Purdue Fort Wayne earns 77-57 win against Texas A&M-Commercebet with streamers evolution 。

Juggling act has just begunCOMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Jalen Jackson's 16 points helped Purdue Fort Wayne defeat Texas A&M-Commerce 77-57 on Saturday. Jackson also had six rebounds for the Mastodons (5-3). Corey Hadnot II shot 6 for 9, including 3 for 5 from beyond the arc to add 15 points. Eric Mulder shot 6 of 7 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line to finish with 14 points, while adding six rebounds. Maximus Nelson hit four 3s and scored 14 points. Scooter Williams Jr. led the Lions (1-7) in scoring, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds. Khaliq Abdul-Mateen added 15 points for Texas A&M-Commerce. Josh Taylor also had seven points and nine rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Jannik Sinner leads Italy back to the Davis Cup semifinals and a rematch against AustraliaConsumers will pay slightly more this year when they prepare side dishes that make the Thanksgiving meal, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist said. The Thanksgiving table side dishes will cost consumers a little more this year than last year, but a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist said there could be some savings with regional sales. (Adobe Stock) There will be some good buys possible this year, but overall, the meal will cost more, said David Anderson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist and professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station. “We’re looking at overall retail prices being a little higher this year,” Anderson said. “These retail prices include what it costs to get it packaged and to the store, so that doesn’t necessarily mean higher prices are happening at the farm level.” The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics latest Consumer Price Index shows that at-home food prices have risen 1.1% over the last 12 months. A mixed shopping bag of produce prices Anderson said there’s some interesting data from the October reports by U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service, which provides produce prices after surveying 29,000 grocery stores about their specials, features and items on sale. Green beans and russet potatoes are Thanksgiving dinner items where consumers might see slight savings or fairly stable prices, but many other items will be higher unless they find a grocery store with an advertised special, he said. Green beans are $1.82 per pound on average this year compared to $1.99 per pound last year. Russet potatoes will cost about 88 cents per pound this year, compared to 85 cents per pound last year. Another cost savings may be found with apples, Anderson said. With such a large variety of apples offered, it could pay to shop around. For example, varieties like Gala and Granny Smith are cheaper in dollars per pound than a year ago, while Fuji apples are a little more expensive. Staples of the season, like cranberries, sweet potatoes and onions, also saw a price jump. Cranberries went from $2.01 for a 12-ounce bag last year to $2.34 this year. Anderson said this could directly result from fewer outlets featuring them in their sales this year. Last year, of the surveyed outlets, 14,300 outlets featured cranberries in ads, but only 5,300 had cranberries on sale this year. Sweet potatoes will cost about 80 cents per pound this year compared to 69 cents per pound last year, and fewer outlets also had them as a featured sale item. “They also have yellow onions selling for $1.06 per pound this year versus 74 cents per pound last year,” Anderson said. “In percentage terms, that’s one of the bigger jumps.” Some baking ingredients rise as well The biggest price jump will be felt on baked goods and deviled eggs, if that’s a side dish headed to the Thanksgiving feast, as the price of a dozen eggs has risen from $2.07 last year to $3.37 this October. “Eggs are quite a bit more expensive after the industry was hit by the avian influenza issue, which really cut our egg production,” Anderson said. “The holidays are a high-use time with all the baking, but this shouldn’t come as a surprise because the consumer has seen those prices rise over the entire year.” Anderson said the monthly Consumer Price Index, which reports on milk, cheese, sugar and flour, indicated consumers would see a mixed bag of prices. Milk rose to $4.04 per gallon this year compared to $3.93 per gallon a year ago, while cheddar cheese stayed flat at $5.84 per pound this year compared to $5.85 last year. The report indicated sugar prices have declined slightly in recent months, but they are higher than a year ago, he said. And flour prices are lower this year than last year. “We know wheat prices are pretty low, so it is probably a case where lower wheat prices translate back to lower flour prices,” Anderson said. AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries: Central The weather had been favorable for crop development, with mild temperatures, sunny days and intermittent rain the previous week. The rain improved small grain and pasture conditions, although more moisture was needed as rapid drying raised concerns. Pastures greened up, and early planted winter pastures were being grazed, though some areas remained dry. The rain encouraged the germination of ryegrass, wheat and oats, but full seed emergence remained uncertain. Wheat planting neared completion, and oat planting continued. Cattle remained in good condition, with supplemental feeding ongoing. The cattle, sheep and goat markets remained strong. The pecan harvest was in full swing, but additional moisture was needed to sustain growth. Rolling Plains Favorable conditions were reported across the Rolling Plains last week, with widespread rains providing much-needed relief to farmers and ranchers. Farmers who had been unable to plant wheat due to dry conditions were able to finish planting in those areas, as well as patch seed into spots that may have washed out from localized heavy rainfall. Livestock benefited from the improved conditions, with noticeable growth in pasture grasses. Most calves had been weaned and shipped to market, and cattle prices favored producers. With the rains improving native grass pastures and winter wheat grazing, stocker calves were expected to have optimal conditions heading into the winter. Coastal Bend Warm, dry conditions persisted, with no significant rain in many areas for the past 45 days. Temperatures remained in the upper 80s, with cool mornings. Soil moisture levels were critically low, and pasture conditions continued to deteriorate due to dry weather and the seasonal dormancy of warm-season grasses. Forage quality was low, and hay feeding of livestock was in full swing, with protein supplements also being provided on heavily stocked pastures. Field crop producers held off on fertilization until conditions improved, while some prepared fields and booked seed and chemicals for the next year. Corn stalk destruction and fall bedding activities resumed in some areas following recent rains. Cattle remained in good condition, with prices steady and high. The pecan harvest continued, though yields were minimal. East Most of the district received some rainfall, but high winds and temperatures had already dried out some counties. Daytime temperatures were warmer than normal. Pasture and rangeland conditions ranged from poor to fair. Subsoil conditions were short to adequate, while topsoil conditions were adequate. As nighttime temperatures began to cool, summer grasses slowed, and winter forages started to grow. Marion County producers completed their last cutting of hay. Livestock were in fair to good condition, with some supplementation taking place. Cattle market prices increased. South Plains Wet conditions persisted across a large area following last week’s heavy rains, which saturated the ground. Cotton farmers waited for fields to dry so they could pick up modules and finish stripping cotton. Many farmers were also waiting for a hard freeze to finish off late milo. Early planted wheat that had emerged before the rain looked good. Producers planned to continue planting wheat once fields dried enough to allow entry. Cattle remained in good condition. Panhandle Recent rainfall totals ranged from 2-4 inches of slow, soaking showers, providing a significant boost to winter small grains and other commodities planted as cover crops. While wheat had struggled to establish a good stand, it responded with rapid growth and development following the rain. However, progress in harvesting the remaining cotton acres was slow due to wet ground conditions, with additional drying needed for the machine stripping of seed cotton. The pace of field tillage operations also slowed due to saturated soils. The additional rainfall was highly beneficial, significantly improving topsoil and subsoil moisture levels. This reduced the immediate need and costs for supplemental irrigation across many acres. Supplemental feeding of cattle continued. Soil moisture conditions were adequate. Pasture, rangeland and overall crop conditions were reported as fair to good. North Several counties received much-needed rain, which was welcomed but insufficient to alleviate ongoing drought conditions. Temperatures were reported as average to above average, with cold nights and warm days. Winter wheat, Bermuda grass, winter annual ryegrass and oats showed good signs of growth and greening. Livestock conditions were reported as good to excellent, with supplemental hay being provided in areas where forage production remained limited due to the ongoing drought. The counties reported pasture and rangeland conditions primarily falling into the fair, good and poor categories. Subsoil and topsoil moisture levels were mostly adequate. Feral hog activity was reported as widespread, although most nuisance flies had subsided. Far West The district experienced cooler weather and additional rain showers. The thunderstorms that passed through Sunday night were much needed, but more consistent showers were needed. Temperatures averaged highs of 85 degrees and lows of 50 degrees, with reported precipitation of 1.05 inches. High wind gusts and lightning were also reported. The cotton harvest was nearing completion, but both yields and grades were disappointing for growers. Color and micronaire issues dropped grades and led to very low loan values. Wheat acres were expected to increase significantly, and if sufficient rain falls, a good portion may make it to harvest due to high input costs and low cotton prices. A few acres of late grain sorghum were being harvested, and pecans had started to be harvested. Hay was being baled, and the pumpkin-growing season ended. Pastures were bare of winter weeds, and livestock were in fair condition. Producers were advised to continue supplementing feed for livestock and wildlife. West Central The district received up to 2 inches of rain, which was much needed but not enough to alleviate the ongoing drought conditions. The rain was beneficial for early planted wheat, which showed good emergence, and for filling stock tanks. However, more rain is still needed to significantly improve soil moisture and ease dry conditions. The first frost may occur this week, but the overall weather has been mild, with cooler nights and warm days. Wet field conditions delayed wheat planting and the final cotton harvesting in some areas. Pasture conditions improved, with winter grasses growing well, especially in brushy areas, though moisture was still needed to maintain pasture health. Livestock were in good condition, with fall cattle work and shipping ongoing. The cattle market has strengthened, with prices rising for stocker steers and heifers, while feeder steers and packer cows remained steady. The pecan harvest continued with good nut quality. Southwest Trace amounts of moisture were observed in parts of the district; however, drought conditions persisted. Drops in nighttime and morning temperatures encouraged cool-season grasses and forbs to germinate or break dormancy, though growth remained limited due to scarce moisture. Some oats and wheat were planted following the previous week’s rains. Winter wheat continued to emerge, with 100% now planted. As the growing season ended, the recent moisture helped reinforce perennial root systems for the cool season. Supplemented livestock and wildlife remained in fair condition, though cows with calves began to show signs of stress. Hunting season progressed well, and livestock markets remained steady to higher. Pasture forages were typical for the time of year. South Temperatures dropped as low as 52 degrees in the early mornings in some areas, with daily highs ranging from 59-95 degrees. Temperatures remained above normal most of the week, with some overcast days. Scattered showers helped some solid and rangeland conditions, but dry and windy conditions in other areas halted some grain planting and raised concerns about roadside and wildfire risks. Peanut harvest, sesame and fall vegetable harvests were all underway in parts of the district. Strawberry producers replanted some areas where plant mortality had occurred. In other parts of the district, producers planted leafy greens, winter wheat, cabbage, onion and other cool-season vegetables. These crops progressed well but needed moisture to continue maturing. A few forage producers were still making hay, likely the last cuttings of the year. Row crop producers worked their fields, building up rows in preparation for the upcoming growing season and chemically controlling weeds. Hidalgo County reported low pecan production due to drought and a lack of water in irrigation canals. Some producers waited for rain to cultivate and plant their oats, hoping for a change in weather. Citrus harvest continued. Rain was still needed across a significant portion of the district, with multiple counties reporting declining topsoil and subsoil moisture levels that would worsen without rainfall. Rangeland and pasture conditions were fair, and grazing availability in stocked pastures decreased. Vegetative cover and forage quality declined, limiting food availability for wildlife. Beef cattle producers began supplementing their herds more heavily due to reduced grass yields and marketed spring calves. In cattle markets, packer cows and bulls sold steadily compared to the previous week, while calves and yearlings sold for $2-$6 per hundredweight higher, with higher volumes. The fall breeding season was underway. Some ranchers reduced their herds and sold calves at lighter weights than desired due to drought conditions. Some producers were hauling water as stock tank levels dropped. Ranchers began supplemental feeding livestock. Deer and quail hunting was expected to improve with cooler temperatures.

For Iowa, it's a chance to tune up going into the bulk of its Big Ten Conference schedule. For New Hampshire, it's an opportunity to collect a nice paycheck and perhaps even pull off a memorable upset. The Hawkeyes and Wildcats will finish their nonconference schedules Monday night when they meet in Iowa City. Iowa (9-3) last played on Dec. 21, erasing an 11-point second-half deficit to outgun Utah 95-88 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Payton Sandfort scored a season-high 24 points and added eight rebounds for the Hawkeyes, while Owen Freeman added 16 despite running into foul trouble. Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery praised fifth-year senior Drew Thelwell, Iowa's sixth-leading scorer, who matched his season high with 15 points. "The energy in the building was phenomenal. Drew was right in the middle of that," McCaffery said. "His defense and drawing six fouls, those are stats that are critical to a team's ability to win. Get to the bonus, get to the double bonus. We do that by driving the ball and drawing fouls and that's what we did." Freeman is averaging a team-high 17.1 points and shooting 66.1 percent from the field, while Sandfort adds 16.7 ppg. Iowa has its usual high-powered attack, ranking seventh in Division I in scoring at 87.8 ppg and canning 50.2 percent from the field. The Hawkeyes could add more gaudy offensive numbers against New Hampshire (2-12), which has lost six straight games, including a 90-83 decision on Dec. 22 at Stonehill. The Wildcats have experienced trouble defensively, allowing opponents to sink 45.2 percent of their field goal attempts and score 76.5 ppg. Coming off a successful 2023-24 campaign that saw the Wildcats go 16-15 and win a game in the America East Conference tournament, New Hampshire returned just three players and had to replace AEC Player of the Year Clarence Daniels and his 19.4 ppg. It hasn't gone to the plan of second-year coach Nathan Davis, but he's still hopeful his team can figure things out in conference play. "We've improved across the board as far as our talent level," he said this summer. "I like our pieces." This is the first meeting between the Wildcats and Hawkeyes. --Field Level Media

LONDON -- At 4-0 down after just 36 minutes, there was a danger that Julen Lopetegui was going to be the only person connected to West Ham left in the stands. The Hammers boss, serving a one-match touchline ban after picking up three yellow cards this season, watched on from a high vantage point as fans streamed out of London Stadium all around him before half-time, shaking their heads in disbelief at the havoc wreaked below. And yet, four minutes later, out of nowhere, West Ham had scored twice. Hope was revived. Just when the Hammers were getting themselves in a position from which to mount a second-half comeback, goalkeeper punched to concede a penalty that converted to send the Gunners in 5-2 up at the break. It was, quite simply, absolute madness -- a glorious advert for the brilliantly chaotic, implausibly unpredictable product, which ranks as one of the United Kingdom's most successful global exports in any field. In the end, the seven first-half goals tied a league record with three other games, the last of which came between Reading and in December 2012. Judging by the relative lack of empty seats -- most of those beleaguered West Ham fans returned anyway -- it was amusing that just when it seemed like more of the same would follow after the break, the second was goalless and uncompetitive. It felt like the proverbial early night in bed after the happy-hour hedonism. So, with about 15 minutes left, they started to leave again. It is, as ever, the hope that kills you as a sports fan and West Ham's had long been extinguished. Meaningful conclusions from games like this are ill-advised, but it should nevertheless be noted that after Arsenal needed a set-piece to break the deadlock, some of their football was a combination of divine and deadly. Gabriel Magalhães' 10th-minute header was the final act of a set-piece routine that will earn Arsenal fresh praise even given their well-documented strength in those situations. Running from far post to near, the Gunners were a blur of movement, in which perhaps the most cunning act was 's gentle nudge on to ensure Saka's delivery found Gabriel unmarked. If dark arts helped break the deadlock, Arsenal then well and truly stepped into the light. had a 17th-minute effort correctly ruled out for offside but West Ham were then overrun, Martin Ødegaard and Saka combining superbly to lay on a simple finish for . Saka then jinked into the box, and Paqueta could do nothing other than bring him down. Ødegaard converted. Trossard then released who finished low past Fabianski to cue the first mini-exodus. West Ham were the heavyweight knowing they were losing on points and therefore reduced to hopeful haymakers; inexplicably, they started landing. was given too much space in the Arsenal defensive third, though his pass was superbly executed through for to slot home. Wan-Bissaka had scored twice in 182 Premier League appearances, but now has two in six days. Because why not? Perhaps even more improbably, conceded a dubious free kick awarded for a challenge on Paqueta, and Emerson Palmieri curled a stunning 25-yard free kick in off the crossbar. It was the left-back's second goal in 20 months. Just as the visitors' sudden loss of composure sparked memories of Arsenal's 4-4 draw at Newcastle in February 2011 -- the only time a Premier League team has failed to win a game in which they led by four first-half goals -- Fabianski mistakenly floored Gabriel trying to meet a corner and Saka slotted home the penalty to conclude the scoring. Mercifully for them, the three-goal cushion proved sufficient. Arteta took pleasure in the restoration of the flow in Arsenal's game, triggered most significantly by Ødegaard's return to the starting lineup; it is no coincidence the Norway playmaker's reintegration has come in a week when the Gunners scored 13 goals including five in the Champions League for the first time since 2008. There was one note of caution after that game, which proved prophetic here too. "Before and after half-time you need to get through those 10-15 minutes in a different way," Arteta said after Tuesday's 5-1 win in Lisbon. "We gave so many balls away, and that doesn't allow you results." There was a similar sloppy spell here and there might come a time when that becomes the talking point. But not today, not after a 45-minute spell that ranks among the most tumultuous in recent memory.

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bet with you A number of prominent pundits, including former City defender and club ambassador Micah Richards, have questioned why the Belgium international has not been starting games amid the champions’ dramatic slump. City have not won in seven outings in all competitions – their worst run since 2008 – with De Bruyne featuring only as a substitute in the last five of those matches after recovering from a pelvic injury. The latest came with a 12-minute run-out in Sunday’s demoralising 2-0 defeat at Premier League leaders Liverpool, a result which left City 11 points off the pace and fifth in the table. Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast it appeared “there’s some sort of rift going on” between De Bruyne and Guardiola while former England striker Gary Lineker added: “It seems like all’s not well.” Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said he felt “something isn’t right” and fellow Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville, the ex-Manchester United right-back, described the situation as “unusual, bizarre, strange”. Guardiola, speaking at a press conference to preview his side’s clash with Nottingham Forest, responded on Tuesday. The Spaniard said: “People say I’ve got a problem with Kevin. Do you think I like to not play with Kevin? No, I don’t want Kevin to play? “The guy who has the most talent in the final third, I don’t want it? I have a personal problem with him after nine years together? “He’s delivered to me the biggest success to this club, but he’s been five months injured (last season) and two months injured (this year). “He’s 33 years old. He needs time to find his best, like last season, step by step. He’ll try to do it and feel better. I’m desperate to have his best.” De Bruyne has not started since being forced off at half-time of City’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan on September 18, having picked up an injury in the previous game. Both the player and manager have spoken since of the pain he was in and the need to ease back into action, but his spell on the bench has been unexpectedly long. The resulting speculation has then been exacerbated because De Bruyne is in the final year of his contract but Guardiola maintains nothing untoward has occurred. He said: “I’d love to have the Kevin in his prime, 26 or 27. He would love it to – but he is not 26 or 27 any more. “He had injuries in the past, important and long ones. He is a guy who needs to be physically fit for his space and energy. You think I’m complaining? It’s normal, it’s nature. “He’s played in 10 or 11 seasons a lot of games and I know he is desperate to help us. He gives glimpses of brilliance that only he can have. “But, always I said, he himself will not solve our problems, like Erling (Haaland) won’t solve it himself. We attack and defend together. “We want the best players back. Hopefully step by step the confidence will come back and we’ll get the best of all of us.”

As the debate rages on, it remains to be seen whether Manchester United will heed Ferdinand's words and take steps to rectify the perceived injustices within the club. The spotlight is firmly on the management and decision-makers at Old Trafford, as they face mounting pressure to address the issues of fairness, accountability, and responsibility that have come to the fore as a result of this controversy.

Trump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to become US ambassador to FranceAs "Journey of Discovery" prepares for its premiere, anticipation is high for the impact it will have on audiences and the conversations it will spark about the complexities of modern youth culture. Dong Jie's bold storytelling and Sun Yang's compelling performance are sure to leave a lasting impression on viewers and solidify the film's place as a landmark in contemporary cinema.

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Fear of God Athletics Readies Its Second Performance Basketball SneakerFollowing the keynote, a panel discussion featuring eminent AI researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers sparked a lively exchange of ideas and perspectives. Topics ranged from the ethical implications of AI to the potential for AI to address global health challenges. Participants engaged in thought-provoking debates on the role of regulation, privacy concerns, and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing AI technologies responsibly and ethically.The trailer teases epic battle sequences, stirring musical scores, and moments of heart-wrenching emotion, promising a cinematic experience that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats. As the forces of darkness gather and the fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance, heroes old and new must rise to the challenge and unite against a common enemy.

NonePresident Joe Biden unleashed a firestorm of controversy and further eroded public trust in his already damaged party by giving a shocking blanket pardon to his son, Hunter, on Sunday. Biden fled from the controversy by jetting to Angola, one of the most corrupt nations in the world. Biden was wheels-up for Angola within a few hours of pardoning his son for all crimes, both known and yet to be revealed, over a ten-year period. He refused to answer questions about the pardon from reporters during a stopover in Cape Verde. WATCH — Joe Biden Lands in Angola Shortly After Pardoning Hunter Biden: According to the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index prepared by Transparency International (TI), Angola is 121st on the parade of 180 most corrupt nations. Angola is rife with cronyism and nepotism, bribery, and conflicts of interest, particularly in its real estate, energy, and mining industries. Powerful individuals and corporations routinely pay off the justice system to avoid prosecution. Many of Angola’s municipalities do not have a court system at all. For the Angolan elite, paying bribes to avoid taxation is cheaper and easier than paying their taxes. Just two weeks ago, the United Kingdom imposed heavy sanctions on Isabel dos Santos, the billionaire daughter of former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, in a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption and money laundering. Dos Santos has been under investigation by numerous countries ever since her father’s 38-year reign came to an end in 2017. She claims all of the charges against her are political fabrications, while international anti-corruption activists point to her as a textbook example of kleptocracy. Angola also has major problems with slavery and human trafficking, although the Biden State Department gives the Angolan government credit for making progress on these issues over the past few years. The Labor Department was less enthusiastic, giving Angola only tepid applause for making “moderate advancement” against the use of child labor in mining, agriculture, and construction. The Biden White House clearly wanted the president’s visit to Angola to be “historic,” as he is the first American president to visit the country, and he is making the only trip to Africa of his presidency. Early media releases touted the trip as an effort to reinforce the Biden administration’s competition against China and Russia for influence in West Africa. Unfortunately for the outgoing president, he scribbled a much larger entry in the history books with his blanket pardon for Hunter Biden. News coverage on Monday was generally dour, with Biden’s trip portrayed more as a last-ditch gamble or desperate attempt to salvage a “legacy” in Africa. The fact that Biden avoided visiting Africa for his entire term – even after promising to pay a visit almost two years ago – sent a louder message than finally getting around to a desultory visit in the final two months of his term. One of the major items on Biden’s agenda is a visit to the town of Lobito, where his administration has lavished billions on an 835-mile railroad that is supposed to link cobalt, lithium, and copper mines in the Congo and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic ports. The “Lobito Corridor” project was billed as the first serious Western attempt to provide African nations with an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It is not yet clear if the second Trump administration will continue funding the project. Trump may be skeptical of a rail line that could benefit Chinese companies as much as it does American interests and, if Africa’s mineral nations make good on their plans to develop more domestic refining capacity, the Lobito Corridor might never become as profitable as its planners hoped. The leftist New York Times (NYT) on Monday spoke to ordinary Angolans who had absolutely no idea the United States was helping to fund a railroad in their country, while being keenly aware of China’s massive infrastructure investments. “Beijing has built ostentatious shopping malls and roads with Chinese logos and signs. Angolans say the Chinese have made life easier and created jobs. Rather than funding such development projects, the United States has sought to create conditions that will attract private investment, though there’s no telling how long that will take or when Angolans might see the benefits. Some are skeptical those benefits will come at all,” the NYT summarized. Some Angolans are skeptical enough to believe that the vaunted Lobito Corridor project will just be a mechanism for Western companies to rob Africa of its mineral wealth. The U.S. government has been trying to counter this cynicism by advertising the rail line as an opportunity for Angolan farmers to ship their produce overseas at modest cost. To reinforce this argument, the U.S. implemented programs to teach advanced agricultural techniques to Angolan farmers. Supporters of the Lobito Corridor hope to convince Trump it will provide an effective counter to Chinese influence at the perfect moment for such a pitch to be made, as China’s deflating economy means it has less money available to pour into Africa, and developing nations are growing wary of Chinese debt. Biden’s trip to Angola might have been intended to make it harder for Trump to disengage from the Lobito Corridor, but the Hunter Biden pardon is eclipsing U.S. coverage of Biden’s Africa trip, so Joe Biden may have just sabotaged his own last chance to create a “legacy” in Africa.

To improve teacher workforce, report says Maine needs better pathwaysCBA Announces Best Lineup for 15th Round of Regular Season: Five Players Including Li Fei and Fogg Selected

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 5, 2024-- Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter ended October 31, 2024. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205728686/en/ “HPE delivered an exceptional fourth quarter with record quarterly revenue, capping off a strong FY 2024. We exceeded our full-year commitments for revenue, EPS, and free cash flow,” said Antonio Neri, president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise. “Our differentiated portfolio across hybrid cloud, AI, and networking, which will be further enhanced with the pending Juniper Networks acquisition, positions us well to capitalize on the market opportunity, accelerating value for our shareholders.” “Our exceptional revenue, profitability, and higher-than-expected free cash flow this fiscal year reflect disciplined execution and improving customer demand across our portfolio,” said Marie Myers, executive vice president and CFO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise. “We are pleased to have exceeded our commitments and look forward to the opportunities ahead in fiscal year 2025.” Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2024 Financial Results Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2024 Segment Results Dividend The HPE Board of Directors declared a regular cash dividend of $0.13 per share on the company’s common stock, payable on January 16, 2025, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 20, 2024. Fiscal 2025 First Quarter Outlook HPE estimates revenue to grow by mid-teens percent when compared to revenue for the prior-year period. HPE estimates GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $0.31 to $0.36 and non-GAAP diluted net EPS (1) to be in the range of $0.47 to $0.52. Fiscal 2025 first quarter non-GAAP diluted net EPS excludes net after-tax adjustments of $0.16 per diluted share primarily related to stock-based compensation, acquisition, disposition and other related charges and amortization of intangible assets. Juniper Networks Pending Transaction Update HPE’s pending acquisition of Juniper Networks, Inc. has received approval from key jurisdictions including the European Union, United Kingdom, India, South Korea, and Australia, among others. HPE and Juniper Networks are cooperatively engaged with the U.S. Department of Justice as the agency continues to review the transaction into the new calendar year. HPE and Juniper expect that the transaction will close in the early part of 2025 — within the previously stated timeframe. 1 A description of HPE’s use of non-GAAP financial information is provided below under “Use of non-GAAP financial information and key performance metrics.” 2 Annualized Revenue Run-Rate (“ARR”) is a financial metric used to assess the growth of the Consumption Services offerings. ARR represents the annualized revenue of all net HPE GreenLake cloud services revenue, related financial services revenue (which includes rental income from operating leases and interest income from finance leases), and software-as-a-Service, software consumption revenue, and other as-a-Service offerings, recognized during a quarter and multiplied by four. We use ARR as a performance metric. ARR should be viewed independently of net revenue and is not intended to be combined with it. 3 Free cash flow represents cash flow from operations, less net capital expenditures (investments in property, plant & equipment (“PP&E”) and software assets less proceeds from the sale of PP&E), and adjusted for the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash.​ About Hewlett Packard Enterprise Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) is the global edge-to-cloud company that helps organizations accelerate outcomes by unlocking value from all of their data, everywhere. Built on decades of reimagining the future and innovating to advance the way people live and work, HPE delivers unique, open and intelligent technology solutions as a service. With offerings spanning Cloud Services, Server, Intelligent Edge, Software, and Hybrid Cloud, HPE provides a consistent experience across all clouds and edges, helping customers develop new business models, engage in new ways, and increase operational performance. For more information, visit: www.hpe.com . Use of non-GAAP financial information and key performance metrics To supplement Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s condensed consolidated financial statement information presented on a generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) basis, Hewlett Packard Enterprise provides financial measures, including revenue on a constant currency basis (including at the business segment level), non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross profit margin, non-GAAP operating profit (non-GAAP earnings from operations), non-GAAP operating profit margin (non-GAAP earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue), non-GAAP income tax rate, non-GAAP net earnings, non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share and free cash flow (“FCF”). Hewlett Packard Enterprise also provides forecasts of revenue growth on a constant currency basis, non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share, non-GAAP operating profit growth, and FCF. Reconciliations of each of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures for this quarter and prior periods are included in the tables below or elsewhere in the materials accompanying this news release. In addition an explanation of the ways in which Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management uses these non-GAAP measures to evaluate its business, the substance behind Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s decision to use these non-GAAP measures, the material limitations associated with the use of these non-GAAP measures, the manner in which Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management compensates for those limitations, and the substantive reasons why Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management believes that these non-GAAP measures provide supplemental useful information to investors is included further below. This additional non-GAAP financial information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for revenue, gross profit, gross profit margin, operating profit (earnings from operations), operating profit margin (earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue), net earnings, diluted net earnings per share, and cash flow from operations prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition to the supplemental non-GAAP financial information, Hewlett Packard Enterprise also presents annualized revenue run-rate (“ARR”) as performance metric. ARR is a financial metric used to assess the growth of the Consumption Services offerings. ARR represents the annualized revenue of all net HPE GreenLake cloud services revenue, related financial services revenue (which includes rental income for operating leases and interest income from finance leases), and software-as-a-service (“SaaS”), software consumption revenue, and other as-a-service offerings, recognized during a quarter and multiplied by four. ARR should be viewed independently of net revenue and deferred revenue and are not intended to be combined with any of these items. Forward-looking statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. If the risks or uncertainties ever materialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, the results of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and its consolidated subsidiaries (“Hewlett Packard Enterprise”) may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, "guide", “optimistic”, “intend”, “aim”, “will”, "estimates", “may”, “could”, “should” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to any projections, estimations, or expectations of addressable markets and their sizes, revenue (including annualized revenue run rate), margins, expenses (including stock-based compensation expenses), investments, effective tax rates, interest rates, the impact of tax law changes and related guidance and regulations, net earnings, net earnings per share, cash flows, liquidity and capital resources, inventory, order backlog, share repurchases, currency exchange rates, repayments of debts (including our asset-backed debt securities), or other financial items; recent amendments to accounting guidance and any related potential impacts on our financial reporting; any projections or estimations of future orders, including as-a-service orders; any statements of the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations, as well as the execution and consummation of corporate transactions or contemplated acquisitions (including our proposed acquisition of Juniper Networks, Inc.) and dispositions (including disposition of our H3C shares and the receipt of proceeds therefrom), research and development expenditures, and any resulting benefit, cost savings, charges, or revenue or profitability improvements; any statements concerning the expected development, performance, market share or competitive performance relating to products or services; any statements concerning technological and market trends, the pace of technological innovation, and adoption of new technologies, including artificial intelligence-related and other products and services offered by Hewlett Packard Enterprise; any statements regarding current or future macroeconomic trends or events and the impact of those trends and events on Hewlett Packard Enterprise and our financial performance and our actions to mitigate such impacts to our business; any statements regarding future regulatory trends and the resulting legal and reputational exposure, including but not limited to those relating to environmental, social, and governance, cybersecurity, data privacy, and artificial intelligence issues, among others; any statements regarding pending investigations, claims, or disputes; any statements of expectation or belief, including those relating to future guidance and the financial performance of Hewlett Packard Enterprise; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties, and assumptions include the need to address the many challenges facing Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s businesses; the competitive pressures faced by Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s businesses; risks associated with executing Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s strategy; the impact of macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events, including but not limited to heightened global trade restrictions, the use and development of artificial intelligence, the inflationary environment (though easing), the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East, and the relationship between China and the U.S.; the need to effectively manage third-party suppliers and distribute Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s products and services; the protection of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s intellectual property assets, including intellectual property licensed from third parties and intellectual property shared with its former parent; risks associated with Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s international operations (including from public health crises, such as pandemics or epidemics, and geopolitical events, such as those mentioned above); the development and transition of new products and services and the enhancement of existing products and services to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's transformation and mix shift of its portfolio of offerings, the execution and performance of contracts by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and its suppliers, customers, clients, and partners, including any impact thereon resulting from macroeconomic or geopolitical events such as those mentioned above; the prospect of a shutdown of the U.S. federal government; the hiring and retention of key employees; the execution, consummation, integration, and other risks associated with business combination, disposition, and investment transactions, including but not limited to the risks associated with the disposition of H3C shares and the receipt of proceeds therefrom and completion of our proposed acquisition of Juniper Networks, Inc. and our ability to integrate and implement our plans, forecasts, and other expectations with respect to the consolidated business; the impact of changes to privacy, cybersecurity, environmental, global trade, and other governmental regulations; changes in our product, lease, intellectual property, or real estate portfolio; the payment or non-payment of a dividend for any period; the efficacy of using non-GAAP, rather than GAAP, financial measures in business projections and planning; the judgments required in connection with determining revenue recognition; impact of company policies and related compliance; utility of segment realignments; allowances for recovery of receivables and warranty obligations; provisions for, and resolution of pending investigations, claims, and disputes; the impacts of tax law changes and related guidance or regulations; and other risks that are described in Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and in other filings made by Hewlett Packard Enterprise from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As in prior periods, the financial information set forth in this press release, including tax-related items, reflects estimates based on information available at this time. While Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes these estimates to be reasonable, these amounts could differ materially from reported amounts in the filings made by Hewlett Packard Enterprise from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Hewlett Packard Enterprise assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Unaudited) For the three months ended October 31, 2024 July 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 In millions, except per share amounts Net revenue $ 8,458 $ 7,710 $ 7,351 Costs and Expenses: Cost of sales (exclusive of amortization shown separately below) 5,852 5,271 4,792 Research and development 527 547 578 Selling, general and administrative 1,211 1,229 1,332 Amortization of intangible assets 69 60 72 Transformation costs 26 14 56 Disaster charges (recovery) 2 5 (4 ) Acquisition, disposition and other related charges 78 37 18 Total costs and expenses 7,765 7,163 6,844 Earnings from operations 693 547 507 Interest and other, net (1) 5 (12 ) (23 ) Gain on sale of equity interest 733 — — (Loss) earnings from equity interests (14 ) 73 65 Earnings before provision for taxes 1,417 608 549 (Provision) benefit for taxes (51 ) (96 ) 93 Net earnings attributable to HPE 1,366 512 642 Preferred stock dividends (25 ) — — Net earnings attributable to common stockholders $ 1,341 $ 512 $ 642 Net Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders: Basic $ 1.02 $ 0.39 $ 0.50 Diluted 0.99 0.38 0.49 Cash dividends declared per share 0.13 0.13 0.12 Cash dividends accrued per preferred share $ 0.83 $ — $ — Weighted-average Shares Used to Compute Net Earnings Per Share: Basic 1,312 1,312 1,295 Diluted 1,375 1,332 1,315 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings Year Ended October 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 (Unaudited) (Audited) In millions, except per share amounts Net revenue $ 30,127 $ 29,135 Costs and Expenses: Cost of sales (exclusive of amortization shown separately below) 20,249 18,896 Research and development 2,246 2,349 Selling, general and administrative 4,871 5,160 Amortization of intangible assets 267 288 Transformation costs 93 283 Disaster charges 7 1 Acquisition, disposition and other related charges 204 69 Total costs and expenses 27,937 27,046 Earnings from operations 2,190 2,089 Interest and other, net (1) (117 ) (104 ) Gain on sale of equity interest 733 — Earnings from equity interests 147 245 Earnings before provision for taxes 2,953 2,230 Provision for taxes (374 ) (205 ) Net earnings attributable to HPE 2,579 2,025 Preferred stock dividends (25 ) — Net earnings attributable to common stockholders $ 2,554 $ 2,025 Net Earnings Per Share Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders: Basic $ 1.95 $ 1.56 Diluted 1.93 1.54 Cash dividends declared per share 0.52 0.48 Cash dividends accrued per preferred share $ 0.83 $ — Weighted-average Shares Used to Compute Net Earnings Per Share: Basic 1,309 1,299 Diluted 1,337 1,316 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP measures (Unaudited) For the three months ended October 31, 2024 July 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 Dollars in millions GAAP net revenue $ 8,458 $ 7,710 $ 7,351 GAAP cost of sales 5,852 5,271 4,792 GAAP gross profit 2,606 2,439 2,559 Non-GAAP Adjustments Stock-based compensation expense 10 9 9 Disaster recovery (4 ) (7 ) (10 ) Divestiture related exit costs — 9 — Non-GAAP gross profit $ 2,612 $ 2,450 $ 2,558 GAAP gross profit margin 30.8 % 31.6 % 34.8 % Non-GAAP adjustments 0.1 % 0.2 % — % Non-GAAP gross profit margin 30.9 % 31.8 % 34.8 % Year Ended October 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 Dollars in millions GAAP net revenue $ 30,127 $ 29,135 GAAP cost of sales 20,249 18,896 GAAP gross profit 9,878 10,239 Non-GAAP Adjustments Stock-based compensation expense 49 47 Disaster recovery (43 ) (13 ) Divestiture related exit costs 9 — Non-GAAP gross profit $ 9,893 $ 10,273 GAAP gross profit margin 32.8 % 35.1 % Non-GAAP adjustments — % 0.2 % Non-GAAP gross profit margin 32.8 % 35.3 % HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP measures (Unaudited) For the three months ended October 31, 2024 July 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 Dollars in millions GAAP earnings from operations $ 693 $ 547 $ 507 Non-GAAP Adjustments Amortization of intangible assets 69 60 72 Transformation costs 26 14 56 Disaster recovery (17 ) (2 ) (14 ) Stock-based compensation expense 89 80 71 Divestiture related exit costs — 35 — Acquisition, disposition and other related charges 78 37 18 Non-GAAP earnings from operations $ 938 $ 771 $ 710 GAAP operating profit margin 8.2 % 7.1 % 6.9 % Non-GAAP adjustments 2.9 % 2.9 % 2.8 % Non-GAAP operating profit margin 11.1 % 10.0 % 9.7 % Year Ended October 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 Dollars in millions GAAP earnings from operations $ 2,190 $ 2,089 Non-GAAP Adjustments Amortization of intangible assets 267 288 Transformation costs 93 283 Disaster recovery (51 ) (12 ) Stock-based compensation expense 430 428 Divestiture related exit costs 35 — Acquisition, disposition and other related charges 204 69 Non-GAAP earnings from operations $ 3,168 $ 3,145 GAAP operating profit margin 7.3 % 7.2 % Non-GAAP adjustments 3.2 % 3.6 % Non-GAAP operating profit margin 10.5 % 10.8 % HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP measures (Unaudited) For the three months ended October 31, 2024 Diluted net earnings per share July 31, 2024 Diluted net earnings per share October 31, 2023 Diluted net earnings per share Dollars in millions, except per share amounts GAAP net earnings attributable to HPE $ 1,366 $ 0.99 $ 512 $ 0.38 $ 642 $ 0.49 Non-GAAP Adjustments: Amortization of intangible assets 69 0.05 60 0.05 72 0.05 Transformation costs 26 0.02 14 0.01 56 0.05 Disaster recovery (17 ) (0.02 ) (2 ) — (14 ) (0.01 ) Stock-based compensation expense 89 0.06 80 0.06 71 0.05 Divestiture related exit costs — — 35 — — — Acquisition, disposition and other related charges 78 0.06 37 0.03 18 0.01 Gain on sale of equity interest (733 ) (0.53 ) — — — — Adjustments for equity interests 25 0.02 (44 ) (0.04 ) 2 — (Gain) loss on equity investments, net (34 ) (0.02 ) (14 ) (0.01 ) 40 0.03 Adjustments for taxes (89 ) (0.06 ) (21 ) (0.01 ) (203 ) (0.15 ) Other adjustments (2) 15 0.01 4 — (4 ) — Non-GAAP net earnings attributable to HPE (3) 795 0.58 661 0.50 680 0.52 Preferred stock dividends (25 ) — — Non-GAAP net earnings attributable to common stockholders $ 770 $ 661 $ 680 Year Ended October 31, 2024 Diluted net earnings per share October 31, 2023 Diluted net earnings per share Dollars in millions, except per share amounts GAAP net earnings attributable to HPE $ 2,579 $ 1.93 $ 2,025 $ 1.54 Non-GAAP Adjustments: Amortization of intangible assets 267 0.20 288 0.22 Transformation costs 93 0.07 283 0.22 Disaster recovery (51 ) (0.04 ) (12 ) (0.01 ) Stock-based compensation expense 430 0.32 428 0.33 Divestiture related exit costs 35 0.03 — — Acquisition, disposition and other related charges 204 0.16 69 0.05 Gain on sale of equity interest (733 ) (0.55 ) — — Adjustments for equity interests (107 ) (0.08 ) 18 0.01 Loss on equity investments, net 13 0.01 40 0.03 Adjustments for taxes (95 ) (0.07 ) (255 ) (0.20 ) Other adjustments (2) 20 0.01 (52 ) (0.04 ) Non-GAAP net earnings attributable to HPE (3) 2,655 1.99 2,832 2.15 Preferred stock dividends (25 ) — Non-GAAP net earnings attributable to common stockholders $ 2,630 $ 2,832 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP measures (Unaudited) For the three months ended October 31, 2024 July 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 In millions Net cash provided by operating activities $ 2,030 $ 1,154 $ 2,843 Investment in property, plant and equipment and software assets (608 ) (543 ) (675 ) Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 90 62 255 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash (12 ) (4 ) (102 ) Free cash flow $ 1,500 $ 669 $ 2,321 Year Ended October 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 In millions Net cash provided by operating activities $ 4,341 $ 4,428 Investment in property, plant and equipment and software assets (2,367 ) (2,828 ) Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 370 602 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash (47 ) 36 Free cash flow $ 2,297 $ 2,238 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets As of October 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 (Unaudited) (Audited) In millions, except par value ASSETS Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 14,846 $ 4,270 Accounts receivable, net of allowances 3,550 3,481 Financing receivables, net of allowances 3,870 3,543 Inventory 7,810 4,607 Assets held for sale 1 — Other current assets 3,380 3,047 Total current assets 33,457 18,948 Property, plant and equipment, net 5,664 5,989 Long-term financing receivables and other assets 12,616 11,377 Investments in equity interests 929 2,197 Goodwill and intangible assets 18,596 18,642 Total assets $ 71,262 $ 57,153 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Current Liabilities: Notes payable and short-term borrowings $ 4,742 $ 4,868 Accounts payable 11,064 7,136 Employee compensation and benefits 1,356 1,724 Taxes on earnings 284 155 Deferred revenue 3,904 3,658 Accrued restructuring 61 180 Liabilities held for sale 32 — Other accrued liabilities 4,530 4,161 Total current liabilities 25,973 21,882 Long-term debt 13,504 7,487 Other non-current liabilities 6,905 6,546 Commitments and Contingencies Stockholders’ Equity HPE stockholders' Equity: 7.625% Series C mandatory convertible preferred stock, $0.01 par value (30 shares issued and outstanding as of October 31, 2024) — — Common stock, $0.01 par value (9,600 shares authorized; 1,297 and 1,283 shares issued and outstanding as of October 31, 2024 and October 31, 2023, respectively) 13 13 Additional paid-in capital 29,848 28,199 Accumulated deficit (2,068 ) (3,946 ) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (2,977 ) (3,084 ) Total HPE stockholders’ equity 24,816 21,182 Non-controlling interests 64 56 Total stockholders’ equity 24,880 21,238 Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 71,262 $ 57,153 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Year Ended October 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 (Unaudited) (Audited) In millions Cash Flows from Operating Activities: Net earnings attributable to HPE $ 2,579 $ 2,025 Adjustments to Reconcile Net Earnings Attributable to HPE to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities: Depreciation and amortization 2,564 2,616 Stock-based compensation expense 430 428 Provision for inventory and credit losses 175 230 Restructuring charges 33 242 Deferred taxes on earnings (64 ) (67 ) Earnings from equity interests (147 ) (245 ) Gain on sale of equity interest (733 ) — Dividends received from equity investees 43 200 Other, net 149 31 Changes in Operating Assets and Liabilities, Net of Acquisitions: Accounts receivable (83 ) 577 Financing receivables (909 ) (607 ) Inventory (3,358 ) 400 Accounts payable 3,927 (1,655 ) Taxes on earnings 190 (34 ) Restructuring (164 ) (275 ) Other assets and liabilities (291 ) 562 Net cash provided by operating activities 4,341 4,428 Cash Flows from Investing Activities: Investment in property, plant and equipment and software assets (2,367 ) (2,828 ) Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 370 602 Purchases of investments (16 ) (15 ) Proceeds from maturities and sales of investments 2,149 9 Financial collateral posted (1,020 ) (1,443 ) Financial collateral received 978 1,152 Payments made in connection with business acquisitions, net of cash acquired (147 ) (761 ) Net cash used in investing activities (53 ) (3,284 ) Cash Flows from Financing Activities: Short-term borrowings with original maturities less than 90 days, net (31 ) (47 ) Proceeds from debt, net of issuance costs 11,245 4,725 Payment of debt (5,475 ) (4,887 ) Cash settlement for derivative hedging debt — (7 ) Net payments related to stock-based award activities (84 ) (106 ) Proceeds from issuance of 7.625% Series C mandatory convertible preferred stock, net of issuance costs 1,462 — Repurchase of common stock (150 ) (421 ) Cash dividends paid to non-controlling interests, net of contributions (8 ) — Cash dividends paid to shareholders (676 ) (619 ) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 6,283 (1,362 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash (47 ) 36 Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 10,524 (182 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 4,581 4,763 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 15,105 $ 4,581 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Segment Information (Unaudited) For the three months ended October 31, 2024 July 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 In millions Net Revenue: Server (4) $ 4,706 $ 4,280 $ 3,574 Hybrid Cloud (4) 1,582 1,300 1,341 Intelligent Edge (4) 1,124 1,121 1,410 Financial Services 893 879 876 Corporate Investments and other (4) 262 262 263 Total segment net revenue 8,567 7,842 7,464 Elimination of intersegment net revenue (109 ) (132 ) (113 ) Total consolidated net revenue $ 8,458 $ 7,710 $ 7,351 Earnings Before Taxes (4): Server $ 545 $ 464 $ 360 Hybrid Cloud 122 66 51 Intelligent Edge 274 251 382 Financial Services 82 79 70 Corporate Investments and other (2 ) (4 ) (16 ) Total segment earnings from operations 1,021 856 847 Unallocated corporate costs and eliminations (83 ) (85 ) (137 ) Stock-based compensation expense (89 ) (80 ) (71 ) Amortization of intangible assets (69 ) (60 ) (72 ) Transformation costs (26 ) (14 ) (56 ) Disaster recovery 17 2 14 Divestiture related exit costs — (35 ) — Acquisition, disposition and other related charges (78 ) (37 ) (18 ) Interest and other, net (1) 5 (12 ) (23 ) Gain on sale of equity interest 733 — — (Loss) earnings from equity interests (14 ) 73 65 Total pretax earnings $ 1,417 $ 608 $ 549 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Segment Information (Unaudited) Year Ended October 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 In millions Net Revenue: Server (4) $ 16,205 $ 14,361 Hybrid Cloud (4) 5,386 5,493 Intelligent Edge (4) 4,532 5,379 Financial Services 3,512 3,480 Corporate Investments and other (4) 1,014 985 Total segment net revenue 30,649 29,698 Elimination of intersegment net revenue (522 ) (563 ) Total consolidated net revenue $ 30,127 $ 29,135 Earnings Before Taxes (4): Server $ 1,818 $ 1,830 Hybrid Cloud 245 232 Intelligent Edge 1,115 1,343 Financial Services 316 281 Corporate Investments and other (25 ) (77 ) Total segment earnings from operations 3,469 3,609 Unallocated corporate costs and eliminations (301 ) (464 ) Stock-based compensation expense (430 ) (428 ) Amortization of intangible assets (267 ) (288 ) Transformation costs (93 ) (283 ) Disaster recovery 51 12 Divestiture related exit costs (35 ) — Acquisition, disposition and other related charges (204 ) (69 ) Interest and other, net (1) (117 ) (104 ) Gain on sale of equity interest 733 — Earnings from equity interests 147 245 Total consolidated earnings before taxes $ 2,953 $ 2,230 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Segment Information (Unaudited) For the three months ended Change (%) October 31, 2024 July 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 Q/Q Y/Y Dollars in millions Net Revenue: Server (4) $ 4,706 $ 4,280 $ 3,574 10% 32% Hybrid Cloud (4) 1,582 1,300 1,341 22 18 Intelligent Edge (4) 1,124 1,121 1,410 — (20) Financial Services 893 879 876 2 2 Corporate Investments and other (4) 262 262 263 — — Total segment net revenue 8,567 7,842 7,464 9 15 Elimination of intersegment net revenue (109 ) (132 ) (113 ) (17) (4) Total consolidated net revenue $ 8,458 $ 7,710 $ 7,351 10% 15% Year Ended October 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 Y/Y Dollars in millions Net Revenue: Server (4) $ 16,205 $ 14,361 13% Hybrid Cloud (4) 5,386 5,493 (2) Intelligent Edge (4) 4,532 5,379 (16) Financial Services 3,512 3,480 1 Corporate Investments and other (4) 1,014 985 3 Total segment net revenue 30,649 29,698 3 Elimination of intersegment net revenue (522 ) (563 ) (7) Total consolidated net revenue $ 30,127 $ 29,135 3% HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Segment Operating Margin Summary Data (Unaudited) For the three months ended Change in operating profit margin (pts) October 31, 2024 July 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 Q/Q Y/Y Segment Operating Profit Margin (4): Server 11.6 % 10.8 % 10.1 % 0.8 1.5 Hybrid Cloud 7.7 % 5.1 % 3.8 % 2.6 3.9 Intelligent Edge 24.4 % 22.4 % 27.1 % 2.0 (2.7) Financial Services 9.2 % 9.0 % 8.0 % 0.2 1.2 Corporate Investments and other (0.8 %) (1.5 %) (6.1 %) 0.7 5.3 Total segment operating profit margin 11.9 % 10.9 % 11.3 % 1.0 0.6 Year Ended Change in operating profit margin (pts) October 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 Y/Y Segment Operating Profit Margin (4): Server 11.2 % 12.7 % (1.5) Hybrid Cloud 4.5 % 4.2 % 0.3 Intelligent Edge 24.6 % 25.0 % (0.4) Financial Services 9.0 % 8.1 % 0.9 Corporate Investments and other (2.5 %) (7.8 %) 5.3 Total segment operating profit margin 11.3 % 12.2 % (0.9) HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Calculation of Diluted Net Earnings Per Share (Unaudited) For the three months ended October 31, 2024 July 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 In millions, except per share amounts Numerator: GAAP net earnings attributable to common stockholders - Basic $ 1,341 $ 512 $ 642 Plus: 7.625% Series C mandatory convertible preferred stock dividends 25 — — GAAP net earnings attributable to HPE - Diluted $ 1,366 $ 512 $ 642 Non-GAAP net earnings attributable to common stockholders - Basic $ 770 $ 661 $ 680 Plus: 7.625% Series C mandatory convertible preferred stock dividends 25 — — Non-GAAP net earnings attributable to HPE - Diluted $ 795 $ 661 $ 680 Denominator: Weighted-average shares used to compute basic net earnings per share 1,312 1,312 1,295 Dilutive effect of employee stock plans 22 20 20 Dilutive effect of 7.625% Series C mandatory convertible preferred stock 41 — — Weighted-average shares used to compute diluted net earnings per share 1,375 1,332 1,315 GAAP Net Earnings Per Share Basic $ 1.02 $ 0.39 $ 0.50 Diluted (3) $ 0.99 $ 0.38 $ 0.49 Non-GAAP Net Earnings Per Share Basic $ 0.59 $ 0.50 $ 0.53 Diluted (3) $ 0.58 $ 0.50 $ 0.52 Year Ended October 31, 2024 October 31, 2023 In millions, except per share amounts Numerator: GAAP net earnings attributable to common stockholders - Basic $ 2,554 $ 2,025 Plus: 7.625% Series C mandatory convertible preferred stock dividends 25 — GAAP net earnings attributable to HPE - Diluted $ 2,579 $ 2,025 Non-GAAP net earnings attributable to common stockholders - Basic $ 2,630 $ 2,832 Plus: 7.625% Series C mandatory convertible preferred stock dividends 25 — Non-GAAP net earnings attributable to HPE - Diluted $ 2,655 $ 2,832 Denominator: Weighted-average shares used to compute basic net earnings per share 1,309 1,299 Dilutive effect of employee stock plans 18 17 Dilutive effect of 7.625% Series C mandatory convertible preferred stock 10 — Weighted-average shares used to compute diluted net earnings per share 1,337 1,316 GAAP Net Earnings Per Share Basic $ 1.95 $ 1.56 Diluted (3) $ 1.93 $ 1.54 Non-GAAP Net Earnings Per Share Basic $ 2.01 $ 2.18 Diluted (3) $ 1.99 $ 2.15 (1) Interest and other, net includes tax indemnification and other adjustments, cost, and interest and other, net. (2) Other adjustments includes non-service net periodic benefit cost and tax indemnification and other adjustments. (3) For purposes of calculating diluted net EPS, the preferred stock dividends are added back to the net earnings attributable to common stockholders and the diluted weighted average share calculation assumes the preferred stock was converted at issuance or as of the beginning of the reporting period. (4) As previously disclosed, effective as of the beginning of fiscal 2024, in order to align the segment financial reporting more closely with its business structure, the Company established two new reportable segments, Hybrid Cloud and Server. Hybrid Cloud includes the historical Storage segment, HPE GreenLake Flex Solutions (which provides flexible as-a-service IT infrastructure through the HPE GreenLake cloud and was previously reported under the Compute and the High Performance Computing & Artificial Intelligence ("HPC & AI") segments), Private Cloud, and Software (previously reported under the Corporate Investments and Other segment). The Server segment combines the previously separately reported Compute and HPC & AI segments, with adjustments for certain product lines that are now reported in Hybrid Cloud. Additionally, certain products and services previously reported in the financial results for the HPC & AI segment were moved to be reported in the Hybrid Cloud segment, and the Athonet business and certain components of the Communications and Media Solutions business, both previously reported in the financial results for Corporate Investments and Other, moved to be reported in the Intelligent Edge segment. As a result, the Company’s organizational structure for fiscal 2024 consisted of the following segments: (i) Server; (ii) Hybrid Cloud; (iii) Intelligent Edge; (iv) Financial Services; and (v) Corporate Investments and Other. The Company began reporting under this re-aligned segment structure beginning with the results of the first quarter of fiscal 2024. The Company has reflected these changes to its segment information retrospectively to the earliest period presented, which primarily resulted in the realignment of net revenue and operating profit for each of the segments as described above. These changes had no impact on Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s previously reported consolidated net revenue, net earnings, net earnings per share or total assets. Use of non-GAAP financial measures To supplement Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s condensed consolidated financial statement information presented on a GAAP basis, Hewlett Packard Enterprise provides non-GAAP financial measures including revenue on a constant currency basis (including at the business segment level), non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross profit margin, non-GAAP operating profit (non-GAAP earnings from operations), non-GAAP operating profit margin (non-GAAP earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue), non-GAAP income tax rate, non-GAAP net earnings, non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share, and FCF. Hewlett Packard Enterprise also provides forecasts of revenue growth on a constant currency basis, non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share, non-GAAP operating profit growth, and FCF. These non-GAAP financial measures are not computed in accordance with, or as an alternative to, GAAP in the United States. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to net revenue on a constant currency basis is net revenue. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP gross profit is gross profit. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP gross profit margin is gross profit margin. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP operating profit (non-GAAP earnings from operations) is earnings from operations. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP operating profit margin (non-GAAP earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue) is operating profit margin (earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue). The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP income tax rate is income tax rate. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP net earnings is net earnings. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share is diluted net earnings per share. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to FCF is cash flow from operations. Reconciliations of each of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures for this quarter and prior periods are included in the tables above or elsewhere in the materials accompanying this news release. Usefulness of non-GAAP financial measures to investors Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that providing the non-GAAP financial measures stated above, in addition to the related GAAP measures provides investors with greater transparency to the information used by Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management in its financial and operational decision making and allows investors to see Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s results “through the eyes” of management. Hewlett Packard Enterprise further believes that providing this information provides Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s investors with a supplemental view to understand the Company’s historical and prospective operating performance and to evaluate the efficacy of the methodology and information used by Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management to evaluate and measure such performance. Disclosure of these non-GAAP financial measures also facilitates the comparisons of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s operating performance with the performance of other companies in the same industry that supplement their GAAP results with non-GAAP financial measures that may be calculated in a similar manner. Economic substance of and material limitations associated with non-GAAP financial measures used by Hewlett Packard Enterprise Net revenue on a constant currency basis assumes no change to the foreign exchange rate utilized in the comparable prior-year period. This measure assists investors with evaluating the Company’s past and future performance, without the impact of foreign exchange rates, as more than half of our revenue is generated outside of the U.S. Non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross profit margin are defined to exclude charges related to the stock-based compensation expense, disaster recovery, and divestiture related exit costs. Non-GAAP operating profit (non-GAAP earnings from operations) and non-GAAP operating profit margin (non-GAAP earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue) consist of earnings from operations or earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue excluding the items mentioned above and charges relating to the amortization of intangible assets, transformation costs, and acquisition, disposition and other related charges. Non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share consist of net earnings or diluted net earnings per share excluding the charges previously stated, as well as adjustments for equity interests, gain or loss on equity investments, other adjustments, and adjustments for taxes. The Adjustments for taxes line item includes certain income tax valuation allowances and separation taxes, the impact of tax reform, structural rate adjustment, excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation, and adjustments for additional taxes or tax benefits associated with each non-GAAP item. Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that excluding the items mentioned above from the non-GAAP financial measures provides a supplemental view to management and investors of its consolidated financial performance and presents the financial results of the business without costs that Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management does not believe to be reflective of ongoing operating results. Exclusion of these items can have a material impact on the equivalent GAAP measure and cash flows thus limiting their use as analytical tools. These limitations are discussed below or elsewhere in the materials accompanying this news release. More specifically, Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management excludes each of those items mentioned above for the following reasons: Compensation for material limitations with use of non-GAAP financial measures These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and these measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s results as reported under GAAP. Some of the limitations in relying on these non-GAAP financial measures are that they can have a material impact on the equivalent GAAP earnings measures and cash flows, they may be calculated differently by other companies (limiting the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes) and may not reflect the full economic effect of the loss in value of certain assets. Hewlett Packard Enterprise compensates for these limitations on the use of non-GAAP financial measures by relying primarily on its GAAP results and using non-GAAP financial measures only as a supplement. Hewlett Packard Enterprise also provides a reconciliation of each non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure for this quarter and prior periods within this news release and in other written materials that include these non-GAAP financial measures, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise encourages investors to review those reconciliations carefully. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205728686/en/ CONTACT: Media Contact: Laura Keller Laura.Keller@hpe.comInvestor Contact: Paul Glaser investor.relations@hpe.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA TEXAS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: DATA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INTERNET HARDWARE SOURCE: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/05/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/05/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205728686/enNEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elevai Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB) (“Elevai” or the “Company”), a leader in medical aesthetics, announced today that it is has withdrawn the previously announced offer (the “Offer”) to holders of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock (the “Common Stock”), to exchange up to 15,000,000 shares of Common Stock for up to 15,000,000 shares of the Company’s newly issued Series B Preferred Stock (“Series B Preferred Stock”), as a result of notice from the Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”) that due to logistical issues, DTC would not be able to accept the tenders of Common Stock. As a result of this withdrawal, no shares will be exchanged in the Offer and all shares previously tendered and not withdrawn will be promptly returned to tendering holders. The Company had intended to complete the Offer prior to a planned reverse stock split; however, unforeseen circumstances, including amending the offering materials in response to Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") comments, caused delays. As a result, the Company has withdrawn the Offer to prioritize regaining compliance with Nasdaq's listing requirements. The Company’s obligation to exchange shares pursuant to the Offer was subject to a condition that specified the Series B Preferred Stock shall be eligible for deposit with the DTC. As shares of Common Stock tendered could not be accepted by the DTC and exchanged for Series B Preferred Stock, the Offer could not be settled. The Company will assess whether to commence a new exchange offer, though there can be no assurance that the Company will proceed with a new exchange offer or as to the terms thereof. About Elevai Labs, Inc. Elevai Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB) specializes in medical aesthetics and biopharmaceutical drug development, focusing on innovations for skin aesthetics and treatments tied to obesity and metabolic health. The Company operates a diverse portfolio of three wholly owned subsidiaries across the medical aesthetics and biopharmaceutical sectors, Elevai Skincare Inc., Elevai Biosciences Inc., and Elevai Research Inc. For more information please visit www.elevailabs.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “potential,” or similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors. More information, including potential risk factors, that could affect the Company’s business and financial results are included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Company’s Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. All filings are available at www.sec.gov . IR Contact: IR@ElevaiLabs.comThe shopkeeper's act of kindness was a shining example of the power of compassion and empathy in a world that often seems cold and indifferent. It served as a beacon of hope, reminding us all that a little kindness goes a long way in brightening someone's day and restoring faith in humanity.

As the gaming landscape continues to evolve, issues around monetization practices, player choice, and industry recognition are likely to remain hot topics of discussion. The outcome of this controversy and its impact on future iterations of the TGA Players' Voice award will be closely watched by players, developers, and industry observers alike.One of the key pillars of economic management is the implementation of effective financial policies that align with market expectations. By carefully calibrating fiscal measures such as tax adjustments, government spending, and public investment, authorities can steer the economy towards a path of balanced growth and resilience. Additionally, maintaining transparent communication with market participants and stakeholders is vital in ensuring predictability and reducing uncertainties.

Trump has been blasting away on Truth Social. First off, Trudeau flew down to Mar-a-Lago to meet with him and they're smiling in the picture. The tweet (or whatever you call it) is mostly upbeat. Separately, Trump went on a rant about BRICS countries and not using the dollar. This is a canard, Trump will be long dead (and so will I) before BRICS countries have any kind of institutions in place to launch a collective currency. Yes, they'll probably add to gold reserves and do more bi-lateral trade but these things move at a glacial pace. That said, his line of thinking here doesn't exactly jive with an effort to weaken the dollar, which is a risk I'm mulling . Still, this is sound and fury, signifying nothing. Here's how CFR senior fellow Brad Setzer sums it up:

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner , father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker." Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former White House senior adviser to Trump who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said. Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought. Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. attorney.” Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009. Tucker reported from Newtown, Pennsylvania.However, one individual who seems to be reveling in Macron's struggles is none other than Song Zhongping, a military expert and commentator from China. Song, known for his sharp analysis and provocative comments, has not shied away from expressing his views on Macron's leadership woes. In a recent interview, he pointed out that Macron's government is akin to a "lame duck" or a "lame duck" due to its inability to effectively address the various challenges facing France.

Barcelona's upcoming clash against Bayern Munich is a critical test of their character and resilience, as they aim to recapture their former glory and prove their mettle on the continental stage. With a blend of youth and experience in their squad, as well as a renewed sense of belief under their new manager, Barcelona will be hoping to turn the tide and secure a vital victory against the German powerhouse.On a seemingly routine morning, Liu Dabeili underwent a liposuction procedure. While the details surrounding the procedure are still unclear, what followed was a tragic turn of events. Despite initial reports of a successful surgery, Liu Dabeili's health took a sudden and unexpected downturn in the afternoon, leading to her untimely death. The news of her passing has left her family, friends, and followers in shock and disbelief.

Browns restructure QB Deshaun Watson's contract to create cap space, flexibility, AP source saysNonebetboom streamers battle 。

West PH Sea tensions and what PH plans to do in 2025US President-elect Donald Trump filed a brief Friday urging the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok the day before his January 20 inauguration if it is not sold by its Chinese owner ByteDance. "In light of the novelty and difficulty of this case, the court should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space to address these issues," Trump's legal team wrote, to give him "the opportunity to pursue a political resolution." Trump was fiercely opposed to TikTok during his 2017-21 first term, and tried in vain to ban the video app on national security grounds. The Republican voiced concerns -- echoed by political rivals -- that the Chinese government might tap into US TikTok users' data or manipulate what they see on the platform. US officials had also voiced alarm over the popularity of the video-sharing app with young people, alleging that its parent company is subservient to Beijing and that the app is used to spread propaganda, claims denied by the company and the Chinese government. Trump called for a US company to buy TikTok, with the government sharing in the sale price, and his successor Joe Biden went one stage further -- signing a law to ban the app for the same reasons. Trump has now, however, reversed course. "Now (that) I'm thinking about it, I'm for TikTok, because you need competition," he recently told Bloomberg. "If you don't have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram -- and that's, you know, that's Zuckerberg." Facebook, founded by Mark Zuckerberg and part of his Meta tech empire, was among the social media networks that banned Trump after attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The ban was driven by concerns that he would use the platform to promote more violence. Those bans on major social media platforms were later lifted. In the brief filed on Friday, Trump's lawyer made it clear the president-elect did not take a position on the legal merits of the current case. "President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute," John Sauer wrote in the amicus curiae -- or "friend of the court" -- brief. "Instead, he respectfully requests that the court consider staying the act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trump's incoming Administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case." ft/aha

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in northern Gaza on Friday, forcing many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather , the territory’s health ministry said. The army denied claims it had entered or set fire to the complex and accused Hamas of using the facility for cover. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighborhoods, according to staff. The ministry said a strike on the hospital a day earlier killed five medical staff. Israel's military said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants in the area and had ordered people out of the hospital, but said it had not entered the complex as of Friday night. It repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that. The Health Ministry said troops forced medical personnel and patients to assemble in the yard and remove their clothes. Some were led to an unknown location, while some patients were sent to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which was knocked out of operation after an Israel raid this week. Israeli troops during raids frequently carry out mass detentions, stripping men to their underwear for questioning in what the military says is a security measure as they search for Hamas fighters. The Associated Press doesn’t have access to Kamal Adwan, but armed plainclothes members of the Hamas-led police forces have been seen in other hospitals, maintaining security but also controlling access to parts of the facilities. The Health Ministry said Israeli troops also set fires in several parts of Kamal Adwan, including the lab and surgery department. It said 25 patients and 60 health workers remained in the hospital. The account could not be independently confirmed, and attempts to reach hospital staff were unsuccessful. “Fire is ablaze everywhere in the hospital,” an unidentified staff member said in an audio message posted on social media accounts of hospital director Hossam Abu Safiya. The staffer said some evacuated patients had been unhooked from oxygen. “There are currently patients who could die at any moment,” she said. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, denied the accusations. “While IDF troops were not in the hospital, a small fire broke out in an empty building inside the hospital that is under control,” he said Friday night. He said a preliminary investigation found “no connection” between military activity and the fire. The Israeli military heavily restricts the movements of Palestinians in Gaza and has barred foreign journalists from entering the territory throughout the war, making it difficult to verify information. “These actions put the lives of all of these people in even more danger than what they faced before,” U.N. spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay told journalists, and noted colleagues' reports of “significant damage” to the hospital. It should be protected as international law requires, she added. Since October, Israel’s offensive has virtually sealed off the northern Gaza areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and leveled large parts of them. Tens of thousands of Palestinians were forced out but thousands are believed to remain in the area, where Kamal Adwan and two other hospitals are located. Troops raided Kamal Adwan in October, and on Tuesday troops stormed and evacuated the Indonesian Hospital. The area has been cut off from food and other aid for months , raising fears of famine . The United Nations says Israeli troops allowed just four humanitarian deliveries to the area from Dec. 1 to Dec. 23. The Israeli rights group Physicians for Human Rights-Israel this week petitioned Israel’s High Court of Justice, seeking a halt to military attacks on Kamal Adwan. It warned that forcibly evacuating the hospital would “abandon thousands of residents in northern Gaza.” Before the latest deaths Thursday, the group documented five other staffers killed by Israeli fire since October. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza vowing to destroy Hamas after the group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in which militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others. Around 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, around a third believed to be dead. Israel’s nearly 15-month-old campaign of bombardment and offensives has devastated the territory’s health sector. A year ago, it carried out raids on hospitals in northern Gaza, including Kamal Adwan, Indonesian and al-Awda Hospital, saying they served as bases for Hamas, though it presented little evidence. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians, more than half women and children, and wounded more than 108,000 others, according to the Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. More than 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians have been driven from their homes, most now sheltering in sprawling tent camps in south and central Gaza. Children and adults, many barefoot, huddled Friday on the cold sand in tents whose plastic and cloth sheets whipped in the wind. Overnight temperatures can dip into the 40s Fahrenheit (below 10 Celsius), and sea spray from the Mediterranean can dampen tents just steps away. "I swear to God, their mother and I cover ourselves with one blanket and we cover (their five children) with three blankets that we got from neighbors. Sea waters drowned everything that was ours,” said Muhammad al-Sous, displaced from Beit Lahiya in the north. The children collect plastic bottles to make fires, and pile under the blankets when their only set of clothes is washed and dried in the wind. At least three babies in Gaza have died from exposure to cold in recent days , doctors there have said, and the Health Ministry said an adult — a nurse who worked at the European Hospital — also died this week. Khaled and Keath reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Narions contributed to this report.

It would be easy to argue against making New Year’s resolutions. They’re hard to keep and, often, too narrow in focus. In a rapidly changing world, why would we think that something we value in January will still hold true in June? Yet, despite those risks, my 2025 New Year’s resolution feels instinctive and solid. A little background is required. My parents supported their family through a small corner grocery store. As their children, we were the unpaid hired hands who would do odd jobs to help my parents and assist customers in whatever ways they asked. My parents were the kind of grocers one could only dream of having. Kind, generous, willing to let customers buy on credit, willing to hear them share way more information about their lives than my parents truthfully wanted to hear. The attitude at Utica Grocery was summed up in an edict my father frequently told us: “What goes around, comes around.” By this, he meant if we treated people with respect and dignity, we could expect the same back. Be kind, and people will be kind to us. Be charitable, and people will extend a helping hand. It was what my parents modeled daily, and we, as their children, learned. So why, in 2025, am I hearing my dad’s message so loudly? I fear it is because of what we’ve become. We seem very me-centered. We’ve grown cynical. Generosity of spirit — helping people in non-material ways — can be hard to spot. Our patience continues to dwindle. I realized I was having a “patience problem” when I recently began to learn the game of Mahjong. Picking up the game was my way of preparing for some eventual retirement. It’s intended to help me connect with others when I’m not at the dog park, attending synagogue, or at my desk writing. Many research studies have confirmed the value of social connections as we age. So I’m sitting at the Mahjong table, and one of the players is taking a very long time to choose which tiles to drop. In fairness to him, he was a chief financial officer and is preternaturally precise and strategic in thinking through his moves. But now, our Mahjong game has slowed to a crawl. I become antsy. While I could have engaged in self-talk and said, “Everyone is learning, and everyone’s pace is different. Cool your jets,” I didn’t do that. Instead, I said, “Jack, you know we learn by making mistakes, so don’t be afraid to make some. Plus, we have only 20 more minutes. At this rate, we might not finish the game.” The other two players at the table smiled when I said this. They were getting impatient, too, but they had more self-restraint. I parked this observation about my impatience until later when I thought back to my dad, who epitomized patience and kindness. Even better, on issues far more consequential than playing Mahjong, my dad had a habit of giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. Were he sitting at the Mahjong table, I can imagine my dad saying, “I bet Jack is going to teach us something really important. We’re lucky he’s so thoughtful.” Imagine that? Imagine having the instinct to give people the benefit of the doubt. It’s a far cry from our world today, where we brood about people gaming the system or feel despair about hypocritical leaders, or wonder whether scientists still offer objective truth. The list is endless, and the mental toll it takes to always be on the lookout for behavior we can call out is deflating. Maybe my dad was onto something. Changing our lens and viewing the world with a bigger heart and a more open mind can yield positive effects. We might find that when we give people the benefit of the doubt, they live up to our expectations. And giving really is more fun than receiving. Optimism might become a new norm, and along with it might come better mental health, more resilience and an overall improved quality of life. All I had to do was remind myself of my father’s words: “What goes around, comes around.” And just like that, my 2025 resolution is born. Lead with positivity and kindness, and it will help me believe in our future, in what may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Jill Ebstein is the editor of the “At My Pace” series of books and the founder of Sized Right Marketing, a consulting firm. Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!None

The push towards electrification and modernisation of electrical grids has been amongst the forefront of government initiatives post Covid-19. By manufacturing key components that go into electric vehicles (EVs), battery management systems (BMS), smart meters and switchgears, amidst others, Shivalik Bimetal Controls (SBCL) has been quietly making its presence felt with a 130 per cent return for its investors, in the last three years. Broadly operating under three revenue verticals – thermostatic bimetals, shunt resistors and electrical contacts – all critical components and consumables in above-mentioned sunrise sectors, SBCL’s revenue/ EBITDA/ PAT has grown at a strong CAGR of 21 per cent/ 24 per cent/ 28 per cent in the last five years. The company also has a net cash position as of H1 FY25. One of the very few vendors with the niche capability of manufacturing specialised shunts using electron beam welding (EBW) process, the company has no peers in India with similar comparable manufacturing prowess. The temporary slowdown from the US markets is expected to pick up pace from Q4 of FY25, based on positive enquiries from its largest customer. Nevertheless, the growth in other geographies has outshone the degrowth in the US in H1 FY25, indicating resilience in demand for its products. Trading at a TTM PE of around 41 times, the share price of the company has largely stayed flat in the last 12 months. And with the stock having corrected around 25 per cent from its peak in July 2023, investors could consider accumulating the stock on dips considering the above factors. SBCL, incorporated in 1984, set up the first plant in Asia to manufacture thermostatic bimetals in 1986. The company launched cathode ray tubes (CRT) in the 1990s, which found applications in CRT TVs. With the same being superseded by flat LCD, LED type TVs, this product became gradually obsolete since FY11 resulting in stagnation in revenue upto FY14. But with the launch of shunt resistors and renewed focus on thermostatic bimetals, SBCL revived its business, building capabilities in advanced and complex manufacturing technologies like EBW and diffusion bonding. Currently, shunts and bimetals contribute to around 45 per cent each to the topline, while electrical contacts bring in the rest. Thermostatic bimetals, used as part of overload protection devices, find application in switchgears, electrical appliances, medical devices and EVs. It helps the end-use machineries turn on or off when it gets too hot or too cold. The company manufactures around 75-plus grades in this space. Shunt resistors help measure and sense the flow of electricity in a circuit. These find critical applications in automobiles, smart meters, power modules and BMS. Currently, SBCL operates the world’s largest capacity and production of electronic beam welding, by which the company manufactures shunts. Shunts are relatively higher margin products and enjoy a 3-5 per cent delta over bimetals, EBITDA-wise. Electrical contacts are connecting points joined to copper wires, which are the contact points when we turn on and off switches, used across electrical appliances, smart meters, switchgears and wires, and accessories. This is lower on the margin profile when compared with the other two products. H1 FY25 saw revenue decline of 0.9 per cent year on year to ₹252.6 crore, despite a nominal volume growth of around 3 per cent. A similar trend was observed in FY24 as compared with FY23, where despite around 9 per cent volume growth, revenue growth came in at a lower 8 per cent. This trend is on the back of commodity prices – primarily, copper and nickel which account for around 50 per cent of total costs – softening from January 2023. Price of copper and nickel have corrected around 5 per cent and 48 per cent since January 2023. While copper prices have been volatile during this period, nickel has been largely on a downward slope. EBITDA margins too dropped year on year owing to fall in export volumes from around 60 per cent in H1 FY24 (and entire FY24) to 55 per cent in H1 FY25, an unfavourable product mix with volumes of shunt dropping as a percentage of the overall volumes, and electrical contacts coincidentally growing in volume. Recovery on this front is expected from rebound in shunts business and export volumes. Bimetals sales to Europe and the Rest of Asia de-grew 24 per cent and 31 per cent year on year in H1 FY25, while India and the US showed a bit of resilience but still dropped 3 per cent and 5 per cent year on year respectively, resulting in a net 11 per cent decline. India continues to be the biggest market for this segment. Shunt segment, however, saw Europe, India and the Rest of Asia grow around 40 per cent each year on year, while US de-grew 33 per cent, still reeling from inventory destocking. Despite the US traditionally being the largest market in this segment, growth in other markets helped the shunts business grow 3 per cent year on year in H1 of FY25. Smart meter as an end-use segment contributed to around 30 per cent of the shunt sales in H1 FY25, and automotive sector added another 60 per cent. In case of bimetals, switchgear segment contributed to around 80 per cent of the sales, while spiral coils, snap-action disks brought in the rest. The company incurred a capex of ₹75 crore over FY21-23. And with another ₹20-30 crore that will be spent over FY24-26 for brownfield expansion, the peak revenue potential, according to the management, is ₹1,600 crore, which is more than three times its FY24 revenue. Thus, no investments are required over the short-to-medium term in the ordinary course of business. SBCL also boasts of machine building capability of critical processes at a cost which is a fraction of global alternatives. Considering the critical applications of its products, customers often have detailed and lengthy approval cycles (around three-five years). And as SBCL also works closely with its customers, and its offerings are significantly customised (around 75 per cent of its total offering), the switching costs for a customer is high and at most times, tedious. Vishay Intertechnology (tier-3 player in the automotive sector), a leading American semiconductor and electronic components manufacturer is SBCL’s largest customer. About 40 per cent of its shunt business and 30 per cent of its bimetal business came from the top 5 customers in each segment in FY23 (latest data available). The ratio of costs of shunt resistors to cost of end-use machineries into which they are consumed such as EVs and smart meters is immaterial (around 1 per cent) and hence, customers prefer to outsource it than backward integrate. And the critical applications of these components also result in emphasis on quality than tiny cost differentials, which also bodes well for SBCL over the long term. Demand from the automotive segment, though currently impacted by slowdown in the US markets, is expected to be strong considering EVs touted to need around 8-16 times more shunt resistors than ICE vehicles. And shunt resistors find various use-cases in BMS and EMS too, signalling bright prospects. Smart meter segment continues to grow rapidly for the company, with both shunt resistors and electrical contacts in demand with the government of India’s Smart Meter National Programme aiming to replace 250 million conventional meters by 2027. The switchgear segment, on the other hand, is expected to remain robust with sustained efforts to modernise grids and again electrification. SBCL, thus offering a proxy play to three sunrise sectors, seems to be well placed to ride the tailwinds. On September 27, the Sandhu family – co-promoters – exited the company. This exit has resulted in the remaining promoter (and also, the managing promoters) – the Ghumman family – raising its stake from 25.5 per cent to 33.15 per cent and the entry of institutional investors in a big way (from around 2 per cent prior, to 20 per cent now). The exiting promoter had been selling minor stakes since June 2023 and this complete exit clears the cloud around such promoter stake-selling. The company had entered a MoU with Metalor Technologies, a leading Swiss electrical contacts manufacturer, in FY24, to explore the development of high-performance electrical contacts. But the arrangement has not worked out, and SBCL is considering alternates or to drop out from the same, quoting that significant investments might be required to work the arrangement, which seemed unattractive. CommentsACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana’s former leader John Dramani Mahama was declared the winner of the presidential election on Monday and pledged a “a life of limitless opportunity” for citizens after voters vented their anger over the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. Previously president of the West African nation between 2012 and 2017, the 65-year-old Mahama received 56.5% of votes cast, or 6.3 million votes, the electoral commission said. His main opponent from the current governing party, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat on Sunday and got 41%, or 4.6 million votes. Electoral commissioner Jean Mensa said vote-counting continued in nine constituencies but would not change the final result. Turnout was just over 60%. Mahama had promised to “reset” the country on various fronts. His campaign prioritized the economy and largely appealed to young Ghanaians who saw the vote as a way out of the economic crisis . In his victory speech on Monday, Mahama said Ghana must be able to meet the basic needs of its people including affordable housing, health care, food, clean water, safe work and fair wages. “We want a Ghana that considers the well-being of all her citizens and affords them each the ability to live a life of dignity, a life of limitless opportunity,” he said. “This country, this land, is not for one person or for one family or for one tribe or ethnic group.” He said the last eight years under outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo have "left a scar on our national psyche, which may take some time to erase.” Mahama’s win is viewed as following the trend of elections around the world, favoring opposition parties against incumbents. Mahama’s National Democratic Congress also won the majority in parliament. After Bawumia conceded defeat, celebrations broke out among opposition supporters in the capital, Accra, and elsewhere. Women and young people danced to music and trumpet blasts. The election for both the president and members of parliament was seen as a litmus test for democracy in a region shaken by extremist violence and coups . West Africa’s regional bloc, ECOWAS, called the election generally peaceful, not unusual for Ghana. The governing New Patriotic Party has struggled to resolve the economic crisis under outgoing Akufo-Addo. The former president is “the only person” who can fix the ailing economy in Ghana, one of West Africa’s economic powerhouses, said Jude Agbemava, a policy analyst who voted for him. The people made their disaffection known against a government that has lost goodwill, said Seidu Alidu, head of the department of political science at Ghana’s University of Legon. The economy is “largely a bread and butter issue for every Ghanaian,” Alidu said. “When the people elect you, they require you to do certain things for them. But it was also about the style of governance (because) even in other countries facing economic challenges, governments were being honest with the people, telling them what the reality is, and the steps they have taken to manage it.”

Donald Hand Jr. racked up a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds to help Boston College stave off visiting Fairleigh Dickinson 78-70 on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Chad Venning added 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Dion Brown contributed eight points, eight rebounds and four assists as the Eagles (8-5) wrapped up their nonconference slate with just their second win in six games. Ahmed Barba-Bey, a grad transfer from Division II, exploded for a season-high 31 points to power FDU (4-11). Barba-Bey buried 8 of 9 attempts from the 3-point arc. Terrence Brown added 15 of his 20 points in the second half, as the Knights made it close before falling to 0-10 on the road this season. Bismark Nsiah scored 10 points. Boston College led 70-59 with 3:39 to play when Barba-Bey was fouled attempting a corner 3. He made all three of his foul shots, and after a stop Brown got to the bucket to cut FDU's deficit to six. It was 72-67 when Venning made a clutch turnaround jumper from the high post with 51 seconds left. Boston College let Barba-Bey get loose for his eighth 3-pointer, pulling FDU within four, its closest margin of the half. But Hand drove to the basket and scored with 29 seconds on the clock, and FDU was out of time. The Knights trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, but Barba-Bey kept them in the game. He made a fastbreak layup off Brown's steal and added a 3-pointer on the next possession, turning what was a 10-point deficit to a manageable 29-24 game. Boston College led 38-28 at halftime, with Hand scoring 15 for the hosts and Barba-Bey pouring in 16 for the Knights, including 4-of-5 shooting from deep. FDU pulled within nine points three times in the early stages of the second half, the third coming when Nsiah knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 56-47 with about 10 minutes to go. --Field Level MediaNone

Sikkim MP engages in parliamentary study visit on energy and urban infrastructure in MumbaiWall or nothing: 17-year-old Ava is UK's fastest woman climberIsraeli troops forcibly remove staff and patients from northern Gaza hospital, officials say

Asian stock markets continued to surge in popularity in 2024, outperforming the in IPOs. Throughout this year, Asia has dominated on stock exchange floats, with over 600 IPOs throughout the year, more than two thirds of the 867 floats globally in 2024, according to data In comparison, the UK market has had just a dozen IPOs throughout the year, with only six worth more than £30m. “It is worth noting that the performance of some of these deals has been mixed, with a number trading below issue post pricing,” said Peel Hunt analysts. The only IPO worth more than £1bn from the UK , which has fallen more than 14 per cent since its IPO earlier this month. Meanwhile, countries like India have seen their stock market take-in surge, with proceeds skyrocketing to $11.2bn (£9bn), more than doubling the $5.5bn (£4.4bn) raised in 2023. Shanghai Stock Exchange Building at Pudong (Wikipedia/Author ??/CC BY-SA 3.0) “The pipeline for 2025 promises even bigger fireworks, fuelled by skyrocketing retail participation, hefty domestic inflows, and FPIs [Foreign Portfolio Investments] flexing their muscles,” said Murthy Grandhi, company profiles analyst at Globaldata. In comparison, the value of deals on the UK IPO market declined about nine per cent this year according to data, pushing it down to just 20th in the world. Looking at the rest of Asia, and in particular Asia Pacific (APAC) Japan and Malaysia also registered impressive growth, with Japan’s IPOs increasing 275 per cent, with 69 IPOs raising a total of $12.6bn (£10.1bn), while Malaysia recorded a 146 per cent rise. However, Chinese IPOs dropped by more than half, thanks to tighter regulations and a lack of interest in its market until the last quarter of the year. The country saw the launch of 64 IPOs raising just over $5.2bn (£4.2bn). The Asian markets are expected to continue their streak of strong performance into 2025, thanks to a robust pipeline of companies ready to make their splash on stock exchanges. Significant IPOs include Tokyo Metro in Japan and Hyundai Motor in India, with deal values of $3.2bn (£2.6bn) and $3.3bn (£2.6bn) respectively, totalling vastly more than all floats on the UK market combined. By City AM

Best iPhone apps to enhance your experience with Apple MusicSolomone Kata scored Leicester's second try of the match [Source: PA Media] Handre Pollard’s last-minute conversion, via the post, rescued a thrilling Premiership draw for Leicester Tigers against Harlequins 34-all at Twickenham. Quins looked like they were on their way to a narrow victory, before Tigers substitute Dan Cole touched the ball down over the line to set up South African Pollard’s game-saving kick to level the match. The hosts had taken a narrow one-point lead into the break after a frenetic first half in which the lead changed hands four times. Cadan Murley’s 68th-minute try looked to have secured the points for Quins, but both teams left with a share of the spoils and a bonus point each for scoring four tries. Harlequins were hosting their 16th annual “Big Game” at neighbouring Twickenham Stadium and the first-half display on the pitch lived up to the extravagant pre-match light show and fireworks. Both sides had the fans on their feet with some brilliant ball-carrying to find the spaces and break between the lines. Pollard’s kicking was on the mark all night right from an early penalty that gave the visitors the lead, before Harlequins hooker Jack Walker’s third league try of the season gave Quins the lead. Ollie Hassell-Collins and Solomone Kata scored to put Leicester 10 points clear, but Murley’s first try of the match at the end of a trademark Quins counter-attack soon followed. Kata was shown a yellow card shortly before half-time for a high challenge on Oscar Beard. The Tonga international was perhaps fortunate to avoid a red as Hassell-Collins was already bringing down the Quins centre when the contact was made. Luke Northmore’s drive over the line from the resulting scrum gave Harlequins the slenderest of leads at half-time and they were unable to take further advantage of the extra man after the restart. Freddie Steward’s try either side of two Marcus Smith penalties levelled the encounter at 27-27 to set up a grandstand finish. Murley’s second try of the match was dramatically cancelled out by Cole’s score with just two minutes left and Pollard’s calm conversion settled the outcome as a stalemate.

betboom streamers battle 7 Two board members of Epic Games have resigned amid Justice Department concerns over antitrust concerns. The DOJ said that the two board members, who were not identified, raised issues that their positions on the Epic and Tencent boards violated Section 8 of the Clayton Act. Tencent owns a minority interest in Epic and is the parent company to its rival, Riot Games. Tencent also has agreed to amend its shareholder agreement with Epic to relinquish its unilateral right to appoint directors to the board. Epic, which is based in North Carolina, operates Fortnite, one of the largest games in the world. Spokespersons for Epic and Tencent did not immediately return a request for comment. Section 9 of the Clayton Act prohibits directors and officers from serving simultaneously on the boards of competitors. Epic Games has become increasingly of interest to Hollywood and traditional media players as Fortnite has grown into more than just a dominant video game, becoming a valuable reach platform. With millions of registered users, several million of whom play concurrently, Fortnite has become a venue for movie trailer premieres, concerts and games-within-the-game. Another of Epic’s businesses, Unreal Engine, is a 3D graphics tool that has become valued by game developers. Disney last February announced a $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games, giving it an equity stake. The companies will partner on various initiatives aimed at bridging entertainment and technology.

Max Brooks scores 26 points and UMass-Lowell secures 92-83 victory over DartmouthAMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Malek Abdelgowad scored 26 points as UMass beat UMass-Boston 86-52 on Saturday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Malek Abdelgowad scored 26 points as UMass beat UMass-Boston 86-52 on Saturday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Malek Abdelgowad scored 26 points as UMass beat UMass-Boston 86-52 on Saturday. Abdelgowad also contributed 14 rebounds for the Minutemen (4-7). Daniel Rivera added 11 points while going 4 of 6 and 3 of 7 from the free-throw line while they also had 10 rebounds. Jaylen Curry had 10 points and finished 4 of 7 from the field. The Beacons were led in scoring by Cameron Perkins, who finished with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals. Xavier McKenzie added 13 points, two steals and two blocks for UMass-Boston. Raphel Laurent also recorded eight points. UMass took the lead with 15:49 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 47-24 at halftime, with Abdelgowad racking up 18 points. UMass extended its lead to 66-36 during the second half, fueled by a 14-2 scoring run. Abdelgowad scored a team-high eight points in the second half as their team closed out the win. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Advertisement

Former NC State WR KC Concepcion transferring to Texas A&MAMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Malek Abdelgowad scored 26 points as UMass beat UMass-Boston 86-52 on Saturday. Abdelgowad also contributed 14 rebounds for the Minutemen (4-7). Daniel Rivera added 11 points while going 4 of 6 and 3 of 7 from the free-throw line while they also had 10 rebounds. Jaylen Curry had 10 points and finished 4 of 7 from the field. The Beacons were led in scoring by Cameron Perkins, who finished with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals. Xavier McKenzie added 13 points, two steals and two blocks for UMass-Boston. Raphel Laurent also recorded eight points. UMass took the lead with 15:49 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 47-24 at halftime, with Abdelgowad racking up 18 points. UMass extended its lead to 66-36 during the second half, fueled by a 14-2 scoring run. Abdelgowad scored a team-high eight points in the second half as their team closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Mukesh Ambani owns several companies whose shares fall into the penny category. Shares of this company were seen in selling mode in the early days of last week. However, the last trading day of the week on Friday and December 27 saw investors buying heavily on the networks company's shares. During trading, the share price rose 3 percent to Rs. reached at 41.60. At the close of trading, the stock rose 2.98% to Rs. was at 41.50. Let us tell you that the shares of Den Networks (Den Networks) reached a low of Rs 40.02 on 26 December 2024. The stock is at a 52-week low. At the same time, the stock touched Rs 69.40 in January 2024. The stock is at a 52-week high. Let us tell you that Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries has a partnership in this company. Talking about the shareholding pattern of DEN Networks Limited, it has public shareholding of 25 percent. The promoter holds 74.90 percent stake. Its promoter group includes Reliance Industries Investments and Holdings Limited, Jio Futuristic Digital Holdings Private Limited and Network 18 Media and Investments Limited. At the same time, Reliance Ventures Ltd and Jio Television Distribution Holdings Pvt Ltd also have stakes in the company. Shares of Mukesh Ambani's company DEN Networks seem to be in selling mode for a long time. As for the company's return on the BSE index, it has fallen by around 8 percent in a month compared to the Sensex. At the same time, it has fallen nearly 22 percent in three months. Apart from this, the stock also closed in the red mark in the period of six months and one year. BSE's 30-share benchmark index Sensex closed up 226.59 points, or 0.29 per cent, at 78,699.07 on Friday. It had jumped 570.67 points to 79,043.15 at one stage during trading. The National Stock Exchange's (NSE) benchmark Nifty also gained 63.20 points, or 0.27 percent, to 23,813.40. Note: Do not invest in stock market without knowledge. Before investing in any shares you should talk to your financial advisor once. If you do not do so, you may suffer financial loss. . Source

Two Sasquatch hunters were found dead after they went missing while searching for the mythical beast on Christmas Eve . The men, aged 37 and 59, were found after a 60-strong volunteer search and rescue team joined authorities in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington State . They had intended to be home for Christmas Day, but a family member reported them missing to Skamania County authorities after they didn’t return by the morning. Police said the harsh weather conditions and their ill-preparedness for the forest contributed to the men’s deaths. Seven law enforcement agencies and the Coast Guard used canines, drones, ground teams and helicopters to locate them. “Their exhaustive search efforts resulted in bringing family members home to their loved ones,” the sheriff’s office said of the search teams. The force extended their “deepest sympathies and condolences to the families” involved. Andy Cohen’s biggest gripe with CNN star and New Year’s Eve partner-in-crime Anderson Cooper? Cooper’s annual giggle fit. Cohen explained to People why the anchor’s unceasing laughter adds extra chaos throughout their annual special. “Well, [it’s] that I have to be the straight guy,” Cohen said. “Literally, he’s in a puddle of giggles for the last 90 minutes of the broadcast, and I’m the one that’s hitting all the commercial breaks.” Cohen said he turns “into Mr. CNN for the last 90 minutes” while Cooper becomes “Mr. Bravo.” “It’s a very funny role reversal,” the Bravo star said. The longtime friends have hosted the CNN event together since 2017 after former co-host Kathy Griffin was booted in the wake of backlash for posing with a mask depicting the severed head of Donald Trump. Cohen and Cooper have found themselves in various antics since then— some alcoholic , some not —leading to Cooper’s own frustrations with the Bravo host. Cooper joked on Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live earlier this month that he constantly worries about “who [Cohen’s] gonna insult and what the clean up on aisle 3 is gonna be in the morning.” Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Boxing Week sales are still in full swing, folks! As an avid J.Crew fan , I can honestly say that the brand’s discount-laden factory store (the brand’s online outlet) is a great way to get high-quality wardrobe staples without the big price tag. J.Crew Factory always offers discounts up to 40 percent off J.Crew, but for a limited time, you can unlock even more savings from already discounted items. Right now, J.Crew Factory is offering 70 percent off clearance items with the code SALE70 at checkout. Now’s the time to invest in evergreen staples like jeans and office-friendly blazers while they’re half off, or grab a few outwear essentials to round out your cold-weather lineup. The sale also includes tons of denim for just $50, pure cotton crewneck T-shirts for $20, and even new arrivals like NYE frocks and cashmere items. And the sale is not just for women; the gents’ and kids’ sections are equally full of additional savings. Billionaire businessman Charles Dolan, who founded HBO and Cablevision and whose family owns Madison Square Garden and a number of New York City sports teams, died on Saturday—he was 98. Dolan created Cablevision Systems Corporation in 1973, merging several small Long Island cable TV systems, according to the New York Times . At the time, the company served just 1,500 customers. But when he sold it for $17.7 billion in 2015, it supplied cable TV to over three million households in the New York metropolitan area, the Times reported. He also launched HBO in the early ’70s—it was at the time a pioneering cable TV channel that offered feature-length movies with no commercials. After his death, Dolan’s family will continue to be a powerful and influential force in the worlds of media and sports. His son Patrick is the owner of Newsday , the Long Island-based newspaper he and Charles bought in 2016. The family also owns MSG in New York City and the professional sports teams that play there, the NHL’s Rangers and the NBA’s Knicks. All three entities are led by Dolan’s son James. Tina Knowles sprang to her daughter Beyoncé’s defense after online trolls criticized her NFL halftime show performance on Christmas Day. Knowles clapped back at critics by reposting a message about her famous daughter on her Instagram on Friday. In the screenshot, user @iamkrisiman praised Beyoncé and wrote that “no matter how undeniably talented you are, people will always, ALWAYS, always have some negative ish to say.” Knowles cosigned the post in a lengthy caption. “It is mind-boggling to me that you would take your precious Christmas day and watch a performance of someone you hate and you don’t think has talent so that you can go talk ish about it later,” she wrote. “Obviously you are so obsessed with them, addicted to them, and secretly admire them,” she added. According to the New York Post, Knowles’ post came after some social media users called Beyoncé “overrated.” Fans and celebrities in the comments of Knowles’ response seemed to love her mama bear energy. “Period!!! Ms. T,” singer LeToya Luckett wrote. “All. Of. This!!!!!!” Oscar winner Octavia Spencer added. A post shared by Tina Knowles (@mstinaknowles) Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. If you’re looking to revamp your at-home fitness lineup ahead of 2025 and don’t have hours to commit to exercising each day, allow us to introduce you to the CAROL Bike . The science-backed and AI-powered fitness bike is engineered to give you maximum results in the shortest time possible—and by the shortest time, we mean as little as five minutes. In fact, according to the brand, the CAROL bike is “proven to deliver double the health and fitness benefits in 90 percent less time compared to regular cardio.” Free Returns | Free Shipping Not only is it a huge time-saver, but the CAROL Bike is also designed to be personalized to the rider’s individual fitness levels, goals, and preferences, making the workouts easy to follow, time-efficient, and super effective. CAROL’s AI and Reduced Exertion HIIT (REHIT) technology optimizes the workout to your ability and fitness level, so every second matters. The personalized, optimal resistance levels are automatically adjusted as you work out—at exactly the right time—making the most efficient workouts easy to follow. “ CAROL Bike is designed to maximize training efficiency, with the shortest, most effective workouts, backed by science. And new rider-inspired features that give riders more flexibility to exercise their way,” says Ulrich Dempfle, CEO & Co-Founder at CAROL. You can try the CAROL Bike for yourself risk-free for 100 days, and the brand offers free shipping (7-10 business days) in the U.S. Elon Musk appeared to borrow a line from the 2008 film Tropic Thunder in an ongoing social media fight about H1B visas. Musk hit back against MAGA’s top players in a series of X posts, alleging that H1B visas are the reason why he, “and hundreds of other companies that made America strong,” are in the country. To a skeptical X user, Musk blasted: “Take a big step back and F--- YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.” Although some were shocked by Musk’s sudden escalation—with former Trump strategist Steve Bannon calling him a “toddler”—others noticed that the disparaging remark was similar to a line in Tropic Thunder . Character Les Grossman, played by Tom Cruise, says in the film: “First, take a big step back, and literally, F--- YOUR OWN FACE ... I don’t know what kind of pan-pacific bulls--t power play you’re trying to pull here, but Asia, Jack, is my territory. So whatever you’re thinking, you’d better think again.” In response to Musk’s comment, the X user tweeted, “Bro was just memeing. I wouldn’t take it too seriously.” Nothing beats the classics pic.twitter.com/MRSdXifhH5 Charles Shyer, the writer-director best known for directing the 1991 Steve Martin comedy Father of the Bride has died at 83. According to Deadline, Shyer died Friday and no cause of death was given by his family in a statement. “His loss leaves an unfillable hole in our lives, but his legacy lives on through his children and the five decades of wonderful work he’s left behind. We honor the extraordinary life he led and know there will never be another quite like him,” his family told the outlet. In addition to directing, Shyer gained notoriety for his screenwriting and nabbed an Oscar nomination in 1981 for co-writing the Goldie Hawn-led military comedy Private Benjamin alongside Harvey Miller, and fellow writer-director Nancy Meyers. Meyers and Shyer married in 1980 before calling it quits in 1999. They share two daughters. Other notable films co-written by Shyer include Jumpin’ Jack Flash , The Parent Trap , and Baby Boom , which he also directed. His most recent credit behind the camera was co-writing and directing the 2023 Netflix Holiday film Best. Christmas. Ever. A Norwegian chess champion left mid-tournament after refusing to change his outfit for judges. Magnus Carlsen, a five-time World Chess Champion, was competing in New York’s FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships on Friday when he was asked to change. According to The Telegraph , Carlsen was first fined $200 for breaking the wardrobe rule before being told he would have to leave if he didn’t change. “I said, ‘I’ll change tomorrow if that’s OK.’ I didn’t even realize it today, but they said, ‘Well you have to change now.’ At that point it became a bit of a matter of principle for me,” Carlsen told chess outlet Take Take Take in an interview. “Honestly, I am too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do,” he added. As for why he wore the jeans in the first place, Carlsen said he had little time to change before the tournament as he was coming from a meeting. The grandmaster made light of the debacle on X where he tweeted a photo of the now notorious jeans. “OOTD,” he captioned the snap. OOTD pic.twitter.com/9reOP6zuJv Gossip Girl star Chanel Maya Banks , who made headlines last month after denying her family’s claims that she had gone missing, has filed a restraining order against her mother and cousin. The 36-year-old submitted the request in Los Angeles on Thursday, alleging her mom, Lutchmin Judy Kumar, and cousin, Danielle Singh have harassed her, TMZ reported. The actor also claimed that her mother and cousin were working to destroy her credibility. In October, Banks’ family reported her missing. She denied the claims in a post days later. Banks wrote in the restraining order filing that Kumar and Singh broke into her apartment in November while she was gone and attacked her husband. She also alleged that an Apple AirTag was put on her car to track her. After the attack, she alleged that her mother and cousin accused her husband of murder and said that Banks should be in a psychiatric hold. Sources told TMZ that they’re happy she is safe and are “moving on with their lives.” Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. 2025 is quickly approaching, and there’s no better way to celebrate the new year than with 2024’s cocktail du jour—the espresso martini. It’s the perfect way to toast 2025 with sophistication, flavor, and an energy boost. Think you can’t make the buzzy beverage at home because you’re not a bartender? Think again. You can create this beloved cocktail effortlessly with just a cocktail shaker, fresh espresso, vodka, coffee beans, and Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur . It all starts in the land Down Under—Australia. Mr Black sources its ingredients, including 100 percent specialty-grade Arabica coffee, from local farmers and cooperatives. The liqueur is then slowly brewed with purified cold water to preserve its delicate, complex flavors. The result? A bittersweet masterpiece with bold flavor, balanced sweetness, and a lasting coffee kick. Its rich, coffee-forward taste is a crowd-pleaser, and the sleek bottle design adds a touch of elegance to any bar cart. Making an espresso martini is simple. Combine Mr Black , vodka, and freshly brewed espresso in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until cold. Then, strain the mixture into a martini glass and finish with three coffee beans as a garnish. Skip the champagne toast this year and ensure you stay awake for the countdown to 2025 with a Mr Black espresso martini. R&B singer Ne-Yo announced Friday that a popular professional boxer under his management has died at age 35. In a joint statement posted by the Grammy-winner and the boxer’s family, Ne-Yo, real name Shaffer Chimere Smith, announced “the passing of beloved son, brother, friend and boxing champion Paul Bamba, whose light and love touched countless lives.” Hailing from Puerto Rico, Bamba became one of the first boxing talents to sign to Ne-Yo’s management company in 2024. Bamba won all of his bouts in 2024 by knock out and recently claimed WBA’s secondary “gold” cruiserweight title after knocking out Rogelio Medina. “He was a fierce yet confident competitor with an unrelenting ambition to achieve greatness. But more than anything, he was a tremendous individual who inspired many with his exceptional drive and determination,” the statement added. Bamba was the No. 12 ranked contender by the WBA and seemed set on fighting in more high profile matches—challenging boxer Jake Paul to “holla at us” in one post. Paul shared his condolences on X, writing, “RIP Paul Bamba.” RIP Paul Bamba https://t.co/ovu7egrGHn Argentine-born British actress Olivia Hussey, known primarily for her role as Juliet in director Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , and as final girl Jess Bradford in the 1974 slasher Black Christmas , died Friday. She was 73. Friend and filmmaker Marc Huestis confirmed the news to the San Francisco Chronicle . A post on Hussey’s Instagram profile informed fans: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Olivia Hussey Eisley, who went peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones. Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her.” Hussey was born in Buenos Aires to opera singer Andrés Osuna and Joy Hussey, a legal secretary from England. Hussey studied drama at London’s Italia Conti Academy, and was a professional actress by the time she was 13. She was 16 when she starred opposite Leonard Whiting in Romeo and Juliet —roles that earned each a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer. Hussey later appeared in the films Death on the Nile, Virus, and the 1990 horror miniseries It , based on the Stephen King novel.Port Moody council has been able to significantly whittle down its proposed property tax increase, approving a 5.71 percent bump for its provisional 2025 budget. The interim figure was discussed at a finance committee meeting on Dec. 17, with council managing to slash around seven percent since budget deliberations began in October. Mayor Meghan Lahti said this year’s budget came with challenges she’s never experienced in her 25 years in office, noting the consumer price index has risen nearly 14 percent since council took office. “That is astronomical,” Lahti said. “It was really important to show our willingness to reduce the budget in areas that are priorities for us, because we are responding to the public’s desire to see a lower tax increase.” Port Moody’s taxpayers have faced a combined 15.89 percent tax hike over the previous two budget cycles. Public frustration was reflected in this year’s budget consultations, with over half of respondents opposed to any increases in 2025. Approximately 70 percent of the city’s $90 million budget is funded through taxation, with the city’s provisional budget adding an additional $3.3 million from last year, amounting to $167 more for the average household. Staff’s initial tax proposal pitched a 10.85 percent when deliberations began, which council reduced to 8.52 percent following two workshops. However, reductions in the BC Assessment roll and increased labour costs and benefits added another $1.25 million, bringing the figure back up to 10.3 percent. Council has since made substantial cuts for a further $2.68 million reduction, or 4.59 percent. This includes pausing the city’s Climate Action Levy for a year ($584,000); using accumulated surplus to fund community events, inclusionary initiatives and previously deferred items ($695,000); reducing various reverse transfers ($319,000); decreasing services levels ($317,000); budget reductions ($150,000); eliminating or phasing in new budget requests ($192,000); and adjusting sick-time and vacation benefits ($150,000). The city has also recalculated the amount of revenue it expects from pay parking, recreation, filming, leasing and businesses licensing, adding $345,000. Paul Rockwood, general manager of finance and technology, said “tough economic times require tough measures.” He said the city significantly underestimated the amount of tax revenue it would bring in from new growth. Originally, staff expected to net an additional $584,000, but less than a quarter of that was realized. “We had very minimal taxation growth this year,” Rockwood said. “But we are facing increased demand, internally and externally for a variety of services.” Lahti said she’s seen a lot of public commentary regarding the lack of tax revenues from new growth, but cautioned it takes time before it shows up on the city’s balance sheet. She said she anticipates more money will be realized after a new BC Assessment roll occurs in 2025. “Hopefully next year will be a much more positive outcome for all the work that we’re putting in to provide housing,” Lahti said. “We want to see that translated into a reduction in our taxes, or at least some breathing room.” Council was defensive regarding the recent budget increases, with some members taking aim at previous council’s decisions, social media chatter, and media reporting. Coun. Kyla Knowles attacked what she described as “rampant misinformation and spin” on social media. She said comparisons with the former council’s budgets were unfair, pointing to inflationary impacts, and budget reductions from in-person events and positions being cut during the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowles also asserted the former council drained the growth-stabilization reserve, which added $400,00 annually to city coffers to help ease the loss of its industrial tax base. “The previous council depleted it to their great benefit, and it’s a shame that it didn’t continue to get topped up as we went along,” Knowles said. Couns. Callan Morrison and Samantha Agtarap both took issue with a Global News story, which ranked Port Moody’s initial 8.52 percent increase as the highest in the Lower Mainland. Agtarap said such comparisons are inevitable, but argued it is not fair to compare Port Moody to municipalities with casinos, which receive 10 percent of their net revenues. “For a community like Richmond, that’s over $12 million, and for Coquitlam, that’s almost $7 million (annually),” she said. Coun. Diana Dilworth warned of continued instability in the coming years. “There’s not a lot of certainty that any local government has at this time,” she said. She noted the Canadian dollar continues to drop, federal rebate cheques have been cancelled, and the entire political landscape could change by the next federal election. Dilworth suggested the growth-stabilization reserve ought to be re-established, stating it was initially set up in the 1990s to help ease tax impacts. Council voted to have staff report back with a strategic plan and policy to create a new reserve, dubbed by Lahti as the rate-stabilization reserve. Port Moody has until May 15 to pass the official budget.

'One GP to 1900 people' was the stark headline on the front page of last week's Taupō & Tūrangi Herald , above a story about the "magnitude of burnout" for doctors there. But the same day, there was more stark news for the readers of the free community weekly: there could soon be no newspaper at all for them to read. The paper's publisher NZME had just announced plans to close almost all its free local papers in the North Island, including the Taupō & Tūrangi Herald , citing mounting costs and slumping ad revenue. The New Herald Zealand Herald Media Insider column said the papers could close as soon as Christmas, with the loss of 30 jobs. NZME's rival Stuff closed its community paper, Taupō Times, in June. Similarly, Stuff closed the Levin-based Horowhenua Mail in 2022. If NZME now closes the Horowhenua Chronicle as planned, there will be no newsroom in the region by the end of the year. "An arid outlook for local media," concluded former New Zealand Herald editor Gavin Ellis, raising the prospect of 'news deserts' overseas appearing here. It refers to the growing number of towns and regions where local news sources have closed down - along with the scrutiny of public life they provided. Research has linked closures of newspapers to declines in civic engagement of citizens, increases in government waste, and increases in political polarisation. "As a metaphor, the desert evokes a sense of arid emptiness and silence. But it also suggests a featureless place where we lose a sense of direction," AUT senior lecturer in journalism, Greg Treadwell, wrote in response to NZME's plan . Many of these papers were their community's central or only source of verified local news, he pointed out. "The NZME announcement shouldn't have come as a surprise ... but local news had been a fixture for so long it's clear many community leaders felt blindsided," Sunday Star-Times editor Tracy Watkins wrote last weekend. Among them was Central Hawke's Bay mayor Alex Walker. "I am devastated. It is a massive blow. Central Hawke's Bay Mail is our community newspaper. It's where we discuss our district, we tell our stories, and most importantly, we connect." And with local elections next year, the closures were an urgent and acute problem, he argued. But Watkins went on to say government and local councils were "probably as much a part of the problem as anyone." "They've increasingly bypassed local media, spending their advertising and marketing budgets on comms teams and newsletters, or social media - and paying vast sums of money for targeted Facebook advertising instead," she wrote in her editorial. Local government advertising is also at the heart of the struggle at Westport News . It is not a community freebie paper from a big chain - but a decades-old independent daily paper that charges readers for news in print and online, and employs 17 people. Westport News said it was now fighting for survival after the Buller District Council moved almost all its advertising to a free weekly paper at the Greymouth Star , which is majority-owned by Dunedin-based Allied Press. Queenstown-based Crux - which did not take local government advertising on principle - went into 'hibernation' recently after seven years covering local issues. As an online-only initiative, Crux did not have the same escalating paper-and print costs as NZME, but editor Peter Newport said: "We are too small to benefit from the necessary scale of national digital advertising - and vulnerable to the substantial and selective financial support of print media by our local councils." For its part, Local Government NZ has called on central government to help. It has urged an expansion of the Local Democracy Reporting scheme run by RNZ since 2019 and part-funded by NZ On Air. It was modelled on a UK scheme filling local and rural reporting gaps there, and our version now deploys 18 journalists at local news organisations around the country to cover local authorities, courts, rūnanga and other bodies. LGNZ president Sam Broughton said in a statement the entire country could be covered this way to help local media report local issues, especially with the prospect of local elections next year in some places with no local journalists. "This and more should be done. The longer we wait, the closer the news desert creeps every day," AUT's Greg Treadwell concluded. An idea whose time has come? The country's biggest paper publisher, Stuff, closed or sold 28 community papers back in 2018. It has shut down other titles too since the local buyout of the company from Australian owners Nine Media in early 2020. But it still has 19 community titles left, as well as its eight regional dailies. "I certainly think that there are areas of the country, and particularly in regional New Zealand, that are really vulnerable and where it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide news coverage - and in particular by newspapers," Stuff's managing director of masthead publishing Joanna Norris told Mediawatch . "Following the NZME announcement we did hear from local communities that they are very much still value print newspapers - and particularly in rural areas. So we're still very much committed to regional New Zealand." So why close the Taupō Times , Horowhenua Mail and others? "It is getting increasingly harder, and we are all also providing strong digital solutions for local communities and local news coverage. But real constraints are starting to hit many publishers ... ranging from the shift of the advertising dollar to the global tech platforms and to things like NZ Post's decision to pull out of rural delivery on a Saturday . "There are simply fewer resources to fund news in those communities. They are telling us that they value these publications, and so our very strong message to both mayors and also to local businesses is: if you do value this, support it. "We cannot afford to be running publications that are non-profitable. So where possible, [they should] ensure that it's a part of their advertising mix. "We will continue to consolidate portfolios where it makes sense to do so. In Taupō and Horowhenua, we distribute The Post into both of those locations and the Sunday Star-Times as well." But there isn't a newsroom or reporter in either place. More than just the ads? The 14 November edition of NZME's Taupō & Tūrangi Herald had several pages of advertising, including full pages promoting national brands and three pages of local display and classified ads. Why would publishers turn away from that revenue - especially if the market is clear for them? "Often these decisions need to be made with a portfolio of publications, because there are economies of scale for producing several publications at once through your print site. It may be that while one publication is washing its face, another is not," Norris told Mediawatch . "But almost half of New Zealanders over 15 are still reading a printed newspaper as part of their news diet. Alongside digital, there's enormous penetration and appetite for news. "What we're all working to achieve are sustainable models that ensure that we're able to keep covering the news that New Zealanders want. Working out the appropriate cost base is an ongoing part of that - and we're committed to covering New Zealand regions." Does she reckon local councils complaining about closures are obliged to spend money on them to keep them going? "It's not so much 'sending money our way'. It's paying for the things that they value. A mayor at a function in the last few days told me how much he valued the local newsroom we had in his community. I said to him: 'Are you a subscriber?' And he said no. "I said to him it would be really valuable if he did subscribe, because that's the support that we need to continue operating in communities like yours" Stuff has Local Democracy Reporting journalists in Marlborough and in Wairarapa. Does Stuff back the expansion LGNZ had called for? "I don't think the LDR service is the entire answer. It has been really useful for some communities, but ultimately we want to ensure that we are not reliant on government support," Norris said. "Their content is available for all media to use ... but the LDR scheme is specifically for local democracy coverage. An LDR reporter in a small newsroom can't cover topics beyond their local council. "Our preference is that we have a regulatory environment that supports a strong and thriving media ecosystem. We are fiercely advocating for the Fair Digital News Bargaining legislation , which would mean that we were able to negotiate with the global tech platforms for fair payment for the content that they use."

As President Joe Biden’s term comes to an end, social media users are falsely claiming that his administration spent billions of dollars on the construction of just a handful of electric vehicle charging stations. Multiple high-profile figures, including sitting members of Congress, have promoted the claims. The claims misrepresent funding set aside by the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act , also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for a national network of publicly available electric vehicle chargers . Biden has set a goal of creating 500,000 such chargers by 2030. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: The Biden administration spent $7.5 billion to build eight electric vehicle charging stations. THE FACTS: That’s incorrect. The $7.5 billion figure refers to the total amount allocated through the 2021 law to build a network of charging stations across the U.S., not the amount that has already been spent. There are currently 214 operational chargers in 12 states that have been funded through the law, with 24,800 projects underway across the country, according to the Federal Highway Administration. A charger, often called a charging port, provides electric power to one vehicle at a time through a connector, which is plugged into the vehicle. Stations are physical locations that can have multiple chargers. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg called the claims spreading online “false” in a series of X posts. “$7.5B has not been spent, nor anything like that,” he wrote, adding that federally funded chargers are built by individual states, not the federal government, and that most will be built in the second half of the 2020s. The total $7.5 billion in funding consists of $5 billion distributed through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program , or NEVI, and $2.5 billion distributed through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program , or CFI. NEVI funds, as determined by a formula, go annually to departments of transportation in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, from 2022 to 2026. The funds will be available until 2030. Each year, 10% of NEVI funding is set aside for states and local governments that require additional assistance. CFI provides grants to states and other localities through an application process. It funds electric vehicle charging, as well as other alternative fueling infrastructure, with a focus on underserved and disadvantaged communities. Rep. Michael Rulli, a Republican from Ohio, was among multiple high-profile figures who falsely claimed this week that the entire budget has already been spent. “Pete Buttigieg will leave his post as Transportation Secretary having spend $7.5 BILLION to build 8 EV charging stations,” he wrote in an X post that had received approximately 62,900 likes and shares as of Wednesday. “His legacy will be squandering billions on something nobody wants, while millions struggle to afford the things they need.” Rulli’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. By early this year, only four states — Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Hawaii — had opened stations funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, The Associated Press reported in March . A Washington Post article published the next day said this amounted to just seven stations . Loren McDonald, an independent analyst tracking the electric vehicle charger buildout, told the AP that when assessing the progress that’s been made it’s important to understand that some states have extensive experience constructing electric vehicle charging infrastructure while others have little to none. He explained that Wisconsin, for example, had to pass a new law in order to comply with federal requirements. “This is a federal program, but at the end of the day, it’s completely dependent on the states,” he said. “And so the real criticism probably needs to be directed at the states that are moving slowly or how the program was structure. But I don’t know how else you would have done it.” Asked whether the federal government could do anything to help states move faster, McDonald suggested that it could have provided them with more guidance on how to manage their individual buildouts. All 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have access to two rounds of NEVI funding totaling nearly $2.4 billion, according to the Federal Highway Administration. As of Friday, 37 states have access to their third round of funding, for an additional $586 million total. The agency explained, however, that this does not represent money that has already been spent — just the money that is available to fund projects. The Federal Highway Administration has announced more than $1.3 billion in awards through CFI and funds set aside by NEVI with $779 million in grants currently available under both programs. This also represents money that is available for projects rather than money that has been spent. There are currently more than 203,000 publicly available charging ports across the U.S., with nearly 1,000 being turned on every week, according to the agency. This is more than double the number available in 2021. In addition to NEVI and CFI, funding sources include federal tax incentives and private investments.Artillery-hunting radar systems that can detect more than 100 targets aimed at troops on the battlefield every minute have been bought by the British Army as it steps up its war preparations. The Taipan system, developed by Saab, can spot artillery rounds being fired by enemy guns from 60 miles away, before relaying that information so that UK troops can fire back. As part of “shoot and scoot” tactics, the army’s self-propelled artillery systems, such as Archer howitzers, then move less than 20 seconds after firing to avoid being targeted in response. Highlighting the importance of such technology, an army source compared the tactics being used in the conflict in Ukraine with those seen during the First World War. “Since the First World War, finding the enemy’s guns has always been a big priority because artillery can do loads and loads of damage. This is really obvious from Ukraine because the Russians do not move without significant amounts of artillery support,” the source said. They added that the radar was crucial in order to detect the enemy artillery as soon as it opens fire so it could be rapidly destroyed.Manchester United want to bring an England international back to Old Trafford on a free transfer, Premier League clubs battle for Paris St Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani, Arsenal ready to give Leandro Trossard a new contract. Manchester United are keen to re-sign England midfielder Angel Gomes, 24, on a free transfer when his contract at Lille expires next summer. (Mail) , external Meanwhile, United are ready to compete with Real Madrid for the signing of Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman. The 27-year-old Nigeria international could be targeted in the summer. (Caught Offside) , external United have also contacted Paris St-Germain over the possibility of signing France international striker Randal Kolo Muani, 25, on loan in January. (Le 10 Sport - in French) , external West Ham and Newcastle are among the other Premier League clubs interested in French forward Kolo Muani, who PSG are set to make available for loan. (Caught Offside) , external The two clubs, along with Premier League rivals Everton and Nottingham Forest are also keeping tabs on £17m-rated Brazil striker Yuri Alberto, 23, of Corinthians . (TBR) , external Newcastle's interest in Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi, 24, is not likely to be rekindled in January due to Dutch defender Sven Botman's imminent return from injury. (Times - subscription required) , external Arsenal are in talks with Belgium winger Leandro Trossard, 29, over a new contract that would include a significant pay rise. (Mail) , external Real Madrid remain confident Canada defender Alphonso Davies, 24, will join them from Bayern Munich on a free transfer in the summer despite suggestions from his agent he could sign a new contract with the Bundesliga club. (AS - in Spanish) , external Former Liverpool chief executive Peter Moore said the club's owners are working "feverishly" to get new contracts agreed with 32-year-old Egypt winger Mohamed Salah, England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, and Dutch centre-back Virgil Van Dijk, 33. (Sky Sports) , external Former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic, ex-Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand, Stuttgart 's Sebastian Hoeness and Roger Schmidt, formerly of Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica, are on West Ham 's shortlist should they decide to replace Julien Lopetegui. (Mirror) , external Manchester City could have to wait until the end of March to find out the verdict of the disciplinary commission over the 115 charges against them for allegedly breaching the Premier League's financial regulations. (Football Insider) , external Pep Guardiola’s new contract with City does not contain a break clause should they be relegated from the Premier League in the event they are found guilty of financing wrongdoing. (Telegraph - subscription required) , external Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill, 28, is a target for Lazio , Fiorentina and Torino with his contract at Turf Moor set to expire next summer. (Calciomercato via Football Italia) , external Juventus could sign Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell on loan in January, as the 27-year-old searches for game time after being left out of the Blues squad by Enzo Maresca. ( Mail , external )

Pokemon Gold and Silver Celebrates Anniversary With New Merchandise

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Texas Governor Scolds Hospital After Doctor Goes Viral on TikTokEven with technology taking over much of our day-to-day lives, board games still offer quality entertainment that can’t be beaten. Of course, the popular board games of today are a far cry from the games your parents grew up playing. Board games are perfect for encouraging your family to work together or for bringing your group of friends around the table for an evening. If you’d like to start up a weekly game night, let this helpful list of the most popular board games be your guide. Utter Nonsense Ages 8+ This game will have every player rolling in stitches with each ridiculous phrase that’s uttered. Combine crazy accents and hilarious phrases to impress the Nonsense Judge and win the round. The player with the highest number of wins ultimately wins the game, but the true fun of this card game is listening to your fellow players trying to say some of the most entertaining phrases of all time. This game is perfect for game nights or parties. Speak Out Ages 8+ This hilarious game is perfect if you have teenagers or are hosting a party with all adults. To play, you insert a mouthpiece that alters the sound of your speech, making every word sound silly. Set the timer and read one of the phrases on the cards and try to help your teammate guess what you’re saying. Speak Out easily provides hours of fun that even grandparents will love. Escape Room in a Box Ages 13+ What’s the next best thing to trying to break out of a room? Escape Room in a Box, of course. This thrilling, immersive game involves solving 2D and 3D puzzles in order to prevent a mad scientist from turning you and your friends or family into werewolves. Work together to escape your fate and use Amazon Alexa to enhance the experience. Codenames Ages 14+ This fun strategy game is perfect for anyone with teenagers. Form two teams and select a spymaster on each team. Using clues, spymasters try to help their teammates find all 25 of the agents they’re in contact with, hopefully without selecting the other team’s agents or running into the deadly assassin. This innovative game offers a challenging and rewarding time working together. ​​​​​​​Harry Potter Clue Ages 9+ Excite your kids on game night with this modern twist on a classic. Play as six recognizable Hogwarts characters — Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Ginny or Neville — to solve the mystery behind a fellow student’s disappearance. It’s up to you to figure out who attacked the student, what bewitching spell they used and where it occurred. Watch out for the Dark Mark, moving staircases and secret passages as you travel along in this magical family game. ​​​​​​​Pandemic Ages 8+ If you’ve ever wanted to save humanity from a deadly outbreak, you’ll love spending an hour playing Pandemic. You and your teammates must fight to contain four deadly diseases threatening the human race. Players must learn to work with their teammates to control outbreak hotspots and treat diseases. Win the game by curing all diseases without wiping out humanity first. ​​​​​​​ Catan Ages 10+ This tactical 60-minute game will push your imagination to its limits as you embark on a journey across Catan. Acquire crucial resources as you travel, build roads, buildings, and cities, and be wary of the ruthless robber and other players halting you on your own road. Through careful trading and clever decisions, you can lead your travelers to victory in this role-playing game of limitless possibilities. Play again and again. Every game is different. Ticket to Ride Ages 8+ Train lovers will enjoy this innovative board game which has won numerous awards. This cross-country train adventure game mimics the concept of traveling around the world in 80 days. Collect train cars and claim railways across the country. Players earn the most points by establishing long train routes and connecting distant cities. Each game takes roughly 30 to 40 minutes to complete, and every adventure is different. ​​​​​​​5 Second Rule Ages 10+ This quick-paced game gives each player five seconds to name items on a certain topic. Although the topics are objectively easy —“Name 3 Mountains,” “Name 3 Types of Hats” or “Name 3 Super Heroes,” the pressure of the time crunch is likely to put you on edge. Race the clock and remain composed to win this game. You can even make up your own topics if you prefer. Half the fun is just hearing what other people blurt out, whether it’s relevant to the topic or not. Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change. Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

Altoona McDonald’s slammed with 1-star ‘rat’ reviews after Luigi Mangione arrestThe NFL's security division is warning players to be aware of professional burglars targeting the homes of pro athletes. The Athletic reported Thursday that the NFL sent a memo to teams that outlines the threat. "The homes of professional athletes across multiple sports leagues have become increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups," read the memo, which was obtained by The Athletic. "Law enforcement officials have noted these groups appear to exploit team schedules to target athletes' homes on game days." NBC News reported Wednesday that law enforcement is working to figure out whether an international crime syndicate is involved. The Athletic reported that the memo includes tips for home security and also gives recommendations about the use of social media, such as not posting photos of items that would attract thieves. Players also learned via the memo how homes are targeted and how burglars enter. Mahomes hasn't said much about the burglary, other than to call it "disappointing" and "frustrating." "I can't get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing," he said. "But obviously something that you don't want to happen to really anybody, but obviously yourself." It's not clear what was stolen from Mahomes' home in Belton, Mo., during the Oct. 6 incident. But Kelce apparently lost $20,000 in cash in the burglary at his home in Leawood, Kan., the following day when the Chiefs played the New Orleans Saints on "Monday Night Football," according to a police report. The burglary at the home of Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis in River Hills, Wis., occurred Nov. 2 during the Bucks' home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, He said the perpetrators "took most of my prized possessions" and is offering a reward for the return of his property. "Any info that leads to the return of any of my belongings will be rewarded handsomely," Portis said. "Let me know, thank you." --Field Level Media- Raising the mid-points of billings, revenue, margins, earnings per share, and free cash flow guidance ranges. - Janesh Moorjani appointed as chief financial officer. SAN FRANCISCO , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK ) today reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2025. All growth rates are compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2024, unless otherwise noted. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results is provided in the accompanying tables. For definitions, please view the Glossary of Terms later in this document. Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights Total revenue increased 11 percent to $1.57 billion ; GAAP operating margin was 22 percent, down 2 percentage points; Non-GAAP operating margin was 36 percent, down 3 percentage points; GAAP income from operations was $346 million , compared to $334 million ; Non-GAAP income from operations was $573 million , compared to $547 million ; GAAP diluted EPS was $1.27 ; Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $2.17 ; Cash flow from operating activities was $209 million ; free cash flow was $199 million . "Autodesk is leading the industry in modernizing its go-to-market motion. These initiatives enable us to build larger and more durable direct relationships with our customers and to serve them more efficiently. We have already seen significant benefits from these optimization initiatives and there's more to come in the next phase," said Andrew Anagnost , Autodesk president and CEO. "We will continue to deploy capital to offset and buy forward dilution, a practice which has reduced our share count over the last three years, and have significantly extended the duration of our repurchase program by increasing our stock repurchase authorization. Our goal is to deliver sustainable shareholder value over many years." "We generated broad-based underlying growth across products and regions. Overall, macroeconomic, policy, and geopolitical challenges, and the underlying momentum of the business, were consistent with the last few quarters with continued strong renewal rates and headwinds to new business growth," said Betsy Rafael , Autodesk interim CFO. "Given Autodesk's sustained momentum in the third quarter, and smooth launch of the new transaction model in Western Europe , we are raising the midpoints of our billings, revenue, margins, earnings per share, and free cash flow guidance ranges." Additional Financial Details Total billings increased 28 percent to $1.54 billion . Total revenue was $1.57 billion , an increase of 11 percent as reported, and 12 percent on a constant currency basis. Recurring revenue represents 97 percent of total. Design revenue was $1.30 billion , an increase of 9 percent as reported, and 10 percent on a constant currency basis. On a sequential basis, Design revenue increased 3 percent as reported and on a constant currency basis. Make revenue was $171 million , an increase of 28 percent as reported and on a constant currency basis. On a sequential basis, Make revenue increased 6 percent as reported and 5 percent on a constant currency basis. Subscription plan revenue was $1.46 billion , an increase of 11 percent as reported, and 12 percent on a constant currency basis. On a sequential basis, subscription plan revenue increased 3 percent as reported and 4 percent on a constant currency basis. Net revenue retention rate remained within the range of 100 to 110 percent, on a constant currency basis. GAAP income from operations was $346 million , compared to $334 million . GAAP operating margin was 22 percent, down 2 percentage points. Total non-GAAP income from operations was $573 million , compared to $547 million . Non-GAAP operating margin was 36 percent, down 3 percentage points. GAAP diluted net income per share was $1.27 , compared to $1.12 . Non-GAAP diluted net income per share was $2.17 , compared to $2.07 . Deferred revenue decreased 9 percent to $3.66 billion . Unbilled deferred revenue was $2.45 billion , an increase of $1.24 billion . Remaining performance obligations ("RPO") increased 17 percent to $6.11 billion . Current RPO increased 14 percent to $4.01 billion . Cash flow from operating activities was $209 million , an increase of $191 million . Free cash flow was $199 million , an increase of $186 million . Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Business Highlights Net Revenue by Geographic Area Net Revenue by Product Family Our product offerings are focused in four primary product families: Architecture, Engineering and Construction ("AEC"), AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, Manufacturing ("MFG"), and Media and Entertainment ("M&E"). Business Outlook The following are forward-looking statements based on current expectations and assumptions, and involve risks and uncertainties, some of which are set forth below under "Safe Harbor Statement." Autodesk's business outlook for the fourth quarter and full-year fiscal 2025 considers the current economic environment and foreign exchange currency rate environment. A reconciliation between the fiscal 2025 GAAP and non-GAAP estimates is provided below or in the tables following this press release. Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2025 Full Year Fiscal 2025 The fourth quarter and full-year fiscal 2025 outlook assume a projected annual effective tax rate of 20 percent and 19 percent for GAAP and non-GAAP results, respectively. Shifts in geographic profitability continue to impact the annual effective tax rate due to significant differences in tax rates in various jurisdictions. Therefore, assumptions for the annual effective tax rate are evaluated regularly and may change based on the projected geographic mix of earnings. Earnings Conference Call and Webcast Autodesk will host its third quarter conference call today at 5 p.m. ET . The live broadcast can be accessed at autodesk.com/investor . A transcript of the opening commentary will also be available following the conference call. A replay of the broadcast will be available at 7 p.m. ET at autodesk.com/investor . This replay will be maintained on Autodesk's website for at least 12 months. Investor Presentation Details An investor presentation, Excel financials and other supplemental materials providing additional information can be found at autodesk.com/investor . Key Performance Metrics To help better understand our financial performance, we use several key performance metrics including billings, recurring revenue and net revenue retention rate. These metrics are key performance metrics and should be viewed independently of revenue and deferred revenue. These metrics are not intended to be combined with those items. We use these metrics to monitor the strength of our recurring business. We believe these metrics are useful to investors because they can help in monitoring the long-term health of our business. Our determination and presentation of these metrics may differ from that of other companies. The presentation of these metrics is meant to be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or in isolation from, our financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Glossary of Terms Billings: Total revenue plus the net change in deferred revenue from the beginning to the end of the period. Cloud Service Offerings : Represents individual term-based offerings deployed through web browser technologies or in a hybrid software and cloud configuration. Cloud service offerings that are bundled with other product offerings are not captured as a separate cloud service offering. Constant Currency (CC) Growth Rates: We attempt to represent the changes in the underlying business operations by eliminating fluctuations caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates as well as eliminating hedge gains or losses recorded within the current and comparative periods. We calculate constant currency growth rates by (i) applying the applicable prior period exchange rates to current period results and (ii) excluding any gains or losses from foreign currency hedge contracts that are reported in the current and comparative periods. Design Business: Represents the combination of maintenance, product subscriptions, and all EBAs. Main products include, but are not limited to, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Industry Collections, Revit, Inventor, Maya and 3ds Max. Certain products, such as our computer aided manufacturing solutions, incorporate both Design and Make functionality and are classified as Design. Enterprise Business Agreements (EBAs): Represents programs providing enterprise customers with token-based access to a broad pool of Autodesk products over a defined contract term. Flex: A pay-as-you-go consumption option to pre-purchase tokens to access any product available with Flex for a daily rate. Free Cash Flow: Cash flow from operating activities minus capital expenditures. Industry Collections: Autodesk Industry Collections are a combination of products and services that target a specific user objective and support a set of workflows for that objective. Our Industry Collections consist of: Autodesk Architecture, Engineering and Construction Collection, Autodesk Product Design and Manufacturing Collection, and Autodesk Media and Entertainment Collection. Maintenance Plan: Our maintenance plans provide our customers with a cost effective and predictable budgetary option to obtain the productivity benefits of our new releases and enhancements when and if released during the term of their contracts. Under our maintenance plans, customers are eligible to receive unspecified upgrades when and if available, and technical support. We recognize maintenance revenue over the term of the agreements, generally one year. Make Business: Represents certain cloud-based product subscriptions. Main products include, but are not limited to, Assemble, Autodesk Build, BIM Collaborate Pro, BuildingConnected, Fusion, and Flow Production Tracking. Certain products, such as Fusion, incorporate both Design and Make functionality and are classified as Make. Net Revenue Retention Rate (NR3): Measures the year-over-year change in Recurring Revenue for the population of customers that existed one year ago ("base customers"). Net revenue retention rate is calculated by dividing the current quarter Recurring Revenue related to base customers by the total corresponding quarter Recurring Revenue from one year ago. Recurring Revenue is based on USD reported revenue, and fluctuations caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates and hedge gains or losses have not been eliminated. Recurring Revenue related to acquired companies, one year after acquisition, has been captured as existing customers until such data conforms to the calculation methodology. This may cause variability in the comparison. Other Revenue: Consists of revenue from consulting, and other products and services, and is recognized as the products are delivered and services are performed. Product Subscription: Provides customers a flexible, cost-effective way to access and manage 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software tools. Our product subscriptions currently represent a hybrid of desktop and cloud functionality, which provides a device-independent, collaborative design workflow for designers and their stakeholders. Recurring Revenue: Consists of the revenue for the period from our traditional maintenance plans, our subscription plan offerings, and certain Other revenue. It excludes subscription revenue related to third-party products. Recurring revenue acquired with the acquisition of a business is captured when total subscriptions are captured in our systems and may cause variability in the comparison of this calculation. Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO): The sum of total short-term, long-term, and unbilled deferred revenue. Current remaining performance obligations is the amount of revenue we expect to recognize in the next twelve months. Solution Provider : Solution Provider is the name of our channel partners who primarily serve our new transaction model customers worldwide. Solution Providers may also be resellers in relation to Autodesk solutions. Spend : The sum of cost of revenue and operating expenses. Subscription Plan: Comprises our term-based product subscriptions, cloud service offerings, and EBAs. Subscriptions represent a combined hybrid offering of desktop software and cloud functionality which provides a device-independent, collaborative design workflow for designers and their stakeholders. With subscription, customers can use our software anytime, anywhere, and get access to the latest updates to previous versions. Subscription Revenue: Includes our cloud-enabled term-based product subscriptions, cloud service offerings, and flexible EBAs. Unbilled Deferred Revenue: Unbilled deferred revenue represents contractually stated or committed orders under early renewal and multi-year billing plans for subscription, services, and maintenance for which the associated deferred revenue has not been recognized. Under FASB Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 606, unbilled deferred revenue is not included as a receivable or deferred revenue on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including quotations from management, statements in the paragraphs under "Business Outlook" above statements about our short-term and long-term goals, statements regarding our strategies, market and product positions, performance and results, and all statements that are not historical facts. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including: our strategy to develop and introduce new products and services and to move to platforms and capabilities, exposing us to risks such as limited customer acceptance (both new and existing customers), costs related to product defects, and large expenditures; global economic and political conditions, including changes in monetary and fiscal policy, foreign exchange headwinds, recessionary fears, supply chain disruptions, resulting inflationary pressures and hiring conditions; geopolitical tension and armed conflicts, and extreme weather events; costs and challenges associated with strategic acquisitions and investments; our ability to successfully implement and expand our transaction model; dependency on international revenue and operations, exposing us to significant international regulatory, economic, intellectual property, collections, currency exchange rate, taxation, political, and other risks, including risks related to the war against Ukraine launched by Russia and our exit from Russia and the current conflict between Israel and Hamas; inability to predict subscription renewal rates and their impact on our future revenue and operating results; existing and increased competition and rapidly evolving technological changes; fluctuation of our financial results, key metrics and other operating metrics; our transition from up front to annual billings for multi-year contracts; deriving a substantial portion of our net revenue from a small number of solutions, including our AutoCAD-based software products and collections; any failure to successfully execute and manage initiatives to realign or introduce new business and sales initiatives, including our new transaction model for Flex; net revenue, billings, earnings, cash flow, or new or existing subscriptions shortfalls; social and ethical issues relating to the use of artificial intelligence in our offerings; our ability to maintain security levels and service performance meeting the expectations of our customers, and the resources and costs required to avoid unanticipated downtime and prevent, detect and remediate performance degradation and security breaches; security incidents or other incidents compromising the integrity of our or our customers' offerings, services, data, or intellectual property; reliance on third parties to provide us with a number of operational and technical services as well as software; our highly complex software, which may contain undetected errors, defects, or vulnerabilities; increasing regulatory focus on privacy issues and expanding laws; governmental export and import controls that could impair our ability to compete in international markets or subject us to liability if we violate the controls; protection of our intellectual property rights and intellectual property infringement claims from others; the government procurement process; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; our debt service obligations; and our investment portfolio consisting of a variety of investment vehicles that are subject to interest rate trends, market volatility, and other economic factors. Our estimates as to tax rate are based on current interpretations of existing tax law and could be affected by changing interpretations, further guidance, and additional tax legislation. Further information on potential factors that could affect the financial results of Autodesk are included in Autodesk's Form 10-K and subsequent Forms 10-Q, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Autodesk disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. About Autodesk The world's designers, engineers, builders, and creators trust Autodesk to help them design and make anything. From the buildings we live and work in, to the cars we drive and the bridges we drive over. From the products we use and rely on, to the movies and games that inspire us. Autodesk's Design and Make Platform unlocks the power of data to accelerate insights and automate processes, empowering our customers with the technology to create the world around us and deliver better outcomes for their business and the planet. For more information, visit autodesk.com or follow @autodesk. #MakeAnything Autodesk uses its investors.autodesk.com website as a means of disclosing material non-public information, announcing upcoming investor conferences and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, you should monitor our investor relations website in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. Autodesk, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, BIM 360 and Fusion 360 are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and service offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2024 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved. SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.

SEALSQ Corp's stock rallied by more than 20% in early trading on Tuesday, reaching its highest level since August 2023, following the company’s announcement of its advancements in quantum-resistant technology aimed at protecting blockchain systems like Bitcoin from quantum computing threats. Following the initial surge, the stock’s gains tapered to 10% by 10 a.m. ET. Even so, SEALSQ stock’s value has more than doubled since Friday, marking a significant three-day rally. SEALSQ, a subsidiary of WISeKey, is advancing post-quantum cryptography (PQC) with innovative solutions, including quantum-resistant hardware, through its QUASARS project. WISeKey’s U.S.-listed shares also saw a significant boost, rising over 15% during morning trade. WISeKey initially announced the QUASARS project on Feb. 3, last year, when they incorporated SEALSQ Corp as a new company dedicated to developing post-quantum cryptography solutions. According to SEALSQ’s analysis, quantum computers could potentially hack Bitcoin signatures within 30 minutes, threatening the security of blockchain networks. Key vulnerabilities include exposed public keys, which could allow hackers to derive private keys, and dormant coins with lost private keys that remain unprotected. Retail sentiment around SEALSQ remained optimistic, with investors anticipating further gains as the company prepares for its satellite launch in collaboration with Elon Musk-owned SpaceX. Many investors on Stocktwits booked profits at market open, contributing to the stock’s slight pullback. The stock has gained 357.39% year-to-date. For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.< Read also: Broadcom Stock Rises Pre-Market Despite Netflix Patent Lawsuit Against VMware: Retail Reaction Subdued

NoneAzad Jammu Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, while reiterating the incumbent government's commitment to promote education, has said that the government was working painstakingly to improve the quality of education in the state MIRPUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Nov, 2024) Azad Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, while reiterating the incumbent 's commitment to promote , has said that the was working painstakingly to improve the quality of in the state. He said this while addressing the fifth convocation of the University of in on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, he said that it was a matter of great honor for him to preside the convocation. He congratulated the graduating students for achieving an important milestone in their academic career. Extending his heartfelt congratulations to the students who won the medals for securing prominent positions, he stated, it was the right time for the graduating students to start their professional journey. Permanently, medals were awarded to 31 students who secured prominent positions, whereas degree certificates were distributed amongst 1463 successful students who graduated the university. He also appreciated the Vice Chancellor of the University of , Professor Dr. Rehmat Ali, and the teachers for their hard work, dedication, and determination. Barrister Chaudhry welcomed the construction of a on an area of 5 kanals in the university premises by Qibla Hazrat Sahib Gulhar Sharif. " the expenses incurred on the construction of the will be borne by Alia Gulhar Sharif, for which we are deeply grateful to Qibla Hazrat Sahib," he maintained. In his address, the president stated that the has ensured transparency and in the recruitment of teachers across . Commenting on the prevailing political and human rights situation in the Indian-held territory of and Kashmir, the president strongly condemned the atrocities and human rights violations committed by in the restive region. He said that had suppressed the Kashmiris' fundamental right, the right to self-determination. He also paid eulogizing tributes to Kashmiri who laid down their precious lives while fighting the occupation forces. On the occasion, the president reiterated Kashmiris resolve to continue the ongoing struggle till the people of occupied Kashmir achieve their cherished goal of freedom. APP/ahr/378Most Australians feel they are poorer now than they were three years ago, as a poll reveals widespread dissatisfaction with the Albanese government’s priorities. A new Redbridge poll found 52 per cent of those surveyed either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the proposition that the government has the right focus. 40 per cent of voters said Peter Dutton was ready for office, slightly more than the 39 per cent who said he was not. Asked on Seven’s Sunrise if the polling meant Australia was “in the mood for change”, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the government was focused on the cost of living, while the Coalition was blocking bills. Directing her comments to Liberal senator Jane Hume, Rishworth said: “You’ve voted against our housing bills. Blocked our cost of living measures. Fought against our energy price measures. Everything we’ve done, the Liberal Party have fought against it...” Hume repeatedly interjected Rishworth’s response, asking “Where have you been for 21⁄2 years?” “You spent a year concentrating on the Voice referendum,” she quipped. Meanwhile, on Nine’s Today , Nationals senator Matt Canavan also responded to the poll, saying Australians were poorer because “we’ve adopted a lot of stupid policies that deny Australians the use of their own energy resources that load our country with way too much red tape”. Last month, the Resolve Political Monitor found Australians hold Labor accountable for the financial pain of rising prices and the cost of housing. Thirty-six per cent believe the federal government is responsible for their rising living costs – far greater than the 13 per cent who blame global factors outside Australia’s control. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called Israel and Hezbollah’s ceasefire agreement “good news” and expressed hope the pause in more than 13 months of fighting will be the catalyst to also end the war in Gaza. Biden made his comments in a Rose Garden speech. He stressed that Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah broke the terms of the truce. US President Joe Biden administration has been trying to calm relations with Beijing. Credit: AP Biden added that the deal between Israel and Hezbollah “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities”. The president’s comments come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet approved a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, clearing the way for the truce to take effect. Netanyahu’s office said the plan was approved by a 10-1 margin. The late-night vote came shortly before President Joe Biden was expected to announce details of the deal in Washington. Earlier, Netanyahu defended the ceasefire, saying Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah and could now focus its efforts on Hamas militants in Gaza and his top security concern, Iran. Netanyahu vowed to strike Hezbollah hard if it violates the expected deal. Read more about the ceasefire deal in the full story here. Most Australians feel they are poorer now than they were three years ago, as a poll reveals widespread dissatisfaction with the Albanese government’s priorities. A new Redbridge poll found 52 per cent of those surveyed either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the proposition that the government has the right focus. 40 per cent of voters said Peter Dutton was ready for office, slightly more than the 39 per cent who said he was not. Asked on Seven’s Sunrise if the polling meant Australia was “in the mood for change”, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the government was focused on the cost of living, while the Coalition was blocking bills. Directing her comments to Liberal senator Jane Hume, Rishworth said: “You’ve voted against our housing bills. Blocked our cost of living measures. Fought against our energy price measures. Everything we’ve done, the Liberal Party have fought against it...” Hume repeatedly interjected Rishworth’s response, asking “Where have you been for 21⁄2 years?” “You spent a year concentrating on the Voice referendum,” she quipped. Meanwhile, on Nine’s Today , Nationals senator Matt Canavan also responded to the poll, saying Australians were poorer because “we’ve adopted a lot of stupid policies that deny Australians the use of their own energy resources that load our country with way too much red tape”. Last month, the Resolve Political Monitor found Australians hold Labor accountable for the financial pain of rising prices and the cost of housing. Thirty-six per cent believe the federal government is responsible for their rising living costs – far greater than the 13 per cent who blame global factors outside Australia’s control. It’s likely to be another cloudy day in Brisbane, with a medium chance of showers throughout the day. And the temperature is forecast to reach a maximum just short of 30 degrees. The weather bureau predicts a slight breeze throughout the day also, dropping off into the evening. Here’s the seven-day outlook: Stories making the rounds further afield this morning: The grieving families of two backpackers who died after a suspected mass methanol poisoning have returned to Australia with the bodies of their daughters after living every parents’ nightmare. The Australian economy has been destabilised by incoming US president Donald Trump’s declaration of a tariff war on three of America’s biggest trading partners. Natalie Harp watches Donald Trump. Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump has always demanded loyalty from his aides but few have answered the call quite like Natalie Harp . A 33-year-old former far-right cable TV host, Harp is nearly always at Trump’s side and has written him a series of devotional letters. Now she is poised to play an influential role in his White House. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will recommend a proposal for a ceasefire with Hezbollah to his cabinet for approval, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. And from January 8, Australians will need an electronic travel authorisation to enter the UK. You can apply for yours now. Good morning, thanks for joining us for Brisbane Times’ live news blog. It’s Wednesday, November 27, and we’re expecting a partly cloudy day and a top temperature of 29 degrees. In this morning’s local headlines: Did Brisbane’s buses get more crowded after 50¢ fares? What impact has working from home had on public transport? We have the latest figures from Translink . Queensland’s new LNP government will push a regular end-of-year budget update into early 2025 to give it time to “get our head around” Labor’s cost blowouts, says Treasurer David Janetzki. Queensland remains in the grip of a whooping cough outbreak , with staff at Brisbane public hospitals reporting up to 28 times the number of cases normally seen by this time of year. Thirty-four years ago, former umpire Ian Stewart was viciously assaulted . As he reflects on the damage caused by an angry player, a Queensland academic explains why decision-makers shouldn’t be surprised by “concussion crises”. And it took just a $30 investment and a tug on his heartstrings to convince former St George Illawarra captain Ben Hunt that he belonged back at the Broncos , where his career began. Ben Hunt has agreed to a two-year Broncos deal worth about $550,000 annually – significantly less than what he was earning at St George Illawarra. Credit: GettyM/I Homes CEO Robert Schottenstein sells $2 million in stock

Alaska Air Group Inc. stock outperforms competitors despite losses on the day

Tulisa’s ex boyfriend Fazer from N-Dubz makes surprise admission about star’s changing face amid heath battlesJudge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election caseProposed Agri-science centre gets new name and new potential homedo streamers use obs or streamlabs 。

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad, but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country's public sector came "to a complete and abrupt halt." Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Assad's brutal rule. The rebel alliance now in control of much of the country is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and promises representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said Monday they would not tell women how to dress. Syrian citizens stand on a government forces tank that was left on a street Monday as they celebrate in Damascus, Syria. "It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women's dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty," the command said on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the U.N. official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was long known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met for the first time with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali, who stayed in Syria when Assad fled. Israel said it carried out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets to keep them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also seized a buffer zone inside Syria after Syrian troops withdrew. Syrians wait to cross into Syria from Turkey on Monday at the Oncupinar border gate near the town of Kilis, southern Turkey. In northern Syria, Turkey said allied opposition forces seized the town of Manbij from Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States, a reminder that even after Assad's departure, the country remains split among armed groups that have fought in the past. The Kremlin said Russia granted political asylum to Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Assad's specific whereabouts and said Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people still celebrated. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence, though in some areas small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets. Syrian citizens celebrate Monday during the second day of the takeover of the city by the insurgents in Damascus, Syria. Across swathes of Syria, families are now waiting outside prisons, security offices and courts, hoping for news of loved ones who were imprisoned or who disappeared. Just north of Damascus in the feared Saydnaya military prison, women detainees, some with their children, screamed as rebels broke locks off their cell doors. Amnesty International and other groups say dozens of people were secretly executed every week in Saydnaya, and they estimate that up to 13,000 Syrians were killed between 2011 and 2016. "Don't be afraid," one rebel said as he ushered women from packed cells. "Bashar Assad has fallen!" In southern Turkey, Mustafa Sultan was among hundreds of Syrian refugees waiting at border crossings to head home. He was searching for his older brother, who was imprisoned under Assad. "I haven't seen him for 13 years," he said. "I am going to go see whether he's alive." Jalali, the prime minister, sought to project normalcy since Assad fled. "We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth," he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation already improved from the day before. Israeli soldiers sit on top of a tank Monday along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly. "We want to give everyone their rights," Haddad said outside the courthouse. "We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods." But a U.N. official said some government services were paralyzed as worried state employees stayed home. The public sector "has just come to a complete and abrupt halt," said U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies was put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. "This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonized by the public media are now in charge in the nation's capital," Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. "I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again." People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Members of the Syrian community in Finland wave a Syrian flag and celebrate in Helsinki, Finland, Dec. 8, 2024. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Syrians wave opposition flags and give out sweets during a spontaneous rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) Syrians celebrate the fall of the Assad regime in Syria at a demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Jonas Ekstroemer/TT News Agency via AP) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Syrians wave Syrian opposition flags at a rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Syrians living in France gather on Republique square after the Syrian government fell early today in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government's fall, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Syrians living in France hug during a rally on Republique square after the Syrian government fell early today in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) Get local news delivered to your inbox!

NoneRepublicans rally around Hegseth, Trump’s Pentagon pick, as Gaetz withdraws for attorney generalAngel Reese is one of the most popular athletes in sports and with that notoriety comes its share of hardships. However, with the advancement of technology, the issues Reese faces are different than those of past greats. The WNBA star opened up about her experiences navigating the growth of AI and the breeding ground for fake news. Reese took to her Unapologetically Angel Podcast to share her thoughts on AI. Her longtime manager, Jeanine Ogbonnaya, joined in the conversation to shed light on the difficulties of a female athlete concerning AI. Reese pointed out how easily people believe fake news and AI, even using a relative as an example. She said, Reese isn’t a stranger to criticism. However, the use of AI to tarnish her brand is in a completely different ballpark. One of the biggest fake news stories surrounding Reese insinuated that the Chicago Sky star received a lifetime ban from the WNBA. The fake reports suggested that Reese was using illegal PEDs. Reese didn’t have trouble debunking that narrative. Moreover, she revealed the worst experience consisted of an interaction involving her uncle. The 6-foot-3 forward recalled an instance when her uncle sent her obscene AI-generated pictures of herself under the assumption it was real. Both Reese and Jeanine display their disgust but can recognize this is, unfortunately, a problem that will stay. “We tried to take down everything, but you literally can’t,” Jeanine said. “There’s freedom of speech.” The WNBA did not ban Angel Reese In October, a viral claim made the rounds on the internet stating the WNBA had banned Angel Reese for the use of steroids. The source of these claims came from YouTube and Facebook posts, which people quickly proved to be fraudulent . These claims failed to provide any evidence nor did the WNBA make a statement addressing the situation. They alluded that Reese’s absences for the remainder of the season were due to her punishment from the league. In reality, it was due to a wrist injury. Additionally, the source, a YouTube channel titled ‘Basket Hoops’ were die-hard Caitlin Clark fans. Therefore, it is safe to assume they meant for the video to serve as propaganda against Reese, a rival of Clark. These rumors are fake and there is no truth whatsoever. Reese will suit up in the inaugural season of the Unrivaled League, and then return to the WNBA for her sophomore season.

Yankees get closer Devin Williams from Brewers for Nestor Cortes, Caleb DurbinCancer Daily Horoscope Today, Dec 10, 2024 predicts good fortune

The U.S. stock market faces a key moment as investors turn their focus to the Federal Reserve's meeting this week. The central bank's guidance on interest rate cuts could significantly influence market dynamics. Recently, the Nasdaq Composite surpassed the 20,000 mark, showcasing a year where it has surged 32%, while the S&P 500 has climbed 27%. The expectation of Fed rate cuts has been a critical driver of these gains. However, with robust economic growth and stubborn inflation, the Federal Reserve's approach to monetary easing in 2024 remains in question. Bond yields have experienced upward pressure, reaching a three-week high for the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield, posing potential challenges to equity markets. As the central bank's decision approaches, investors and analysts are keenly assessing the implications for stocks and the broader economic landscape. (With inputs from agencies.)Underwater Drone Market Size & Trends To 2030 11-26-2024 08:09 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: Prudent Markets Underwater Drone Market The Underwater Drone Market 2024 Report makes available the current and forthcoming technical and financial details of the industry. It is one of the most comprehensive and important additions to the Prudent Markets archive of market research studies. It offers detailed research and analysis of key aspects of the global Underwater Drone market. This report explores all the key factors affecting the growth of the global Underwater Drone market, including demand-supply scenario, pricing structure, profit margins, production, and value chain analysis. The report concludes with the profiles of major players in the Underwater Drone market are: Kongsberg Maritime, Oceaneering International Inc., Teledyne Technologies, Subsea 7 S.A, Blueye, Aquabotix Technology Corporation Discover Who You Really Compete Against In The Marketplace, Get PDF Sample Report Now! @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/sample-request/23125/ Underwater Drone Market Segmentation are: Type (Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)), By Application (Commercial Exploration, Defence, and Scientific Research), By (Small Vehicles, High-Capacity Electric Vehicles, Work Class Vehicles, Heavy Work Class Vehicles, Man Portable, Light Weight Vehicles, Heavy Weight Vehicles, and Large Vehicles), By Payload (Sensors, Synthetic Aperture Sonar, INS, Cameras, and Lighting Systems), By Propulsion System (Electric System, Mechanical System, and Hybrid Systems), Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 2019-2025 The research report offers a comprehensive picture of the Underwater Drone market. The report initiates with the executive summary of the market that includes market definition, recent industry trends, and developments, strategies of the key players and wide product offerings. Moreover, the study explains the future opportunities and a sketch of the key participants actively operating in the market. About Underwater Drone Market The global underwater drone market is estimated to reach $7.83 billion in 2025 with a CAGR of 14.63% from 2019 to 2025. Under water drones, also called as unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), are the vehicles which are capable of conducting underwater operations without human presence. These vehicles are either, remotely operated, which are directed by a remote human operator or fully autonomous, which can work without any human control, like a robot. The underwater drones have already been used by the military and defense authorities since a long time, but in the current scenario, the application platform of underwater drones is constantly expanding. Today, everyone is focused on smart, quick and cheap way to execute even the most complicated tasks. Major market players such as Aquabotix has now come up with latest drone models which could be used by the fishermen in order to detect the actual location of shoals of fish. The research report is prepared based on the combination of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects. By thorough understanding, the report is fragmented by larger ratios. The report covers in-depth analysis with major factors such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges that influences the growth of the market. On the other hand, The Underwater Drone report presents data starting from the base year 2018, historical year: 2014-2018, estimated the year 2019 and Forecast year from 2019 to 2026. The Underwater Drone market report offers the market size and estimates the forecast from 2019-2026. The forecast estimation is predicted based on the key regions that include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. Furthermore, the Underwater Drone report provides a deep emphasis on secondary tools used to document the report. PEST analysis, SWOT, Porters Five Forces, and others are considered by the analysts while preparing the report. Scope and Segmentation of the Market Prudent Markets provides attractive discounts that fit your needs. Customization of the reports as per your requirement is also offered. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you a report that suits your needs. Speak To Our Analyst For A Discussion On The Above Findings, And Ask For A Discount On The Report @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/discount-request/23125/ The report covers the competitive analysis of the market. As the demand is driven by a buyer's paying capacity and the rate of item development, the report shows the important regions that will direct growth. This section exclusively shares insight into the budget reports of big-league members of the market helping key players and new entrants understand the potential of investments in the Global Underwater Drone Market. It can be better employed by both traditional and new players in the industry for complete know-how of the market. Regional Analysis for Underwater Drone Market: • North America (the USA and Canada) • Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and Rest of Europe) • Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, Southeast Asia and Rest of Asia Pacific) • Latin America (Brazil, Mexico and Rest of Latin America) • Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC and Rest of the Middle East & Africa) TO KNOW MORE ABOUT COVID-19 IMPACT @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/sample-request/23125/ Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Underwater Drone Market: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Underwater Drone market Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary - the basic information of the Underwater Drone Market. Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges & Opportunities of the Underwater Drone Chapter 4: Presenting the Underwater Drone Market Factor Analysis, Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis. Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region/Country Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Underwater Drone market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by Manufacturers/Company with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source Why should you purchase this report? -Prudent Markets provides the vital historical and analysis data of global Underwater Drone market. -The report provides the entire assessment of the future market and altering market scenario or behavior. -All the business decision could be backed through the several strategic business methodologies offered in the report. -An extra edge in the competitive market could be obtained from this elaborative research report -The report offers all the competitive landscape, growth drivers, applications, market dynamics, and other necessary details as well. For In-Depth Competitive Analysis - Purchase this Report now at a Complete Table of Contents (Single User License) @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/checkout/?id=23125&license_type=su Free Customization on the basis of client requirements on Immediate purchase: 1- Free country-level breakdown of any 5 countries of your interest. 2- Competitive breakdown of segment revenue by market players. Customization of the Report: This report can be customized to meet the client's requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@prudentmarkets.com), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +91 83560 50278 || USA/Canada(Toll Free): 1800-601-6071 to share your research requirements. Get ready to Recognize the pros and cons of the regulatory framework, local reforms, and its effect on the Industry. 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SWOT analysis and PESTLE analysis is also incorporated in the report. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/analysis-cleanroom-air-conditioning-systems-bupjc/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/understanding-factors-influencing-shampoo-bar-market-jlpic/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/understanding-factors-influencing-single-control-0mize/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/comprehensive-review-absolute-pressure-zrhme/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/comprehensive-review-pressure-ball-valves-market-current-ykbjc/ Contact Us: Allan Carter Andheri, Maharashtra, 400102 USA/Canada(Toll Free): 1800-601-6071 Direct Line: +91 83560 50278 Mail: sales@prudentmarkets.com Web: www.prudentmarkets.com About Us: We are leaders in market analytics, business research, and consulting services for Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, financial & government institutions. Since we understand the criticality of data and insights, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. To be at our client's disposal whenever they need help on market research and consulting services. We also aim to be their business partners when it comes to making critical business decisions around new market entry, M&A, competitive Intelligence and strategy. This release was published on openPR.Srinagar, Dec 27: Srinagar and other plains of Kashmir received the season’s first snowfall on Friday, ending a prolonged dry spell and delighting both people and tourists. Parts of Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar also witnessed snowfall, while the plain in Jammu experienced widespread rains. The snowfall disrupted traffic on several strategic routes, including the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and Mughal Road that connects Shopian in south Kashmir to Rajouri and Poonch in the Pir Panjal region. Other roads like the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri route to Ladakh, Sinthan-Kishtwar Road, and Kokernag-Marwah-Warwan Road, were also closed due to snow accumulation. In Srinagar, the snowfall started late in the afternoon. The tourists flocked to the scenic Boulevard Road along Dal Lake and other places, where they enjoyed the snowfall and captured memorable moments against the backdrop of the Zabarwan mountain range and houseboats. Snowfall was also witnessed in south Kashmir areas including Bijbehara, Shopian, Kulgam, and parts of Pulwama and Qazigund and in north Kashmir areas including Baramulla. The Meteorological Department (MeT) officials said that besides snowfall, rainfall was also reported from some places across Kashmir. Faizan Arif, an independent weather forecaster, predicted significant snowfall in the higher altitudes with accumulations between 12 and 18 inches. “Some plains in south Kashmir are also likely to witness substantial snowfall, though the system’s intensity in central and north Kashmir plains remains uncertain,” he said. According to the weather forecaster, the current weather system would persist until Saturday afternoon, followed by dry weather until December 31. “Light snow is expected between January 1 and 4 in isolated areas,” he said. The snowfall followed a prolonged dry spell and an 81 percent rainfall deficit in Jammu and Kashmir between October 1 and December 25. The snowfall also brought relief from a prolonged cold wave that continued to grip Kashmir with freezing temperatures recorded at many weather stations. The MeT has predicted continued snowfall in the upper reaches of the Chenab Valley and scattered snow in the Kashmir plains until Saturday afternoon. The department warned of potential landslides and slippery conditions on mountain roads, urging caution for travellers. Air Travel Disrupted The snowfall in Srinagar brought significant disruptions to air travel as seven flights were cancelled at the Srinagar International Airport. The heavy snow, coupled with reduced visibility, stranded passengers and created challenges for the airport authorities. “Seven flights were cancelled and we are clearing the runway where snow has accumulated,” Director Srinagar International Airport, Javed Anjam told Greater Kashmir. “We expect smooth operations on Saturday morning.” He urged the passengers to check the status of their flights as snowfall was affecting operations. The authorities at the Srinagar International Airport have successfully installed an advanced Instrument Landing System (ILS-II), a major technological upgrade aimed at ensuring seamless flight operations during low-visibility conditions like fog or adverse winter weather. The ILS-II system will facilitate smooth landings and takeoffs even in challenging weather conditions, making winter travel more reliable. During the last winter, despite foggy and snowy conditions, the airport saw a 99 percent improvement in flight cancellations. “With the ILS-II in place, we are expecting zero cancellations or delays this winter,” airport officials said. The airport is now also equipped with advanced systems such as the Doppler Very High-Frequency Omni Range (DVOR), Non-Directional Beacon (NDB), ILS, X-ray Baggage Inspection System (XBIS), Inline Baggage Screening System (ILBS), and Explosive Trace Detection (ETD) for enhanced security. Srinagar-Jammu NH Closed Following snowfall, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was closed to traffic. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who travelled from Jammu to Srinagar, described the conditions as “treacherous” and said that snow clearance efforts were underway. He said icy roads had made it difficult for the vehicles to pass with heavy vehicles being prioritised for the movement while authorities continue to clear the blocked stretch. “I drove from Jammu to Srinagar today. It snowed continuously from Banihal to Srinagar. The conditions were quite treacherous. I understand there are around 2000 vehicles stuck between the tunnel and Qazigund. My office has been in touch with the administration in south Kashmir. While snow clearance has been done, the road is very icy. Heavy vehicles are being allowed to move and efforts are on to clear the rest of the stranded vehicles,” Omar wrote on X while posting pictures of snowfall. “Just spoke to DC Anantnag about the current situation of the road between Qazigund and the tunnel. The icy conditions have caused traffic to back up. The stranded vehicles, in both directions, are slowly moving and where necessary being assisted. The DC is on the spot with his team. I’ve instructed him to ensure that vehicles with families and children must be given priority. If necessary, arrangements for overnight shelter will be made. The DC is accompanied by an ambulance in case of any medical emergency.” Heavy snow began accumulating on the highway on Friday afternoon, affecting traffic flow. Although snow clearance operations were being carried out, the icy surface made it difficult for vehicles to continue their journey safely. Heavy vehicles were allowed to pass, but Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) remained stranded at several locations, particularly near the Jawahar Tunnel at Banihal, a critical point on the highway. Inspector General of Police (IGP), Traffic, Muhammad Suleman Choudhary said that the highway had been closed. “We have closed the highway as it is too slippery,” he told Greater Kashmir. “Snow clearance operations are underway. Once the road is cleared, the stranded traffic will be allowed to move.” Irfan Raina reports from Ganderbal Ganderbal district witnessed moderate to heavy snowfall since Friday afternoon. Higher reaches of the district including Sonamarg, Gagangir, Kullan, Gund, Wangath, and Naranag received moderate to heavy but continuous snowfall, disrupting the normal life here. The snow accumulation on the Zojila Pass resulted in the closure of the Srinagar-Leh National Highway. The continuous snowfall and slippery road conditions led to disruption of the traffic, particularly between Ganiwan to Gagangir near Sonamarg. Hundreds of vehicles, mostly tourist cabs, were stranded on the Sonamarg-Kangan road. The locals as well as tourists have urged the administration to open the Z Morh Tunnel for traffic so that commuters can travel safely and without any problems. In view of the slippery condition of the road, the authorities have said that only 4×4 vehicles and vehicles with anti-skid chains would be allowed to ply towards Gagangir. Amid snowfall, the J&K Police personnel were seen providing a helping hand to the locals and tourists. In view of inclement weather, District Police Ganderbal constituted Police teams and deputed them across the district to provide a helping hand to the people of Ganderbal and tourists to avoid any untoward incident or distress, especially in far-flung areas, tourist places, and areas prone to heavy snowfall. The teams are continuously providing a helping hand to stranded passengers, tourists, and vehicles stuck in the snow, Police said. “In case of any emergency, people can 24×7 contact District Police Ganderbal on the phone numbers of SSP Ganderbal (9541786710), Additional SP Ganderbal (9596555551), Deputy SP Headquarters Ganderbal (9622252393), SDPO Kangan (9419902773), SHO Police Station Sonamarg (7006030281), SHO Police Station Gund (9906946095), SHO Police Station Kangan (7006070601), SHO Police Station Lar (9906631555), SHO Police Station Safapora (7006017372), SHO Police Station Ganderbal (7006411196), SHO Police Station Kheer Bawani (6005080486), Incharge Police Post Nagbal (7051697576), Incharge Police Post Gutlibagh (6005545891), Incharge Police Post Shadipora (9541216609), and Police Control Room Ganderbal (9906668731, 9419371774, and 9541786731). Khalid Gul reports from Anantnag The snowfall led to the closure of all major roads connecting Kashmir with the Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal regions. These routes are expected to remain shut throughout winter and will likely reopen only in March or April. The roads include the Kokernag-Sinthan-Kishtwar road and the Kokernag-Warwan-Marwa road, which link Anantnag district in south Kashmir to Kishtwar and the Mughal Road connecting Rajouri in Pir Panjal region with Shopian district. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kokernag, Suhail Lone said that fresh snowfall at Sinthan Top and Daksum has since early morning caused the Kishtwar route to close. Similarly, Margan Top, Lihanwan, and Gawran have received fresh snowfall, shutting the road to the Warwan and Marwa valleys of Kishtwar. “These roads are likely to remain closed until March or April due to heavy snow accumulation at Sinthan Top and Margan Top,” the SDM said. Another official said that several villages in Warwan have also experienced light to moderate snowfall. The roads to these regions typically remain closed for six months during winter. While Kishtwar is also accessible via the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway through Doda, the twin valleys of Marwa and Warwan, home to approximately 40,000 residents across 40 villages, remain isolated from Kishtwar district headquarters. The Larnoo-Margan Top-Warwan road, a 100-km stretch opened in 2007 to connect these valleys with Kokernag serves as their sole surface link to the outside world. In its absence, residents either trek long distances to reach Kishtwar or wait until summer to travel via the Kokernag-Sinthan route. Meanwhile, the Mughal Road, connecting Shopian with Rajouri and Poonch, has also been closed due to heavy snowfall at Peer Ki Gali. “It has also been snowing on the Shopian side which has made the road slippery and unsafe,” an official said. He said that the road would likely shut permanently for winter if there is more snow accumulation around Peer Ki Gali. Over a foot of snow has been reported at Peer Ki Gali, Sinthan Top, and Margan Top so far. Owais Farooqi reports from Bandipora Following fresh snowfall in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, the Gurez-Bandipora road was shut to traffic, officials said. Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Gurez, Mukhtar Ahamd told Greater Kashmir that the road has been closed. Locals said Gurez witnessed light to moderate snow, both in plains and on upper reaches including centrally-located Dawar tehsil, Bagtore, and Tulail regions. Officials said Razdan Top along the road comparatively records more snow than plains, and with fresh snowfall, the road has been closed as a precautionary measure. “Razdan Top is always challenging. The road stretch becomes slippery even on occasions when there is light snowfall,” officials said. Meanwhile, other areas of this north Kashmir district, including plains and higher reaches were also receiving snowfall on Friday evening. The SDM said all essentials, including ration and medicines, have already been dumped in Gurez, which remains cut off mostly for about five to six months. Sumit Bhargav reports from Rajouri Pir Panjal region on Friday witnessed the first spell of rainfall this season in most areas as well as snowfall in the upper reaches that has finally ended a prolonged dry spell which was badly affecting the lives of people. The Mughal Road connecting the region with the Shopian district also got closed for the movement of vehicles due to snowfall. “Although it is not heavy rainfall, it is the first spell of light rainfall of this season and it has finally ended the prolonged dry spell that was impacting people with an increase in illness, dry cold, decline in the ground water table, and shrinking water bodies,” said Chander Parkash, a farmer of Rajouri. “I have never seen such a prolonged drive spell during winters in the last two decades.” All the areas of Pir Panjal region’s twin districts – Rajouri and Poonch – witnessed light rainfall in all the plain areas besides light snowfall in some upper reaches.The best women's winter jackets for Canadian weather — 12 editor-tested coats for 2024-2025

ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions made a move on Tuesday that would have seemed incomprehensible just two seasons ago. The Lions waived edge rusher James Houston, who had one of the best rookie seasons (2022) for an edge rusher in recent memory but has not returned to that form since. Asked why it didn’t work out in Detroit, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said, “It just didn’t.” “It just didn’t. We had James up for a number of games, came back off of injury, got back, and it just never quite worked out,” Campbell said. Houston, a sixth-round pick by Detroit in 2022, collected eight sacks in seven games during his rookie season and appeared to have a limitless ceiling on what he could become as a pass rusher in the following seasons. But he appeared to fall out of favor with the coaching staff as early as 2023 training camp — Detroit was unsuccessfully trying to turn him into a well-rounded outside linebacker that could play every down — then broke an ankle in Week 2 of that season while playing on special teams. He didn’t return until the NFC Championship game, where he had limited snaps (11) and didn’t make an impact on the stat sheet. In training camp before this season, the Lions continued to try to improve other parts of Houston’s game but eventually gave up on the experiment, allowing him to just focus on rushing the passer. He has 13 pressures and just one sack in 2024, even with there being a clear vacancy on the edge following several key injuries. This time two years ago, Houston was getting called up from the practice squad to make his NFL debut against the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving Day. Houston dazzled in front of a national television audience , sacking Bills quarterback Josh Allen twice as Detroit took Buffalo to the wire in a 28-25 loss that came on a last-second field goal. Now, before the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game in 2024, the Lions have decided to move on. Houston hinted at the potential parting with a cryptic social media post on Monday night. He posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Live... Learn.. Move on” with a peace sign emoji. “Look, wish him the best of luck, and sometimes you just need a fresh start and this could be great for him, so, wish him the best,” Campbell said. Houston, 26, is just the third Brad Holmes draft pick to no longer be on the active roster or practice squad (Antoine Green, Chase Lucas).17th Death Anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto: President Zardari pledges to protect rights of all provinces

Artificial Intelligence has revolutionized many industries, making them faster and often more affordable with efficient processes. From healthcare to finance, from transportation to retail, the list of possible applications or uses of artificial intelligence stretches as far as the eye can see. In fact, there is just one industry in which AI can exercise its influence almost as little as possible and probably never more than now. That industry is one where creativity, personal touch, and the precious human touch cannot be replaceable: the fine arts . Fine arts industry is painting , sculpture, music , dance, and all other creative pursuits as they lean on the human imagination and depth of emotion. Though AI has been able to create art and music, its products are not infused with the soul that makes man-made so. Art is more than a beautiful painting or pleasing sound; it is to communicate emotions, tell stories, and provoke thought. The work of an artist is often a reflection of personal experiences, culture, and one-of-a-kind perceptions. Such things cannot be mimicked by AI into something authentic using applied patterns of data and algorithms. What is it that defines human creativity-all these tiny imperfections, brush marks made by mistake or by spontaneity of the lines in music. Artificially created art, no matter how sophisticated it can be, will never be able to overcome such authenticity. In fine arts, the bond between an artist and a viewer becomes invaluable. Often, collectors and enthusiasts seek artworks or items that somehow connect to their own selves; therefore, the story behind the artist and the purpose behind his or her creation of that art is just as relevant as the creation itself. AI cannot possibly form this kind of relationship because it has no experience or emotions. The use of AI is also a highly ethical concern the fine arts are facing. Many artists believe AI negates the very basis of artistic expression itself. Discussions on issues such as originality and ownership surround the artwork created by an algorithm . Who owns the copyright of the artwork that has been created by an algorithm? Is it the programmer, the user, or the AI? Some of these questions question the traditional perspective on creativity and intellectual property, thereby making AI a big controversy in the fine arts. Moreover, there is a growing movement within the art community to preserve human creativity and resist the commodification of art through AI. This perspective sees art as a sacred form of human expression that should not be diluted by automation. Fine arts are more rooted in tradition and cultural heritage. Many art forms are passed down through the generations, and techniques and styles have continuously evolved over the centuries. This sense of continuum and connection to history is integral to the industry. AI is a modern innovation that does not fit into this traditional framework. For instance, classical music has a strong heritage due to the works of composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach, whose creations were shaped by socio-cultural context. Despite being able to compose music in their style, AI cannot generate the richness of history or emotions that make it eternal. While AI might not outright replace human artists, its place has emerged as a complementary product in some areas of creativity. In music and art, it has served to, for example, enhance their creative process with new ideas or to create whole new styles. Still, what is being produced is still so decidedly rooted in human intent and vision. AI supports but does not create, which is a telling limitation. The fine arts industry proves that not all industries are suited for AI to dominate. This industry plays on individuality, emotional expression, and culture, things that AI can never bring to the table. Human qualities will always have a place that even advanced technology cannot replace. As the world integrates AI into every aspect of life, one finds in fine arts a testament to the continuing value of human imagination. This refusal to adopt AI preserves art as such but, more importantly, allows later generations to enjoy the beauty and depth of human expression free of that inferior counterpart. An industry such as this reminds the world of just how technology can add to many features of life, but there is no substitute for the profound impact of the human spirit.

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From PM Modi to Mallikarjun Kharge, tributes poured in for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who passed away on Thursday night at the age of 92 due to age related medical conditions. ET Year-end Special Reads Corporate Kalesh: Top family disputes of India Inc in 2024 The world of business lost these eminent people in 2024 Fast, faster, fastest: How 2024 put more speed into your shopping Manmohan Singh had sudden loss of consciousness at home today after which he was rushed to the AIIMS Delhi. "With profound grief, we inform the demise of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh , aged 92. He was being treated for age-related medical conditions and had sudden loss of consciousness at home on 26th December 2024. Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency at AIIMS, New Delhi at 8:06 PM. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 PM," AIIMS said in a press release. Read More: Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister and hero of India's economic liberalisation, passes away at 92 India mourns Singh's death: "India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years. His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (more to come) (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Stanford misinformation expert admits his chatbot use led to misinformation in sworn federal court filing

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Las Vegas (3-12) at New Orleans (5-10) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox BetMGM NFL odds: Raiders by 1 Against the spread: Raiders 6-9; Saints 6-9 Series record: Tied 7-7-1 Last meeting: Saints beat Raiders 24-0 on Oct. 30, 2023, at New Orleans. Last week: ; . Raiders offense: overall (28), rush (32), pass (14), scoring (29) Raiders defense: overall (12), rush (13), pass (9), scoring (27) Saints offense: overall (19), rush (13), pass (23), scoring (22) Saints defense: overall (30), rush (30), pass (28), scoring (T17) Turnover differential: Raiders minus-17; Saints minus-1 Raiders player to watch After his 11 catches for 99 yards last week, rookie tight end Brock Bowers has a team-leading 101 catches for a team-high 1,067 yards and four TDs. Saints player to watch As one of few healthy skill players left on New Orleans' offense, tight end Juwan Johnson has become more prominent in the game plan. The former Penn State and Oregon receiver, who was converted to a tight end during his third NFL season (2022), now ranks second on the club in catches this season with 38 and yards receiving with 402, while his three TD catches are tied for third on the team. Key matchup Bowers will test New Orleans' coverage scheme. Those Saints responsible for containing Bowers could include linebackers Demario Davis and Peter Werner, as well as safeties Will Harris and Tyrann Mathieu. Key injuries Raiders guard Jordan Meredith (ankle), linebacker Kana'I Mauga (calf) and guard Jackson Powers-Jordan (quadriceps/ankle) were all listed on Las Vegas' injury report this week. The Saints listed nine players on their injury report this week, including QB Derek Carr (left hand), running back Alvin Kamara (groin), center Erik McCoy (elbow) and guard Lucas Patrick (knee), who all missed practice time. Those limited at practice this week included defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd (eye), defensive end Payton Turner (ankle), receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest) and Johnson ( foot). Series notes The Raiders have won two of the past three, while the Saints have won four of the past six. The teams have met eight times previously in New Orleans, with the Saints winning four and the Raiders winning three. The clubs' first ever meeting was a 21-all tie in New Orleans in 1971 at the old Tulane Stadium. Stats and stuff Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell completed 24 of 38 passes (63.2 percent) for 257 yards without an interception last week. He has not thrown an interception in three of his past four games. ... Bowers last week became the second rookie in NFL history (joining Odell Beckham Jr.) and the third TE ever (joining Zach Ertz and Evan Engram) with 10 or more catches in four games in a season. Bowers’ 1,067 yards receiving leads all NFL tight ends this season and he needs just 10 more yards to surpass Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076 in 1961) for the most by rookie TE. ... Veteran RB Ameer Abdullah had season-high 85 scrimmage yards (47 receiving, 38 rushing) and a TD rushing last week, giving him a TD in two straight games. He needs 75 scrimmage yards for his third season with 500 (along with 2015 and 2017). ... RB Alexander Mattison had 56 scrimmage yards and a TD rushing in Week 16. He caught a TD pass in his only career game in New Orleans, when he was with Minnesota in 2022. ... DT Adam Butler has a tackle for loss in five of his past six games and at least half a sack in three of his past four. ... DE K’lavon Chaisson had a sack last week, giving him a tackle for loss in four straight games. ... S Isaiah Pola-Mao had nine tackles and the first two forced fumbles of his career last week. ... Saints rookie QB Spencer Rattler passed for 153 yards and rushed for 28 yards in Week 16, but also was intercepted and lost a fumble. He is 0-4 as an NFL starter. ... Versatile veteran RB Alvin Kamara, who hopes to return from a groin injury before this season ends, needs 7 scrimmage yards for his fourth 1,500-yard season and needs 50 yards rushing for his first 1,000-yard rushing season. ... WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling has a TD catch in three of his past four home games. TE Foster Moreau had 91 catches, 1,107 yards receiving and 12 TD catches in 61 games with the Raiders from 2019 to 2022. Moreau has 25 catches for 335 yards and four TDs this season. ... DE Cameron Jordan has a tackle for loss in each of his past two games. ... DE Carl Granderson has sack in two of his past three home games. ... DT Khalen Saunders had career-high two passes defensed and a tackle for loss last week. ... DT Bryan Bresee, a 2023 first-round draft choice out of Clemson, has a career-best 7 1/2 sacks in 2024. ... DE Chase Young has at least half a sack and a tackle for loss in three of his past four home games. ... LB Demario Davis has 114 tackles in 2024 and is one of three players (along with Eric Kendricks and Bobby Wagner) with 100 or more tackles in each of the past eight seasons. ... S Tyrann Mathieu has 99 passes defensed. He's intercepted a pass in each of his past two games against the Raiders. Fantasy tip Bowers is a good bet to have another big game against a defense that ranks 28th in the NFL against the pass. ___ AP NFL: The Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 21, 2024-- Vultr , the world’s largest privately held cloud computing platform, today announced that NetApp , the intelligent data infrastructure company, is the latest company to join the Vultr Cloud Alliance , a partnership program consisting of industry-leading solutions enabling composable AI cloud services. By combining the capabilities of NetApp ONTAP with Vultr's global network of cloud data center locations, organizations can now choose to use NetApp’s enterprise-grade data management features while leveraging Vultr's predictable pricing and high-performance infrastructure. The combined solution is particularly well-suited for organizations in data-intensive industries such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and media & entertainment, offering specific optimizations for AI model training, high-performance computing, and research workflows. With the Vultr Cloud Alliance, organizations can customize their infrastructure stack with a composable approach, seamlessly assembling and scaling their modern cloud and AI operations on demand without worrying about vendor lock-in. NetApp joins other alliance members, including AMD , SQream , a next-generation, data analytics and acceleration platform, Qdrant a high-performance vector database with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) capabilities, Console Connect , which facilitates private, high-speed networking for secure, low-latency data transfer, and Run:ai , an advanced AI workload orchestration platform. The collaboration addresses growing enterprise requirements for flexible, secure, scalable data management solutions that can seamlessly operate across hybrid and multicloud environments. As enterprises increasingly seek to incorporate AI into their core business operations, their challenges shift from fundamental issues, such as data availability, to higher-order concerns such as data management, security, and regulatory requirements. This is evidenced in Vultr’s recently commissioned report with S&P Global Market Intelligence, “ The New Battleground: Unlocking the Power of AI Maturity with Multi-Model AI ” which revealed that security & compliance (35.3%), cost effectiveness (29.0%), and flexible pricing (24.8%) were among the top attributes determining why respondents would choose a cloud platform to deploy AI. “This collaboration helps make AI-driven innovation possible for enterprises with the most demanding security, compliance and performance requirements,” said J.J. Kardwell, CEO of Vultr. “By integrating NetApp’s industry-leading data management capabilities with Vultr’s high-performance global cloud infrastructure, we are enabling enterprises to harness the power of AI while maintaining control over their data assets.” Vultr and NetApp’s collaboration tackles these precise concerns through: This partnership will help enable a variety of use cases for companies across industries seeking to drive transformation through AI and high-performance computing. This includes financial services companies that can streamline financial data management tasks such as contract generation, legal document review and translation; healthcare and life science companies that can improve provider efficiency through automated clinical report generation, transcription and medical record summarization; and retail companies that can improve forecasting, streamline inventory workflows and optimize last-mile delivery. "Our collaboration with Vultr brings together NetApp Intelligent Data Infrastructure which helps customers create data strategy for their AI workloads, combined with Vultr's efficient cloud infrastructure," said Jeff Baxter, Vice President of Product Marketing at NetApp. "This collaboration empowers organizations to bring their data directly to the AI GPUs to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives while maintaining control over their data across hybrid cloud environments." Key benefits of the NetApp and Vultr collaboration include: For more information on the Vultr Cloud Alliance, visit here . About Vultr Vultr is on a mission to make high-performance cloud computing easy to use, affordable, and locally accessible for businesses and developers around the world. Vultr has served over 1.5 million customers across 185 countries with flexible, scalable, global Cloud Compute, Cloud GPU, Bare Metal, and Cloud Storage solutions. Founded by David Aninowsky and completely bootstrapped, Vultr has become the world’s largest privately-held cloud computing company without ever raising equity financing. Learn more at www.vultr.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121705635/en/ CONTACT: Vultr Media Relations mediarelations@vultr.com KEYWORD: FLORIDA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY SECURITY OTHER TECHNOLOGY TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE NETWORKS INTERNET HARDWARE DATA MANAGEMENT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: Vultr Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/21/2024 04:06 PM/DISC: 11/21/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121705635/enRomanian PM ahead in first round of presidential voteNATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russian attack with hypersonic missile

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North Korea will launch its "toughest" ever strategy to counter the United States , state media said Sunday, reporting on a key year-end party meeting overseen by leader Kim Jong Un . ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for The nuclear-armed state held a five-day party meeting last week as part of a drive to chart the country's course for 2025, the official Korean Central News Agency reported in a lengthy English dispatch. "The US is the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy," the report said. It slammed growing ties between South Korea, the US and Japan, saying it had "expanded into a nuclear military bloc for aggression". It also said South Korea had "turned into an out-and-out anti-communist outpost of the US". Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrows Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program "This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how," KCNA said. Against this backdrop, Kim's speech to top officials "clarified the strategy for the toughest anti-US counteraction to be launched aggressively", the report said without providing details. The meeting reviewed the response to widespread flooding earlier this year, and also included a vow to boost ties with "friendly" countries. Such party meetings, and Kim's speeches to officials, are typically used by Pyongyang to make key policy announcements. The KCNA report comes after Seoul's military claimed that more than a thousand North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded since they entered combat in Ukraine as part of a military deal between Pyongyang and Moscow. North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A landmark defence pact between Pyongyang and Moscow -- signed in June when Russian President Vladimir Putin North Korea -- came into force this month. Putin hailed it as a "breakthrough document". North Korean state media said Friday that Putin sent a New Year's message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying, "the bilateral ties between our two countries have been elevated after our talks in June in Pyongyang". Ukraine's allies have called Pyongyang's growing involvement in Russia's war in Ukraine a "dangerous expansion" of the conflict. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )The Nigerian equities market closed on a bearish note on Friday trading on a bearish note, as the NGX All-Share Index (NGX-ASI) declined by 0.12%, closing at 101,129.09, down from 101,248.02 recorded in the previous trading session. Despite the profit taking in Aradel Holding and Wapco, the market achieved a year-to-date (YTD) return of +35.25%, to beat the prevailing runaway inflation today and fixed income market returns that deep in negative real returns ahead of Q1 2025 earnings reporting season which is the peak of earnings report in Nigerian stock market history. NGXASI Daily Chart As the composite NGX All-Share Index and Market Capi­talisation surged by 1.76% to close the week at 101,129.09 and N61.303 trillion respectively, with the market cap hitting its all time high. The Northward momentum was propelled by stocks in the oil and insurance sectors making the sector have a year-to-date return of 160% and 92.49% respectively to support the index. However, 61 stocks rose and 26 declined, as advancing is­sues outnumbered decliners by 2.53-to-1 ratio. NGXASI Weekly Chart MRS Oil Nigeria Plc. emerged as the top gainer for the week, with its stock price surging by 36.36% to close at N180.00 from N132.00. The company, a major player in the downstream oil and gas sector, has consistently shown strong performance due to its efficient operations in petroleum product marketing. Eterna Plc. followed closely, recording a 32.36% increase to close at N29.45, driven by its diversification strategy in the energy sector. Honeywell Flour Mill Plc., a leading food processing company, also posted impressive gains, with its stock appreciating by 31.52% to N6.05. Livestock Feeds Plc., a key player in the agricultural sector specializing in animal feed production, saw its stock rise by 30.16% to N4.10. Coronation Insurance Plc., known for its broad insurance offerings, rounded off the top five gainers with a 26.87% increase to N1.70. Mrs Oil Nigeria Plc Weekly Chart On the other hand, John Holt Plc. led the losers’ chart with an 18.67% decline in its share price, closing at N5.88 from N7.23. The company, involved in engineering and leasing ser­vices, appears to be facing operational challenges. Multiverse Mining and Exploration Plc. followed with an 18.58% drop to N4.60, reflecting pressures in the solid min­erals industry. University Press Plc., a notable publisher in Nigeria, saw its stock decline by 16.27% to N3.50, highlighting the compet­itive challenges in the publishing sector. Tantalizers Plc., a prominent player in the fast-food indus­try, recorded a 13.04% decline, closing at N1.60, as it continues to contend with industry competition. PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc., a leading consumer goods com­pany, completed the top five losers, shedding 8.00% to close at N23.00 due to persistent economic headwinds and operational inefficiencies. JohnHolt Weekly Chart Trend in the Economy: On Thursday, December 19, 2024, President Bola Tinubu presented Nigeria’s proposed N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 to the National Assembly. The government plans to generate N34.8 trillion in reve­nue by 2025, compared to a 2024 target of N18.32 trillion, of which N14.55 trillion was achieved by Q3. Projections for 2025 include a 4.6% economic growth rate, reduced inflation, and measures to address food insecurity. The budget features a N13 trillion deficit to be financed through borrowing, with crude oil production expected to rise to 2.06 million barrels per day. The President also emphasised priorities in security, in­frastructure, health, and education. U.S. Markets: Wall Street rose on Friday, and the dollar weakened, as inflation data came in lower than expected, easing concerns over a potential government shutdown and new tariff threats from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. All three major U.S. stock indexes gained more than 1%, gold climbed, and U.S. Treasury yields eased from recent highs. The Commerce Department’s report showed that the PCE price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, was cooler than expected, suggesting inflation is moving toward the Fed’s 2% target. Equity markets had been under pressure during a busy week for central banks, with the U.S. Federal Reserve signal­ing a slower pace of rate hikes next year. Republican leaders in the House of Representatives stated they would vote to keep the government running and prevent a shutdown ahead of the Christmas holiday. The Dow rose 497.22 points (1.17%), the S&P 500 gained 63.93 points (1.09%), and the Nasdaq increased by 199.83 points (1.03%). European stocks posted their worst week in over three months, impacted by Trump’s tariff comments on the Eu­ropean Union. Global stocks, tracked by MSCI, rose 0.98%, while Europe­an indexes such as the STOXX 600 and FTSEurofirst 300 fell 0.88% and 0.96%, respectively. Emerging-market stocks dropped 0.68%, and Asian-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.97%, with Japan’s Nikkei losing 0.29%. Oil prices experienced a range of movements throughout the week. On Monday, Brent crude was priced at $73.50, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude stood at $70.20. Prices were stable as traders focused on global supply con­cerns and demand outlooks. Tuesday saw slight increases, with Brent crude rising to $73.80 and WTI reaching $70.50, driven by expectations of cooling U.S. inflation and a weaker U.S. dollar, which boosted demand for oil. On Wednesday, prices fluctuated, with Brent at $73.30 and WTI at $70.10, due to mixed data on Chinese demand and global economic con­ditions. Thursday brought further declines, as concerns over Chi­nese oil consumption and OPEC+ revisions to global demand growth took center stage, pushing Brent to $72.80 and WTI to $69.70. Finally, Friday saw oil prices settle little changed, with Brent crude closing at $72.94 and U.S. WTI at $69.46. Both benchmarks ended the week down about 2.5%, reflecting the balance between inflation data, interest rate expectations, and ongoing concerns over global demand. NGX Banking Index Weekly Chart NGX Industrial Goods Index Weekly Chart NGX Insurance Index Weekly Chart NGX Consumer Goods Index Chart NGX Oil & Gas Index Weekly Chart

LIZ Kendall today tells Brits “if you can work - you must” as she prepares to take benefits away from young adults who refuse jobs and training. Britain spends an eye-popping £150 billion a year on benefits for people of working age, according to official numbers. And the bill is set to balloon as record numbers are signed off sick. Work and Pensions Secretary Ms Kendall vowed to crack the whip to get people off benefits, telling The Sun on Sunday: “I’ve always believed, if you can work, you must. “For young people, this is not only about the opportunity to work, it’s also about skills and training, because today’s world is brutal if you don’t have skills.” Shocking stats show nearly 1 million under-25s are not in education, employment or training - dubbed NEETs. Read more on benefits “That is terrible for them, it’s terrible for businesses, many of whom are desperate to recruit, and it’s terrible for taxpayers seeing an ever higher benefits bill”, Ms Kendall said . She will this week announce plans for a radical shake up of the welfare system aimed at driving people back to work. She will offer every Brit aged 21 and under, work or training. Those who refuse will be stripped of their handouts. Most read in The Sun Ms Kendall said: "My commitment to young people is this - I value you. I believe in you. I will offer you the chances and choices you deserve. “But in return for that, you have a responsibility to take them up.” This ‘youth guarantee’ is part of a new carrot and stick approach to welfare. These are tougher sanctions than those faced by other adults, who just have their benefits reduced if they refuse to look for work. Ministers are braced for a possible backlash from faint-hearted Labour MPs. But Ms Kendall said it would be a betrayal to leave youngsters on the jobs scrapheap. The welfare white paper - out on Tuesday - will also confirm that £3bn a year will be cut from welfare by reassessing people in disability and sickness benefits for work. This is known as the work capability assessment. Although precise details of how this will be done will come out next year. Job centres will also get more cash to turn them into better careers advice services - open to those who want to change jobs not just benefit claimants.

NoneAP Business SummaryBrief at 6:36 p.m. EST

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Now it gets real. In the first two weeks of the season, the Washington women’s basketball team has hardly been challenged while plowing through overmatched nonconference opponents en route to a 6-1 record. But in the next three weeks, coach Tina Langley will get a better understanding of her Huskies team and the likelihood of it snapping a seven-year NCAA tournament drought when they face possibly three ranked teams in their next four outings. A victory in Monday’s matchup vs. No. 7 LSU (6-0) in Nassau, Bahamas at the Pink Flamingo Championship would give Washington one of its biggest wins in nearly two decades. The Huskies haven’t beaten a top-10 ranked nonconference opponent since toppling No. 5 Maryland on Jan. 28, 2006. “LSU is a tremendous team and they’ve had a ton of success,” Langley said. “We’re also a good team and we’re excited to grow as a team. This group is hungry to get better. It will be a great opportunity for us to see where we are and tell us how to be better in the next game.” After LSU, Washington will face No. 20 North Carolina State (3-2) or Southern (0-6) on Wednesday in the tournament. Then, the Huskies play their first ever Big Ten Conference game against No. 5 UCLA on Dec. 8 at Alaska Airline Arena. And UW's arduous stretch ends with a tough test against former Pac-12 rival Utah (3-1) on Dec. 14. Washington wraps up its nonconference schedule with two games at its Husky Classic on Dec. 18 and 19 before 17 straight Big Ten contests. “I haven’t really thought too much, (or) too far ahead about the teams that we’re playing,” senior forward Dalayah Daniels said when asked about LSU. “Just trying to stay in the moment. I know the coaches are going to put together a really good scout and we’re going to try to stop what they’re good at and they’re going to try to do the same. “I think it’s going to be a really good game and a really good matchup. ... I’m excited.” Here are three questions the Huskies must answer in the next three weeks. Can UW consistently beat good teams? We’ll detail the defensive superlatives and offensive slippage in a bit, but this is the most pressing question facing Langley, who has spent the past three years stocking the roster with six four-star recruits ranked among the top 100 prospects in the country. Langley, who comprised a 126-61 record during a six-year stint at Rice, moved above .500 with the Huskies following Friday’s 65-50 victory against Prairie View A&M. She’s 48-47 at Washington, including 5-17 vs. ranked teams. Langley lost her first seven games at UW against ranked opponents before upsetting No. 2 Stanford 72-67 on Feb. 5, 2023, which is arguably her biggest win since being hired in 2021. And it should be noted, UW is 2-1 in its past three outing vs. ranked teams. Can UW’s defense hold up? The Huskies are allowing just 57.6 points per game, which ranks eighth in the 18-team Big Ten and 94 th among 353 Division I teams. That’s slightly better than last season and the 2022-23 campaign when Washington opponents averaged 59.0 and 58.9 points, respectively. The addition of 6-foot-3 senior forward Tayra Eke gives UW a potentially dominant rim protector that’s been missing from the defense since shot-blocking phenom Nancy Mulkey graduated in 2022. Eke set a school record with eight blocks on Friday while Daniels had six blocks for Washington, which tallied 16 blocks and shattered the previous school record of 11 set in 2017. Can UW’s offense reclaim its mojo? During Big Ten Media Day, the Huskies talked at length about overhauling a pedestrian offense that ranked near the bottom of the Pac-12 while averaging 64.2 points per game last season. Through the first four games, Washington averaged 88.3 points and in the last three games, it’s averaging 65 points. Expecting the Huskies to reverse that troubling trend against LSU, North Carolina State and UCLA, which is allowing 52.8, 64.2 and 57.0 points, respectively seems unrealistic. And maybe history is repeating itself. Last season, Washington averaged 87.5 points after four games, which included a 113-point performance — one shy of the school record. Then, the Huskies massively regressed and topped 65 points in just four of their remaining 27 games. Washington has multiple scoring options in Elle Ladine (15.6 ppg.), Sayvia Sellers (14.0) and Daniels (10.7), including a deep bench that’s received significant playing time this season. Perhaps most important, the Huskies will need to take care of the ball. They’ve committed 19 and 18 turnovers in the past two games, respectively.World number one Luke Humphries retained his Players Championship Finals title with an 11-7 victory over teenager Luke Littler in Minehead. Littler, who won the Grand Slam of Darts last week, hit checkouts of 170, 164 and 136 as he threatened to overturn an early deficit, but Humphries held his nerve to win the last three legs. “I’m really, really proud of that one to be honest,” Humphries told Sky Sports. “I didn’t feel myself this week playing-wise, I felt like I was a dart behind in a lot of the scenarios but there’s something that Luke does to you. He really drives me, makes me want to be a better player and I enjoy playing him. “He let me in really early in that first session to go 4-1 up, I never looked back and I’m proud that I didn’t take my foot off the gas. These big games are what I live for. “Luke is a special talent and he was right – I said to him I’ve got to get these (titles) early before he wins them all. “I’d love to be up here and hitting 105 averages like Luke is all the time but he’s a different calibre, he’s probably the best player in the world right now but there’s something about me that never gives up. “This is a great way to go into the worlds.” Littler, who lost the world championship final to Humphries last year, said: “It was tough, missed a few doubles and if you don’t take chances early on, it’s a lot to come back. “I hit the 170 and the 164 but just didn’t have enough in the end. “It’s been a good past two weeks. I just can’t wait to go home, chill out, obviously practice at home for the worlds. That’s it now, leading up to the big one.”

Iowa cornerback Jermari Harris has opted out of the remainder of the 2024 season in order to prepare for the NFL draft, according to a report by 247Sports.com . The 6-foot-1 sixth-year senior from Chicago has recorded 27 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high seven pass breakups in 10 games for the Hawkeyes this season. That includes a pick-6 in a 38-21 win over Troy earlier this season. Iowa (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) plays at Maryland on Saturday before closing out its regular season at home against Nebraska on Nov. 29. The Hawkeyes are already bowl eligible, so Harris is likely opting out of three games in total. After missing the entire 2022 season due to an ankle injury, Harris was suspended for two games of the following season for his involvement in the gambling investigation into Iowa athletics. He later emerged as the Hawkeyes' top cornerback, earning the team's comeback player of the year award after compiling 42 tackles, one interception and eight pass breakups. Harris will finish his college career with 105 tackles and eight interceptions. --Field Level Media

NoneOXFORD, Ohio (AP) — Reece Potter scored 19 points off the bench to help lead Miami (OH) past Sacred Heart 94-76 on Sunday. Potter went 8 of 8 from the field (3 for 3 from 3-point range) for the RedHawks (7-4). Kam Craft scored 12 points and added five rebounds. Brant Byers had 10 points and shot 4 for 7, including 1 for 4 from beyond the arc. Tanner Thomas finished with 15 points for the Pioneers (4-8). Sacred Heart also got 11 points from Griffin Barrouk. Fallou Gueye also had 10 points. Miami (OH) took the lead with 9:42 remaining in the first half and never looked back. Potter led their team in scoring with nine points in the first half to help put them up 50-30 at the break. Miami (OH) was outscored by Sacred Heart in the second half by a two-point margin, but still wound up on top, while Potter led the way with a team-high 10 second-half points. Miami (OH)'s next game is Monday against Defiance at home, and Sacred Heart hosts Manhattanville on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Bitcoin surged to a record high of US$106,000 following Donald Trump's US presidential election victory, reflecting a significant uptick in a cryptocurrency market long marked by volatility and recent downturns. The debate over Bitcoin resurfaced in Thailand after remarks made by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra at a Pheu Thai Party seminar last week. He proposed adopting Bitcoin in a restricted area first, such as utilising a sandbox pilot project in Phuket to encourage digital currency holders to spend their digital money in the country. The idea of creating a stablecoin backed by government bonds was raised at the same time. However, this proposal has sparked concerns, with the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) warning that the project could falter due to the inherent volatility of digital currencies. Additionally, the idea of a government-backed coin risks adding confusion to the economy, as it would potentially create a new unit that would compete with the baht. According to TDRI, the central banks of many countries are generally opposed to such steps, fearing they could undermine confidence in local currencies and complicate their usage. RISKS TO THE BAHT Investment strategists believe the possibility of Thailand using Bitcoin or other digital coins as a medium of exchange similar to the use of the baht is low, saying it would pose risks to the stability of the baht and confidence in the country's financial system. They believe Thailand must first await the results of experiments in leading economic nations before making a final decision. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched a regulatory sandbox in August allowing selected service providers to experiment with digital assets under relaxed regulatory scrutiny. Thanathat Srisawast, a strategist at Tisco Economic Strategy Unit (ESU), said if a policy were implemented that allowed for Bitcoin usage, Thailand would move ahead of the US by allowing the use of Bitcoin as a legitimate medium of exchange in the way that El Salvador does. He believes some shops in Thailand have already accepted Bitcoin in exchange for baht. "If we want to go ahead with it seriously, it is not necessary to use a sandbox only in Phuket. It should be open for testing everywhere. Some foreign tourists have already used Bitcoin in exchange for baht," said Mr Thanathat. "If Bitcoin could be used for payments, the process must not be complicated. Also, we might need to wait for the supply of digital currencies in the system to increase first before we carry out a test of using digital coins instead of the baht," he noted. To support that policy, Thailand must create a coin that resembles a central bank digital currency (CBDC), a form of digital currency issued by a country's central bank, he said. It resembles a cryptocurrency, but its value is fixed by the central bank and is equivalent to the country's fiat currency. It also needs to have a strong security system and needs a backup plan in case the internet system crashes, he added. "The former premier may have seen that many people are interested in Bitcoin, so he thinks this is the right time to push through such a policy," he said. In his view, Thailand might first need to examine the lessons learned in other countries because if the country were to make a mistake in rolling out such a policy, it would damage the credibility of the government and the Bank of Thailand. Therefore, the country must consider it carefully. "If we try to do it in a small project like a sandbox, if there is a mistake, it can still be controlled and if it doesn't work, we can just stop the project," said Mr Thanatat. Meanwhile, the reason behind the proposal for issuing a coin backed by government bonds has not yet become fully apparent. "Maybe the government want to encourage the use of Bitcoin and other digital currencies. It is very difficult to guess what form it would take. We will have to wait for further details." Mr Thanatat said he believes Bitcoin investments will continue to grow next year, thanks to President-elect Trump's policy to support it. But, according to a recent survey, some Bitcoins have been mislaid, or cannot be recovered. Several early adopters of Bitcoin say they do not collect them seriously and it is estimated that around 5 million Bitcoins have been "lost". It has been estimated that there are over 10 million Bitcoins currently in circulation. New mining each year accounts for around 100,000 coins each year. If the US seriously promotes Bitcoin, other countries may follow the trend adopted by the world's major economic power, he said. Asadej Kongsiri, president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), said the SET so far has no policy to support cryptocurrency trading. However, the bourse is studying the possibility of developing Thailand into a digital token trading centre. NO CLEAR BENEFITS Phuket has been put forward as a candidate for the pilot project, which would enable cryptocurrency holders to spend their digital coins for transactions carried out within the province. Thanet Tantipiriyakit, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said the benefits of adding cryptocurrency as an alternative to fiat currencies such as the baht are still not clear enough to gain strong support from the business sector. In terms of convenience for both tourists and operators, he said transactions from foreign tourists via the existing financial system run smoothly without problems. There is no pain point that requires cryptocurrency to help fix it, he noted. Weighing the pros and cons, he said the business sector is more concerned about the grey area involving digital currencies as there are still many cases of criminals using this medium of exchange to commit fraud. There are also concerns about practices if Phuket were chosen as the sole pilot project destination, as there is no back up in place to help conduct such transactions, such as a distribution system from a notable global tech company, which might not be ready at this stage to accept digital currencies, said Mr Thanet. "The most critical concern is whether cryptocurrency might exacerbate unsolved problems in the industry. We now still have many foreign online travel agents that don't register in the country, resulting in a large sum of revenue flowing out from Thailand. We would like to be assured that the arrival of cryptocurrency would not make this situation worse," he said. In terms of tourist demand, Mr Thanet said tourism operators in the province have not received inquiries from foreign cryptocurrency holders who are tourists suggesting they would like to spend their digital assets on products and services during their time in the country. When the value of a digital asset surges, the holders of such assets would likely be keen on keeping them or using them for investment purposes rather than spending them on lesiure or travel pursuits, he said. Mr Thanet said if cryptocurrencies were adopted in the province, the business sector would prefer to have governmental agencies or banks as an intermediary during the early stage in order to verify and appoint a licensed exchange for tourists who would like to spend their digital coins, rather than allowing them to pay directly via a digital currency. He also agreed with the TDRI that the stability of the baht is the most important factor for businesses at the moment. If a new stablecoin issued by the government created an impact on a major currency, it would impact the whole economy eventually, he said. NO BACKUP While not against cryptocurrency, notably Bitcoin, Montri Mahaplerkpong, chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, opposes the idea of using Bitcoin as a new alternative medium of exchange to facilitate business transactions because digital currencies have nothing to back their usage. Currencies were once tied to a certain quantity of gold under the gold standard. In the capital market, stocks are backed by the ownership of the listed companies. "But when it comes to Bitcoin, I see nothing in terms of back up," said Mr Montri. If the government further promotes Bitcoin, which may lead to wider usage through the purchase of goods and services, users, both businesses and households, will struggle to avoid some level of financial risk. "Even the trading of stocks on the Stock Exchange of Thailand encounters problems sometimes. Who knows what might happen with Bitcoin," he said. Bitcoin traders are currently the only participants taking a risk. They cannot lodge a complaint when they face a problem because digital currencies are not overseen or regulated by the government, he said. If the Bitcoin trading system collapses, users will be solely responsible for any unpleasant consequences, said Mr Montri. In Mr Montri's opinion, rather than being used like money to conduct everyday transactions, the storing and spending of cryptocurrency by users seems to just be a way of racking up profits from speculation on the value of the digital assets. "In fact, I am open-minded about cryptocurrencies, but I want to see their usage limited to individuals. I do not want to see the government promote crypto by granting it legal status," said Mr Montri. "Who will take responsibility if that were to lead to economic damage?"

Pre-Money Valuation of JPY9 Billion is Approximately Multiples of Current Parent Company Market Capitalization. Strategic Investors Further Validation of Technology and Growth Potential. Further Commercialization with Recent 25,000 Unit Order from B2B Sales Channel. TOKYO, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. MRM announces that its subsidiary MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. raised to date an aggregate total of 260.3 million yen (approximtaely USD $ [1.7] million calculated at an exchange rate of JPY[153.64] to US$1) at a pre-money equity valuation of JPY9 billion (approximately USD $ [58.6] million calculated at an exchange rate of JPY[153.64] to US$1) in its Series A equity financing. NFES Technologies Inc. is the lead investor in the financing round, and several public companies in Japan, including M3, Inc. (TOKYO PRIME: 2413) and Elematec Corporation (TOKYO PRIME: 2715), as well as certain individual investors are also participating. The Series A equity financing round is still ongoing. MEDIROM MOTHER Labs has closed financings with six investors to date and intends to conclude the financing round by December 31, 2024. "We are very excited that our MEDIROM MOTHER Labs subsidiary has received such significant validation from strategic partners as our lead investor NFES Technologies Inc. as well as M3,Inc and Elematec Corporation. The pre money valuation of 9 billion yen is approximately multiples of MEDIROM's current NASDAQ listing market capitalization which I believe further validates our technology, business model and growth potential." said Kouji. The MOTHER Bracelet ® is currently in commercialization. From July 1, 2024 through October 31, 2024, MEDIROM MOTHER Labs received purchase orders for an aggregate of over 25,000 units from its B2B sales channel. "We believe the MOTHER Bracelet ® to be the world's first fitness tracker that requires no electric charging by utilizing an innovative technology that enables the user's body heat to generate electricity. We co-developed it with Matrix Industries, based in Silicon Valley and believe its features are cutting-edge technology with rich features and ease of use to track fitness levels, sleep patterns, pulse and body temperature We will continue to target markets such as hospitals, nursing homes and gyms, where such data is vital," said Yoshio Uekusa, CEO of MEDIROM MOTHER Labs. ABOUT MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. A subsidiary of MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. MRM ("MEDIROM"), MEDIROM Mother Labs Inc. focuses on the health-tech sector. The company's core activities include the "Specific Health Guidance Program" offered through the "Lav" health application and development and sales of the 24/7 recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet ®︎ smart tracker. By leveraging the features of the recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet ®︎ , MOTHER Labs offers customizable health management solutions across diverse sectors, including caregiving, logistics, manufacturing, and similar industries. Forward-Looking Statements Regarding MEDIROM and MOTHER Labs Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include estimates or expectations about MEDIROM's possible or assumed operational results, financial condition, business strategies and plans, market opportunities, competitive position, industry environment, and potential growth opportunities. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "design," "target," "aim," "hope," "expect," "could," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "continue," "predict," "project," "potential," "goal," or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These statements relate to future events or to MEDIROM's future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause MEDIROM's actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond MEDIROM's control and which could, and likely will, affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects MEDIROM's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to MEDIROM's operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. Some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release include: MEDIROM's ability to achieve its development goals for its business and execute and evolve its growth strategies, priorities and initiatives; MEDIROM Mother Labs's ability to close its Series A equity financing on the anticipated timeline or at all; MEDIROM's ability to collaborate in the anticipated manner; changes in Japanese and global economic conditions and financial markets, including their effects on MEDIROM's expansion in Japan and certain overseas markets; MEDIROM's ability to increase sales of the MOTHER Bracelet and achieve and sustain profitability in its Digital Preventative Healthcare Segment; the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates, which affects MEDIROM's expenses and liabilities payable in foreign currencies; MEDIROM's ability to maintain and enhance the value of its brands and to enforce and maintain its trademarks and protect its other intellectual property; MEDIROM's ability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms or at all; MEDIROM's level of indebtedness and potential restrictions on MEDIROM under MEDIROM's debt instruments; changes in consumer preferences and MEDIROM's competitive environment; MEDIROM's ability to respond to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, and to global pandemics, such as COVID-19; and the regulatory environment in which MEDIROM operates. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect MEDIROM's business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition, and stock price is included in MEDIROM's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including in the "Risk Factors" and "Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" sections of MEDIROM's most recently filed periodic report on Form 20-F and subsequent filings, which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov . MEDIROM assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. NASDAQ Symbol: MRM Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Web https://medirom.co.jp/en Contact: ir@medirom.co.jp MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan For more information visit: https://mother-bracelet.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

LONDON - The United Nations' world food price index rose in November to its highest level since April 2023, recording its biggest gain in 19 months on the back of surging vegetable oil prices, data showed on Friday. The price index, compiled by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to track the most globally traded food commodities, increased to 127.5 points last month from a revised 126.9 points in October, the highest level in 19 months and up 5.7% from a year ago. The vegetable oil index jumped 7.5% above levels seen a month ago and 32% above those seen a year earlier, driven by concerns over lower than expected palm oil output due to excessive rainfall in Southeast Asia. Soyoil prices rose on stronger global import demand, while rapeseed and sunflower oil also increased. Other food price indexes declined. Cereal prices dropped 2.7% from October thanks to weaker wheat and rice prices, while sugar fell 2.4% from October as India and Thailand began crushing and concerns over Brazil's crop prospects eased. In a separate report, the FAO trimmed its forecast for global cereal production in 2024 from 2.848 billion metric tons to 2.841 billion, a 0.6% decline from last year but still the second largest output on record. World cereal utilisation, meanwhile, is set to increase 0.6% to 2.859 billion tons in 2024/25 thanks to growing consumption. As a result, the FAO expects the cereal stocks-to-use ratio to fall to 30.1% at the close of the 2025 season from 30.8% previously, but still indicating a "comfortable level of global supply". (Disclaimer: Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)