanton continued to show his promise. It was his second runner-up finish and fourth top 10 this year. When Harbaugh brothers meet for 3rd time Monday, Archie Manning can relate to Jack Harbaugh EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Archie Manning can empathize with what Jack Harbaugh will be going through again on Monday night. For the first time in 11 years, the 85-year-old patriarch of the Harbaugh family has to be a neutral observer with Jim’s Los Angeles Chargers hosting John’s Baltimore Ravens in the third matchup between the coaching brothers. John Harbaugh has won the previous two matchups. Manning, more than anyone, knows the attention and conflicting emotions of these games. He had to go through it three times when his sons, quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, faced off. Jack and Jackie Harbaugh attended the first two meetings but will not be at Monday’s game. Salah double sends Liverpool 8 points clear in Premier League as United draws first game with Amorim Mohamed Salah has sent Liverpool eight points clear in the Premier League by scoring twice to help his team rally to a 3-2 win over Southampton. It was a 10th victory in 12 league games for Liverpool, which took advantage of defending champion Manchester City’s 4-0 loss at home to Tottenham on Saturday. Salah scored in the 65th and 83rd minutes. Only Manchester United’s class of 1993-94 has had a larger lead than Arne Slot’s Liverpool at this stage of a Premier League campaign. Ruben Amorim is trying to recreate those glory days and his first game in charge of United ended in a 1-1 draw at Ipswich. Marcus Rashford scored after 81 seconds for United.With Easter Sunday falling on April 20 next year, customers shared their confusion on social media after finding chocolate eggs and hot cross buns already for sale in shops including Morrisons, Tesco and Asda. One user, @Jingle1991, shared an image of Malteser Bunnies in Sainsbury’s on Christmas Eve and pointed out: “Jesus hasn’t even been born yet.” Meanwhile, Gary Evans from Margate shared a shot of Creme Eggs on display in Morrisons in Margate on Boxing Day. “I just think its crazy that everything is so superficial and meaninglessly commercial... (there’s) something quite frantic about it,” the 66-year-old told the PA news agency. No Shame.Morrisons.Easter eggs.Boxing Day. December 26th.Peace on Earth — Gary Evans (@GaryEva04679693) Joseph Robinson found Easter confectionary including Cadbury Mini Eggs, and themed Kit-Kat and Kinder Surprise products at his local Morrisons in Stoke-on-Trent on Friday evening. “It’s funny, as they’ve not even managed to shift the Christmas chocolates off the shelves yet and they’re already stocking for Easter,” the 35-year-old admin support worker told PA. “I wish that Supermarkets weren’t so blatantly consumerist-driven and would actually allow customers and staff a time to decompress during the Christmas period.” It's not even a full 2025 and you're already stocking for easter.Kindly get in the bin — Joseph (@stokegoblin) Asked if he was tempted to make a purchase, Mr Robinson added: “As a vegan it holds no appeal to me!” Mike Chalmers, a devout Christian from Chippenham, Wiltshire, was slightly less critical after spotting a display entitled: “Celebrate this Easter with Cadbury.” Easter is for life, not just for Christmas(Photo today in Morrisons!) — Mike Chalmers (@realMChalmers) “Christmas and Easter are the two centrepoints of the Christian good news story so it’s no bad thing to see the connections,” the 44-year-old said. “It’s about more than shapes of chocolate though!” Marketing consultant Andrew Wallis admitted he was surprised to see Easter eggs in the Co-op in Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire, but added it also illustrates “forward-thinking” from big businesses. Christmas isn’t even over, and Easter eggs are already on the shelves. Say what you want about it—but big brands don’t wait. They plan ahead and act fast. Are you doing the same? Your future self will thank you — andrewwallis (@andrewwallis) “It made me reflect on how big brands are always thinking ahead and planning early,” the 54-year-old from the Isle of Man, who provides marketing advice to the fitness industry, told PA. “My message to retailers would be: while planning ahead is important, it’s also essential to be mindful of consumer sentiment. “Some might feel it’s too early for seasonal products like this but others might see it as a sign of forward-thinking. “Striking the right balance is key to keeping customers happy.”
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It has taken new Michigan coach Dusty May just nine games to guide the Wolverines into the Top 25. May and the Wolverines enter the poll at No. 14 and strive to continue their strong start when they face Arkansas in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday night in New York. Michigan (8-1) has reeled off seven straight wins to crack the rankings for the first time in nearly 25 months. "All this stuff doesn't matter to me," May said of the rankings. "It does change the complexion of what we think about and things like that. Overall, I like where we are. We have guys who work well together and they put in the time." The Wolverines look to remain hot against the Razorbacks (7-2). John Calipari's first Arkansas squad has won its past two games. Calipari spent the previous 15 seasons as coach of Kentucky and claims he's excited to be in Arkansas. "I'm not bitter about anything. I'm not," Calipari said. "This is the first page of the first chapter of a new book. The timing for me and my career and my life, this is perfect. And I appreciate the fans and everybody giving me the opportunity to do that." The Razorbacks will be searching for their initial milestone victory under Calipari during their first visit to Madison Square Garden since 1997. Their losses this season are to then-No. 8 Baylor and Illinois on neutral courts. Calipari grabbed several players out of the transfer portal in the offseason, including guard Johnell Davis, one of the stars of the Florida Atlantic team that reached the 2023 Final Four. That squad was coached by May. One of the other Florida Atlantic starters was center Vladislav Goldin, who followed May to Michigan after the coach was hired in the offseason. Goldin has strung together three straight solid games, including a season-best 24 points in a 67-64 road win over then-No. 11 Wisconsin on Dec. 3. He followed that up with 20 points and a season-high 11 rebounds in Saturday's 85-83 home win over Iowa. "He's just been a guy that you can see when he's really locked in and focused there's a different level of play," said May, "and I think now he's finding that level of play." Goldin is part of a balanced attack. Roddy Gayle Jr. averages a team-best 12.2 points per game, followed by Tre Donaldson and Danny Wolf at 12.1 and Goldin at 12.0. Wolf averages a team-best 10 rebounds per game. Arkansas is coming off a 75-60 home victory over UTSA on Saturday. Adou Thiero excelled by matching his career high of 26 points to go with 10 rebounds. Thiero scored 17 points in the second half when the Razorbacks overcame a five-point halftime deficit to outscore the Roadrunners by 20. "We've been seeing that the whole summer," Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile said of Thiero's strong play. "Him dominating. Dominating in practice and (Calipari) pushing him. This is just a reflection of the work he's done this summer and him trusting the coaches." Thiero leads the Razorbacks with averages of 18.6 points and 6.1 rebounds. Boogie Fland is averaging 15 points and Zvonimir Ivisic is scoring 12 per game. Davis (9.3) started slow with just two double-digit outings in the first seven games before averaging 12.5 over the last two games. Michigan holds a 4-3 edge in the all-time series. The Wolverines recorded an 80-67 home victory on Dec. 8, 2012 in the most recent meeting. --Field Level MediaGSA Capital Partners LLP Invests $238,000 in Silgan Holdings Inc. (NYSE:SLGN)
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Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen seemed to sense the question might arise after his club was eliminated from playoff consideration Sunday with a ghastly 45-33 loss to the host New York Giants in East Rutheford, N.J. The Giants were 2-13 and had lost a franchise-record 10 straight games entering the contest and their season-high point total Sunday more than tripled their season average of 14.3 points per game. It was the type of bad loss that leads to head coaches being asked about their job security. "I control what I can control," Steichen said of the employment situation. The Colts (7-9) were outplayed all contest by the team that entered the day with the worst record in the NFL -- and with their playoff hopes on the line. Last season, Steichen's first as Indianapolis coach, the Colts also fell short, losing to the Houston Texans in the final week of the season to miss the playoffs. "It was as disappointing as it gets," Steichen said of the setback against the Giants. "As the leader of a football team, shoot, I always say I've got to be better, we've all got to be better. That's a group effort, everyone's got to chip in and do their part, so stuff like that doesn't happen." Giants quarterback Drew Lock passed for 309 yards and tied his career high of four touchdowns while also running for a score. Meanwhile, the Colts also went with a reserve quarterback in veteran Joe Flacco and he turned the ball over three times on two interceptions and a fumble. He also passed for 330 yards. Flacco started because rookie Anthony Richardson couldn't play due to back and foot injuries. Indianapolis completes the season next weekend at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. "I know it's a tough situation, obviously, when you're out of the playoff hunt, but again, I told (the team) we've got to be professional about it," Steichen said. "That's the biggest thing. We've got to show up and do our job still with one week left." The Colts last made the playoffs in the 2020 season. Their last playoff win was two seasons earlier. --Field Level Media
Canada Post strike: Key issues in the dispute that's holding up mail deliveryDr. Christopher Kahler always wanted a career exploring "how people make meaning out of their lives." He planned to teach philosophy or literature. But when he got a job working with teens recovering from substance misuse, a different question emerged: How can people turn their lives around in a meaningful way? "I realized there was so much I didn't know," Kahler said. "How do you know what each person in recovery needs? And what about people who don't fit into a 12-step program or aren't ready to quit drinking?" So Kahler got a doctorate in clinical psychology and set out to learn everything about addiction. Today, he's a professor of behavioral and social sciences and psychiatry and human behavior and the director of the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island. Sales at beer, wine and liquor stores typically peak each year in December, according to data compiled by the Pew Research Center that also showed Americans, on average, have been drinking more in recent years. It's well known that drinking too much alcohol increases the risk for a range of health problems, including high blood pressure, stroke, breast cancer, liver disease and depression. In 2023, the World Health Organization published a statement saying that when it comes to alcohol, there's no safe amount that doesn't affect your health. With Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve approaching, we asked Kahler what advice he gives to people trying to stay sober or not over-drink during the holiday party season. Here's what he had to say for " The Experts Say," an American Heart Association News series where specialists explain how they apply what they've learned to their own lives. His answers have been edited. What are the major obstacles to staying sober or drinking in moderation during the holidays? The main challenge is there's an extra layer of stress, with a lot of obligations and expectations from friends and family. We're around people who maybe we're not usually around, and in larger groups. It's also a time of heightened emotion and, for some people, loneliness. On top of that, alcohol use is built into a lot of our winter holiday traditions. It's often marketed as part of the "good life." We're expected to have alcohol when we celebrate. Are there triggers that might cause people to drink more than usual? You'll often hear the term "HALT" in regulating our behaviors. (The acronym is a mindfulness tool to identify and address emotional triggers.) Be careful of getting too hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Any of those things can make you crave alcohol that you otherwise wouldn't. Managing that can be hard during the holidays, when we're often going to bed, waking up and eating at different times than normal. What are some good strategies for people trying to stay sober or not over-drink during the holidays? There are several ways: Set an intention. Whatever your goal is, the most important part is to make a plan and really think it through. What have holiday seasons and alcohol looked like for you in the past? What feelings are likely to come up? If you drink alcohol, how much is too much for you? If you've quit drinking, the intentions are really clear: Be grateful for the benefits that sobriety has had for you, and take stock of the importance of maintaining that through the holiday season. If you're trying to stay sober, plan ahead. If you've been involved in a recovery program like Alcoholics Anonymous and you'll be away from home, find out about in-person meetings in the area or options for virtual meetings. Make sure you have the number of a sponsor you can call over the holidays. Memorize your response. It's important to know what you're going to say about your alcohol use. If someone asks if they can get you a drink, good responses could be: "A glass of water would be great" or "Do you have any non-alcoholic cider?" You don't have to explain yourself. Just ask for what you do want, because saying no to someone can be difficult. Mix it up and slow it down. If you want to limit the number of drinks you have, alternate between an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic drink. It will slow down how much alcohol you drink and give your body a chance to feel its effects and know how much it's affecting you. A general rule of thumb is anything more than one drink in two hours is going to lead to increasing levels of intoxication. Seek help. One symptom of an alcohol use disorder is making repeated efforts to either cut down or avoid drinking and not being able to do it. At that point, you should talk to your primary care physician or go to a self-help or mutual-help program. The Alcohol Treatment Navigator from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism can help identify options available in your area. What is your own personal history with alcohol? Alcohol was part of my family life growing up. Like the vast majority of people, I had family and friends who were impacted by alcohol problems. So the commitment to helping people is personal for me. I do drink. There were a number of years when I did not drink simply because I was working on research with people who were not drinking and it felt like the most comfortable thing to do. It also helped me reevaluate my relationship with alcohol. When I do drink, I drink very consciously, thinking about what effects I'm trying to get, what the risks are, and how I minimize those. What other advice do you have about alcohol use and misuse? It's important to avoid stigmatizing alcohol use and addiction and blaming people for having a problem. We don't stigmatize people for having a heart attack, which is something I had when I was 49. One thing I learned going through cardiac rehabilitation was that being willing to accept help from others is not always easy. It's not what we're used to. But getting help from other people is a natural and wonderfully human thing, whether it's help with an alcohol problem or heart disease. Accepting what's happened and accepting help from others are vital steps in living a healthy life.
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OpenAI said on Monday it has released its artificial intelligence model, which creates video from text, to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users, expanding its foray into multimodal AI technologies. The Microsoft-backed company, which kicked off a generative AI craze with the launch of its ChatGPT chatbot in November 2022, aims to target similar text-to-video tools from Meta and Alphabet's Google, along with Stability AI's Stable Video Diffusion. The AI model, named Sora, was first introduced in February, but its access was limited to safety testers in its research preview phase. It is now available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users as Sora Turbo at no additional cost. "We're working on tailored pricing for different types of users, which we plan to make available early next year," the company said in a blog post. Users will be able to generate videos up to 1080p resolution, up to 20 seconds long and in widescreen, vertical or square aspect ratios. OpenAI said while Sora would not yet be available in EU countries, Switzerland and the UK, the AI model would be accessible in other regions where ChatGPT is present. The company also said it will block the creation and upload of damaging forms of abuse, such as child sexual abuse materials and sexual deepfakes, on Sora to prevent its misuse. "Uploads of people will be limited at launch, but we intend to roll the feature out to more users as we refine our deepfake mitigations," it said.
Shares of Nvidia fell Monday after China said it is investigating the high-flying U.S. microchip company over suspected violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws. In a brief news release with few details, Chinese regulators appear to be focusing on Nvidia's $6.9 billion acquisition of network and data transmission company Mellanox in 2019. Nvidia shares about 3% Monday. They are still up 179% so far this year. Considered a bellwether for artificial intelligence demand, Nvidia has led the AI sector to become one of the stock market’s biggest companies , as tech giants spend heavily on the company’s chips and data centers needed to train and operate their AI systems. Nvidia's shares have surged this year along with the California company's revenue and profit due to AI demand. According to data firm FactSet, about 16% of Nvidia's revenue comes from China, second only to its U.S.-generated revenue. A spokesperson for the company based in Santa Clara, California, said in an emailed statement that Nvidia is “happy to answer any questions regulators may have about our business.” In its most recent earnings release, Nvidia posted revenue of $35.08 billion, up 94% from $18.12 billion a year ago. Nvidia earned $19.31 billion in the quarter, more than double the $9.24 billion it posted in last year’s third quarter. The earnings release did not break out revenue from China. The company's market value rocketed to $3.5 trillion recently, passing Microsoft and briefly overtaking Apple as the world's most valuable company. China’s antitrust investigation follows a report this summer by technology news site The Information that the U.S. Justice Department was investigating complaints from rivals that Nvidia was abusing its market dominance in the chip sector. The allegations reported include Nvidia threatening to punish those who buy products from both itself and its competitors at the same time. David Bieri, an international finance expert at Virginia Tech, said that China’s investigation is “not about what Nvidia is doing in China, per se” but rather a signal to the incoming Trump administration. China, Bieri said, is looking to set the tone of future relations. The Chinese government, he said, is telling the U.S. “don’t mess with us, because all of your darling corporations that your version of capitalism needs to prosper have entanglements” with China. Nvidia will have to revise its strategy in China or come up with provisions in their budgets for the type of uncertainty business with China will bring, Bieri said. “I don’t think this is something that they can shake off,” he said. “I also have a tremendous amount of faith in the brilliance of the management strategy of a corporation like Nvidia to not only pay attention to credit risk, market risk and operational risk, but also to political risk.” Nvidia’s invention of graphics processor chips, or GPUs, in 1999 helped spark the growth of the PC gaming market and redefined computer graphics. Last month, it replaced Intel on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, ending the pioneering semiconductor company's 25-year run on the index. Unlike Intel, Nvidia designs but doesn’t manufacture its own chips, relying heavily on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., an Intel rival. Associated Press Technology Writer Sarah Parvini in Los Angeles contributed to this report.The year 2024 will go down in history as one of the most surprising ever for the Argentine economy. It was preceded by another unusual event, this one political in nature: society decided to burn its bridges and elect Javier Milei as president, an outsider with a proposal as bold as it was uncertain. The libertarian leader attacked what he considers the origin of all Argentina’s economic ills: the fiscal deficit. He did this almost without hesitation, giving rise to at least three results that, a priori, were highly improbable: he achieved a surplus in the Treasury accounts, society tolerated and largely endorsed an unprecedented adjustment, and he is tackling inflation while economic activity starts to recover. From deficit to surplus The president is not wrong when he says that he carried out the most significant adjustment in history. Argentina went from a primary deficit of about three points of GDP in 2023 to a surplus projected at around 2% for 2024, a difference of almost five points. In line with the recession, tax revenues fell by 7% year-on-year in the first eleven months of 2024, but the cut in primary spending was much higher at 32%. Milei won the elections promising that the adjustment would fall on “the caste” — his epithet for career politicians, state employees who got their roles through nepotism, and other such privileged miscreants. That said, one of the sectors that contributed most to the containment of expenditures was pensions, which fell by 22%. They were followed by subsidies (cut by 33%), public salaries (-27%), capital expenditures (-71%), and transfers to provinces (-87%). Incidentally, austerity was not the preserve of the national government. Argentina’s provinces also tended to balance their budgets. In the last 12 months, all ran a primary surplus except Buenos Aires and Entre Ríos, according to economist Martín Polo de Cohen. Analysts debate how the libertarian government has managed to get society to accept an adjustment of this magnitude. There is, it appears, no single explanation. The lack of credibility in politics led people to vote for Milei and accept the “sacrifices” that the libertarian leader announced. Containment But the administration also showed signs of pragmatism. It assisted the most vulnerable by increasing the Asignación Universal por Hijo (Universal Child Allowance, or AUH, as it is commonly known) by more than 100% above inflation. That went hand in hand with a real-terms increase in the value of the Alimentar card. The government also says that Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello’s work to eliminate the “intermediaries” in social programs has facilitated a significant increase in these benefits. (Under the previous government, social movements often administered state welfare programs, a setup that was mired by accusations of pilfering.) According to official calculations, these “poverty managers” kept anywhere between 10% and 50% of the funds. The income distribution report for the third quarter of 2024 suggests that poverty was around 38.8%, after the peak of 54.8% reached in the first quarter of the year. That would indicate that the worst of the crisis has passed. It should be noted that Alberto Fernández ended his mandate with that figure at 41.4%. Inflation The fiscal surplus, together with the reduction of the monetary excess, led to a slowdown in inflation that was higher than most analysts expected. After starting in December of last year with 25% (driven by the devaluation of the peso), the index fell progressively to 2.4% in November. Significantly, this slowdown is occurring together with a readjustment of relative prices. Thus, data through November showed that electricity, gas, and water rates rose 276% interannually, well above the 166% increase of the consumer price index overall. The dollar and the cepo Another of the government’s greatest achievements was the stabilization of the exchange market. At the start of the year, the contado con liquidación (CCL) dollar rate was around 1,300 pesos and the gap with the official rate was of over 60%. The year is ending with a lower CCL rate in nominal terms — of around 1,200 pesos at the time of writing — and a gap of less than 10%. In recent months, the treasury has been progressively easing the currency controls known as the cepo , but both Milei and Economy Minister Luis Caputo have steadily insisted that the restrictions will not be lifted in their entirety until they are sure there will be no turbulence in the exchange market. More than one analyst has expressed concern about the loss of positions of the dollar. Indeed, the peso has tended to appreciate and the real exchange rate is approaching levels like those it had at the end of 2017 or in the final stage of Convertibility, that is, moments that preceded a correction. The economy ministry points out that this time is different because we are facing a much more orderly economy. However, recent episodes, such as the fall of the Brazilian currency throughout the year — it went from less than 5 to more than 6 reales per dollar —- the recent international strengthening of the U.S, currency, or the drop in international soybean prices (currently around 350 dollars when at the end of last year it was 480), are giving pause to more than one economist. This is even more so when net reserves remain negative by about 5 billion dollars. Employment The activity rate was stable at 48.3% in the third quarter of 2024. The employment rate was 45%, with a slight decrease in unemployment, at 6.9%. Informal work is growing, as evidenced by a drop of 379,000 formal employees (3.7% year-on-year) and an increase of 378,000 non-salaried employees (+7% year-on-year). There was also a slight increase of 4,000 informal employees. Activity With the expansion of families’ purchasing power and the reappearance of credit, the most recent indicators show a gradual increase in consumption that would tend to promote industrial activity. The official commitment is to free the private sector from all regulations that make business activity more expensive or hinder its development. Deregulation Minister Federico Sturzenegger has a key role in this endeavor. It is striking that, despite the harsh austerity measures it has taken, the government retains a high positive image remains high — between 47 and 57%, according to the different consulting firms. Opinion polls show that the population continues to be optimistic about the future, both in a personal sense and regarding the country as well. This is one of the reasons that explain the high level of international interest in the Milei administration. Regarding 2025, it will be a year of challenges for the government: maintaining what has been accomplished, strongly increasing activity, and consolidating these achievements at the ballot box.None