The Winnipeg Jets (18-4-0) take on the LA Kings (11-8-3) Wednesday. Puck drop from Crypto.com Arena is set for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NHL odds around the Jets vs. Kings odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions . Season series: First meeting; Jets swept 2-0 last season The Jets are 2-1 on a current 6-game road trip, and all of them ended in 4-1 scores. The latest was a 4-1 winner Monday against the Minnesota Wild. G Connor Hellebuyck continued his Vezina pursuit with 43 saves on 44 shots. LW Kyle Connor had an assist in the affair, his fifth point in the last 4 games. The Kings dropped a joke of a game as -233 favorites 7-2 at San Jose Monday. G David Rittich got his stretches in as he watched 7 goals sail by on 21 shots. C Anze Kopitar ended his 8-game goalless drought with his 6 lamp lighter of the season. Stream the NHL all season on ESPN+ , with your team's out-of-market games, exclusive games, originals and more. Get ESPN+ now! Jets at Kings odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 5:45 p.m. ET. Jets at Kings projected goalies Connor Hellebuyck (15-2-2, 2.06 GAA, .929 SV%, 3 SO) vs. David Rittich (7-6-0, 2.65 GAA, .883 SV%) As mentioned, Hellebuyck was an absolute stud Monday, stopping 43 of 44 shots in his 4-1 taming of the Wild. He has allowed 1 goal apiece in 2 straight starts. Looking at goalies who have played at least 8 games, his 2.06 GAA and .929 SV% both rank first. He was 1-1 with a 3.50 GAA and .889 SV% in 2 starts against the Kings last season. The Kings were treading water just fine with Darcy Kuemper on the shelf until Monday. Rittich allowed 7 goals in that one, but he allowed 7 goals in his last 6 appearances combined. He has allowed 1 goal or fewer in half of his 12 starts this season. Jets at Kings picks and predictions Prediction Jets 4, Kings 2 Moneyline The Kings (-110) are 17th in hockey with 2.95 goals per game, and they're facing a mountain of a challenge with Hellebuyck between the pipes. I love the JETS (- 110 ) at this price. They're tied for first with 4.05 goals per game, and the Kings' confidence has been shaken after Monday's 7-2 loss to the Sharks. Puck line/Against the spread I'm going with KYLE CONNOR OVER 0.5 ASSISTS (+ 115 ) here. He has helpers in 3 of 4 games, and he had 3 assists in 2 games against the Kings last season with fewer than 3 shots in each. Over/Under The Jets are 2-8 O/U in their last 10, thanks to their awesome goaltending. The Kings, known to be a defensive-minded club, are 3-5-2 O/U in the same span. One or both teams have scored 4 goals in the last 6 meetings. I feel an OVER 5.5 (- 105 ) cashing. Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now ! For more sports betting picks and tips , check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW . Follow Ryan Dodson on Twitter/X . Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook . More NHL Picks and Predictions! Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche odds, picks and predictions Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers odds, picks and predictions Washington Capitals at Tampa Bay Lightning odds, picks and predictionsWireless Tension Sensor Market Outlook and Future Projections for 2030
Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia
Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown , a major symbolic moment for the country’s dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday, pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. It’s part of Blinken’s 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but his first after Assad was ousted. The U.S. is also making a renewed push for an ceasefire in Gaza, where the war has plunged more than 2 million Palestinians into a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The October 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here's the latest: ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that eliminating a U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militia is his country’s “strategic goal,” and called on members of the group to leave Syria or lay down arms. In an interview with Turkey’s NTV television, Fidan also suggested that Syria’s new rulers — the rebels who swept into Damascus and who are backed by Ankara — would not recognize the militia, known as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG. The group is allied with the United States in the fight against the Islamic State group but Turkey views it as a terrorist organization and a security threat. “The non-Syrian YPG members must leave the country as soon as possible. The entire command level of the YPG must also leave the country,” Fidan said. “After that, those who remain must put down their weapons and continue with their lives.” Fidan said that as the Syrian insurgents advanced toward Damascus and Syria's Bashar Assad was toppled, Turkey in talks that were underway in Qatar at the time asked Iran and Russia not to intervene militarily. “At some point they (Russians and Iranians) made phone calls. That evening, Assad left,” Fidan said. UNITED NATIONS —– The situation in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating with scores of reported fatalities from multiple Israeli airstrikes in recent days and insecurity hampering aid deliveries, the United Nations said Friday. U.N. humanitarian coordinator Muhannad Hadi urged respect for the principles of “distinction, proportionality and precautions” and called on the parties to ensure the protection of civilians and safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid. Hadi cited the looting of a 70-truck convoy that was traveling at the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday and the looting of four out of five trucks leaving the Kissufim crossing that same day. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs known as OCHA reported that Israel denied more than 90% of the 137 missions the U.N. and its partners wanted to send to besieged northern Gaza since Oct. 6. BEIRUT — Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on Friday against sites in several cities in Syria, an opposition war monitor reported. Associated Press journalists heard loud explosions throughout the Syrian capital Damascus. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The strikes hit the summit of Mount Qasioun in Damascus, Khalkhala Airport in the countryside of Sweida and the Defense and Research Laboratories in Masyaf, located in the western countryside of Hama, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Earlier on Friday, Israeli strikes targeted six military sites in the countryside of Damascus and Sweida, the observatory said. Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes since the toppling of the Syrian regime, saying it seeks to neutralize potential threats following the ouster of Bashar Assad. The strikes have targeted weapons production sites, anti-aircraft batteries and airfields. Israel has also moved troops to occupy a buffer zone in the Golan Heights on its border with Syria. DAMASCUS, Syria — Russian forces and military vehicles were seen withdrawing from southern Syria on Friday toward their primary base in in the coastal city of Latakia. The Russian troop movement comes amid questions about whether Moscow will still be able to project power in the Middle East after the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad. His rule was supported by Russia and he received asylum in Russia after being toppled Sunday. There are also questions about what a Russian pullback in Syria could mean for the war in Ukraine. Significant Russian military convoys were seen on the Damascus-Homs highway near Shinshar village heading north. The military vehicles, bearing Russian flags, included tanks and armored personnel carriers. The military equipment had been previously stationed in southern regions such as Daraa and Damascus. On Thursday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Russian forces were leaving bases in Ain Issa and Tel Al-Samn in the Al-Raqqah countryside. Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies on Friday show what appear to be cargo planes at a Russian military airfield in Syria with their nose cones opened to receive heavy equipment, along with helicopters being dismantled and prepared for transport. Earlier this week, all Russian naval ships departed the Syrian port of Tartus, according to a U.S. official. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus will reopen on Saturday for the first time since 2012, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday. In an interview with Turkey’s NTV television Fidan said a newly appointed interim charge d’affaires had left for Damascus on Friday together with his delegation. “It will be operational as of tomorrow,” he said. The embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security conditions during the Syrian civil war. All embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. The Syrian insurgents who overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday did so with vital help from Turkey. WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, a U.S. official said Friday. Travis Timmerman was flown out of Syria on a U.S. military helicopter, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. Timmerman, 29, told The Associated Press he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didn’t know of any other Americans held in the facility. — By Lolita C. Baldor THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid from human rights groups to block weapons exports to Israel and trading with the occupied territories, after finding there were sufficient checks already in place to comply with international law. The ten organizations told The Hague District Court last month that they thought the Netherlands was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawn up following World War II, by continuing to sell weapons to Israel more than a year into the conflict in Gaza. “The government uses my own tax money, that I pay, to kill my own family. I’ve lost 18 members of my own family,” Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser for the pro-Palestinian organization Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, told the court during a hearing in November . The court ruling said that “it is not up to the interim relief judge to order the state to reconsider government policy. That is primarily a political responsibility.” Lawyers for the government argued it wasn’t up to a judge to decide foreign policy for the Netherlands. The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from another court, the International Court of Justice, as confirming the obligation to stop weapons sales. In January, the top U.N. court said it was plausible Palestinians were being deprived of some rights protected under the Genocide Convention. The coalition said it will review the court’s ruling and is considering an appeal. CAIRO — Israeli attacks in and around a hospital in northern Gaza wounded three medical staff overnight into Friday and caused damage to the isolated medical facility, according to its director. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said Israeli quadcopter drones carrying explosives deliberately targeted the emergency and reception area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where one doctor was wounded for a third time. Abu Safiya said “relentless” drone and artillery strikes throughout the night exploded “alarmingly close” to the hospital, heavily damaging nearby buildings and destroying most of the water tanks on the hospital’s roof and blowing out doors and windows. Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya has been hit multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. “We demand international protection for the hospital and its staff,” Abu Safiya said in a statement released via the U.K.-based aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians, “as well as the entry of delegations with surgical expertise, medical supplies, and essential medications to ensure we can adequately serve the people we are treating.” Abu Safiya said there were 72 wounded patients at the hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in northern Gaza. He said he expected Israeli forces would allow a World Health Organization aid convoy to bring supplies to the hospital on Friday or Saturday, as well as a team of doctors from Indonesia. Israel has allowed almost no humanitarian or medical aid to enter the three besieged communities in northern Gaza — Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and the urban Jabaliya refugee camp — and ordered tens of thousands to flee to nearby Gaza City. Israeli officials have said the three communities are mostly deserted, but the United Nations humanitarian office said Tuesday it believes around 65,000 to 75,000 people are still there, with little access to food, water, electricity or health care. Experts have warned that the north may be experiencing famine . BAGHDAD — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq on Friday on his latest visit to the Middle East aimed at stabilizing the situation in Syria to prevent further regional turmoil. Blinken met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani as part of the hastily arranged trip, his 12th to the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad. Blinken has already been to Jordan and Turkey on his current tour and will return to the Jordanian city of Aqaba for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers, Turkey’s foreign minister and the United Nations special envoy for Syria, the U.N. said. Blinken will try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow the Islamic State group to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. In Baghdad, Blinken underscored “U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty,” the State Department said. “He will also discuss regional security opportunities and challenges, as well as enduring U.S. support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition,” it said in a statement. His trip comes as the Biden administration winds down with just over a month left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has been highly critical of Biden’s approach to the Middle East and skeptical of the U.S. military presence in both Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and Iraq agreed in September to wrap up U.S.-led military operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq next year, although Assad’s ouster and the potential for the group taking advantage of a political vacuum in Syria could complicate the timing of the withdrawal, according to American officials. DAMASCUS — The kingdom of Bahrain sent a message Friday to Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It said Bahrain is “fully prepared to consult with you continuously and to provide support in regional and international organizations to achieve what is in the interest of the brotherly Syrian people.” It added, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.” Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last year after 12 years of ostracization. It is still unclear how the international community will deal officially with the new interim government in Syria. JERUSALEM - Israel’s defense minister told troops to prepare to remain through the winter months on the peak of Mount Hermon, Syria’s highest point, located in a swath of southern Syria that Israeli troops moved into after the fall of Damascus to insurgents. The comments by Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that the military will extend its occupation of the zone along the border, which Israel says it seized to create a buffer zone. In a statement Friday, Katz said that holding the peak was of major importance for Israel’s security and that it would be necessary to build facilities there to sustain troops through the winter. The summit of Mount Hermon, the highest peak on the eastern Mediterranean coast at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet), gives a commanding view over the plains of southern Syria. It also positions Israeli troops about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the center of Damascus. The mount is divided between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israel’s control of the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops would remain in the zone until another force across the border in Syria could guarantee security. Israeli troops moved into the zone -– set as a demilitarized area inside Syrian territory under truce deals that ended the 1973 Mideast war -- after the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell last weekend. ANKARA, Turkey -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. “There’s broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said in joint statements with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the Islamic State group under control. “We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep ISIS down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS to ensure that that threat doesn’t rear its head again,” Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. “Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant,” Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Blinken said: “We’re very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves.” Blinken and Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. “We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible,” Blinken said. Blinken, who is making his 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but first since the weekend ouster of Assad, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Thursday. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region, which is already wracked by multiple conflicts, and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain territory and influence. Later Friday, Blinken is to return to Jordan for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union, the Arab League and the United Nations. ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey has appointed a temporary charge d’affaires to reopen its embassy in Syria, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported. The Turkish Embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security problems during the Syrian civil war and embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. The Anadolu Agency said late Thursday that Turkey appointed Burhan Koroglu, its ambassador in Mauritania, to the post.
Wireless Weighing Module Market Outlook and Future Projections for 2030 12-22-2024 01:31 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Wireless Weighing Module Market The wireless weighing module market represents a dynamic and continually evolving landscape, shaped by changing consumer demands and technological advancements. In this comprehensive report, we provide an in-depth exploration of the market, designed for a wide range of stakeholders including manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors. Our goal is to equip industry participants with essential insights that enable informed decision-making in an ever-changing market environment. This analysis not only examines the current state of the wireless weighing module market but also forecasts its future trends. Scope and Purpose This report serves as an extensive resource, thoughtfully curated to deliver actionable intelligence to industry stakeholders. It covers critical elements such as market dynamics, competitive environments, growth opportunities, challenges, and regional differences. The insights provided go beyond mere descriptions, offering a valuable tool for stakeholders to refine their strategies and make informed choices in a competitive market. Request for Sample Report: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Wireless-Weighing-Module-Market/request-for-sample-report Comprehensive Market Analysis We are committed to providing a thorough analysis that explores every aspect of market growth, including shifts in consumer preferences and technological innovations driving demand for wireless weighing module products. We also address the challenges faced by the industry, such as economic uncertainties and intense competition, offering insights to help stakeholders navigate these complexities. Key Players in the Wireless Weighing Module Market: Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik Vishay Precision Group Interface Loadstar Sensors TE Connectivity MinebeaMitsumi Zhongshan Jingheng Electronics Shenzhen Youzhongli Technology Shanghai Hanheng Weighing Equipment Nidao Electromechanical Shenzhen Jieman Technology Shanghai Keli Weighing Equipment Shanghai Yiyu Electronic Technology Nanjing Kaijit Electric Shanghai Shuaihua Industry Shanghai Yipu Automation Equipment Transcell Technology Cardinal Scale Strategic Guidance for the Future This report invites stakeholders to delve into a detailed examination of the competitive landscape. By profiling key players in the wireless weighing module market and analyzing their strategies, we offer crucial insights to help industry participants make informed strategic decisions. Whether it's about outpacing competitors or learning from successful approaches, our analysis is designed to guide stakeholders toward success. Anticipated Insights Understanding the diverse segments within the wireless weighing module market is critical to success. Our report breaks down segment sizes, potential growth trajectories, and key trends, offering actionable insights that allow stakeholders to develop targeted strategies and optimize resource allocation. The knowledge provided empowers stakeholders to navigate the complexities of the wireless weighing module market with clarity and confidence. Balancing Market Forces and Strategic Impact This report delivers a comprehensive analysis of the factors shaping the wireless weighing module market. By evaluating both the drivers of market growth and the obstacles that could impede it, stakeholders gain a holistic understanding of the market's dynamics. For manufacturers, this analysis helps align innovation efforts with consumer demands and regulatory trends, while investors and decision-makers gain a deeper understanding of economic risks and supply chain vulnerabilities, allowing them to make more informed strategic choices. Our goal is to provide stakeholders with the knowledge needed to confidently and successfully navigate the wireless weighing module market. Competitive Landscape Our in-depth examination of the wireless weighing module market's competitive landscape highlights key players, scrutinizing their strategies and impacts on the industry. By analyzing the approaches of major companies, stakeholders gain a valuable understanding of market dynamics and can leverage these insights to identify growth opportunities, innovate, and make informed strategic decisions. Market Segmentation The report begins with a detailed analysis of the unique characteristics defining each segment within the wireless weighing module market. Segmentation can occur across various dimensions, including product types, customer demographics, or specific use cases. Understanding these differences allows stakeholders to tailor their strategies, products, and marketing efforts to meet the specific needs of each segment, enhancing competitive positioning and maximizing opportunities for success. Market Segments: Product Type: Direct Module Indirect Module Application: Industrial Automation Logistics and Transportation Commercial Retail Other Market Size and Segment Growth Potential A crucial part of the report focuses on understanding the size and significance of each market segment. We provide quantitative data that illustrates the market share and contribution of each segment, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, strategic prioritization, and investment. This section offers insights into the growth potential of each segment, including factors driving future expansion, evolving consumer preferences, and technological adoption. Conclusion This report serves as a strategic guide for stakeholders in the wireless weighing module market, offering comprehensive insights into market segmentation, competitive dynamics, and growth potential. By understanding the market's complexities and emerging opportunities, industry participants can make well-informed decisions that drive success and innovation in this rapidly evolving market. Other Reports Cable Dispensers Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Cable-Dispensers-Market Binocular Stereo Zoom Microscope Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Binocular-Stereo-Zoom-Microscope-Market Heated Front Windshield Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Heated-Front-Windshield-Market Cryogenic Connectors Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Cryogenic-Connectors-Market "Contact Us Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited Contact No: +91 7580990088 Email Id: sales@dhirtekbusinessresearch.com" "About Us Dhirtek Business Research & Consulting Pvt Ltd is a global market research and consulting services provider headquartered in India. We offer our customers syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our objective is to enable our clientele to achieve transformational progress and help them to make better strategic business decisions and enhance their global presence. We serve numerous companies worldwide, mobilizing our seasoned workforce to help companies shape their development through proper channeling and execution. We offer our services to large enterprises, start-ups, non-profit organizations, universities, and government agencies. The renowned institutions of various countries and Fortune 500 businesses use our market research services to understand the business environment at the global, regional, and country levels. Our market research reports offer thousands of statistical information and analysis of various industries at a granular level." This release was published on openPR.
Each week, the weekly magazine Shukan Jitsuwa (Nov 28) serves up a potpourri of newsy tidbits titled "News Scramble." "Scramble" certainly applies to the price of eggs, which, due to such factors as the unusually hot summer and spread of avian influenza is once again on the rise. From the end of October 2022 to early April of 2023, 84 outbreaks of avian influenza were reported across 26 of Japan's prefectures, resulting in the culling of some 17,710,000 laying hens. That was the equivalent of 10% of the nations' chickens, which sent up the price of eggs by a factor of 1.5 fold. So far from April of the present year, 11 outbreaks in 10 prefectures have led to the culling of some 856,000 hens. "Compared with the previous season, bird flu outbreaks this year declined by 87%, and the number of culled hens fell by 95%," a reporter for a nationally circulated newspaper told the magazine. "Nonetheless, Japan had record-setting high temperatures, leaving many birds in a debilitated state, leading to a fall in egg production." "According to a trade publication issued by JA Zen-Noh (the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations), as of October 25, the average wholesale price in Tokyo for a kilogram of M-size eggs was ¥274 -- representing a rise for the past three consecutive months," a journalist covering consumer matters was quoted as saying. "As the year-end and new year approach, egg demand will increase for sukiyaki, baked goods, oden (boiled hodgepodge) and other foods. If avian influenza persists, I suppose an eggu-shokku will be unavoidable." Somewhat ominously, during October, flu outbreaks were reported at poultry farms in Hokkaido, Chiba, Niigata and Shimane prefectures. Meanwhile, in the Diet elections held on Oct 27, Agriculture Minister Yasuhiro Ozato, representing a district in Kagoshima Prefecture, was defeated, forcing his resignation from the cabinet. Hopefully, writes Shukan Jitsuwa's reporter, the countermeasures by Kozato's replacement won't come too late. Aging dentists Along with aging of the general population, Japan is also seeing an aging of dentists. On Nov 6, the Teikoku Data Bank released a report on the trend toward failures of dental clinics. By the end of October 2024, 126 went out of business -- double the number in 2023 -- and of these, 25 had debts of over ¥10 million. This contrasts with 104 closures for all of 2023, clearly showing the profession is undergoing a host of problems. It's long been pointed out that Japan has more dental clinics than convenience stores, but recently along with supply and demand that affects the overall market environment, trained dental technicians are in short supply. What's more, the prices of silver and other metals used to fill cavities or construct dental bridges, etc., have undergone sharp increases, adding to costs, which can adversely affect the profitability of their operations. From April of last year, the adoption of the new My Number health insurance cards require online confirmation of a clinic's certification. This has required investment in pricy new equipment, which is believed to have pushed some clinics over the edge. True, more clinics have been buoyed by the rise in demand for cosmetic dentistry, such as whitening. However, that has also required investment in new equipment, pushing the older generation of clinicians to opt for shutting down, and in some cases declaring bankruptcy. It is ironic, the magazine writes, that while the number of elderly people who maintain their own teeth has been increasing, the dentists who should be caring for them are disappearing as they grow older. New type of internet fraud Finally, new type of fraud via internet sales has become increasingly problematic. It involves refunds for goods claimed to be "out of stock." In Tokyo so far this year 138 such cases have been reported to the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, involving losses totaling some ¥150 million. Citing one case, last May the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was contacted by a woman in her 40s who had ordered a product priced at ¥15,000 from a cut-rate internet shop. "The product is out of stock," the company replied. "We will refund your money via PayPay." Then the customer was sent a "confirmation QR code" via the Line messaging service. Afterwards the woman was tricked out of a "large sum of money" via instructions she was asked to enter via net banking. According to police, such fraudulent cases have been soaring among victims of all ages and both genders. The Consumer Affairs Center warns people to be especially suspicious of sites where 1) luxury brand items or famous maker goods are priced considerably lower than the going market rate; 2) merchandise with "strange or "unnatural" Japanese writing appears on the labeling; and 3) sites that don't post information about their refund policy. If an exchange of mails with the vendor takes place, alarms should be raised if a service representative informs a customer to the effect "A refund will be sent to you via 'XX-pay.'"Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail on Wednesday as he awaits a May sex trafficking trial by a judge who cited evidence showing him to be a serious risk of witness tampering and proof that he has violated regulations in jail. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian made the decision in a written ruling following a bail hearing last week, when lawyers for the hip-hop mogul argued that a $50 million bail package they proposed would be sufficient to ensure Combs doesn’t flee and doesn’t try to intimidate prospective trial witnesses. Two other judges previously had been persuaded by prosecutors’ arguments that the Bad Boy Records founder was a danger to the community if he is not behind bars. Lawyers did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the decision. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to for years, aided by associates and employees. An indictment alleges that he silenced victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. A federal appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan considers his bail request. Prosecutors have insisted that no bail conditions would be sufficient to protect the public and prevent the “I'll Be Missing You” singer from fleeing. They say that even in a federal lockup in Brooklyn, Combs has orchestrated social media campaigns designed to influence prospective jurors and tried to publicly leak materials he thinks can help his case. They say he also has contacted potential witnesses through third parties. Lawyers for Combs say any alleged sexual abuse described in the indictment occurred during consensual relations between adults and that new evidence refutes allegations that Combs used his to induce into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers known as “Freak Offs.”