phlove jili

phlove jili

Montreal’s police chief said he expects more arrests stemming from a Friday anti-NATO protest that turned violent, while one of the protest organizers on Sunday denounced political reaction as hijacking the underlying message of the demonstration. Uniformed police officers could be seen Sunday both inside and outside Montreal’s Palais des congres convention centre as the annual meeting continued with no signs of demonstrations, although some protesters had planned a “counter-summit” at a community centre just north of downtown. Chief Fady Dagher told reporters on Saturday that more arrests would be coming thanks to additional evidence gathered during the protests, adding that police were aware of who was behind the vandalism including smashed windows and burned cars as well as alleged assaults on police officers. Police said that during the march, smoke bombs were deployed, metal barriers were thrown into the street and windows smashed of nearby businesses and the convention centre where delegates from NATO parliamentary assembly, including members and partner states, gathered for a session set to wrap Monday. Among the issues being broached were support for Ukraine, climate change and the future of the alliance. Dagher estimated that about 800 people took part in protests from several groups, but about 20 to 40 people were allegedly responsible for the trouble. “I do not want to advertise these groups and glorify these groups, it is a big trap to do so,” Dagher said. “But I can assure to you ... it is a few groups.” Montreal police arrested three people following Friday’s demonstration — a 22-year-old woman who was arrested for allegedly obstructing police work and assaulting a police officer and two men, 22 and 28, also each facing a charge for allegedly obstructing police work. All are scheduled to appear in court at a later date. “Despite what you saw in the images, last-minute impromptu events are extremely difficult to anticipate,” Dagher added. “We have other pieces of evidence. So probably we will have other arrests.” Friday night’s protest was condemned by politicians of all stripes Saturday as acts of antisemitism, which one organizer rejected, saying the protests were against the actions of the state of Israel and not Jewish people. On Sunday, the Divest for Palestine Collective denounced what it called “dishonest attempts” of politicians to hijack the “anti-militarist, anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist messages” delivered by protesters. In an emailed statement, it refuted allegations of antisemitism. “These are false accusations aimed at delegitimizing the solidarity movement for the liberation of Palestine and undermining the fight against antisemitism,” the group wrote. The group defended setting ablaze a doll representing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the protest. Earlier this week, the International Court of Justice issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu as well as his former defence minister and Hamas members. “It is a legitimate expression of collective anger against the political indifference at the heart of an ongoing colonial genocide,” the collective said. The collective also denounced what it called police violence against demonstrators, saying at least four protesters had to be taken to hospital with various injuries. Dagher said he could not make a firm link between Friday’s acts and antisemitism, but added that since the Oct. 7 attacks more than one year ago, incidents and acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia have both increased enormously in the city. The police chief however, defended his officers handling of Friday’s event, which he felt could have been much worse. He added he would spend the rest of the weekend with his officers on the ground to lend support.

NFL ends investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns QB Deshaun WatsonCruise into this holiday season with a non-traditional vacation

(Decorated) Home(s) For The Holidays: Contest shows Porterville's holiday spiritThe digital divide refers to the gap between those with access to technology and those without access. This divide worsens inequality between those who have access to the internet versus those who don’t in a wide variety of ways. This can manifest in terms of a lack of job opportunities or being unable to access essential government services such as benefits. Mobile technology can help to bridge the gap. Smartphones are more accessible and less expensive to obtain and connect to the internet than traditional desktop computers and laptops. This article focuses on the idea that the increased use of mobile technology is helping to bridge the digital divide. Several factors combine to create the “digital divide.” The variance in the availability of high-quality internet access in some more rural areas indicates an inherent urban/rural divide. There is also a generational divide, with many older people who didn’t grow up with the internet missing out on being connected. Many more elderly people don’t see the point of the internet and actively choose to exclude themselves from its use. Socio-economic factors can also come into play, with some people simply unable to afford a desktop or laptop computer. This keeps people stuck in poverty, as they are unable to access the opportunities offered by technology. They can’t apply for jobs as easily, and because they lack technological skills, they are already behind in the modern job market. When people are excluded digitally, all of the advances made in recent years don’t reach them. Banking and paying bills are more difficult and time-consuming, educational resources are more difficult to access, and job opportunities are harder to come by. Digital inclusion touches on many facets of modern life, and this is why advancements in mobile technology are so important. Smartphone usage is growing at an incredible rate, and between 2024 and 2029, it is forecast to rise by 1.7 billion users, according to . The increased proliferation of smartphones globally can be shown to be of true significance when looked at alongside the growth in mobile internet usage worldwide. Mobile internet data usage is rising at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.28%, with the value of mobile data set to be US$758.2bn by 2028 . The uptake of new mobile technologies will be the key factor in helping to close the digital divide, and MTN, which is the largest mobile network in Africa has been transforming communications infrastructure. A partnership with BOSS Revolution allows users to accounts with credit directly from a smartphone app or through their mobile-optimized website. BOSS Revolution is one of the companies that also offers easy international money transfers. From 20th to 25th December, they will waive their fee for those sending money internationally. Users can enter the code JOY when they check out to activate this deal, covering two transactions. Mobile networks like MTN have made connecting to internet services easier for remote areas. Their fast connectivity has allowed areas traditionally ignored by telecom companies to achieve stable internet connections. Smartphones are much less expensive to produce than traditional computers. Even some of the more basic smartphone models can have functionality that allows for successful internet browsing, communication apps, mobile top-ups, and money transfers. Modern money transfer technologies have made it much easier for people who have moved to other countries to send money home quickly and reliably, with fees that are lower than they have ever been. More innovation is expected to decrease fees further in the future, and this can only help close the digital divide. When there is a genuine use case for new technology, more people of all ages will be willing to learn. International financial technology companies are proving that their services can make a real economic difference and allow the diaspora to send remittances home. Many countries around the world are doing what they can to tackle the digital divide. South Korea has increased investment in science and technology studies to equip more of its population with the digital skills they need. The United Kingdom has a similar program which aims to help its citizens acquire the digital skills they need to thrive. There is also significant infrastructure investment in fiber broadband, which is helping to tackle the urban/rural aspect of the divide. Many of the larger technology companies have also embraced the challenges. Microsoft and Google both have their own programs and collaborations with governments in the works to further this aimrt. One of the most exciting developments in the battle to close the digital divide has been SpaceX’s Starlink technology, which is helping to provide internet in more remote areas at a reasonable cost. Innovations like this and continued progress with money transfer and mobile top-up apps will also help to close the digital divide. The “Internet of Things” innovation brings technology into the home in less obvious and obtrusive ways than with a computer. We are reaching a stage where apps can control homes, and this can be a way to show a use case to people who are skeptical about using a smartphone. The digital divide is real and has a tangible impact on the life chances of many worldwide. Tackling some of the root causes of the divide will help to further drive uptake for mobile smartphones. The advent of faster and more reliable internet solutions has made it possible for people to connect to smartphones and the internet, no matter where they are. Accessing all that the internet offers, including educational courses, job vacancies, and knowledge on a wide range of subjects, can help brighten people’s outlook on life and increase their prospects dramatically. New technologies such as Starlink will prove to be instrumental as we map out the digital future.

Colorado adds record insurance coverage for Sanders and Hunter before Alamo BowlDow ends at fresh record as oil prices pull back on ceasefire hopes

One Day You're Young And Carefree...And The Next You're Ordering The 34 Products From This ListTop Russian security official Sergei Shoigu visited Afghan government officials on Monday, assuring them Moscow will soon remove the Taliban from its list of banned organizations, Kabul said. Since the Taliban surged back to power in 2021 visits by foreign officials have been infrequent because no nation has yet formally recognized the government of the former insurgent group. Taliban government curbs on women have made them pariahs in many Western nations but Kabul is making increasing diplomatic overtures to its regional neighbors, emphasizing economic and security cooperation. Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, met an Afghan cohort in Kabul headed by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar. He "expressed Russia's interest in increasing the level of bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan," Baradar's office said in a statement released on social media site X. "He also announced that, to expand political and economic relations between the two countries, the Islamic Emirate's name would soon be removed from Russia's blacklist." The Islamic Emirate is the name the Taliban government uses to refer to itself. Russian news agencies quoted Shoigu as saying he wanted "constructive" ties with Kabul, without saying if he had floated Moscow removing the Taliban from its list of banned groups. "I confirm the readiness to build a constructive political dialogue between our countries, including in order to give momentum to the process of the internal Afghan settlement," Shoigu said, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. He also said Russian companies plan to take part in projects in Afghanistan on extracting natural resources. Analysts say Moscow may be eying cooperation with Kabul to counter the threat from Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) -- the Afghan-based branch of the Sunni militant group. In March, more than 140 people were killed when IS-K gunmen attacked a Moscow concert hall. Taliban authorities have repeatedly said security is their top domestic priority and have pledged militants staging foreign attacks will be ousted from Afghanistan. "The Taliban certainly are our allies in the fight against terrorism," Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, said in July. "They are working to eradicate terrorist cells."He is not yet in power but President-elect Donald Trump rattled much of the world with an off-hours warning of stiff tariffs on close allies and China -- a loud hint that Trump-style government by social media post is coming back. With word of these levies against goods imported from Mexico, Canada and China, Trump sent auto industry stocks plummeting, raised fears for global supply chains and unnerved the world's major economies. For Washington-watchers with memories of the Republican's first term, the impromptu policy volley on Monday evening foreshadowed a second term of startling announcements of all manner, fired off at all hours of the day from his smartphone. "Donald Trump is never going to change much of anything," said Larry Sabato, a leading US political scientist and director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "You can expect in the second term pretty much what he showed us about himself and his methods in the first term. Social media announcements of policy, hirings and firings will continue." The first of Trump's tariff announcements -- a 25 percent levy on everything coming in from Mexico and Canada -- came amid an angry rebuke of lax border security at 6:45 pm on Truth Social, Trump's own platform. The United States is bound by agreements on the movement of goods and services brokered by Trump in a free trade treaty with both nations during his first term. But Trump warned that the new levy would "remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country" -- sowing panic from Ottawa to Mexico City. Seconds later, another message from the incoming commander-in-chief turned the focus on Chinese imports, which he said would be hit with "an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs." The consequences were immediate. Almost every major US automaker operates plants in Mexico, and shares in General Motors and Stellantis -- which produce pickup trucks in America's southern neighbor -- plummeted. More from this section Canada, China and Mexico protested, while Germany called on its European partners to prepare for Trump to impose hefty tariffs on their exports and stick together to combat such measures. The tumult recalls Trump's first term, when journalists, business leaders and politicians at home and abroad would scan their phones for the latest pronouncements, often long after they had left the office or over breakfast. During his first four years in the Oval Office, the tweet -- in those days his newsy posts were almost exclusively limited to Twitter, now known as X -- became the quasi-official gazette for administration policy. The public learned of the president-elect's 2020 Covid-19 diagnosis via an early-hours post, and when Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on Trump's order, the Republican confirmed the kill by tweeting a US flag. The public and media learned of numerous other decisions big and small by the same source, from the introduction of customs duties to the dismissal of cabinet secretaries. It is not a communication method that has been favored by any previous US administration and runs counter to the policies and practices of most governments around the world. Throughout his third White House campaign, and with every twist and turn in his various entanglements with the justice system, Trump has poured his heart out on Truth Social, an app he turned to during his 20-month ban from Twitter. In recent days, the mercurial Republican has even named his attorney general secretaries of justice and health via announcements on the network. "He sees social media as a tool to shape and direct the national conversation and will do so again," said political scientist Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University professor. cjc/ft/dw/bjt

HONG KONG (AP) – Asian markets were mostly higher yesterday, with Chinese markets logging gains of more than one per cent after the Chinese finance minister promised a more pro-active approach to government spending in the coming year. United States (US) futures were little changed in quiet holiday eve trading and oil prices rose. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.3 per cent to 39,036.85. Honda’s shares surged more than 12.2 per cent as the Japanese automaker announced an up to JPY1.1 trillion (USD7 billion) share buyback after it announced Monday that it was seeking a merger with its larger but troubled rival Nissan. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors Corp also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Nissan’s shares rose six per cent. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 1.1 per cent to 20,098.29 and the Shanghai Composite index was up 1.3 per cent at 3,393.53. Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an told a financial work conference that Beijing will increase the fiscal deficit in 2025 and step up spending, issuing more government bonds and increasing transfers to local governments to help ensure they can deliver guarantees to the public for housing, heating and food, according to the ministry’s website. The comments were the latest by top leaders aimed at assuaging concern over the slowing growth of the world’s second-largest economy. South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.1 per cent to 2,440.52 as a report said consumer sentiment dropped sharply in December. Elsewhere in Asia, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.2 per cent to 8,220.90. Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.1 per cent, with shares in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s biggest computer chip maker, hitting a record high. On Monday, the S&P 500 ended 0.7 per cent higher at 5,974.07. The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out a 0.2 per cent gain to 42,906.95. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose one per cent to 19,764.89. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index fell to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Wall Street had been expecting a reading of 113.8. The unexpectedly weak consumer confidence update followed several generally strong economic reports last week. One report showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1 per cent annualised rate during the summer, faster than what was thought earlier. The latest report on unemployment benefit applications showed the job market remains solid. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the jobs market and shifting economic policies under President-elect Donald Trump. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to this week, including a weekly update on unemployment benefits tomorrow. In other dealings early yesterday, US benchmark crude oil picked up 37 cents to USD69.61 per barrel.Dow ends at fresh record as oil prices pull back on ceasefire hopes

AP News Summary at 2:05 p.m. ESTSmooth-talking game shot host Woolery dies