
Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possibleCroatia's President Zoran Milanovic will face conservative rival Dragan Primorac in an election run-off in two weeks' time after the incumbent narrowly missed out an outright victory on Sunday, official results showed. The results came after an exit poll, released immediately after the polling stations closed, showed that Milanovic, backed by the opposition left-wing Social Democrats, had scooped more than 50 percent of the first round vote and would thus avoid the January 12 run-off. Milanovic won 49.11 percent of the first round vote and Primorac, backed by the ruling conservative HDZ party, took 19.37 percent, according to results released by the state electoral commission from nearly all of the polling stations. Such a strong lead for Milanovic, whom surveys labelled a favourite ahead of the vote, raises serious concerns for Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's HDZ. The election comes as the European Union and NATO member country of 3.8 million people struggles with biting inflation, widespread corruption and a labour shortage. Among the eight contenders, centre-right MP Marija Selak Raspudic and green-left MP Ivana Kekin followed the two main rivals, the exit poll showed. They each won around nine percent of the vote. Croatia's president commands the country's armed forces and has a say in foreign policy. But despite limited powers, many believe the office is key for the political balance of power in a country mainly governed by the HDZ since independence in 1991. "All the eggs should not be in one basket," Nenad Horvat, a salesman in his 40s, told AFP. He sees Milanovic, a former leftist prime minister, as the "last barrier to all levers of power falling into the hands of HDZ", echoing the view of many that was reflected in Sunday's vote results. The 58-year-old Milanovic has been one of Croatia's leading and most colourful political figures for nearly two decades. Sharp and eloquent, he won the presidency for the Social Democrats (SDP) in 2020 with pledges to advocate tolerance and liberalism. But he used the office to attack political opponents and EU officials, often with offensive and populist rhetoric. Milanovic, who condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine, has nonetheless criticised the West's military aid to Kyiv. That prompted the prime minister to label him a pro-Russian who is "destroying Croatia's credibility in NATO and the EU". Milanovic countered that he wanted to protect Croatia from being "dragged into war". "As long as I'm president no Croatian soldier will wage somebody else's wars," he said this month. Milanovic regularly pans Plenkovic and his HDZ party over systemic corruption, calling the premier a "serious threat to Croatia's democracy". "I'm a guarantee of the control of the octopus of corruption... headed by Andrej Plenkovic," he said during the campaign. For many, the election is a continuation of the longstanding feud between two powerful politicians. "This is still about the conflict between the prime minister and president," political analyst Zarko Puhovski told AFP. "All the rest are just incidental topics." Primorac, a 59-year-old physician and scientist returning to politics after 15 years, campaigned as a "unifier" promoting family values and patriotism. "Croatia needs unity, global positioning and a peaceful life," he told reporters after casting his ballot in Zagreb, adding that he would later attend a mass. Primorac repeatedly accused Milanovic of "disgracing Croatia", a claim that resonated with his supporters. ljv/bcRaiders will start O'Connell at quarterback when they visit the Chiefs
Meet the 12 CFP Title Contenders: No. 12 ClemsonOlivia Olson scored 18 points, including eight straight to open the fourth quarter, as the No. 23 Michigan Wolverines survived a 60-54 scare from the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten opener for each team in Ann Arbor, Mich. Northwestern (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten) led throughout the third quarter and took a four-point lead into the fourth, but Olson capped her 8-0 burst with a 3-pointer, and Syla Swords also nailed a trey to put the Wolverines (8-1, 1-0) ahead 50-44. Michigan has won eight straight games since opening the season with a six-point loss to then-No. 1 South Carolina. Caileigh Walsh's 3-pointer put the Wildcats back in front 53-52 with 3:36 to go. Michigan responded by scoring eight of the game's last nine points, six by Jordan Hobbs. Hobbs finished with 16 points and teammate Mila Holloway had 10. Kyla Jones led Northwestern with 14 points and Walsh notched 10 before fouling out. No. 4 Texas 93, James Madison 62 Madison Booker, Jordan Lee and Rori Harmon dominated the first half as the Longhorns clobbered the host Dukes in Harrisonburg, Va. Booker scored 21 points, Lee added 20 and Harmon 19 by combining on 25-of-33 shooting. They had 49 of their points in the first half as Texas (7-1) piled up a 58-29 halftime lead. The Longhorns, who entered seventh in the nation in scoring at 90 points per game, shot 54 percent for the game to 40 percent for the Dukes. Roshala Scott led James Madison (7-3) with 22 points and Peyton McDaniel and Ashanti Barnes had 12 apiece. McDaniel added eight rebounds for the Dukes, who had 24 turnovers. No. 10 Notre Dame 93, Syracuse 62 The Fighting Irish pulled away from a seven-point halftime lead to demolish the host Orange in the ACC opener for both schools. The trio of Sonia Citron, Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles led Notre Dame's win with double-doubles. Citron had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Hidalgo racked up 24 and 10, respectively, and Miles shone with 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Hidalgo, third in Division I in scoring (24.6 ppg), netted nine points and Citron had eight in the third quarter, as Notre Dame (7-2, 1-0 ACC) outscored Syracuse (4-6, 0-1) 29-13 to pull away. Keira Scott posted 16 points and Sophie Burrows tacked on 13 for the Orange, who shot only 32.5 percent. The Irish shot 50 percent and thrived despite 20 turnovers. No. 16 North Carolina 72, Coppin State 46 The Tar Heels built a comfortable halftime lead and used its bench players freely in devouring the Eagles in Chapel Hill, N.C. North Carolina (9-1) entered second-best in the nation in scoring defense at 49.1 points per game and excelled again, holding Coppin State to 27.3 percent shooting. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels shot 44.4 percent while having 12 players enter the scoring column, led by Maria Gakdeng's 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Reniya Kelly scored six of her eight points in the first quarter as North Carolina took a 23-13 lead. The Tar Heels grew the lead to 46-27 by intermission. Tiffany Hammond and Angel Jones scored 12 points apiece for Coppin State (6-5), and Laila Lawrence added 10 points with 10 rebounds. No. 18 Ole Miss 85, Tennessee State 38 The Rebels had more points by halftime than the Lady Tigers scored in the game after jumping out to a 14-2 lead in the first quarter and 44-19 by intermission. Kennedy Todd-Williams led Ole Miss (6-3) with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Sira Thienou added 12 and six, respectively. The Rebels shot 46 percent for the game. Ole Miss began the day seventh in the nation in scoring defense at 49.8 points allowed per game, and it punished Tennessee State to the tune of 23.6 percent shooting and 22 forced turnovers. XaiOnna Whitfield led the Lady Tigers (4-6) with 10 points. No. 20 Iowa State 82, Central Michigan 56 Audi Crooks scored 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and added 10 rebounds as the Cyclones slammed the Chippewas in Ames, Iowa. Emily Ryan netted 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter and Crooks scored nine in the period as Iowa State (8-2) jumped out to a 31-13 lead and enjoyed a cushion of at least 18 points the rest of the way. Addy Brown added 18 points for the Cyclones, who shot 52.5 percent and rolled despite having 20 turnovers. Jayda Mosley led Central Michigan (3-6) with 11 points and Madi Morson and Ayanna-Sarai Darrington added 10 apiece. The Chippewas shot only 33.3 percent from the floor and had 26 turnovers. No. 24 Michigan State 89, DePaul 61 The unbeaten Spartans put four scorers in double figures as they systematically disposed of the Blue Demons in East Lansing, Mich. Jaddan Simmons finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Julia Ayrault stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals for Michigan State (9-0). Emma Shumate and Jocelyn Tate had 12 and 10 points, respectively. Jorie Allen put up 15 points, 11 boards, seven assists and three steals and Grace Carstensen also notched 15 points for DePaul (3-7), which shot just 28.8 percent despite hitting 9 of 18 of its 3-point attempts. The Spartans led by seven after one quarter and 17 at halftime before coasting through the second half. No. 25 Nebraska 84, Minnesota 65 Strong first quarters by Callin Hake and Amiah Hargrove sent the Cornhuskers on their way to pinning the first loss on the Golden Gophers in the Big Ten Conference opener for each team. Hake scored eight of her 11 points in the first period and Hargrove eight of her 10 as Nebraska (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) seized a 27-11 lead and never looked back. Hargrove scored eight of the Cornhuskers' 10 straight points to end the quarter. Alberte Rimdal led the winners with 12 points and Alexis Markowski added 11 with nine rebounds. Mallory Heyer collected 12 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (10-1, 0-1). Tori McKinney scored 11 points and Grace Crocholski and Alexsia Rose 10 apiece, but the Golden Gophers hit just 35.2 percent of their shots. --Field Level MediaReal Madrid back to winning ways with 3-2 victory at Atalanta
SUNDAY, Dec. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Shingles can strike anyone who had chickenpox when they were young, and the intense pain that can accompany this body rash has sidelined many a senior. Here, one expert explains how and why shingles can surface, and what you can do to treat it, or better yet, avoid it. Shingles can happen at any age, but it most typically affects people over 50 who have stress and compromised immunity. “Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It’s the same virus that causes chickenpox,” said Dr. Eugene Fellin , a family medicine physician at Penn State Health Medical Group – Fleetwood. “For most of us who grew up before the 1990s, when children began being immunized against chickenpox, we’ve been exposed to the virus and are at risk for shingles.” How can shingles surface? After lying dormant in the nervous system for years, the virus can reemerge as shingles, which causes painful rashes that typically surface on the face or around the side of the torso, Fellin explained. “It’s like a poison ivy rash that won’t go away,” he added in a Penn State news release. “It can occur in patches, but along that same nerve root. A lot of times, people feel some tingling or a burning sensation prior to the rash actually breaking out,” Fellin noted. “When we’re looking for the rash, it will be in a string on the torso because the nerves wrap around the torso. You get a line around you, from the back to the front.” “The other issue we worry about is if it breaks out on the face and involves the eye because this can lead to blindness,” Fellin said. “Shingles around the eye is considered dangerous, and an instant referral to an ophthalmologist is always recommended.” What can you take to treat shingles? Antivirals such as Valacyclovir can be prescribed, but they’re time-sensitive and need to be taken within 36 hours of the start of the rash because they work by slowing the spread of the virus, Fellin said. While symptoms subside after three to five weeks, pain can sometimes return in the form of postherpetic neuralgia , he said. This long-term nerve pain occurs where the shingles rash appeared and can last for months or even years. Older adults are more likely to develop postherpetic neuralgia and have longer lasting and more severe pain, Fellin said. Luckily, there is something you can do to avoid shingles altogether: get vaccinated. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the Shingrix vaccine, given in two doses, with the second dose given two to six months after the first. People who get shingles can still receive the vaccine, which can lower the chances of another outbreak, Fellin noted. Most family doctors and pharmacies stock the vaccine, which is covered by Medicare, he added. “Most insurance programs are covering it because it has been out long enough and shows a real benefit,” Fellin said in a Penn State news release. “There’s a lot of misinformation about vaccines circulating out there. My message is this: Don’t be afraid of this or any vaccine.” SOURCE: Penn State Health, news release, Dec. 5, 2024
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter dies at 100Israel intensifies Gaza bombing as Hamas delegation pursues ceasefire talks in Cairo
The number of Australian homes bought by foreigners fell last year, as high stamp duty costs deter potential buyers. The downturn reflects the government’s efforts to reduce foreign investment and cut migration, experts say. The number of foreigners purchasing property in Australia dropped last financial year. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos The number of approved residential real estate investments by overseas buyers fell to 5581 in financial year 2024, down from 6576 in 2023 (15 per cent), figures from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) show. The combined value of approved residential real estate proposals from Chinese and Hong Kong buyers (with China the largest foreign-buyer pool in Australia), dropped last financial year from $4 billion to $3 billion. Property portal Juwai IQI co-founder and group managing director Daniel Ho said affordability has unexpectedly become an issue for foreign buyers here. “Foreign buyers pay much more to purchase and to hold property in Australia than local residents and citizens,” Ho said. “They have extra taxes, fees, and duties that local buyers don’t have to worry about.” In Sydney, foreign buyers pay a one-off application fee, a stamp duty surcharge of 8 per cent and an annual land tax surcharge of 4 per cent. Both components will increase to 9 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively, from next year. Buyers who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents are restricted in the types of dwelling they can purchase. Foreign investors are limited to new dwellings or off-the-plan sales, to help boost Australia’s housing stock. The combined value of approved residential real estate proposals from Chinese and Hong Kong buyers dropped from $4 billion to $3 billion last financial year. Credit: Steven Siewert Temporary residents can apply for approval to buy an established home to live in for the duration of their stay, or can also buy an established home for redevelopment if it increases the housing stock. Plus Agency managing director Peter Li said the higher fees and taxes compounded the cost of holding property in Australia as a foreigner. “That’s pushing foreign buyers out of the market. Even if you could afford to buy it, you have to be able to afford to keep it, and that’s why people are selling,” Li said. “Overseas purchasers are cash rich, so they have assets overseas – not just Chinese, I’m talking about Persian, Lebanese, Americans, British. Normally, they sell their assets [to buy in Australia]. So the mortgage is not a big concern ... it’s the surcharges.” He said foreign buyers have been declining since the introduction of fees and surcharges in 2017, especially in unit-heavy markets such as Sydney’s Chatswood and Burwood. Li said they could once sell an entire development to foreign buyers before the introduction of the FIRB application fees and surcharges, but would now struggle to sell one in 10 to them. Cuts to migration levels and increasing difficulties in qualifying for permanent residency were driving foreign buyers from Australian real estate, Li said, which he did not think would improve. OH Property Group’s Henny Stier noted fewer foreign buyers in Sydney’s north and north shore. “A lot of new builds and apartments in places like Epping have dropped ... if they’re not buying, then local buyers are not buying them, so they’re sitting around on the market and prices are dropping,” Stier said. It was more difficult to move cash from countries like China and Indonesia where there were strict limits on withdrawals, Stier said. Stier added the Australian government’s attempts to disincentivise foreign investment were working. In Melbourne, the top destination for Chinese buyer interest in Australia, foreign buyers face an 8 per cent stamp duty fee. Foreign buyers are subject to extra stamp duty costs. Credit: Paul Rovere Director at Belle Property Balwyn Robert Ding said overseas buyers were delaying property purchases until they obtain permanent residency, when the increased stamp duty no longer applies. “When someone’s paying $4 million to $5 million [for a property], it’s quite a hefty fee,” Ding said. “What a lot of these foreign buyers do ... is rent or even buy something of a less substantial value. Once they get permanent residency, which usually takes about four or five years, that’s when they start to buy properties.” Ray White Balwyn director Helen Yan has noticed a downturn in Chinese buyers since the start of this year, when the federal government paused applications for the significant-investor visa which requires recipients to invest $5 million in Australia. “That’s why the high-end property [market] has slowed down a lot,” Yan said. AMP chief economist Shane Oliver said the number of foreigners buying in Australia has probably returned to pre-COVID levels following the post-pandemic housing boom. “Foreign buying was quite weak through the pandemic years because of travel restrictions,” Oliver said. “That sort of slowed down through the pandemic, then there was a bounce back, and I suspect it’s now just settling down after that initial bounce back. “There could also be some cooling associated with the backlash we’re seeing against foreign students, with student visa numbers down, which may have, to some degree, weighed on foreign purchases as well.”JHVEPhoto Adobe ( NASDAQ: ADBE ) is set to report its fourth-quarter results this upcoming Wednesday, December 11th, after market close. Although shares have recovered from their May bottom, Adobe is closing in on a disappointing 2024. Introduction To Adobe Adobe is one of Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Shares of Google parent Alphabet rose about 5% on Tuesday after it unveiled a new generation chip that the company said helped overcome a key challenge in quantum computing. Google on Monday introduced a new chip called Willow, which solved in five minutes a computing problem that would take a classical computer more time than the history of the universe. Tech companies are chasing quantum computing in hopes of developing systems that perform at speeds far faster than traditional silicon-based computers. The building blocks of quantum computers, called "qubits", while being fast, are error-prone, making it hard to ensure quantum computers are reliable and commercially viable. The more qubits used in quantum computing, the more errors typically occur. But Google said on Monday it found a way to string together qubits in the Willow chip so that error rates decline as the number of qubits rise, adding that it can also correct errors in real time. Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI for Everyone: Understanding and Applying the Basics on Artificial Intelligence By - Ritesh Vajariya, Generative AI Expert View Program Web Development Java 21 Essentials for Beginners: Build Strong Programming Foundations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development JavaScript Essentials: Unlock AI-Driven Insights with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer 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 Artificial Intelligence(AI) Collaborative AI Foundations: Working Smarter with Machines By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Web Development Master RESTful APIs with Python and Django REST Framework: Web API Development By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By - Neil Patel, Co-Founder and Author at Neil Patel Digital Digital Marketing Guru View Program Web Development Intermediate C++ Skills: Master Pointers, Structures and File Stream By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Entrepreneurship Building Your Winning Startup Team: Key Strategies for Success By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience 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 Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) ChatGPT Mastery from Zero to Hero: The Complete AI Course By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Web Development 12-Factor App Methodology: Principles and Guidelines By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Web Development Maximizing Developer Productivity: The Pomodoro Technique in Practice By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 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 Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program "While (there are) no current uses, (Willow) will have major implications in science, medicine and finance. Willow reduces errors exponentially and could lead to major breakthroughs and discoveries across industries," said Thomas Hayes, chairman and managing member at Great Hill Capital. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories Alphabet's shares were on track for their best day since late April. The stock has risen 25% so far this year, as of Monday's close. The company's shares trade at a 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio of 19.58, compared with Microsoft's 32.03 and Amazon's 36.79, according to data compiled by LSEG. Earlier this year, Microsoft and quantum computing firm Quantinuum said they achieved a key step in making quantum computers a commercial reality by making them more reliable.
Guardians trade Gold Glove 2B Andrés Giménez to Blue Jays, get RHP Luis Ortiz in deal with Pirates
Game-changing holiday gifts for building fires, printing photos, watching birds and more
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Landstar System, Inc. (NASDAQ-LSTR), a technology-enabled, asset-light provider of integrated transportation management solutions delivering safe, specialized transportation logistics services, announced that on December 9, 2024, its Board of Directors has declared a special one-time cash dividend in the amount of $2.00 per share, payable on January 21, 2025, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on January 7, 2025. "Landstar's strong balance sheet and free cash flow generation enable us to continue to return value to our stockholders," said Landstar President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Lonegro. The Company purchased a total of 452,019 shares of its common stock at an aggregate cost of approximately $82.1 million during the first 11 months of its 2024 fiscal year. The Company also returned $120.5 million to stockholders in the form of cash dividends paid on shares of its common stock during the 2024 fiscal year. As previously reported, as of September 28, 2024, the Company had $531 million in cash and short-term investments. The Company intends to continue to use its available free cash flow to opportunistically purchase its stock under its stock purchase program. About Landstar: Landstar System, Inc., is a technology-enabled, asset-light provider of integrated transportation management solutions delivering safe, specialized transportation services to a broad range of customers utilizing a network of agents, third-party capacity providers and employees. Landstar transportation services companies are certified to ISO 9001:2015 quality management system standards and RC14001:2015 environmental, health, safety and security management system standards. Landstar System, Inc. is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Its common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market® under the symbol LSTR. Forward Looking Statements Disclaimer: The following is a "safe harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained in this press release that are not based on historical facts are "forward-looking statements." This press release contains forward-looking statements, such as statements which relate to Landstar's business objectives, plans, strategies and expectations. Terms such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "intention," "expects," "plans," "predicts," "may," "should," "could," "will," the negative thereof and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are by nature subject to uncertainties and risks, including but not limited to: an increase in the frequency or severity of accidents or other claims; unfavorable development of existing accident claims; dependence on third party insurance companies; dependence on independent commission sales agents; dependence on third party capacity providers; the impact of the Russian conflict with Ukraine on the operations of certain independent commission sales agents, including the Company's largest such agent by revenue in the 2023 fiscal year; decreased demand for transportation services; U.S. trade relationships; substantial industry competition; disruptions or failures in the Company's computer systems; cyber and other information security incidents; dependence on key vendors; potential changes in taxes; status of independent contractors; regulatory and legislative changes; regulations focused on diesel emissions and other air quality matters; regulations requiring the purchase and use of zero-emission vehicles; intellectual property; and other operational, financial or legal risks or uncertainties detailed in Landstar's Form 10-K for the 2023 fiscal year, described in Item 1A Risk Factors, and in other SEC filings from time to time. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results or events to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated. Investors should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.