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Pakistan’s 5G auction faces spectrum and policy challenges
Slag Cement Market to See Booming Growth 2024-2031 with Boosted Revenue, Business Experts, Market Value Analysis, Size, Share, GrowthThe City of Boston, Boston Public Schools, and the owners of the NWSL expansion team set to play there in 2026 have executed a lease agreement that will allow the team to utilize White Stadium as its home venue, the three entities announced on Monday. The announcement, made by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSP) and Boston Public Schools (BPS), will allow the team to play 20 games per year at the venue, which will undergo what the is described as "the largest investment into BPS Athletics and White Stadium since it opened in 1949." The agreement also includes upgrades to the surrounding 530-acre Franklin Park area, while also expanding public access. Under the terms of the lease, NWSL games cannot take place more than two weekends in a four-week period, and no more than four weekend games per season can start before 5 p.m. The City of Boston and Boston Public Schools will retain ownership of the stadium and will have priority in stadium scheduling. Construction, more than half of which is being funded by BUPS, is expected to begin in January. There remains some opposition to the project, with local residents filing a lawsuit claiming that the project was rushed without adequate community input and violates the state constitution by transferring public land for a private use. "We are more confident than ever that Franklin Park will be protected from their scheme to turn this historic parkland into a colossal sports and entertainment complex." Renee Stacy Welsh, a member of the Franklin Park Defenders, which opposes the project, told the Associated Press. According to the Boston Globe, the City's portion of the renovation amounts to $91 million, pushing the overall cost to around $200m. "White Stadium is a generational opportunity to anchor citywide youth sports, revitalize community programming, and bolster our beloved, historic Franklin Park-all while creating a home for the City of Champions' newest professional team," Mayor Wu said. "I'm so grateful for all the community members, coaches, students, and park lovers who helped shape this project to reflect the community's dreams for the next generation." The lease is for 10 years, with BUPS paying $200,000 in annualized rent during the first season, prorated for the number of months the field will be operational. The second year will see BUPS pay $400,000 annualized rent, in monthly payments, and escalating by 3% each year afterwards. The City and BPS will share in some of the revenues generated by the stadium, including 10% of in-stadium advertising revenues (except field naming rights revenue), 10% of field naming rights revenue, 3% of concessions revenue. "This is an exciting moment for BPS and our student athletes who are so deserving of a world class facility to call home," superintendent of Boston Public Schools Mary Skipper said. "This major investment by the City and Boston Unity Soccer Partners will have direct and lasting benefits for BPS students who will have access to state-of-the-art facilities where they can study, train and compete." BUPS will also direct money towards various community funds, including $500,000 in the first year towards the Annual Community Fund, with 3% increases in subsequent years. "We are incredibly proud that our team's home will be in the heart of the city through this generational public-private-community partnership to revitalize White Stadium," controlling owner of Boston Unity Soccer Partners Jennifer Epstein said. "This transformative milestone enables our club to deliver a lasting, year-round impact for Boston Public School student-athletes while uplifting the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses and providing a world-class facility for our home games. "A renewed White Stadium will honor its historic roots while providing an extraordinary fan experience and we are excited to take the pitch at this iconic venue for our inaugural season in 2026." BUSP will fund the construction of the West Grandstand, public restrooms, NWSL team spaces, scoreboard, stadium lighting, technology system, and the Grove area. The City will carry out construction of the East Grandstand, BPS student athletics spaces, the grass field, and the track. Boston Unity Soccer Partners will be responsible for ongoing operations and maintenance for the team's spaces and all the shared areas of the facility, including the field and track. Prior to demolition of White Stadium, BUSP will fund a $25 million Construction Escrow Account that is restricted exclusively to fund direct construction costs on the site and requires City approval of expenditures. The escrow account cannot be reduced below $10m until total project financing is secured.New Repeat Orders for QUADRA High-Throughput Metrology System from Leading Semiconductor Manufacturer fills up Nearfield Instruments’ 2025 Order Book
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday held a wide-ranging news conference in which he said he would preserve access to the polio vaccine but equivocated on other vaccines, pledged to look at bringing down the costs of pharmaceuticals and expressed doubts that his daughter-in-law might be Florida's next senator. Trump held forth for over an hour, the first time he took questions from reporters since winning the election. The event harkens back to his long-winding news conferences from his first term and is a stark contrast from President Joe Biden , who doesn't often take questions from reporters. Here's a look at some of what he touched on: Trump defended his choice for health secretary, prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , but said he personally is a “big believer” in the polio vaccine and would preserve access to it. “You’re not going to lose the polio vaccine," he said. “That’s not going to happen.” Over the weekend, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, spoke out in defense of the polio vaccine after a recent report disclosed that one of Kennedy's advisers filed a petition to revoke approval for the polio vaccine in 2022. Kennedy has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Trump seemed to question whether there’s a link, saying “We’re looking to find out,” and remarked on the rising cases of autism being diagnosed. “There’s something wrong, and we’re going to find out about it,” he said. There are no blood or biological tests for autism; instead, a doctor bases the diagnosis on a child’s behavior. While the autism diagnosis has been available for at least 80 years, the definition gradually expanded to include milder cases, which are more common. A study last year found that about a quarter of kids with autism — about 110,000 in the U.S. — have the most severe version of the developmental disability, which has left them unable to speak or with an IQ below 50 or both. Of Kennedy, “He’s going to be much less radical than you would think," he said. "I think he’s got a very open mind, or I wouldn’t have put him there.” Trump described a dinner he had this month with Kennedy; Dr. Mehmet Oz , a celebrity heart surgeon turned talk show host and lifestyle guru whom he's tapped to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and top pharmaceutical executives in which they discussed drug prices. Trump heaped praise on the companies — the same ones that Kennedy has routinely argued profit off of Americans unfairly — but said the high cost of health care was a focus of their dinner. “What came out of that meeting is that we’re paying far too much,” Trump said. Trump also hit pharmaceutical benefits managers, calling them “horrible middlemen” who drive up the cost of drugs. Pharmaceutical companies have been aggressively lobbying Congress to restrict the role of pharmaceutical benefit managers, which help health insurance companies’ biggest clients decide how and what prescription drugs will be covered in their insurance plans. “I don’t know who these middlemen are, but they are rich as hell," Trump said. The press conference was Trump’s most extensive public appearance since his victory six weeks ago — a rare absence from the public stage for the former reality star. But it also underscored how even while president-elect, Trump has seized the spotlight from Biden, who still has a month left on his term in office. Biden has not held a press conference in months and has had a limited public schedule. While Trump was addressing some of the top-of-mind issues of the day -- including sightings of drones flying over the Northeast -- Biden himself has been silent, leaving it to aides to try to calm the public. Trump seemed skeptical that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would appoint his daughter-in-law to be a Florida senator, taking the seat held by Marco Rubio, who has been nominated for secretary of state. Asked whether he expected DeSantis to name Lara Trump to replace Rubio, Trump said, “I probably don’t, but I don’t know.” Trump recently spoke with DeSantis at a memorial for Florida law enforcement officers. Trump's allies have been pushing DeSantis to nominate Lara Trump, who is married to Trump's son, Eric, and served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee this year. “Ron’s doing a good job with his choice," Trump said, without elaborating. He lavished praise on Lara Trump, including for her work at the RNC, where part of her duties involved focusing on “election integrity,” a priority of Trump's after he falsely claimed fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Trump indicated he would look at intervening in the potential ban of TikTok in the U.S. The popular social media platform must cut ties with its China-based parent company or be banned by mid-January under a federal law. He didn't offer specifics, but Trump credited the platform with helping him win the election. His campaign saw it as a bridge to reach younger, less politically engaged voters, particularly when clips circulated showing him with celebrities at UFC fights. “We’ll take a look at TikTok,” he said. “You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok." Trump tried to ban TikTok during his first term but changed his mind and pledged to “save” TikTok. Once he takes office, his Justice Department would be tasked with enforcing the new federal law against TikTok. Trump on Monday was meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at his Mar-a-Lago club, according to two people familiar with the president-elect’s plans who were not authorized to speak publicly about them and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Trump noted the differences between the first time he was to take office eight years ago and today, saying executives now want to meet with him. He said they were “hostile” back then. “Everybody was fighting me,” he said about his first term. “This term, everybody wants to be my friend. I don’t know. My personality changed or something.” While he left office in 2021 ostracized and angry, Trump has had a stunning turnaround leading to his election win. Last week, he was honored by being named Time magazine’s Person of the Year and ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. His meeting with the TikTok executive was part of a string of meetings he's had with Silicon Valley billionaires and other technology leaders since becoming president-elect. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai have all flown to Trump's club to meet with him. He revealed Monday that he had also met with Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will meet with him this week, Trump said. “We have a lot of great executives coming in — the top executives, the top bankers, they’re all calling," he said. "It’s like a complete opposite from the first one.” With multiple wars going on, Trump has sought to insert himself back on the world stage. He said he is working to get Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza to be released and had a “very good talk” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But on Monday he seemed to buffer expectations about his promise to solve the Russia-Ukraine war even before taking office, describing the conflict as a “tough one” and a “nasty one." “We are trying to get that war stopped, that horrible, horrible war” he said. “It’s a tough one. It’s a nasty one. It’s nasty. People are being killed at levels that nobody’s ever seen.” Russia's invasion of Ukraine is Europe’s biggest armed conflict since World War II and has cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides. Trump declined to say whether he's spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin since winning the election. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris this month when he visited for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. Trump's incoming press secretary has said that Trump invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other world leaders to his Jan. 20 inauguration, but Trump said Monday that Zelenskyy was not among them. “If he'd like to come, I'd like to have him," Trump said. Trump said Xi has not yet said whether he is coming. He described the Chinese leader as “a friend of mine” and “an amazing guy” but acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected their relationship. “It was a bridge too far for me,” he said. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Amanda Seitz in Washington and Colleen Long in Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.NDA wins Maharashtra, INDIA Jharkhand
Lynne Roberts wasn't looking to leave as Utah women's basketball coach. Then she got a call from LA
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lynne Roberts wasn’t looking to leave the Utah women’s basketball team. Then she got a call from Los Angeles Sparks general manager Reagan Pebley that changed her thinking. Roberts was introduced Thursday as coach of the Sparks, becoming the second coach to make the leap from college to the WNBA this month. Karl Smesko of Florida Gulf Coast got the Atlanta Dream job last week. “I was 100 percent invested at Utah,” Roberts said. “It just kind of felt like this is a golden opportunity. As a competitor, the chance to coach the best in the world, it’s what I want.” She replaces Curt Miller , who was let go in September and now is general manager of the Dallas Wings. Roberts inherits a team that has a strong young nucleus of Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink and Dearica Hamby. The Sparks have the No. 2 pick in next year’s WNBA draft. “We’ve got kind of a cool combination of some veteran leadership and then we’ve got a really dynamic young group,” Roberts said. “That’s a good roster right there and then we can keep working with it.” Los Angeles finished 8-32 last season for the league’s worst record and has missed the playoffs for four straight years. “I want to compete, I want to win now,” Roberts said. “I know that’s easier said than done, but I’m up for the challenge and I can’t wait to get started.” Roberts is friends with Southern California women’s coach Lindsay Gottlieb and UCLA coach Cori Close. “That was intentional,” Sparks general manager Reagan Pebley said. “That we were bringing somebody into this role that had existing relationships because again this is a community of women’s basketball that is exceptional.” Roberts added, “I want to be the top of that pyramid with the Sparks.” Roberts is returning to her native California. The 49-year-old coach grew up in the Northern California city of Redding. She played college ball at Seattle Pacific and then began coaching at Chico State before moving to Pacific and then Utah. Roberts was 165-116 in nine-plus seasons at Utah and recently signed a six-year extension. She led the team to three straight NCAA Tournament berths and was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2023. The Utes have started this season 3-1 and will be coached by Gavin Petersen, who was promoted from associate head coach. “I poured 10 years of my life into that place and I loved it. I loved every minute of it,” Roberts said. “Where we started wasn’t great, where it is now is great and I’m very proud of that.” Roberts said the current upheaval in college basketball including name, image and likeness, the transfer portal and Utah's move to the Big 12 this season had nothing to do with her leaving. “I'm sitting here because it's a chance to coach the best people in the world and win a championship in LA. That's it,” she said. “As a competitor and as someone that kind of thrives in pressure, being in this market, being in LA, it sounds like heaven to me." AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketballKarn Kalptinan, a candidate from the ruling Pheu Thai Party , secured a decisive victory in the Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Administrative Organisation ( PAO ) chairman election on Sunday. Unofficial election results indicate Mr Karn, also a former PAO chief, received 387,456 votes, significantly outrunning his competitors. Independent candidate Jittawan Wangsuphakijkosol came second with 322,986 votes, followed by Sitthiphon Laohawanich of the main opposition People's Party (PP) with 138,837 votes. Athipatai Kuisrimongkol trailed behind with 3,620 votes. Mr Karn's supporters gathered late on Sunday at the Kriang Kalptinan Law Office in Ubon Ratchathani's Muang district to celebrate the win. Kriang Kalptinan, Mr Karn's elder brother, congratulated him with a garland of lowers and thanked the campaign staff and voters. He emphasised the importance of completing unfinished projects to develop the province and praised former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's influence in rallying support for him. Mr Kriang credited his brother's victory to the grassroots efforts and his dedication to community development over the past four years. He said Mr Karn once in office will push policies aligned with Pheu Thai's national agenda, including the 10,000-baht cash handout scheme and promote welfare for the elderly. "I feel proud that the people of Ubon Ratchathani have consistently valued our work," he said. "I firmly believe in the continued support of the public to allow us to carry on with our work," he added. Mr Sitthiphon and PP key party figures, including party executive Phicharn Chaowapatanawong, yesterday released a statement conceding defeat in the election. However, the party said the poll outcome shows its support base in Ubon Ratchathani has grown since last year's general election. Mr Sitthiphon urged the PAO leader-elect to consider adopting some of the PP's proposed campaign policies. The party reiterated its commitment to grassroots politics, highlighting its plans to field candidates in 17 provinces in the PAO elections early next year.
DNA Exclusive: Reality Behind Row Over Sambhal`s Mosque & Temple DisputeJob search 2025: 3 key ways AI will make an impact on recruitmentNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted amid mixed trading Monday, ahead of this week’s upcoming meeting by the Federal Reserve that could set Wall Street’s direction into next year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first losing week in the last four . The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2% to a record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was a laggard and fell 110 points, or 0.3%. Broadcom leaped 11.2% to help lead the S&P 500 for a second straight day after delivering a profit report last week that beat analysts’ expectations. The technology company is riding a wave of enthusiasm about its artificial-intelligence offerings in particular. The market’s main event, though, will arrive on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve will announce its last move on interest rates for the year. The widespread expectation is that it will cut its main rate for a third straight time, as it tries to boost the slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its target of 2%. The question is how much more it will cut rates next year, and Fed officials will release projections for where they see the federal funds rate ending 2025, along with other economic indicators, once their meeting concludes. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will also answer questions in a press conference following the meeting. For now, the general expectation among traders is that the Fed may cut a couple more times in 2025, according to data from CME Group. But such expectations have been shrinking following reports suggesting inflation may be tougher to get all the way down to 2% from here. Besides last month’s slight acceleration in inflation, another worry is that President-elect Donald Trump’s preferences for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation down the line. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle has dropped his earlier forecast of a cut by the Fed in January, for example. Beyond the possibility of tariffs, he said Fed officials may also want to slow their cuts because of uncertainty about exactly how low rates need to go so that they no longer press the brakes on the economy. Expectations for a series of cuts to rates by the Fed have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times so far this year and is heading for one of its best years of the millennium . The economy has held up better than many feared, continuing to grow even after the Fed hiked the federal funds rate to a two-decade high in hopes of grinding down on inflation, which topped 9% two summers ago. On Wall Street, MicroStrategy jumped as much as 7% during the day as it continues to benefit from the surging price for bitcoin , which set another all-time high. But its stock ended the day down by les than 0.1% after bitcoin’s price pulled back below $106,000 after setting a record above $107,700, according to CoinDesk. The software company has been building its hoard of the cryptocurrency, and its stock price has more than sextupled this year. It will also soon join the Nasdaq 100 index. Bitcoin’s price has catapulted from roughly $44,000 at the start of the year, riding a recent wave of enthusiasm that Trump will create a system that’s more favorable to digital currencies . Honeywell rose 3.7% after saying it’s still considering a spin-off or sale of its aerospace business, as part of a review of its overall business. It said it plans to give an update with the release of its fourth-quarter results. They helped offset a drop for Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI. Its stock fell 1.7%. Because it’s grown so massive, with a total value topping $3 trillion, it was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500. All told, the S&P 500 rose 22.99 points to 6,074.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 110.58 to 43,717.48, and the Nasdaq composite rose 247.17 to 20,173.89. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.39% from 4.40% late Friday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, eased to 4.24% from 4.25%. In stock markets abroad, indexes fell modestly across much of Europe and Asia. They sank 0.9% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Shanghai after China reported lackluster economic indicators for November despite attempts to strengthen the world’s second-largest economy. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.2% as law enforcement authorities pushed to summon impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree, and the Constitutional Court met to discuss whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
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Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in West Bengal on Friday announced its intention to hire political analysts , content writers, digital marketing executives, designers, and interns in a social media post. The party’s West Bengal State secretary Mohammad Salim said it was an initiative to build a stronger network by focusing on creative methods, new age technology, and data-driven social media outreach for targeted campaigns to reach young voters “This is not a sudden decision. We already have a social media presence. These new hires will strengthen the existing workforce,” Mr. Salim told The Hindu . He also said the CPI(M) did not believe in outsourcing its work, unlike other political parties. Asked if the decision aligned with the CPI(M)‘s ideology, Mr. Salim, said: “We are the only party which has an ideology to begin with.” “We are not outsourcing our ideologies. Anybody who has strong ideologies — that cannot change,” he added. “Apply with the goal to transform & reform our public policies, for the people, by the people,” the party’s post said. Mr. Salim said content was already being improved in the party’s social media pages, and on YouTube. The CPI(M), a cadre-driven and ideology-based party, has for many decades largely relied on its own cadre to run the show, and has criticised other parties for hiring professionals for “policy development”. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has worked with political analysts, including I-PAC, for electoral successes. The CPI(M) ruled West Bengal for 34 years, from 1977 to 2011, and had a significant presence in the Lok Sabha. However, the party has failed to secure a single seat in the Lok Sabha since 2019, and its presence is dwindling. In the 2021 Assembly election, it failed to win a single seat. Published - November 23, 2024 08:08 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit West Bengal / Communist Party of India -Marxist
Trump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama's president balks at the suggestionCerity Partners LLC grew its stake in Banco Santander, S.A. ( NYSE:SAN – Free Report ) by 47.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 668,343 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 214,868 shares during the quarter. Cerity Partners LLC’s holdings in Banco Santander were worth $3,409,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in SAN. Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new position in Banco Santander during the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Planned Solutions Inc. bought a new position in Banco Santander in the 2nd quarter worth $47,000. AE Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Banco Santander in the 2nd quarter worth $50,000. Brookstone Capital Management bought a new stake in Banco Santander during the third quarter valued at about $54,000. Finally, Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC bought a new position in shares of Banco Santander in the third quarter worth about $55,000. Institutional investors own 9.19% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently issued reports on SAN shares. Morgan Stanley raised Banco Santander from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group raised shares of Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Banco Santander Price Performance NYSE:SAN opened at $4.62 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $4.89 and its 200 day moving average is $4.86. Banco Santander, S.A. has a 12 month low of $3.83 and a 12 month high of $5.27. The company has a market capitalization of $73.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.08. Banco Santander Cuts Dividend The firm also recently announced a Semi-Annual dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 31st were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 31st. Banco Santander’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.00%. Banco Santander Profile ( Free Report ) Banco Santander, SA provides various financial services worldwide. The company operates through Retail Banking, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, Wealth Management & Insurance, and PagoNxt segments. It offers demand and time deposits, mutual funds, and current and savings accounts; mortgages, consumer finance, loans, and various financing solutions; and project finance, debt capital markets, global transaction banking, and corporate finance services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Banco Santander Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Santander and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Fern Britton has relived the devastation she felt growing up with her actor father largely absent from her early years. The 67-year-old presenter and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant is the daughter of late actor Tony Britton and his first wife Ruth Hawkins - who he was married to from 1948 until divorcing in 1961. Together, Tony and Ruth were parents to Fern and her older sister Cherry Britton. In her autobiography, titled The Older I Get How I Repowered My Life and which was released earlier this month, Fern revealed that she has no memories of her father living with her and her mother and sister when she was a child. It wasn't until later in life that she acknowledged that her parents's marriage had already crumbled by the time she was born. Fern explains that this didn't hit her until she was in her mid-50s. Tony ultimately moved on from Fern's mother and fell for Danish sculptor Eva Castle and they eventually married in 1962. Ferne wrote, per the Express: “It transpired that during one visit of a few hours back to see her, he and my mum had temporarily rekindled their feelings and I was conceived. Did he go back to his new partner with a – possibly – guilty spring in his step? How did he manage to explain my eventual appearance to his future wife?” Fern admits the revelation was a shock to her, but adds that it “fitted a huge piece of the jigsaw” in her life and she theorises that her father “needed to get it off his chest”. However, she was left with more questions than answers, and continued: "At the age of 55 I was left with a strong feeling of ‘why did nobody say?’ Everyone knew. My uncle, aunt, sister. They all knew. It was only me that was kept in the dark." She went on to write that she now hates it “when someone doesn’t tell me what’s going on”. She added: “It upsets me and makes me very uneasy. I treasure people’s honesty and frankness. I like to know where I am.” Tony sadly passed away at the age of 95 in 2019. Fern broke the news of her father's death four years ago, taking to social media to reveal he passed away on 22 December 2019. She wrote on X - or Twitter , as it was known then: "Our father, Tony Britton, died early this morning. Great actor, director and charmer. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." His death came just months after her beloved mother passed away. Devastated, Fern shared news of her death in a poignant tribute that read: "My Mum. Ruth. Both mother and father to me. Funny, ferocious, and a woman once met, you couldn't forget. 24.1.24 / 17.4.18. So brave and uncomplaining. An army sergeant WW2, beauty queen, teacher, and all woman." Fern previously told the Guardian about her past relationship with her father. She told the publication: "My dad wasn't around when I was a child – it was just me, my mum and my older sister, Cherry. "My mum has always been a very strong person and as a child I absorbed her example of how you can exist on your own. How you don't need a man to validate your life. When I split up from my first husband I wasn't scared to be on my own." The former This Morning star was married to TV executive Clive Jones from 1988 until 2000 and they share three children together. Fern then married celebrity chef Phil Vickery in 2000 and they have a daughter together - but this marriage also crumbled and they divorced in 2020. Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.
Binghamton 75, LIU 70, OTAfraid of losing the US-Canada trade pact, Mexico alters its laws and removes Chinese partsDear Eric: We live on a lake and love hosting our great-nieces and nephews on school breaks and the entire family on vacations. My husband and I have no children. Our niece’s families are dear to us. Our 11-year-old great-nephew has been gaming now for about a year. When he comes to visit, instead of reading, playing cards or board games with us, like in the past, he wants to disappear with his video games. We feel vacated. How do we navigate this with his parents who think his being on a video gaming team at school is awesome and I think it is a bad omen? What is a fair place of compromise and balance? – Game Off Dear Game Off: Let his parents parent their child. The other night I re-watched the movie “Network” from 1977 (stay with me here; it relates). In it, a character in his 60s dismisses a character played by a young Faye Dunaway by saying “she’s the television generation. She learned life from Bugs Bunny. The only reality she knows is what comes to her over her TV set.” Every generation has anxieties about the ways that technology is changing social interactions or altering the minds of the generations below. While some of those concerns are valid, those of Faye Dunaway’s generation (now in their 70s and 80s) would argue that they’ve managed to stay quite well-rounded, despite (and often with the aid of) TV. In moderation, video games have been shown to improve a child’s cognitive function and working memory. While your great-nephew’s gaming might not be your choice, it’s important that you not seek to undermine the research and thinking that his parents have done about it. What you’re really yearning for is a sense of togetherness as a family, so try talking to your niece and her spouse about group activities you can plan to meet your great-nephew where he is. And don’t be afraid to pick up a controller and ask him to show you the ropes. Dear Eric: I eat at a local restaurant a couple times a week and tend to get one of three meals. This one waitress asks me what I want to eat, but then interrupts me to make guesses or tell me my choice. I just put my head down and nod yes or no to the guesses. It’s frustrating, but not life-threatening. She enjoys it. I hate it. However, if I were to say something, it would force her to make the choice of being herself, doing something she likes doing, or appeasing me so I can order the way I want to order. I don’t know if this is a big enough problem to have a “high road.” The answer will not change my life. She can easily change, and I can easily suffer. The question is who gets to be themselves? – Speaking Up Dear Speaking Up: I worked in the service industry for more than a decade. I loved it. I loved seeing regulars, meeting new people and carrying a lot of beverages in my hands at one time. The whole bit. I also loved knowing what people wanted, but I would always ask and confirm. That’s part of the job. She may think you’re a regular who likes to be known in this way. So, informing her that that’s not the case won’t be keeping her from being herself. It will be helping her to do her job better. You may not have the kind of temperament that easily or comfortably course-corrects in social situations. That’s just fine. But know you won’t be causing her suffering by saying something like “I’ve already decided on my meal. Let’s skip the guessing today and I’ll just tell you.” This also clears the path for the two of you to talk about something else, if you want. Ideally, it’s a conversation that you’ll both enjoy. Dear Eric: I’m not sure if the letter from “Invisible Dad” about his wife buying trinkets for their adult kids and having more close conversations with them is related to my better half and myself. I think it could be but I can’t be sure so don’t want to ask him. I never really thought about it all the time, but assumed kids knew that gifts were from both of us. If this question does relate to us, and even if it doesn’t, I will be mindful of what I haven’t been mindful of. My heart is melting if he does really care that much about the kids. Thank you for listening. – Daily Reader Dear Reader: Thanks for your thoughtful note and your openness. Please also reconsider talking to your husband about the ways you interact with your kids. It could be really healing and productive.
NEW YORK — There's a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA's Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the "Dunk the Halls" game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse's Christmas wish. "Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible," Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They'll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. "It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level," said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella's castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy's room from "Toy Story;" the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield's Atoms Stadium as part of " The Simpsons Funday Football. " Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. "So, this is a level of detail that we've never gone, that we've never done on any other broadcast," said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he'd look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. "Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It's like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character," said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama's presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade" for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN's "SkyCam" during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. "It's going to be so crazy to see the game animated," Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. "I think what's dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters." Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more.Ghana defender Ebenezer Annan assists a goal for OFK Beograd in 2-2 draw against TSC
Adani Gangavaram Port Sets New Record in Urea DischargeSave articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. For decades, it was all about Margaret. Sure, Norma, Joyce, Betty and Beryl had their moments in the sun, but in mid-20th century Australia, Margaret was overwhelmingly the most popular girl’s name. There was barely a year between 1929 and 1952 when Margaret wasn’t top of the heap for newborn girls. Worldwide, too, it was the era of Margarets: Thatcher (the PM), Windsor (the princess), Attwood (author of The Handmaid’s Tale ), Olley and Preston (artists), Court (tennis star) and, at a pinch, actress Ann-Margret (of Bye Bye Birdie fame – YouTube it ). Then, in 1953, this incredible reign just ended. Having already slipped to second spot in NSW, in Victoria the drop was precipitous. Margaret pushed aside by Susan, Christine and Jennifer. By 1956, according to state records, Julie and Karen were more popular too; the year after, Debra and Wendy squeezed Margaret further down the ranks. Just over a decade later, she couldn’t make the top 50, buried in a sea of Lisas, Sharons, Susans and the new frontrunner, no doubt inspired by the Beatles song of the same name from 1965, Michelle . Margaret occasionally made the top 100 – just – in the early 1970s and mysteriously popped up in Victoria’s top 50 in 2000, incongruously surrounded by her Generation-Z cousins Taylah, Mia, Chelsea, Zoe and Maddison. And then she was gone from the top of the charts for good. Audrey, an ancient Anglo-Norman name, similarly prevailed through the 1930s only to vanish, notwithstanding the popularity of Audrey Hepburn’s 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s . Yet despite being sent to Siberia for decades, Audrey suddenly reappeared in 2007 and last year, hers was the 26th-most popular baby name in Victoria and 33rd in NSW. Why do names fall in and out of favour? Why do some get “upcycled” through the generations (Daisy, Jack, William, Ruth) while once “It” names like Donald, Phyllis, Doreen, Roslyn, and Frank don’t so much? How much does your own name date you? Princess Margaret had one of the most popular first names of her generation. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Did we have names when we were living in caves? If you believe the 1966 Hollywood caveman epic One Million Years B.C. , whose promotional material confidently promised “this is the way it was”, prehistoric people had names such as Tumak, Sakana and Nupondi. In her breakout role, Raquel Welch played the animal-skin-clad tribeswoman Loana. It’s not completely outlandish, evolutionary social psychologist Francis McAndrew tells us from Knox College in Illinois. “There really is no historical record that goes back far enough to document this,” he says. “In our early prehistoric societies, everyone knew everyone else personally, so names would not have been necessary to identify someone in the modern sense. However, there had to be some way of referring to individuals when they were discussed, so some sort of naming had to occur pretty early.” First, or single, names (think Madonna, Maradona, Plato, Elvis) were the norm by the time writing was scratched into clay tablets in Egypt, China and Mesopotamia around 3200 BC. Some historians cite the first mention of a name as probably that of a public servant in the Mesopotamian city of Uruk (in present-day Iraq) who “signed” their tablets “Kushim” in cuneiform script . Tablets from the Sumerian empire of 3100 BC record the names of slave owner Gal-Sal and slaves Enpap-x and Sukkalgir. Raquel Welch as Loana and English John Richardson as Tumak in One Million Years B.C. in 1966. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Those may have dropped out of common usage (actually, why not Enpap-x?) but a handful of ancient monikers are still relatively common: the Greek names Alexander and Alexandra are in records kept by the Hittites around 1280 BC; Theodora dates from at least this time; in Scandinavia you might have met a Freya (named for the Norse goddess of love, fertility, battle and death). Susan is believed to have its origins in the ancient Egyptian word for water lily, sSn, possibly via the Hebrew Shoshanah and the ancient Greek Sousanna. Noah, the second-most popular boy’s name for babies born in NSW in 2023 and the most popular name in several European nations, dates back to the ark, of course. Single names today are usually the preserve of celebrities, either because they adopt their own (Rihanna, Sting, Bono, Morrissey) or that’s how they become known (Bowie, Jagger, Adele). Brazilian soccer players, too, commonly choose to go by a single name, or mononym (Ronaldo was born Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima; Pelé, Edson Arantes do Nascimento). In 1970, a Brazilian child was named Tospericargerja after the football team that won the soccer World Cup that year: “Tos” from Tostão, “pe” from Pelé, “ri” from Rivelino, “car” from Carlos Alberto, “ger” from Gérson, and “ja” from Jairzinho.) In everyday life, a person who changed his birth name to a mononym tells us, a single name can be problematic – filling out forms online, for example, usually requires two names in two boxes. “Every system should cope with the full variety of naming practices that exist in Australia, and most don’t,” says Stilgherrian, a freelance journalist and commentator from Sydney, who legally changed his name decades ago. “I get into lots of conversations about, where did it come from? One of the most popular guesses is that it’s Armenian. If nothing else, it’s a conversation starter.” The widespread adoption of surnames arrived much later, possibly first in ancient China, around 2000 years ago, to facilitate census-taking. The Romans, too, favoured multiple names, which might relate you to your clan or tribe. He of Brutus fame was Marcus Junius Brutus; a fellow assassin, Gaius Cassius Longinus. By the early Middle Ages in the Arabic-speaking world, it became common to take a surname that referenced both your lineage – “son of” – and your origins, perhaps from a famous ancestor or place. It’s believed the Norman conquest of 1066 popularised the idea of surnames to the early Britons; the invading Frenchmen referenced their home towns in a surname. Meanwhile, as the human population grew, along with growth in trade and the desire to collect taxes, it grew increasingly difficult to identify people by their first names alone – “John who?” Says McAndrew: “Many, if not most, surnames developed as a way of identifying people either by occupation or by the geographical location from which they came.” Think Hill or Craig, from crag, or de Porta. And, at least in English-speaking lands, Archer, Baker, Cook, Constable, Farmer, Fisher and Hunter. “It seems like people had to start talking about John the carpenter to distinguish him from John the tailor or John from Kerry.” Francis’ own surname, McAndrew, derives from one of his ancestors being the “son of Andrew”. Et tu, Brute? Assassins Gaius Cassius Longinus, played by John Gielgud, and Marcus Junius Brutus (James Mason) in a 1953 MGM production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted What are the rules and customs about names? Some countries and cultures are relatively laissez-faire about names. In Australia, while rules vary from state to state, you can be pretty creative – with a few caveats. In both NSW and Victoria, for example, you can choose whatever you like as long as it is not obscene or offensive; not more than 38 characters long (in Victoria) or 50 (in NSW); does not contain characters that are unpronounceable, such as “A!3xand3er Brown”; and is not misleading, such as “Commander” or “Duke of Edinburgh”. (The singer Prince would have failed on several counts, especially when he changed his name to an indecipherable symbol.) In both states, the registries of births, deaths and marriages can scotch “impractical” names, such as “Alexander is the Best Brown” or “A.L.E.X.A.N.D.E.R Brown”. Overseas, Chinese first names traditionally consist of one or two characters that are given to symbolise the parents’ aspirations for a child’s characteristics, such as 欣妍 (Xīn yán, meaning “vitality or beauty”) and 可欣 (Kě xīn, “merits admiration”). It’s not uncommon for Chinese nationals to change their given names several times during their lifetime nor for younger people, particularly students of English, to adopt a Western-sounding nickname, such as Eric or Wellington. “I have had students who change nicknames three times in one year,” says Peyman Sabet, who teaches at Curtin University in Perth. “It’s as simple as, one morning, they will say they’re changing their nickname.” ‘Names given to girls often drew inspiration from resilient plants such as pine, cedar, bamboo and chrysanthemum, symbols of strength, health and longevity.’ Arabic names are generally divided into three parts: given, middle and family. The middle names reference forebears: the Saudi ruler commonly known as “MBS” has the full name Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (“bin” meaning son of). Many Muslims will give their sons Muhammad (or variant spelling) as a first name, then, to distinguish them from other Muhammads, a second name they use in daily life, such as Muhammad Firas or Muhammad Hosni. Muhammad is the most common name in the world, but only recently began to chart in the most popular names in Australia; it’s now the 36th-most popular boy’s name in NSW, and 27th in Victoria. Arabs might also be known by their kunya, an alternate name that references their oldest child, traditionally the eldest son (but not necessarily today). This follows the style “Abu (father of) Ali” or “Umm (mother of) Fatima”. In Japan, naming can prove controversial. There was outrage in 1993, for example, when parents wanted to call their daughter Akuma, meaning devil; and, in 2019, an 18-year-old named Prince told interviewers his life had been filled with shame and embarrassment as a result of his parents’ decision. The government has recently clamped down on unconventional choices. Parents’ choices have reflected societal changes, says Ivona Baresova, a Czech researcher who has studied Japanese and Taiwanese naming conventions. “At the end of the 19th century, names given to girls often drew inspiration from resilient plants such as pine, cedar, bamboo and chrysanthemum, symbols of strength, health and longevity, which were vital in an era marked by high infant mortality and challenging living conditions. Today, plant-inspired feminine names reflect a different ideal. Modern names often feature flowers like jasmine, cherry, or apricot blossoms, evoking an image of beauty, affection and kindness, qualities appreciated in contemporary life.” Brazilian footballer Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, signs autographs in 1970. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Parents can run foul of naming regulations in Scandinavia, too. In 1999, Finns Mika and Jaana Johansson named their son “Axl Mick” but were refused by the Population Registration Authority as the spelling did not comply with Finnish naming practice. The couple pursued the authority through the courts, arguing that Axl was common in Denmark and Norway (usually as Aksel or Axel) and was pronounceable in Finnish. In 2007, the European Court of Human Rights found that their rights had been breached and the name was acceptable, despite it missing its usual vowel. “The name was not ridiculous or whimsical, nor was it likely to prejudice the child.” Terhi Ainiala, professor of Finnish language at the University of Helsinki, tells us many rules apply to name-giving in Finland. “It is forbidden to give a name that is clearly of the surname type as a first name,” Ainiala says, of one rule. In Iceland, surnames are usually either parents’ first name, followed by -son (son of) or -dottir (daughter of) ... Singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir is the daughter of Guðmundur. Which brings us to Iceland. Surnames there are not fixed but are usually either parents’ first name, followed by -son (son of) or dottir (daughter of). As in: Ólafsson (son of Olaf) or Jónsdóttir (daughter of Jon). Singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir is the daughter of Guðmundur. Inga Arnadottir, Iceland’s honorary consul-general to Australia, is Inga, “daughter of Arni” (Arna is the feminine case of Arni). So, how do Icelanders know each other’s lineage? Well, they might not, says Arnadottir: “How do people know which family you’re from and who you’re related to? I mean, it is a small country, less than half a million people there now.” Though she notes: “You meet a guy at the bar and ... and you think, well, I just wonder how related we are.” (Icelanders can check their genealogy on a database going back to the 9th century .) Choosing a first name can be complex. To protect Iceland’s cultural heritage, the Mannanafnanefnd (Human Names Committee) maintains a register of some 4200 allowable names (based on grammar, spelling and whether they may cause the bearer harm) and meets to adjudicate on the introduction of new ones. (The Icelandic alphabet has 32 letters, including the unique characters Þ, ð and æ, which can produce some confounding names for the unfamiliar, such as Blær, Snævarr and Álfdís.) In July, the committee approved six new names: Núri and Foster for boys, Roj, Ana, Ahelia and Maríabet for girls. Björk Guðmundsdóttir’ is the daughter of Guðmundur. Why do some names get recycled over generations? Amelia, an ancient name with Latin roots meaning industrious or fertility, was popularised with the birth of Princess Amelia in 1783, the 15th and last child of England’s King George III. Alas, by the 20th century, Amelia had all but vanished. Yet in Australia, she reappeared in the 1980s, creeping on to the top 100 register in Victoria in 1988 in 99th place. By 1999, she was in the top 50, had hit the top 20 by 2004, and today is regularly first or second in both NSW and Victoria, usually accompanied by her similarly revived cousins Audrey, Charlotte, Matilda, Ruby and Ava. Meanwhile, Oliver, another ancient name (Oliver Cromwell brought it into disrepute in the 17th century), regularly claims the top spot among boys’ names these days, but didn’t even begin to chart in the top 100 until the late 1980s. It’s all about timing, says Ainiala. “Parents generally do not want to give their children the names of their own generation or their parents’ generation, as they feel too familiar and worn out and may be associated with unpleasant personal images,” she says. “Instead, these older-generation names are seen as fresher alternatives.” Not that long ago, you’d find several children in a classroom sharing the same name – David, Mary, Susan, Kylie, perhaps. It’s less likely today, says Jean-Francois Mignot, who researches demographic trends at the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris. “More and more parents are choosing relatively original, distinctive and individualising first names for their children, which allow them to appear unique or to stand out from the crowd,” he tells us. Amelia enjoyed a renaissance a couple of centuries after the naming of Princess Amelia, born in 1783. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted It’s a long-running trend. In the 1810s, most newborns in France were given one of the top 10 most popular names (Jacques, Marguerite); today, there is much more variation: think Lina and Romy, Gabriele and Jules. From the 1900s to the 2010s, the number of different first names given at least once to each sex at the French civil registry increased from about 1500 to about 6500 per year. “Fashion for first names has also been changing more quickly since the early 20th century,” says Mignot. This is just as true in Denmark, says Birgit Eggert, a linguist at the University of Copenhagen, with “fewer people having the most common names and more people having very rare names and alternative spellings of names”. At the same time, she says, “A kind of wave motion in name fashion can be seen, such that many names reappear in every third generation. Newborn children are thus often given names that are known from their great-grandparents’ generation.” Perhaps, as Andrew Colman from the University of Leicester concluded in his 1983 study on the attractiveness of names: “When names are either very unfamiliar or very familiar, they are not generally liked very much, but at some intermediate level of familiarity they achieve peak popularity.” Increasingly, parents are also choosing names that translate internationally, Iceland possibly being an exception, linguist Anna-Maria Balbach tells us from Yale University in the United States. “In most European countries, especially in Central and Western Europe, there is a strong trend towards common name favourites and thus a strong internationalisation of the most popular first names in Europe.” Sofia is currently top across several nations (or Sophia, Zofia, Sofija) followed by Mia. For boys, Noah, again, is in first place in five countries, with Luka (or Luca) second. Biblical names, in particular, travel well: Adam, Eve, Noah, Daniel, Luke and Mia (from Mary). Russell Crowe plays Noah in the 2014 movie: Noah is a hardy perennial among name favourites. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Katrine Kehlet Bechsgaard, also at Denmark’s University of Copenhagen, tells us the educational background of parents can factor in name choices. In one study of naming motives, she found “parents with longer educations tended to choose more historically established names whereas parents with shorter educations were more likely to choose less established names.” In Australia, too, parents are travelling back through time to seek unusual names, such as Maxwell, Elliot, Theodore, Eleanor and even Harriet, observes Mark McCrindle, a demographer who has studied naming practices in Australia for decades. “People are going for more traditional names,” he tells us. “So they’re reaching back to their grandparents’ era, which is quite interesting, rather than using the very contemporary names. It’s a trend that’s emerged in the last decade, and it’s amazingly consistent.” Victorian-era botanicals are popular right now: Ivy, Daisy, Rose, Poppy, Lily, Jasmine and Violet (though Heather, Iris and Hyacinth, not so much). Falling out of favour, says McCrindle, are those creative or phonetic spellings, such as Taylah, Charli and Maddison, that emerged in the early 2000s. “These new names died off quite quickly. And we suddenly discovered some history. Partly it’s that people recognise that their children are going to live for a long time and that contemporary trends might eventually seem old and dated. And people realise this is a tricky name to spell the non-traditional way, [and] they’re going to be forever spelling it out.” Absolutely, says Pierre-Louis Plumejeau-Wilby, who grew up in Australia and is the son of a French father and English mother, now working as a parliamentary assistant in Britain. “I reckon I still get asked once a week, ‘How do I pronounce your surname?’” he tells us from London, explaining that his double-double-barrelled name is a result of his parents taking an old family name, Pierre, from his father and adding to it his mother’s choice, Louis, in a compromise deal – while also combining their surnames. If he eventually has a son of his own, he says he will maintain the “Pierre” tradition, if not the double-double barrel. “Especially since my dad died. I just think it’s good to continue it.” Oh, and he has a middle name, too – John. A classic botanical name, albeit a contraction of Emilie, not Lily: Lillie Langtry, born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton, in 1885. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Can your name determine your future? Viennese psychoanalyst Herbert Silberer wrote: “A man’s name is like a shadow ... it follows him all his life.” But what effect does it have on your destiny? The concept of nominative determinism , how your name might determine your life’s path, is believed to have first appeared in a humorous article in New Scientist magazine in the mid-1990s, no doubt to debunk the idea that a baby with the surname “Taylor” would be fated to endure a lifetime of cutting cloth. Yet hunt around, and you can find some famously appropriate examples of the name fitting the career: urology researchers Splatt and Weedon; polar author Daniel Snowman; the high jumper Nathan Leeper; a firefighter called Les McBurney. Cardinal Sin was a Filipino cleric, and there’s the Bulgarian Olympic gymnast Silviya Topalova. Earlier this year, science author Jesse Singal did a deep dive into the notion for The New York Times , uncovering research that suggested people’s names not only influenced their decisions about which professions to go into but also about where to live, drawing them to towns and streets with names similar or identical to their own. But he also found a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who comprehensively dismantled the idea, showing that “implicit egotism” was more likely at fault. Still, writes Singal, “the continued interest in the idea – across centuries and, arguably, against the evidence – is in itself revealing, highlighting humans’ deep-seated desire for order in a chaotic universe and the role science plays in satisfying that need ... In a strange, mystical way, isn’t it comforting to think that you ended up in San Francisco not because of the vicissitudes of geography and employment but because you’re named Fran?” Most popular names given in Australia in 2023 Isla, Amelia, Charlotte, Olivia, Mia, Ava, Matilda, Harper, Lily, Hazel. Oliver, Noah, Henry, Leo, Theodore, Hudson, Luca, William, Charlie, Jack. – from McCrindle, Australian state and territory records Either way, parents have, for millennia, sought advice before naming their children. The ancient Romans believed “nomen est omen”, the name is an omen. In China, parents might go to a fortune teller for guidance, says Shuge Wei, a senior lecturer at ANU. “They try to fix what might be in difficulty in the future, and try to fix that problem by giving a name then addressing that effect. [There’s a] huge industry behind it.” In Taiwan, says Ivona Baresova, “a poorly chosen name is thought to bring misfortune to the bearer’s future life. When asked about the origin of their name, many Taiwanese simply state that it was chosen by a fortune teller.” Hindus traditionally choose a name through the elaborate ritual of the Barasala. In the first few days after the birth of a child, a birth chart is plotted by astrologers to select the initial syllable of the child’s name, explains Thilagavathi Shanmuganathan in Names, the International Journal of Onomastics (the study of names). Then, on an auspicious day, “rice grains are spread on a bronze dish, and the father writes the chosen name on the rice grains using a stick rolled in gold wrapper while chanting the name of the main deity. This is drawn from the traditional saying that in every grain of rice, your name is written. The baby’s father then whispers the selected name into the child’s right ear thrice and says a prayer. The need to repeat the name three times symbolises the three main deities in Hinduism.” Researcher Jean-Francois Mignon calls himself Jeff in English ‘because in English, Jean is a female first name, and because this first name is hell to pronounce for English speakers.’ In the West, religious or spiritual aspects of naming might have waned, but many parents still agonise to the extent they will hire a professional naming expert. Social media has only added to the anxiety, says Colleen Slagen, a US-based naming consultant who charges up to $600 for a consultation (note that an Australian-based rival charges up to $4999 for a “bespoke” package that includes Zoom calls, ongoing naming support and unlimited revisions for up to three months). “If someone posts that they had a baby named Eloise, even if they’re not someone you interact with in person, it may feel ‘taken’,” Slagen tells us. “Social media has also sped up the exchange of ideas and the speed with which trends come and go ... This can cause a paradox of choice that makes it harder to settle on the one .” Conversely, some parents, particularly in the United States, don’t bother picking a name at all, instead just adding “jnr” or “III” to the father’s name: Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump Jr, William Randolph Hearst III. It can be advantageous, says Francis McAndrew, and can strengthen the bond between fathers and their kids, although it can also carry “high expectations for the son on the part of the father”. Some people change their own names to increase a family bond: in Britain, TV presenter Dawn Porter switched to Dawn O’Porter after marrying actor Chris O’Dowd, and Brooklyn Beckham took his wife’s surname as a new middle name. It was a common migrant experience, meanwhile, in the 1950s and 1960s to Anglicise or change a Greek or Italian name to assimilate or simply end the torturous ritual of explaining pronunciations. Indeed, researcher Jean-Francois Mignon calls himself Jeff in English, he says, “because in English, Jean is a female first name, and because this first name is hell to pronounce for English speakers”. People are so aggrieved by mispronunciations, says cultural diversity consultant Fiona Swee-Lin Price, that she is contracted by universities to correctly read out the names of students at graduation ceremonies. Awkward mispronunciations are hard to avoid, though, Price says, as it’s essentially trying to speak an unfamiliar language. “There’s a lot of preaching going on and not a lot of teaching. I think people are a bit too quick to make it an individual’s responsibility to get someone’s name right.” Research suggests employers still discriminate on the basis of names. In a study in 2023, Monash University economist Andreas Leibbrandt and a colleague sent 12,000 job applications to over 4000 job advertisements in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, using identical resumes but with confected names drawn from six different ethnic groups. The results showed ethnic minorities received 57.4 per cent fewer callbacks for leadership positions than applicants with English names. “If you look at the impact of the name in the Australian context and compare it to international studies in other countries,” Leibbrandt tells us today, “it’s certainly one of the most pronounced differences as compared to other countries.” It’s unsurprising, then, that in Australia’s Muslim community, some people still feel pressure to change their names or go by names that are easier for Anglo-Australians to pronounce, says Adel Salman of the Islamic Council of Victoria. “People do it for various reasons, just to fit in, for fear of being teased at school, because they believe it will increase their job prospects or their prospects of securing rental accommodation,” he tells us. “Some people in their work life, they’re called ‘Mo’, but in their family and social circles, they use the proper name, ‘Mohammed’.” And, no, Adel’s name is not pronounced like that of the English singer Adele. “For a lot of my life, he says, “People would call me ‘Adele’, and I never corrected that. But maybe 15, 20 years ago, I actually started to tell people, ‘Actually, no, it’s pronounced AH-dull.’” Our new Explainer anthology, Why Do People Queue for Brunch? The Explainer Guide To Modern Mysteries is in bookstores December 3. It’s also available for pre-order and subscribers are being offered a 25 per cent discount (full price is $32.99) until December 12. See here for details . Credit:Nano Nuclear Energy (NASDAQ:NNE) Shares Gap Up – Should You Buy?Kadant Inc. (NYSE:KAI) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.
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