fishing minecraft
Gurugram cyber cops nab man from TN for running illegal SIM card racketMILWAUKEE (AP) — Erik Pratt had 20 points to help Milwaukee defeat North Central College 92-57 on Sunday. Pratt shot 5 for 9 (3 for 7 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Panthers (9-4). Jamichael Stillwell scored 12 points and added 10 rebounds. Learic Davis had 12 points and went 6 of 9 from the field (0 for 3 from 3-point range). The Cardinals were led in scoring by Sean Molloy, who finished with eight points. James Bullock and Drew Gaston scored seven each. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated PressThe grand 'Chhavni Pravesh' procession marked a ceremonial beginning for the next year's Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. Under the guidance of Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Arun Giri Ji, the procession celebrated the entry of saints into the fairgrounds with grandeur. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took stock of the arrangements for the Khichdi Mela in Gorakhpur, emphasizing its cultural and religious importance. His directives focused on ensuring security and convenience for attendees, aiming to uphold the event's traditional significance. Apart from that, Adityanath reviewed Gorakhpur's development projects, advocating for improved urban transport and coordinated parking solutions. These initiatives are expected to contribute to the city's development as a smart city ahead of the festivities. (With inputs from agencies.)
Be concerned about climate change, poverty: UGC chairmanWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president’s extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject. No decisions have been made, the people said, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all. Pardons are historically afforded to those accused of specific crimes – and usually those who have already been convicted of an offense — but Biden’s team is considering issuing them for those who have not even been investigated, let alone charged. They fear that Trump and his allies, who have boasted of enemies lists and exacting “retribution,” could launch investigations that would be reputationally and financially costly for their targets even if they don’t result in prosecutions. While the president’s pardon power is absolute, Biden’s use in this fashion would mark a significant expansion of how they are deployed, and some Biden aides fear it could lay the groundwork for an even more drastic usage by Trump. They also worry that issuing pardons would feed into claims by Trump and his allies that the individuals committed acts that necessitated immunity. Recipients could include infectious-disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was instrumental in combating the coronavirus pandemic and who has become a pariah to conservatives angry about mask mandates and vaccines. Others include witnesses in Trump’s criminal or civil trials and Biden administration officials who have drawn the ire of the incoming president and his allies. Some fearful former officials have reached out to the Biden White House preemptively seeking some sort of protection from the future Trump administration, one of the people said. It follows Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter — not just for his convictions on federal gun and tax violations, but for any potential federal offense committed over an 11-year period, as the president feared that Trump allies would seek to prosecute his son for other offenses. That could serve as a model for other pardons Biden might issue to those who could find themselves in legal jeopardy under Trump. Biden is not the first to consider such pardons — Trump aides considered them for him and his supporters involved in his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that culminated in a violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But he could be the first to issue them since Trump’s pardons never materialized before he left office nearly four years ago. Gerald Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” in 1974 to his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. He believed a potential trial would “cause prolonged and divisive debate over the propriety of exposing to further punishment and degradation a man who has already paid the unprecedented penalty of relinquishing the highest elective office of the United States," as written in the pardon proclamation. Politico was first to report that Biden was studying the use of preemptive pardons. On the campaign trail, Trump made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. Trump has talked about “enemies from within" and circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He also zeroed in on former Rep. Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris and helped investigate Jan. 6, and he promoted a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals for supposed treason. Kash Patel, whom Trump has announced as his nominee to be director of the FBI, has listed dozens of former government officials he wanted to “come after.” Richard Painter, a Trump critic who served as the top White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said he was reluctantly in support of having Biden issue sweeping pardons to people who could be targeted by Trump's administration. He said he hoped that would “clean the slate” for the incoming president and encourage him to focus on governing, not on punishing his political allies. “It’s not an ideal situation at all,” Painter said. “We have a whole lot of bad options confronting us at this point.” While the Supreme Court this year ruled that the president enjoys broad immunity from prosecution for what could be considered official acts, his aides and allies enjoy no such shield. Some fear that Trump could use the promise of a blanket pardon to encourage his allies to take actions they might otherwise resist for fear of running afoul of the law. “There could be blatant illegal conduct over the next four years, and he can go out and pardon his people before he leaves office,” Painter said. "But if he’s going to do that, he’s going to do that anyway regardless of what Biden does." More conventional pardons from Biden, such as those for sentencing disparities for people convicted of federal crimes, are expected before the end of the year, the White House said.
UPDATE 4-South Korea's Yoon apologises for martial law, but does not resign ahead of impeachment vote
Multiple tech companies were among the top 10. In a rarity, a utility company was in the top 10. That was mainly thanks to the artificial intelligence trade, which played a role in many of the year's best performances. ( ) gets top billing in this year's list, and it really wasn't close after a more-than 10-fold gain for the stock. The "buy now pay later" firm competes with ( ), which is less than 10% off its 52-week high after a huge run in the second half of 2024 but did not make the top 100. Not surprisingly, Sezzle's run started just before revenue growth started to accelerate in the first quarter, from 36% to 60% to 71%. Over the same time frame, fund ownership also increased materially, from only 11 funds at the end of 2023 to more than 100 by the end of Q3 this year, according to . Sezzle climbed more than 1,000% percent, even after a December slump. The stock broke below its 50-day moving average Dec. 18, when a short seller accused the company of risky lending practices. Sezzle denied the allegations. Best Companies Of 2024 In Software Best Companies In Data Centers ( ) ( ) Best Companies Of 2024 In Retail Bitcoin traded basically sideways from March through October. But Donald Trump's presidential victory in November sparked a rally in bitcoin. ( ), which made it a strategy to grow its bitcoin holdings, was among the five best performing stocks of 2024. .CLINTON, S.C. (AP) — Will Sydnor, Devin Dinkins and Jaden Winston scored 18 points apiece to help Manhattan defeat Presbyterian 86-81 in overtime on Saturday. Sydnor added eight rebounds and three blocks for the Jaspers (6-5). Winston added six rebounds. Dinkins shot 4 of 8 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 8 for 8 from the line for his 18 points. Carl Parrish finished with 23 points and nine rebounds for the Blue Hose (7-7). Kory Mincy added 18 points, seven assists and two steals for Presbyterian. Jamahri Harvey also put up 13 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
More than 50 sex offenders found to be in breach of court orders have been tracked down by Metropolitan Police using facial recognition technology. The new technology has been used to arrest people wanted for criminal offences ranging from theft to rape across London. Additionally, 50 people wanted for allegedly serious offences against women including stalking, domestic abuse, rape and strangulation have also been tracked down and arrested, the force said. In one case, a convicted child sex offender with a new partner was stopped by police. The partner, who lived with a younger sibling, was at the time unaware of the offender’s criminal history. Officers were able to let the partner know under relevant legislation. More than 500 people have been arrested using the technology this year, according to official figures. Of the 540 people arrested, 406 have been charged or cautioned and 95 of those arrested have been released on bail pending further enquiries. Police are deployed to different locations around London in a special van equipped with cameras. Faces of passers-by are then captured and run against a pre-approved watchlist. If a match is detected, the system alerts officers who can act quickly. Lindsey Chiswick, the Met’s Director of Performance, said: “This technology is helping us protect our communities from harm. “It is a powerful tool that supports officers to identify and focus on people who present the highest risk that may otherwise have gone undetected. “From targeting sex offenders to apprehending those responsible for violent crimes, Live Facial Recognition is helping us deliver justice more effectively while making our streets safer.” Police also confirmed “robust safeguards” were in place to ensure privacy. If someone walks past a camera and is not on a police watchlist, data is permanently deleted. If a match is identified, officers may take steps to verify a person’s identity and investigate their involvement in any alleged offences. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
( MENAFN - IANS) Etawah (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 16 (IANS) Lauding the contribution of the Hindi language in the development of Indian society and nation-building, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has highlighted how the language "binds our cultural diversity in the thread of unity and gives it strength". Birla also called the Hindi language as "soul and identity of India". Addressing an annual convention of 'Etawah Hindi Seva Nidhi' on Sunday in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, the Lok Sabha Speaker highlighted his address in a post on X. He also mentioned the efforts being made to translate Lok Sabha debates into Hindu using AI models too. "A humble effort is being made to translate Lok Sabha debates into Hindi using Neural Language Model of AI," read the post by the Speaker's office. "Hindi is such a flexible and versatile language that it has adapted so well to changing technologies that with the use of AI, the richness of Hindi literature and poetry is being made available across the world in new and more efficient ways," the post added. The Lok Sabha Speaker highlighted that AI is being used to make Hindi literature and poetry accessible to everyone across the globe. "Today, with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the rich legacy of Hindi literature and poetry is available across the globe, he said, adding that Hindi has also been increasingly used in the fields of justice, administration, and internet technology," said an official statement by the Speaker's office. "When we look at governance systems and democratic institutions around the world, the importance of Hindi in uniting India's diversity and enforcing its unity becomes evident," the Speaker said according to the statement. Birla also mentioned that during the preparation of India's Constitution, visionary leaders from various states, speaking different languages and dialects, recognised the importance of languages as symbols of unity. They acknowledged Hindi's inherent potential to unite the entire nation. While mentioning how various Supreme Court judgments are also getting translated, he added, "Times have changed now. In the past, Supreme Court judgments were written in only one language. Now, the Supreme Court has also started translating judgments into multiple languages. In Parliament, we are using 22 Indian languages, which are the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. We are also extending translation facilities for members who want to speak in their own languages." MENAFN15122024000231011071ID1108995538 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Hull rioter jailed after handing himself in to police
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is about to head into season 4, and the players who remain are relieved to see that the newest character joining the multiverse fray is Deathstroke, and that he actually looks cool. Whether he’ll arrive solo or alongside the live-service game’s promised offline mode remains to be seen. The news arrived on Friday by way of a short social media post teasing the December 10 date for season 4 to go live along with art for Deathstroke, who will be the fourth post-launch character added to Suicide Squad ’s roster since it came out back in January. Unlike some of those earlier additions, however, fans are actually excited about the sword-wielding assassin’s reveal, at least for now. “Now that is an awesome Deathstroke design!” wrote one player on the game’s subreddit. “The heavy battle-damage across the suit and armor plates adds so much depth to the lethal super-soldier visage.” Another joked , “Of all the characters they could have added, Condiment King, Slipknot who can climb anything, Kite Woman, Harley Quinn’s former roommate from college, Dr. Penelope Young’s rotted corpse, why did they choose a popular character like Deathstroke?” Suicide Squad ’s end-game has been evolving ever since the conclusion of its main campaign left players frustrated and disappointed. A seasonal storytelling structure setting up events that would seemingly see the Justice League eventually brought back into the picture has brought us the Joker, Mrs. Freeze (a gender-swap of the icy villain), and Deadshot’s daughter Lawless. Despite some big updates, new loot, and the expanding roster’s unique traversal and combat abilities, the lack of great missions or interesting boss fights has made the post-launch roadmap a bumpy one. Suicide Squad was recently available for just $5 on Steam , but the always-online third-person shooter still seems destined for the eventual live-service graveyard. Rocksteady Studios has committed to the game’s first year of promised content, but it’s unclear if it has a future beyond that as the development team faces cuts and work prototyping new single-player projects . One thing that would keep Suicide Squad secure for its existing fanbase is an offline mode. Rocksteady previously said it was aiming to add this in an update sometime in 2024, but that was prior to the rocky release. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. didn’t respond to a request for comment when Kotaku recently inquired if an offline mode was still on track for this year. Players are hopeful that, despite radio silence on the feature for months, the fact that it’s still promised on Suicide Squad ’s website means it’s still coming, eventually. .How to watch Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders: TV channel, streaming info
Kansas Hit on Shedeur Sanders Leads to CFB Fans Questioning Lack of Roughing PenaltyCraft scores 34, Miami (OH) takes down Bethany (WV) 112-70
In April, just 12 weeks into her pregnancy, Kathleen Clark was standing at the receptionist window of her OB-GYN’s office when she was asked to pay $960, the total the office estimated she would owe after she delivered. Clark, 39, was shocked that she was asked to pay that amount during this second prenatal visit. Normally, patients receive the bill after insurance has paid its part, and for pregnant women that’s usually only when the pregnancy ends. It would be months before the office filed the claim with her health insurer. Clark said she felt stuck. The Cleveland, Tennessee, obstetrics practice was affiliated with a birthing center where she wanted to deliver. Plus, she and her husband had been wanting to have a baby for a long time. And Clark was emotional, because just weeks earlier her mother had died. “You’re standing there at the window, and there’s people all around, and you’re trying to be really nice,” recalled Clark, through tears. “So, I paid it.” On online and other , pregnant women say they are being asked by their providers to pay out-of-pocket fees earlier than expected. The practice is legal, but patient advocacy groups call it unethical. Medical providers argue that asking for payment up front ensures they get compensated for their services. How frequently this happens is hard to track because it is considered a private transaction between the provider and the patient. Therefore, the payments are not recorded in insurance claims data and are not studied by researchers. Patients, medical billing experts, and patient advocates say the billing practice causes unexpected anxiety at a time of already heightened stress and financial pressure. Estimates can sometimes be higher than what a patient might ultimately owe and force people to fight for refunds if they miscarry or the amount paid was higher than the final bill. Up-front payments also create hurdles for women who may want to switch providers if they are unhappy with their care. In some cases, they may cause women to forgo prenatal care altogether, especially in places where few other maternity care options exist. It’s “holding their treatment hostage,” said Caitlin Donovan, a senior director at the . Medical billing and women’s health experts believe OB-GYN offices adopted the practice to manage the high cost of maternity care and the way it is billed for in the U.S. When a pregnancy ends, OB-GYNs typically file a single insurance claim for routine prenatal care, labor, delivery, and, often, postpartum care. That practice of bundling all maternity care into one billing code began three decades ago, said Lisa Satterfield, senior director of health and payment policy at the . But such bundled billing has become outdated, she said. Previously, pregnant patients had been subject to copayments for each prenatal visit, which might lead them to skip crucial appointments to save money. But the Affordable Care Act now requires all commercial insurers to fully cover certain prenatal services. Plus, it’s become more common for pregnant women to switch providers, or have different providers handle prenatal care, labor, and delivery — especially in rural areas where patient transfers are common. Some providers say prepayments allow them to over the course of the pregnancy to ensure that they are compensated for the care they do provide, even if they don’t ultimately deliver the baby. “You have people who, unfortunately, are not getting paid for the work that they do,” said Pamela Boatner, who works as a midwife in a Georgia hospital. While she believes women should receive pregnancy care regardless of their ability to pay, she also understands that some providers want to make sure their bill isn’t ignored after the baby is delivered. New parents might be overloaded with hospital bills and the costs of caring for a new child, and they may lack income if a parent isn’t working, Boatner said. In the U.S., having a baby can be expensive. People who obtain health insurance through large employers pay an average of nearly $3,000 out-of-pocket for pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, according to the . In addition, many people are opting for high-deductible health insurance plans, leaving them to shoulder a larger share of the costs. Of the with health care debt, 12% attribute at least some of it to maternity care, according to . Families need time to save money for the high costs of pregnancy, childbirth, and child care, especially if they lack paid maternity leave, said , CEO of the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, a Los Angeles-based policy think tank. Asking them to prepay “is another gut punch,” she said. “What if you don’t have the money? Do you put it on credit cards and hope your credit card goes through?” Calculating the final costs of childbirth depends on multiple factors, such as the , plan benefits, and health complications, said , a health policy researcher at the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. The final bill for the patient is unclear until a health plan decides how much of the claim it will cover, she said. But sometimes the option to wait for the insurer is taken away. During Jamie Daw’s first pregnancy in 2020, her OB-GYN accepted her refusal to pay in advance because Daw wanted to see the final bill. But in 2023, during her second pregnancy, a private midwifery practice in New York told her that since she had a high-deductible plan, it was mandatory to pay $2,000 spread out with monthly payments. Daw, a health policy researcher at Columbia University, delivered in September 2023 and got a refund check that November for $640 to cover the difference between the estimate and the final bill. “I study health insurance,” she said. “But, as most of us know, it’s so complicated when you’re really living it.” While the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover some prenatal services, it doesn’t prohibit providers from sending their final bill to patients early. It would be a challenge politically and practically for state and federal governments to attempt to regulate the timing of the payment request, said , a co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. Medical lobbying groups are powerful and contracts between insurers and medical providers are proprietary. Because of the legal gray area, , an insurance broker at Rapha Health and Life in Texas, advises clients to ask their insurer if they can refuse to prepay their deductible. Some insurance plans prohibit providers in their network from requiring payment up front. If the insurer says they can refuse to pay up front, Marshall said, she tells clients to get established with a practice before declining to pay, so that the provider can’t refuse treatment. Related Articles Clark said she met her insurance deductible after paying for genetic testing, extra ultrasounds, and other services out of her health care flexible spending account. Then she called her OB-GYN’s office and asked for a refund. “I got my spine back,” said Clark, who had previously worked at a health insurer and a medical office. She got an initial check for about half the $960 she originally paid. In August, Clark was sent to the hospital after her blood pressure spiked. A high-risk pregnancy specialist — not her original OB-GYN practice — delivered her son, Peter, prematurely via emergency cesarean section at 30 weeks. It was only after she resolved most of the bills from the delivery that she received the rest of her refund from the other OB-GYN practice. This final check came in October, just days after Clark brought Peter home from the hospital, and after multiple calls to the office. She said it all added stress to an already stressful period. “Why am I having to pay the price as a patient?” she said. “I’m just trying to have a baby.” ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
December has historically been one of the wettest months of the year in Singapore. The heavy downpours in recent days have resulted in flash floods in the northern part of the island. Flash flood in Woodlands A flash flood was observed along Woodlands Avenue 10 on Nov. 22, where a 100m or so section of the road was affected, Shin Min Daily News reported. At one point, the water level reportedly reached 30cm high. Two cars trapped due to flood But that was apparently not the worst case of flooding that day. Two cars, a BMW and a Honda, were reportedly trapped as the water level reached the door handle level. via The BMW owner, a 74-year-old motorist, surnamed Lin (transliteration), said the rain affected visibility, causing her to misjudge the water level. "I saw that the outside of the car was full of water. I didn't dare to open the door. I waited for the water to recede before I got out of the car," she said. According to Shin Min , the water level receded at about 4pm, and many broken branches and leaves were seen left on the road. Traffic police and PUB personnel were at the scene. The road to Admiralty Road West was also reportedly completely blocked. PUB told Mothership it immediately deployed its quick response team to provide assistance to motorists and investigate the flooding incident near the junction of Woodlands Avenue 10 and Admiralty Road West. Flood caused Sembawang canal to overflow A video showing the severity of the flood situation in the northern part of Singapore also made the rounds on social media. One video showed floodwaters overflowing a river canal in front of the Sembawang God of Wealth Temple. The Sembawang God of Wealth Temple is located near Woodlands Avenue 10. Image via Google Maps. What video showed The video also showed the waters reaching the height of the seats at a bus stop. It also almost submerged the green railings around the river canal. Gif via Raven Qiu, Complaint Singapore/Facebook The water also completely covered the streets, making it impossible to distinguish the sidewalk and the road. Image via Google Maps and Raven Qiu, Complaint Singapore/Facebook. PUB told Mothership that the intense rainfall had temporarily overwhelmed the roadside drains along Woodlands Avenue 10 and the adjacent canal, Sungei Sembawang, which leads to the sea and is subject to tidal influence. The overflowing of drains and Sungei Sembawang coincided with the high tide of 2.7m, which prolonged the flooding. Flash flood warnings PUB issued numerous flash flood risk warnings across the island amid the heavy Friday afternoon rain. Flood risk warnings were issued for 19 locations across Singapore. It was noted that northern Singapore recorded the heaviest rainfall of 127.7mm from 2:15pm to 4:50pm, which is equivalent to 51 per cent of the country's average monthly rainfall in November. PUB said the onset of the northeast monsoon may cause moderate to heavy showers in the afternoons on most days. Such intense rainfall may briefly "overwhelm" canals and drains, leading to localised flash floods. However, these flash floods usually last an hour. Members of the public may use the MyENV application and subscribe to PUB's Flood Alerts Telegram Channel to receive heavy rain alerts and flood risk warnings. Top image via Lianhe Zaobao and Raven Qiu, Complaint Singapore/Facebook