Trail Blazers announce opponents for Dec. 13 and 15As the trading day unfolded, the Gold Dragon Index continued its upward trajectory, surpassing expectations and reinvigorating investor confidence. The milestone of 7000 points was not just a number but a testament to the resilience and strength of the Chinese market, showcasing its ability to weather challenges and emerge stronger than ever.
Gyre Therapeutics (NASDAQ:GYRE) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?
Stay tuned for what promises to be an unforgettable day of football action as these top European clubs go head to head in the quest for success in the UEFA Champions League. The drama, excitement, and passion of the beautiful game will be on full display as the best teams in Europe compete for glory on the grandest stage of them all.Biden administration has no current plans to authorize a bird flu vaccine for humans
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recently carried out a large-scale operation targeting Syrian air defense sites, causing significant destruction to the country's entire network of anti-aircraft installations. The strikes, which were described by Israeli officials as a preemptive measure to protect their national security interests, have further escalated tensions in the already volatile region.With U.S. Steel’s proposed sale to Japanese firm Nippon Steel in peril, local officials are making a final attempt to build support for it — while other backers hope Gov. Josh Shapiro will weigh in as well. Clairton Mayor Rich Lattanzi, for one, plans to speak at a Thursday-afternoon rally at the Clairton Coke Works in favor of the deal. Because without it, he said, “We would be done. I love my town and all that, but I'd be the first one to pack it in and go home and try to find a new hobby. ” The rally is a last gasp effort by the company and by Lattanzi to try to push the deal to go through. Both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have signaled their opposition to the deal. Some reports suggest that the Committee on Foreign Investment, which reviews transactions involving foreign-owned companies, plans to block the deal on national security grounds. Similar reports before this fall’s presidential election proved premature. But the committee has to make a decision within the next two weeks. And if the deal doesn’t go through, Lattanzi believes the plant will close within five years. If that happens, he fears, the town won’t just just lose thousands of jobs and a third of its tax base: It will also forfeit the other businesses and people that support, and are supported by, the plant and its workers. By contrast, he said, “Nippon with the kind of money that they’re investing would be a great infusion for the Mon Valley works.” Thursday’s rally is one of several last-ditch efforts to salvage the deal. On Tuesday Nippon offered a $5,000 “closing bonus” to U.S. Steel employees if the deal goes through. And on Monday the company offered some additional details about its plans. Last week Nippon sent a letter the president of the United Steelworkers Union, Dave McCall, promising that the $2.4 billion in commitments to improving facilities would cover long-term investments such as relining blast furnaces. A spokesperson for Nippon referred WESA to letters it had sent to U.S. Steel employees this week. “We also affirmed to President McCall that technology sharing with U. S. Steel would not be counted against profit sharing and that we were committed to not pushing debt incurred to finance this transaction onto U. S. Steel,” Takahiro Mori, the representative director and vice Chairman at Nippon Steel Corporation wrote to employees. The Steelworkers’ union didn’t respond to a request for comment by WESA, but in a Tuesday press release called Nippon’s the $5,000 offer “bribery.” “We have seen this sort of corporate behavior before, and we know what it really means,” the Steelworkers’ statement said. “Nippon is begging union members to trade our long-term stability and bargaining power in exchange for a single payment.” Lattanzi worked hard for the company for three decades and was a longtime Steelworkers union member. He doesn’t fault the union for doing its due diligence and being skeptical of Nippon’s promises not to move its operations to Arkansas, where the climate is hostile to unions and where the firm has opened other plants. But Lattanzi said he doesn’t think U.S. Steel has been properly maintaining its facilities. And he says he was reassured about Nippon’s intentions after speaking to executives and employees at one of the company’s West Virginia plants. “I asked them some critical things: ‘Are you going to preserve these union jobs? Are you going to invest in the Mon Valley? Are you going to clean up the environment? Are you going to be a good community partner to myself in the city of Clairton?’” he said. Lattanzi said the Nippon executive “looked me right in the face, eyes right at me and said, ‘Yes, sir. ’” And while he said they wouldn’t make commitments three to five years into the future, “I believe they’re honorable people, I really do.” Although the political winds are blowing in the opposite direction, Lattanzi thinks it’s still important to speak out one last time. “I'm showing up tomorrow because I've learned a long time ago, if you don't say nothing, then don't expect anything in return,” he said. Could Shapiro save the deal? A state manufacturing leader says Gov. Josh Shapiro must add his voice to the debate, and soon, to rescue the deal. David Taylor, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association, said Shapiro is “the only one who conceivably could talk sense to Biden” to let Nippon Steel invest in U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley facilities. “This is going to happen on President Biden's watch in his last days in office, and I can't see anybody other than Governor Shapiro potentially intervening to save the deal,” Taylor said. “Our ally Japan, through Nippon Steel, is attempting to help us,” he said, adding he’s “embarrassed” the deal has faced so much opposition. “It should never have taken this long,” he said. “We should never have given our allies this much grief, and I only hope that somehow we can save the day before the whole thing collapses.” Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bonder said the governor is focused on the future of steelmaking in Pennsylvania. But while Shapiro has said he is seeking to protect jobs, he hasn’t taken a stance on the sale itself: “The final decision ... will ultimately be made by the White House alone,” his office said in a recent statement. Bonder didn’t commit to a position on the sale Wednesday either. “Governor Shapiro has been engaged with all parties in this deal throughout this entire process. He spoke to USW, U.S. Steel, and Nippon leadership the day the proposed merger was announced,” Bonder told WESA. “And he has stayed in close contact with the Biden Administration, state leaders from both parties, private sector leaders, and many others as he works to protect Pennsylvania jobs.” Nippon this year hired one-time CIA director and Trump’s former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to help guide the sale through the U.S. approval process. Taylor called Pompeo “an important and influential voice... who has a pretty good view of national security concerns and international relations.” But both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have said selling U.S. Steel poses a national security risk. Some local and state officials, meanwhile, have backed the sale. They include Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) and Democratic Allegheny County Councilor Dan Gryzbek. Gryzbek said that he thinks a sale to Nippon Steel offers the best potential to save the jobs and improve the region’s air quality. He and the county council voted against a measure earlier this year that would have signaled opposition to the deal. Arguments about national security risks don’t make sense, Gryzbek said, since Japan and the U.S. already cooperate so much. And he also thinks the amount of money Nippon has offered for U.S. Steel reflects a genuine commitment to the region. “Clearly this is something that they very much value,” he said. “It wouldn't really make a whole lot of sense to just go ahead and scrap something like the Mon Valley Works.” Patrick Campbell, the executive director for the nonprofit Group Against Smog and Pollution, said his group isn’t taking a position on the sale, because it’s hard to say for sure what would be better for the region’s air quality. Campbell’s group continues to push U.S. Steel to invest in air-pollution control technology. And while he’d like to see more sweeping changes in how steel is made in the Mon Valley, Campbell acknowledges that pollution could decrease if Nippon invested in the Mon Valley facilities. “If they were maintained and upgraded as necessary, we surely would be seeing reduced emissions violations,” he said. But Campbell is skeptical of the recent threats made by U.S. Steel to relocate if the deal with Nippon doesn’t go through. Campbell said the company has been threatening to leave the Pittsburgh area for decades, in an apparent effort to gain leverage in talks over labor contracts and environmental regulations. He said it was “a terrible thing to do to workers, to put them into that kind of limbo where they have no idea if the future of their position is secure.”As Liu Shao'ang continues to make waves in the world of short track speed skating, his story serves as a powerful reminder of the unpredictable nature of sports and the enduring power of the human spirit. In a sport where fortunes can change in the blink of an eye, Liu's journey from a former rival of the Chinese short track team to a surprising contender rising in the last lap is a testament to the resilience, perseverance, and sheer determination that define true champions.
Sila Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:SILA) Short Interest Down 22.0% in December
In conclusion, the current status of Manchester United's Premier League title-winning squad from the 2012/2013 season serves as a poignant reminder of the passage of time and the inevitability of change in football. As players come and go, retire and move on to new challenges, the spirit of camaraderie and achievement that defined that championship-winning team lives on in the hearts of fans everywhere. The legacy of Manchester United's success endures, transcending individual players and moments to become a timeless symbol of excellence in the world of football.Driving through the Medical Innovation District in Fort Worth’s Near Southside, it’s impossible to overlook the various construction layouts, workers, vehicles and cranes turning dirt and moving projects forward. After all, every major health system in Fort Worth — Baylor Scott & White Health, Cook Children’s Health Care System, JPS Health Network, Medical City Healthcare, Moncrief Cancer Institute and Texas Health Resources — is undergoing a major expansion that will help grow the city’s medical capabilities in the coming years. Robert Sturns, the city’s director of economic development, said these plans are driven by “a need for these institutions to expand their capacity based on the massive population growth that Fort Worth — and North Texas in general — has seen over the past several years.” “It’s important that Fort Worth’s medical ecosystem continues to keep pace with its population growth, so high-quality patient care is accessible to as many people as possible,” he said in a statement. Major health systems across Tarrant County say their expansion projects will provide upgraded technology and better care to patients, officials said in interviews with the Report. “I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say it’s probably the most exciting time in the history of the Near Southside’s Medical District,” Mike Brennan, president of Near Southside Inc., said. Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. Here’s what you can expect to see. Baylor Scott & White to raise new Fort Worth garage, building Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center is currently undergoing construction on a new five-story parking garage that will improve access and parking as part of “a long-term plan to grow our campus,” according to the hospital’s website . Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center is the Fort Worth branch of Baylor Scott & White Health. The Fort Worth hospital has 538 beds and offers a range of medical services, which include emergency care, labor and delivery, surgery and cancer care. The Fort Worth hospital is also constructing a new four-story office building called Baylor All Saints Professional Pavilion II that will sit on top of the parking garage. The office building, which totals 100,000 square feet, is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2025, according to LoopNet. Charles Williams , president of Baylor Scott & White All Saints, said he is proud to be building on a legacy “of more than 100 years of service in our communities.” “For us, growth isn’t just physical buildings,” he said in a statement. “That means we want to help our patients and customers with what they need to live better, whether it is high-quality care in a hospital setting, convenient care when and where they want it, like on their smartphones or in the comfort of their homes, or wellness offerings to avoid needing ‘sick care’ altogether.” Cook Children’s lays groundwork for 10-year expansion plan Cook Children’s Health Care System is setting the stage for growth by embarking on a 10-year master plan to expand and enhance its Fort Worth medical center located in the heart of the Medical District. The plan will kick off with the construction of a 700,000-square-foot medical tower that is currently labeled as the West Tower. The facility will be an extension of the existing medical center — which currently spans 2.5 million square feet — and make way for an expansion of the neonatal intensive care with an additional 37 beds. The West Tower also allows for an expansion and redesign of the pediatric intensive care unit and increases capacity for hematology and oncology services. The building will add additional operating rooms and imaging services. Cook Children’s anticipates it will start construction of the West Tower by the end of 2025. The health system previously declined to provide information about the total cost of the tower. “It’s an ambitious plan, but it’s exactly what we need to support the growing population and demand for services in our area,” Rick W. Merrill, president and CEO of Cook Children’s Health Care System, said in a statement. The pediatric health system’s master plan will add a total of 1 million square feet to the medical campus over the span of 10 years. JPS nears completion of first project in master facility plan Since 2018, JPS Health Network — also known as the Tarrant County Hospital District — has been undergoing construction on its master facility plan . The hospital system’s master facility plan is supported by an $800 million bond package voters approved in 2018. The plan details new facilities, including a medical home , psychiatric emergency center , medical outpatient building, pavilion expansion and a new hospital. JPS leaders originally estimated the total cost of the plan at roughly $1.2 billion with the county hospital prepared to contribute $400 million to ensure the expansion. But progress on the master facility plan slowed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, JPS president and CEO Dr. Karen Duncan previously told the Report. Six years later, the hospital district estimated the total cost of the plan would jump to $2.1 billion due to increased labor costs, price of materials and inflation affecting the health care industry. Because of financial changes and reprioritization , JPS has since removed three medical homes that were included in the original proposal from its master facility plan. The only medical home currently in the plan is set to open in southwest Fort Worth in early 2025. This will be the first JPS master facility plan project to be completed. “Texas has one of the highest populations of uninsured individuals , so for JPS to be able to provide that access for those individuals who would have no opportunity to have access to health care ... is really exciting for us,” Duncan told the Report in a follow-up interview. Per the original plans, JPS’ next project, the psychiatric emergency center, is set to open in summer 2025. That project will increase the hospital district’s behavioral health capacity from 30 beds to roughly 90. The master facility plan will conclude with new hospital towers in winter 2029 — more than a decade after the approval of the bond package. “Whether it’s building the design or starting construction, all of those (master facility plan) projects have now started,” she said. “We are still working through the towers. Is it one? Is it two? Is it three? That doesn’t have an answer yet.” Medical City Fort Worth to grow its Tarrant reach Medical City Fort Worth recently confirmed to the Report it is in the planning stages of a $37 million expansion project that will include a cardiac laboratory and four operating rooms. Construction, which is budgeted at $18 million, is set to begin in early 2025. The new laboratory and operating rooms will take up roughly 17,380 square feet within the existing hospital, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. In a follow-up interview with the Report, Medical City Fort Worth CEO John Hoover said the hospital decided to expand its services to keep up with the population growth in Tarrant and surrounding Parker and Johnson counties. Hoover did not provide additional information about the remaining $19 million of the expansion plans, but said some of those costs are linked to permitting and architectural fees. Medical City Fort Worth is also in the early stages of exploring an expansion of its Tower B , which currently houses emergency services, surgical patient rooms and neuro intensive care unit rooms, Hoover added. “We’ve begun the beginning phases of engagement with our architects and some contractors around a vertical tower expansion, so that could range anywhere from 30 to up close to 100 incremental beds,” he told the Report. Moncrief Cancer Institute looks to expand its facility UT Southwestern is looking to grow its Moncrief Cancer Institute with a $177 million expansion project. Moncrief Cancer Institute offers medical and surgical oncology, chemotherapy, imaging and a compounding pharmacy. UT Southwestern currently owns a parcel across the street from the cancer center and intends to use the property to expand by nearly 65,000 square feet to accommodate a new radiation oncology facility and parking garage. Before its plan can become a reality, the cancer center has to navigate several government entities for the nod on one major request that is necessary for the expansion: to permanently close a block of South Jennings Avenue . In late June, representatives for UT Southwestern received unanimous approval from Fort Worth’s Urban Design Commission for the street closure recommendation. The proposal will head to Fort Worth City Council at a later date for final approval. Dr. Jonathan Efron, executive vice president for health system affairs at UT Southwestern, said the medical center wants to grow the capabilities of cancer services in Fort Worth. “What we have found is that within the Fort Worth area, unlike in Dallas, there is a shortage of the machines that provide radiation therapy,” he told the Report. “Some patients are having to travel elsewhere every day and we’re excited to fill that void.” If Moncrief Cancer Institute receives the final necessary approval, the project is expected to break ground in spring 2025 and complete construction in spring 2028. Texas Health Fort Worth to renovate floors in its Justin Tower Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth completed work on its nine-story Jane and John Justin Tower in early 2022. The $300 million expansion project — the largest in the history of the nonprofit Texas Health Resources — added 440,00 square feet, 144 patient beds, 15 surgical suites and new preoperative and post-operative units to the Fort Worth campus. Jared Shelton, who was named president of Texas Health Fort Worth in September, told the Report the addition of the Justin Tower has been “an unbelievable success” as the hospital grows its service areas to patients from across Texas. “Everybody who’s been in (Justin Tower) recognizes what a blessing it is for our campus to be able to offer the latest and greatest in health care, larger rooms — the most up-to-date technology,” he said. “It’s really a legacy project for Texas Health Fort Worth.” With the success of Justin Tower has come a growing need for more services. The tower has almost immediately filled up, Shelton added. Texas Health Fort Worth is in the planning process of building out areas on the fourth and fifth floors of the tower. Renovations are set to begin at the end of the first quarter of 2025 and will last through 2026, Shelton said. “Those (floors) were shelled out for us to be able to grow into as there was patient demand, and we’re already seeing that demand,” he said. “It’ll add around 70 beds to Justin Tower.” David Moreno is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here . Your support makes TWICE the impact today. As November draws to a close , time is running out to double your impact. Thanks to the generosity of the Nicholas Martin Jr. Family Foundation, every dollar you give will be matched—up to $15,000. Will you give today to help trusted, local reporting thrive in Fort Worth and Tarrant County? Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Do not copy stories straight from the front-end of our web-site. You are required to follow the guidelines and use the republication tool when you share our content. The republication tool generates the appropriate html code. You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you use our stories in any other medium — for example, newsletters or other email campaigns — you must make it clear that the stories are from the Fort Worth Report. In all emails, link directly to the story at fortworthreport.org and not to your website. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by David Moreno, Fort Worth Report November 24, 2024
Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, C.R. Patil, Chirag Paswan, K. Ram Mohan Naidu and Jayant Chaudhary, alongside three chief ministers — Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrababu Naidu and Revant Reddy, will join hundreds of government and business leaders from across the globe in Swiss ski resort town Davos next month for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu will also be joined by his son and senior minister in his state Nara Lokesh, while Karnataka 's Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Tamil Nadu Minister TRB Rajaa and Uttar Pradesh Minister Suresh Khanna will also be there for the five-day annual congregation of the world's rich and powerful, starting January 20, 2025. Actor Bhumi Pednekar, known for films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Badhai Do and Saand Ki Aankh, would also be there. Besides over 50 Presidents and Prime Ministers from across the world, top officials of international organisations like the United Nations, IMF, World Bank, Interpol, NATO, European Central Bank and WTO are also expected to be in Davos for the WEF Annual Meeting 2025. Senior ministers from Pakistan and Bangladesh, including Bangladesh Government's Chief Adviser and head of the interim government Muhammad Yunus would also be present. Mr. Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & IT, also attended the last WEF annual meeting, alongside Smriti Irani and Hardeep Singh Puri from the Union Council of Ministers. This time, Mr. Vaishnaw will be joined by Jal Shakti Minister Patil, Food Processing Industries Minister Paswan, Civil Aviation Minister Naidu and Minister of State for Skill Development and Education Chaudhary. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also attended the meeting in the past, but there is no official word so far about his participation in the high-profile summit, for which the main theme this time will be 'collaboration for the intelligent age'. Expected to be attended by nearly 50 heads of state and governments from across the world, the annual meeting would take place against the backdrop of a change of regime in the U.S. and various geopolitical and macroeconomic issues, including the Ukraine war and continuing West Asia crisis. Both Mr. Modi and Donald Trump attended the WEF Annual Meeting in 2018 for the first time as India's Prime Minister and the US President, respectively. While Mr. Modi became Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term earlier this year, Mr. Trump is set to assume office for the second time on January 20, and his return is expected to be among the key topics of discussion at Davos. Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu have been to Davos multiple times, while Telangana Chief Minister Reddy attended the WEF Annual Meeting in January 2024 as well. Besides government leaders and civil society members, the Indian presence would comprise top executives of business conglomerates like Reliance, Tata, Adani, Birla, Bharti, Mahindra, Godrej, Jindal, Bajaj and Vedanta groups. Besides Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, the next-generation leaders from their groups are also expected to be present, while technology leaders, including Salil Parekh of Infosys, Rishad Premji of Wipro, as also Sumant Sinha of ReNew, Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm and Adar Poonawalla of Serum Institute are expected in the Swiss Alpine resort town. Geneva-based WEF, which describes itself as an international organisation for public-private cooperation, will convene leaders from government, business and civil society as well as scientific and cultural thinkers for its 55th annual meeting under the theme of 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age'. According to the WEF, the meeting will serve as a trusted global platform for dialogue and cooperation, bring together a diverse community of stakeholders, seek to connect the dots in an era of complexity and be firmly future-oriented — both in terms of insights and solutions. Several sessions are expected to be attended by Indian leaders, including one on 'India's Economic Blueprint'. As one of the world's fastest-growing major economies, India has been growing at over 8%, and this growth has been buoyed by a focus on promoting local innovation and startups in technology and manufacturing, representing a departure from traditional export-oriented models. The leaders would deliberate how India has capitalised on this new blueprint and to what extent it can continue to drive global growth. According to the WEF, the annual meeting will take place at a time when geo-economic fragmentation, geopolitical polarisation and divisions over values continue to impact countries and communities across the world. At the same time, exponential innovation and deployment around whole sets of inter-connected technologies -- from AI and quantum to energy tech, biotech and health tech — offer an unprecedented opportunity to increase productivity and hence, standards of living. Reviving and reimagining growth is critical to building stronger and more resilient economies, and the meeting would seek to discuss how to avoid an Age of Fragmentation and instead work together on a can-do, people-centred agenda for an Intelligent Age. The global leaders would also deliberate on how to reinvent the muscle of collaborative innovation to get out of the current low-growth, high-debt world economy and address common challenges from climate change to the ethical use of AI. Published - December 28, 2024 05:52 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit economy, business and finance / India / WorldNone
Zelensky's announcement, made during a press briefing in Kyiv, indicated that a total of 243 Ukrainian troops have been killed in the conflict since the beginning of the year. This figure serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2014.Argentina's Kirchner returns as Peronists eye comeback against Milei
Austin Ekeler was concussed late in the Commanders' loss and taken to hospital for evaluation
CAIRO, Dec 12 (Reuters) - At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in two Israeli airstrikes that targeted groups of Palestinians tasked with securing trucks bringing aid into the Gaza Strip on Thursday, medics said. Medics said at least 30 people were wounded and with several in critical condition, they feared the death toll may rise in the first strike in the western area of Rafah City, in the south of the enclave. In the nearby city of Khan Younis, another group of men tasked with security for aid shipments was hit by a separate Israeli airstrike that wounded several of them, medics said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Armed gangs have repeatedly hijacked aid trucks shortly after they roll into the enclave, prompting the Islamist Hamas group to form a task force to confront them. The Hamas-led forces have killed over two dozen members of the gangs in recent months, according to Hamas sources and medics. In Gaza City, medics said at least six people were killed in an airstrike that hit a house, taking the death toll on Thursday to at least 14. Hamas said Israeli military strikes have killed at least 700 police tasked with securing aid trucks in Gaza since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023. Months of ceasefire efforts by Arab mediators, Egypt, and Qatar, backed by the United States, have failed to conclude a deal between the two warring sides. On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to demand an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the immediate release of all hostages. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war. The United States, Israel and seven other countries voted against the ceasefire resolution, while 13 countries abstained. The war in the Palestinian enclave began after Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages back to Hamas-run Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military has leveled swaths of Gaza, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing more than 44,800 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. Sign up here. Reporting and writing by Nidal Al Mughrabi; editing by Diane Craft and Lincoln Feast. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Thomson Reuters A senior correspondent with nearly 25 years’ experience covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict including several wars and the signing of the first historic peace accord between the two sides.
Police seize fentanyl, cocaine, and more in search of Exeter property
Q3 Net Sales Increase of 14.6% to $843.7 million ; Comparable Sales Increase of 0.6% Q3 GAAP Diluted EPS of $0.03 , Q3 Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.42 Increases Full Year 2024 Guidance PHILADELPHIA, PA, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Five Below, Inc. (NASDAQ: FIVE) today announced financial results for the third quarter and year to date period ended November 2, 2024. For the third quarter ended November 2, 2024 : Ken Bull, Interim CEO and COO of Five Below said, "We are pleased to report third quarter results that exceeded our outlook. We delivered stronger performance across a broader group of our merchandise worlds compared to the second quarter and improved our operational execution. We were encouraged to see the positive results from the initiatives we undertook to add newness and deliver value in key categories. We opened a record 82 new stores during this period with new store performance also surpassing our expectations. Our merchant and operational teams across the organization are focused on our key priorities of product, value and store experience, and I want to thank them for their efforts in delivering these results." Mr. Bull continued, "We will build on this progress and are focused on delivering for our customers in the all-important fourth quarter. Our solid Black Friday weekend results were an encouraging start to the holiday season, though the highest volume selling days lie ahead. In addition, this year we have five fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is reflected in our outlook." For the year to date period ended November 2, 2024 : Appointment of Chief Executive Officer Five Below also announced today the appointment of Winnie Park to the role of Chief Executive Officer, effective December 16, 2024. Ken Bull, Chief Operating Officer, who was serving as Interim CEO, will continue in his role as COO, and Tom Vellios will remain Executive Chairman. This announcement was made concurrently this afternoon and can be found at investor.fivebelow.com/investors. Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2024 Outlook: The Company expects the following results for the fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2024: For the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2024 : For the full year of Fiscal 2024 : Conference Call Information: A conference call to discuss the financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2024 is scheduled for today, December 4, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available online at investor.fivebelow.com, where a replay will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call. Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial 412-902-6753 approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. Non-GAAP Information: This press release includes adjusted operating income, adjusted net income, and adjusted diluted income per common share, each is a non-GAAP financial measure. The Company has reconciled these non-GAAP financial measures with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures within this filing. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures not only provide its management with comparable financial data for internal financial analysis but also provide meaningful supplemental information to investors. Specifically, these non-GAAP financial measures allow investors to better understand the performance of the Company's business and facilitate a meaningful evaluation of its quarterly and fiscal year 2024 diluted income per common share and actual results on a comparable basis with its quarterly and fiscal year 2023 results. In evaluating these non-GAAP financial measures, investors should be aware that in the future the Company may incur expenses that are the same as or similar to some of the adjustments in this filing. The Company's presentation of non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed to imply that its future results will be unaffected by any such adjustments. The Company has provided this information as a means to evaluate the results of its ongoing operations. Other companies in the Company's industry may calculate these items differently than it does. Each of these measures is not a measure of performance under GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for the most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and investors should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company's results as reported under GAAP. Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which reflect management's current views and estimates regarding the Company's industry, business strategy, goals and expectations concerning its market position, future operations, margins, profitability, capital expenditures, liquidity and capital resources, store count potential and other financial and operating information. Investors can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "future" and similar terms and phrases. The Company cannot assure investors that future developments affecting the Company will be those that it has anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to risks related to disruption to the global supply chain, risks related to the Company's strategy and expansion plans, risks related to our ability to attract, retain, and integrate qualified executive talent, risks related to disruptions in our information technology systems and our ability to maintain and upgrade those systems, risks related to the inability to successfully implement our online retail operations, risks related to cyberattacks or other cyber incidents, risks related to increased usage of machine learning and other types of artificial intelligence in our business, and challenges with properly managing its use; risks related to our ability to select, obtain, distribute and market merchandise profitably, risks related to our reliance on merchandise manufactured outside of the United States, the availability of suitable new store locations and the dependence on the volume of traffic to our stores, risks related to changes in consumer preferences and economic conditions, risks related to increased operating costs, including wage rates, risks related to inflation and increasing commodity prices, risks related to potential systematic failure of the banking system in the United States or globally, risks related to extreme weather, pandemic outbreaks, global political events, war, terrorism or civil unrest (including any resulting store closures, damage, or loss of inventory), risks related to leasing, owning or building distribution centers, risks related to our ability to successfully manage inventory balance and inventory shrinkage, quality or safety concerns about the Company's merchandise, increased competition from other retailers including online retailers, risks related to the seasonality of our business, risks related to our ability to protect our brand name and other intellectual property, risks related to customers' payment methods, risks related to domestic and foreign trade restrictions including duties and tariffs affecting our domestic and foreign suppliers and increasing our costs, including, among others, the direct and indirect impact of current and potential tariffs imposed and proposed by the United States on foreign imports, risks associated with the restrictions imposed by our indebtedness on our current and future operations, the impact of changes in tax legislation and accounting standards and risks associated with leasing substantial amounts of space. For further details and a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, see the Company's periodic reports, including the annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of the Company's assumptions prove incorrect, the Company's actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this news release speaks only as of the date on which the Company makes it. Factors or events that could cause the Company's actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws. About Five Below: Five Below is a leading high-growth value retailer offering trend-right, high-quality products loved by teens and pre-teens. We believe life is better when customers are free to "let go & have fun" in an amazing experience filled with unlimited possibilities. With most items priced between $1 and $5, and some extreme value items priced beyond $5 in our incredible Five Beyond shop, Five Below makes it easy to say YES! to the newest, coolest stuff across eight awesome Five Below worlds: Style, Room, Sports, Tech, Create, Party, Candy and New & Now. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Five Below today has over 1,750 stores in 44 states. For more information, please visit www.fivebelow.com or find Five Below on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @FiveBelow. Investor Contact: Five Below, Inc. Christiane Pelz Vice President, Investor Relations 215-207-2658 [email protected] Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (in thousands) Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (in thousands, except share and per share data)Xiaowu's presence during the check-up was not just a display of friendship, but also a symbol of the importance of support networks during pregnancy. Having someone to lean on, share fears and joys with, and offer practical assistance can make all the difference in ensuring a smooth and joyful pregnancy experience.