MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Dolphins announced Friday morning that they’ve waived wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., a move that ends his brief career with the team after just nine games. Beckham, the once-spectacular player who was most famous for the one-handed touchdown catch he made while with the New York Giants, would end his time with the Dolphins with just nine receptions for 55 yards and no touchdowns. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Perspective Therapeutics CEO Johan Spoor buys $30,132 in stock
Despite a resounding defeat at the hands of Ronald Reagan in 1980, the Democrat forged a new path promoting causes such as electoral probity abroad, social justice and drives to rid the world of medical conditions. His first foreign visit as president was to the UK where then prime minister James Callaghan, as well as the usual visits in London, took his guest to the North East with a visit to Newcastle, Sunderland and Washington – the village bearing the name of the first ever president. Mr Carter delighted crowds in the North East by saying “Howay the lads” during a speech to the assembled throng. He also received a miner’s lamp from 12-year-old Ian McEree in Washington. The 39th US president also carried out more traditional presidential duties, including meetings with western European leaders during his time in London while the Cold War was still ongoing. The practising Baptist continued his globetrotting ways after leaving power, even without Air Force One as his vehicle. He was also part of the Elders, a group of experienced statesmen and women drawn from all corners of the world.
Earlier today (December 24) on Good Morning Britain (GMB) Kate Garraway opened up to her co-hosts Ranvir Singh and Ed Balls about her first Christmas without husband Derek Draper. Derek who was a former lobbyist and political adviser, died in January aged 56 after suffering long-lasting damage to his organs from coronavirus. On Tuesday’s GMB programme, Kate spoke about how this Christmas will be a “tough one” for their family. Kate Garraway opens up about first Christmas without Derek on GMB The said: “I think this one will be particularly hard, I’m lucky I’ve got family around me.” added: “But I think you do feel grief because that’s the point where you have the memories of previous years. “We were lucky enough to still have him [Derek] over the last four or five years even though there were times when he was very ill.” Kate recalled how this time last year Derek was in intensive care and she did “fear” for the worst but their two children didn’t and were still “very hopeful”. “Yeah, it’s a tough one this year,” she continued. “I think anyone experiencing grief, it does hit you when you feel something which is full of tradition, where you have memories, it comes back. “I’m thinking about everybody else, who’s feeling it this time.” 'It's a tough one this year.' talks to and about her first Christmas without her husband Derek. Speaking about her plans for New Year, Kate said she “isn’t planning on anything”. She added: “I think it will just be a little moment of thought, I think we’ll all probably go to the grave and have a little bit of time and welcome the New Year.” This year, Kate won her third National Television Award (NTA) in the best authored documentary category for a film which followed the final year before her husband died. It followed on from two other programmes about Derek’s battle with covid and her struggles navigating the care system, which picked up NTA gongs in the category in 2021 and 2022.Windsor Mills, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Connexa Sports Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:YYAI) is pleased to announce that it has closed the acquisition of a further 50% ownership stake in Yuanyu Enterprise Management Co., Limited (YYEM), a Hong Kong-based entity focused on the global Love and Marriage sector, taking its overall stake in YYEM to 70% and received Nasdaq confirmation that post-acquisition trading of YYAI will commence at the market opening tomorrow morning on November 22, 2024. As a result of the acquisition, Connexa has now undergone a change of control, appointed new officers, new directors, and effected a spin-off of the Slinger Bag business. “We would like to thank all of our shareholders and directors for their support in the acquisition of YYEM and we wish YYEM and Connexa’s new board every success for the future,” concluded Mike Ballardie, the former CEO of Connexa. Mr. Zhou, Chairman of YYEM and a new member of Connexa’s Board of Directors, commented, “I thank the outgoing directors for their service to Connexa and look forward to an exciting future as we take the company forward into the Love and Marriage sector.” About YYAI: Connexa Sports Technologies Inc. (YYAI), via its majority-owned subsidiary, Yuanyu Enterprise Management Co., Limited, operates across the rapidly emerging Love and Marriage sector. Yuanyu Enterprise Management Co., Limited owns numerous patents, technologies and algorithms that drive its big data and matchmaking analyses, deriving its current revenues from royalties. YYAI Contact Information: info@yuanyuenterprise.com www.yuanyuenterprise.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about beliefs or expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on plans, estimates, expectations and projections at the time the statements are made, and readers should not place undue reliance on them. In some cases, readers can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “opportunity,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in this press release include, among others: the risks associated with the company’s relatively low public float, which may result in the company’s common stock experiencing significant price volatility; the effects that the closed acquisition of YYEM and the closed spin-off of the Slinger Bag business may have on the Company and its current or future business and on the price of the common stock; uncertainties regarding the company’s focus, strategic plans and other management actions; the risks associated with potential litigation related to the closed acquisition of YYEM and the closed spin-off of the Slinger Bag business or related to any possible subsequent financing transactions or acquisitions or investments; uncertainties regarding general economic, business, competitive, legal, regulatory, tax and geopolitical conditions; and other factors, including those set forth in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024 and subsequent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements included in this report speak only as of the date each statement is made. Neither the company nor any person undertakes any obligation to update any of these statements in light of new information or future events, except to the extent required by applicable law.
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I n June, Raman Bhatia walked into the fifth-floor office at Starling Bank’s headquarters in east London with a clean slate. It was set to be an antidote to a turbulent two years steering his former employer, Ovo, through an energy crisis and fines for overcharging customers . At the digital-only challenger bank, where he was taking over from the founder, Anne Boden, things looked more rosy, with a possible stock market listing on the horizon. He began his term by rubbing shoulders with new Labour ministers in No 10’s rose garden , and charming staff during a tour of Starling offices in Cardiff, London and Southampton. But autumn brought the honeymoon to an abrupt end. In October, Starling was hit with a £29m fine for “shockingly lax” financial crime controls , which the City regulator said had left the financial system “wide open to criminals and those subject to sanctions”. It threatened to take a hefty chunk out of Starling’s 2024 profits, and raised questions over the bank’s vehement defence of its customer screening process two years earlier when a former fraud minister challenged the bank’s handling of Covid loan applications. It meant that when Bhatia addressed a London banking conference at the start of December, one of the first questions he was asked was not about Starling’s bright future but its recent failings. Starling once seemed poised for unwavering success. It was part of a trio of online-only neo-banks, alongside Revolut and Monzo, which emerged in the mid-2010s to disrupt traditional banking. Boden, a former Royal Bank of Scotland executive, presented Starling as a grown-up among the upstarts, with 30 years of banking experience and £48m of seed funding from the reclusive Austrian billionaire Harald McPike. Not everyone agreed with her leadership style – as illustrated by a staff rebellion that led to a former colleague launching a rival, Monzo. But in 2016, two years after its launch, Starling clinched a coveted UK banking licence, allowing it to hold its own customers’ deposits and issue lucrative loans. It would take Monzo another year, and Revolut until 2024 , to do the same. And although the pandemic loomed, the government-backed schemes that followed would fuel Starling’s growth: it was among a number of smaller lenders that eagerly queued to distribute bounce-back loans (BBLs). Meant to support businesses during lockdown, banks offered companies loans of up to £50,000 at 2.5% interest, but carried little risk, with taxpayers picking up 100% of losses if borrowers defaulted. Large banks restricted BBLs to their own customers. But challengers such as Starling opened applications to new clients and experienced exponential growth as a result. The bank had only issued £23m of its own loans before the pandemic in November 2019, but had distributed £1.6bn in BBLs by the time the scheme closed in March 2021. Meanwhile, its business customer base swelled from 87,000 to 330,000: equivalent to onboarding 15,000 a month. High street banks, by comparison, were onboarding 1,500 to 8,000 on average. Starling – which had 1,245 staff at the time – credited the feat to its cutting-edge tech. , a feat that the bank – which had 1,245 staff at the time– chalked up to its cutting-edge tech. Within months, it was toasting its first annual profit. Not everyone was celebrating. In May 2022, Lord Agnew, a former Treasury minister with an anti-fraud brief, accused Starling of acting against taxpayers’ interests and using BBLs as a “cost-free marketing exercise to build their loan book and so their company valuation”. He added that the bank was “one of the worst when it came to validating the turnover of businesses or submitting suspicious activity reports”. Boden was incensed. She accused Agnew of making “defamatory statements” and threatened to take legal action against the Tory peer, and said the bank had reported his comments to regulators. She also insisted Starling was one of the “most active and effective banks fighting fraud”. In the background, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had been raising serious concerns about Starling’s financial crime controls. In late 2020, during a sample review of challenger banks, the watchdog said it had “identified several issues” with Starling’s anti-money-laundering and financial sanctions controls, as well as its governance and oversight. But this would not have been news to some, at least, of Starling’s management. In 2018, an internal audit report had identified “several significant gaps” in Starling’s financial crime procedures. However, those shortcoming were not adequately conveyed to either Starling’s board or the regulator, FCA documents said. The regulator flagged “wide-ranging concerns” in a letter to Starling bosses in March 2021, just as the BBL programme was winding down, but further tests found problems in Starling’s client screening. By September, Starling had agreed to a VREQ – or voluntary requirement – that banned it from processing applications for any high-risk customers while it improved controls. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion Months passed. In July 2022, Starling realised that a key check was not working properly. It meant that nearly 300 customers who had previously been booted out of the bank for “financial crime reasons” had been able to reopen accounts. By November, Starling’s financial crime rating was raised to “red”. And two months later, in January 2023, it found that an automated screening system had only been checking against a partial list of individuals under sanctions since 2017. Starling ultimately breached the VREQ, opening 54,000 accounts for 49,183 high-risk customers between September 2021 and November 2023, earning £900,000 in interest and fees along the way. An external consultancy later chalked up the failings to an inexperienced management team that lacked sufficient anti-money laundering and regulatory expertise. Engineering teams, given responsibility for upgrading the systems and controls, were not told of the existence of the regulator’s order. It was only in April this year that Starling managed to go a full month without breaking the rules. The VREQ remains in place today. The regulator did not refer to the BBL scheme in its report. But Agnew revived his concerns in October. The digital bank has so far claimed £94m of taxpayer money through the BBL scheme on loans that were later flagged for fraud, a figure only surpassed by the four largest high street banks. “The government should consider the FCA’s findings and examine whether there needs to be a clawback on any of the taxpayer funds paid to Starling to cover fraud losses,” Agnew told the Times . The new revelations have undoubtedly hurt Starling’s reputation and kicked the prospect of a stock market listing – and payouts to investors such as Goldman Sachs and McPike – down the road. “It makes it harder to ‘sell the story’ to investors,” said John Cronin, an independent banking analyst and founder of SeaPoint Insights. “I would be surprised to see a successful IPO within the next two to three years,” he added. Boden stepped down as chief executive in 2023 citing a “conflict of interest” between being a boss and a large shareholder, leaving Bhatia to weather the storm. Starling said: “We fully accept and have apologised for the FCA’s findings. Their fine related solely to breaches of the VREQ and to sanctions controls. The loans issued during the Covid crisis were to a small proportion of our new customers. In line with other banks, we were supporting the government’s efforts to keep the economy alive and small business owners active. “We’re moving forward with plans for new products and services and are excited about the prospects for 2025.” Boden and the Treasury declined to comment.Lebawit Lily Girma | (TNS) Bloomberg News When winter rolls around, travelers predictably turn their attention to beaches. And this year, it’s the destination that comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean” that’s experiencing outsize demand from Americans planning a warm island vacation. Talk about trashing stereotypes. Related Articles Travel | Would you pay $700 a night to sleep under the stars at this Colorado resort? Travel | Thailand’s starring role in ‘The White Lotus’ is about to pay off Travel | 5 under-the-radar travel destinations the UN says you should visit Travel | Gift ideas for people planning their next trip Travel | Lights and decor, réveillon meals make Christmastime special in New Orleans Puerto Rico has recovered overseas visitors (excluding those from Canada and Mexico) faster than any U.S. state or territory — a staggering 85% increase over its 2019 overseas inbound visitor levels as of 2023, according to an October study from the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office. There are now more daily flights from the U.S. West Coast, and hotel bookings are 6% higher so far in this last quarter of 2024 year-over-year. It’s a trifecta of tourism growth: more visitors, but also longer stays and a higher spend that reached a record $9.8 billion in 2023, boosting small businesses as well as major brands. “We don’t have a slow season in Puerto Rico anymore,” says Brad Dean, chief executive officer at Discover Puerto Rico. Even if they’re not booking, people are dreaming about “La Isla.” By tracking flight searches for trips between November 2024 and February 2025, a measure of “inspirational” demand, tourism intelligence company Mabrian Technologies reports Puerto Rico is up 9% compared with the same period last year and leads Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas in the Caribbean proper. Only Costa Rica ranked higher in the wider region. Dean attributes Puerto Rico’s ongoing tourism growth to a strategic effort to reposition the island’s brand as more than a sun-and-sea destination, starting back in 2018. That led to the Live Boricua campaign, which began in 2022 and leaned heavily on culture, history and cuisine and was, Dean says, “a pretty bold departure” in the way Puerto Rico was showcased to travelers. He adds that at least $2 billion in tourism spend is linked to this campaign. “We (also) haven’t shied away from actively embracing the LGBTQ+ community, and that has opened up Puerto Rico to audiences that may not have considered the Caribbean before,” Dean says. Hotels are preparing to meet this growing demand: A number of established boutique properties are undergoing upgrades valued between $4 million and more than $50 million, including Hotel El Convento; La Concha, which will join the Marriott Autograph Collection; Condado Vanderbilt Hotel; and the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. That’s in addition to ultra-chic options that are coming online in 2025, including the adults-only Alma San Juan, with rooms overlooking Plaza Colón in the heart of Old San Juan, and the five-star Veranó boutique hotel in San Juan’s trendy Santurce neighborhood. The beachfront Ritz-Carlton San Juan in Isla Verde will also be reopening seven years after Hurricane Maria decimated the island. The travel industry’s success is helping boost employment on the island, to the tune of 101,000 leisure and hospitality jobs as of September 2024, a 26% increase over pre-pandemic levels, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Efforts to promote Puerto Rico’s provinces beyond the San Juan metro area — such as surfing hub Rincón on the west coast, historical Ponce on the south coast and Orocovis for nature and coffee haciendas in the central mountains —have spread the demand to small businesses previously ignored by the travel industry. Take Sheila Osorio, who leads workshops on Afro-Puerto Rican bomba music and dance at Taller Nzambi, in the town of Loíza, 15 miles east of San Juan; or Wanda Otero, founder of cheese-producing company Vaca Negra in Hatillo, an hour’s drive west of Old San Juan, where you can join a cheese-making workshop and indulge in artisanal cheese tastings. “The list of businesses involved in tourism has gone from 650 in 2018 to 6,100, many of which are artists and artisans,” Dean says. While New Yorkers and Miami residents have always been the largest visitor demographic, Dean says more mainland Americans now realize that going to Puerto Rico means passport-free travel to enjoy beaches, as well as opportunities to dine in Michelin-rated restaurants, hike the only rainforest in the U.S. and kayak in a bioluminescent bay. Visitors from Chicago and Dallas, for example, have increased by approximately 40% from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, compared with the same period in 2022-2023, and more travelers are expected from Denver now that United Airlines Holdings Inc. has kicked off its first nonstop service to San Juan, beginning on Oct. 29. Previously, beach destinations that were easy to reach on direct flights from Denver included Mexico, Belize and California, but now Puerto Rico joins that list with a 5.5-hour nonstop route that cuts more than two hours from the next-best option. Given United Airlines’ hub in San Francisco, it could mean more travelers from the Golden State in the near future, too. In December, U.S. airlines will have 3,000 more seats per day to the territory compared with the same period last year, for a total of 84,731 — surpassing even Mexico and the Dominican Republic in air capacity, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the island’s primary gateway, is projecting a record volume of 13 million passengers by year’s end — far surpassing the 9.4 million it saw in 2019. As for Hinchcliffe’s “floating island of garbage” line, Dean says it was “a terribly insensitive attempt at humor” that transformed outrage into a marketing silver lining, with an outpouring of positive public sentiment and content on Puerto Rico all over social media. Success, as that old chestnut goes, may be the best revenge. “It was probably the most efficient influencer campaign we’ve ever had,” Dean says, “a groundswell of visitors who posted their photos and videos and said, ‘This is the Puerto Rico that I know.’” ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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In the ever-changing world of cryptocurrency, early-stage investments can lead to huge returns. One token that’s catching a lot of attention is Lightchain AI (LCAI) , now available in its presale for just $0.003. Investors are buzzing, with some experts predicting a growth of up to 2,000%. People are already comparing LCAI to Cardano (ADA), which had a massive rise back in 2021, believing LCAI could follow a similar path and even surpass ADA’s success. Why Experts Are Eyeing LCAI for Exponential Growth LCAI isn't just another cryptocurrency—it's a game-changer that brings together artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to offer practical and innovative solutions. Unlike many digital currencies that focus on making online transactions easier, LCAI is all about creating real value by using AI directly within the blockchain. While Cardano (ADA) got attention for its smart contract innovations and scalability, LCAI is finding its unique place by solving real-world problems. With AI at its core, LCAI stands out in data processing, predictive analytics, and making faster, smarter decisions. These features put LCAI at the forefront of the cryptocurrency world, with exciting potential in industries like healthcare, finance, and logistics. Can LCAI Achieve 2,000% Growth? Similar to the exponential gains experienced by Cardano (ADA) in 2021, experts suggest that LCAI holds the potential for a comparable growth trajectory. Here’s why. Lightchain AI has already raised over $4 million in its presale, with the token priced at $0.003. This strong presale performance shows substantial interest from early investors, positioning LCAI for potential explosive growth. Additionally, the platform has introduced staking rewards, allowing token holders to participate in securing the network while earning rewards. Lightchain AI is teaming up with key industries like supply chain, healthcare, and data analytics to make its blockchain and AI technology more impactful. These partnerships are all about creating real-world solutions that will help more people benefit from the platform's innovations and make it easier for the technology to grow and be used more widely. By integrating with Solana’s blockchain, Lightchain AI benefits from fast transaction speeds and enhanced scalability. This allows LCAI to handle high-demand applications efficiently, making it a competitive player in the blockchain and AI space. LCAI has designed its token distribution with long-term growth in mind! A big chunk of 40% goes to the presale, giving early investors a chance to get in on the ground floor. Another 28.5% will be used for staking rewards, so everyone who helps the network grow can reap the benefits. 15% is set aside for liquidity, and the rest is for exciting things like marketing, partnerships, and the team behind the project. With a deflationary model and decentralized governance, LCAI ensures fairness and lasting value for everyone involved! Experts are increasingly bullish on LCAI’s AI-powered blockchain integration. Some analysts predict that LCAI could outpace major projects like Solana and TRON by 2025, making it a top contender for investors seeking significant returns in the coming years. LCAI vs. ADA Why LCAI Could Outperform in 2025 While Cardano made waves with its focus on scalability and smart contracts, Lightchain AI is positioning itself as a leader in AI and blockchain integration, which is a niche still in its early stages. Here’s how LCAI stacks up against ADA. What’s Next for LCAI in 2025? Lightchain AI (LCAI) is poised for significant advancements in 2025, with a strategic roadmap emphasizing technological development and market integration. Key milestones include. Testnet Rollout (January 2025): The team will test the platform's core features in real-world settings and make improvements based on user feedback to ensure everything runs smoothly. Mainnet Launch (March 2025): This marks the big moment when the platform goes live with full decentralized governance and AI capabilities, ready for use! Ecosystem Growth (May 2025): Lightchain AI will roll out grants, incentives, and outreach programs to attract developers, businesses, and data providers, helping build a strong community around the platform. Global Adoption (June 2025): The platform will focus on industries like healthcare, finance, and supply chain, helping businesses integrate AI-powered blockchain solutions for even more widespread use. Experts believe LCAI’s value could see some impressive growth, with prices potentially reaching $0.10 to $0.20 by 2025, making it a great opportunity for early investors. Strong Buy for 2025 Lightchain AI (LCAI) is on track for exciting growth with its innovative AI-powered blockchain technology and practical real-world uses. With a clear and well-thought-out roadmap, LCAI has the potential for great returns. As it expands into industries like healthcare, logistics, and finance, it’s becoming a strong contender in the crypto space, ready to make a big impact. If you missed ADA’s 2021 rally, LCAI presents an opportunity to invest early in a project with similar transformative potential. Its presale phase has already raised over $4 million, and with a low token price of $0.003 , early investors could see significant growth as the platform continues to develop. For those seeking a promising investment in the 2025 crypto boom, LCAI is the token to watch. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be part of a groundbreaking project before it takes off. https://lightchain.ai https://lightchain.ai/lightchain-whitepaper.pdf https://x.com/LightchainAI https://t.me/LightchainProtocol Join our WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news, exclusives and videos on WhatsApp _____________ Disclaimer: Analytics Insight does not provide financial advice or guidance. Also note that the cryptocurrencies mentioned/listed on the website could potentially be scams, i.e. designed to induce you to invest financial resources that may be lost forever and not be recoverable once investments are made. You are responsible for conducting your own research (DYOR) before making any investments. Read more here.Kansas once required voters to prove citizenship. That didn't work out so well