One of my top shows of 2024 actually premiered in 2021. That’s because it took a couple of years for the Australian series “The Newsreader” to make its way Stateside. Alas, it was only legal to stream in the U.S. for a handful of weeks in September and then — pffft! — it was gone before most people had even heard of it. Well, I have great news. The show will be available once again, this time via Sundance Now (accessible through the AMC+ streaming platform), which has licensed the first season. Premiering Dec. 19, it stars Anna Torv (“Fringe”) and Sam Reid (“Interview with the Vampire”) as TV reporters in Melbourne, circa 1986. At the outset, Reid’s character exudes big loser energy, which is such an amusing contrast to his work as Lestat. The show is unexpectedly funny and terrifically Machiavellian in its portrayal of small-time office politics, and I’m thrilled audiences in the U.S. will get another shot at watching it. Overall, 2024 offered a modestly better lineup than usual, but I’m not sure it felt that way. Too often the good stuff got drowned out by Hollywood’s pointless and endless pursuit of rebooting intellectual property (no thank you, Apple’s “Presumed Innocent” ) and tendency to stretch a perfectly fine two-hour movie premise into a saggy multi-part series (“Presumed Innocent” again!). There were plenty of shows I liked that didn’t make this year’s list, including ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and CBS’ “Ghosts” (it’s heartening to see the network sitcom format still thriving in the streaming era), as well as Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside” (Ted Danson’s charisma selling an unlikely premise) and Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown” (a high-concept parody of racial stereotypes and cop show tropes, even if it couldn’t sustain the idea over 10 episodes). Maybe it just felt like we were having more fun this year, with Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” (Nicole Kidman leading a traditional manor house mystery reinterpreted with an American sensibility) and Hulu’s “Rivals” (the horniest show of 2024, delivered with a wink in the English countryside). I liked what I saw of Showtime’s espionage thriller “The Agency” (although the bulk of episodes were unavailable as of this writing). The deluge of remakes tends to make me cringe, but this year also saw a redo of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” on Netflix that was far classier than most of what’s available on the streamer. Starring Andrew Scott, I found it cool to the touch, but the imagery stayed with me. Shot in black and white, it has an indelible visual language courtesy of director of photography Robert Elswit, whether capturing a crisp white business card against the worn grain wood of a bar top, or winding stairways that alternately suggest a yawning void or a trap. As always, if you missed any of these shows when they originally premiered — the aforementioned titles or the Top 10 listed below — they are all available to stream. Top 10 streaming and TV shows of 2024, in alphabetical order: The least cynical reality show on television remains as absorbing as ever in Season 4, thanks to the probing questions and insights from the show’s resident therapist, Dr. Orna Guralnik. Everything is so charged. And yet the show has a soothing effect, predicated on the idea that human behavior (and misery) isn’t mysterious or unchangeable. There’s something so optimistic in that outlook. Whether or not you relate to the people featured on “Couples Therapy” — or even like them as individuals — doesn’t matter as much as Guralnik’s reassuring presence. Created by and starring Diarra Kilpatrick, the eight-episode series defies categorization in all the right ways. Part missing-person mystery, part comedy about a school teacher coming to grips with her impending divorce, and part drama about long-buried secrets, it has tremendous style right from the start — sardonic, knowing and self-deprecating. The answers to the central mystery may not pack a satisfying punch by the end, but the road there is as entertaining and absorbing as they come. We need more shows like this. A comedy created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez (of the antic YouTube series “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo”), the show has a sensibility all its own, despite a handful of misinformed people on social media calling it a ripoff of “Abbott Elementary.” There’s room enough in the TV landscape for more than one sitcom with a school setting and “English Teacher” has a wonderfully gimlet-eyed point of view of modern high school life. I’m amused that so much of its musical score is Gen-X coded, because that neither applies to Alvarez (a millennial) nor the fictional students he teaches. So why does the show feature everything from Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” to Exposé’s “Point of No Return”? The ’80s were awash in teen stories and maybe the show is using music from that era to invoke all those tropes in order to better subvert them. It’s a compelling idea! It’s streaming on Hulu and worth checking out if you haven’t already. A one-time tennis phenom accuses her former coach of coercing her into a sexual relationship in this British thriller. The intimacy between a coach and athlete often goes unexplored, in real-life or fictional contexts and that’s what the show interrogates: When does it go over the line? It’s smart, endlessly watchable and the kind of series that would likely find a larger audience were it available on a more popular streamer. There’s real tenderness in this show. Real cruelty, too. It’s a potent combination and the show’s third and strongest season won it an Emmy for best comedy. Jean Smart’s aging comic still looking for industry validation and Hannah Einbinder’s needy Gen-Z writer are trapped in an endless cycle of building trust that inevitably gives way to betrayal. Hollywood in a nutshell! “Hacks” is doing variations on this theme every season, but doing it in interesting ways. Nobody self-sabotages their way to success like these two. I was skeptical about the show when it premiered in 2022 . Vampire stories don’t interest me. And the 1994 movie adaptation starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt wasn’t a persuasive argument to the contrary. But great television is great television and nothing at the moment is better than this show. It was ignored by Emmy voters in its initial outing but let’s hope Season 2 gets the recognition it deserves. Under showrunner Rolin Jones, the adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels is richly written, thrillingly inhabited by its cast and so effortlessly funny with a framing device — the interview of the title — that is thick with intrigue and sly comedy. I wouldn’t categorize the series as horror. It’s not scary. But it is tonally self-assured and richly made, rarely focused on the hunt for dinner but on something far more interesting: The melodrama of vampire existence, with its combination of boredom and lust and tragedy and zingers. Already renewed for Season 3, it has an incredible cast (a thrilling late-career boost for Eric Bogosian) and is well worth catching up with if you haven’t already. It’s been too long since the pleasures of banter fueled a romantic comedy in the spirit of “When Harry Met Sally.” But it’s all over the place in “Nobody Wants This,” one of the best shows on Netflix in recent memory. Renewed for a second season, it stars Kristen Bell as a humorously caustic podcaster and Adam Brody as the cute and emotionally intelligent rabbi she falls for. On the downside, the show has some terrible notions about Jewish women that play into controlling and emasculating stereotypes. You hate to see it in such an otherwise sparkling comedy, because overall Bell and Brody have an easy touch that gives the comedy real buoyancy. I suspect few people saw this three-part series on PBS Masterpiece, but it features a terrific performance by Helena Bonham Carter playing the real-life, longtime British soap star Noele “Nolly” Gordon, who was unceremoniously sacked in 1981. She’s the kind of larger-than-life showbiz figure who is a bit ridiculous, a bit imperious, but also so much fun. The final stretch of her career is brought to life by Carter and this homage — to both the soap she starred in and the way she carried it on her back — is from Russell T. Davies (best known for the “Doctor Who” revival). For U.S. viewers unfamiliar with the show or Gordon, Carter’s performance has the benefit of not competing with a memory as it reanimates a slice of British pop culture history from the analog era. The year is 1600 and a stubborn British seaman piloting a Dutch ship washes ashore in Japan. That’s our entry point to this gorgeously shot story of power games and political maneuvering among feudal enemies. Adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 novel by the married team of Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, it is filled with Emmy-winning performances (for Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada; the series itself also won best drama) and unlike something like HBO’s far clunkier “House of the Dragon,” which tackles similar themes, this feels like the rare show created by, and for, adults. The misfits and losers of Britain’s MI5 counterintelligence agency — collectively known as the slow horses, a sneering nickname that speaks to their perceived uselessness — remain as restless as ever in this adaptation of Mick Herron’s Slough House spy novels. As a series, “Slow Horses” doesn’t offer tightly plotted clockwork spy stories; think too deeply about any of the details and the whole thing threatens to fall apart. But on a scene-by-scene basis, the writing is a winning combination of wry and tension-filled, and the cumulative effect is wonderfully entertaining. Spies have to deal with petty office politics like everyone else! It’s also one of the few shows that has avoided the dreaded one- or two-year delay between seasons, which has become standard on streaming. Instead, it provides the kind of reliability — of its characters but also its storytelling intent — that has become increasingly rare. Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.Kobe Sanders, Nevada beat Oklahoma St. for fifth place in Charleston7xm app bd 。

Blockchain-Powered AI Data Annotation: A CZ-Inspired Perspective on Breakthroughs in the Web3 Era - Insights into Sahara AI, Alaya AI, Public AI, and More 12-10-2024 12:12 AM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: LianPR The rapid advancement of AI technologies has unveiled immense potential for global industries, with CZ (Changpeng Zhao)'s recent tweet Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/9977e7b6859410751e4955f20e69f5e6.jpg ( https://x.com/cz_binance/status/1861715172429090959 ) sparking widespread discussions about the integration of AI and blockchain. This cross-technology synergy is disrupting how training data for AI is produced. High-quality data lies at the core of AI advancements, as the performance of AI models is directly tied to the quality of labeled data used for training and optimization. Against this backdrop, Web3 technologies are redefining the traditional data annotation industry with decentralized frameworks and economic incentive mechanisms. This article explores the current state and challenges of data annotation, dives into the development paths of prominent Web3 annotation projects (Sahara AI, Alaya AI, Public AI, etc.), and envisions their future potential. Current Landscape of the Data Annotation Industry: High Demand, Complex Challenges The success of AI hinges on vast amounts of annotated data for training and validation. However, this process is fraught with complexity and labor intensity. Key characteristics of the data annotation industry today include: 1. Soaring Demand and Supply Imbalance With the proliferation of deep learning technologies, fields like computer vision, natural language processing (NLP), and speech recognition have seen skyrocketing demand for annotated data. However, supply often falls short, particularly for tasks requiring complex, multidimensional annotation. 2. Conflict Between Data Quality and Costs Low-cost annotation services can alleviate supply issues but frequently compromise quality. Issues such as noisy data or annotation errors directly affect model performance. Conversely, high-quality annotations often come at a significant cost. 3. Centralized Platform Dominance Major data annotation companies dominate the market, creating monopolies in data and profits. This centralization results in unfair economic returns for annotators and a lack of transparency within the industry. How Web3 is Revolutionizing Data Annotation Web3's decentralized architecture, smart contracts, and tokenomics offer innovative solutions to traditional challenges in the data annotation industry. Key differences include: Transparency and Traceability Blockchain's immutability ensures that every annotator's contributions and rewards are transparent. The provenance of each data piece can be traced, ensuring data quality. Fair Incentive Mechanisms Traditional systems often fail to fairly reward annotators. Web3 leverages token-based incentives to distribute rewards instantly and dynamically adjust payouts based on data quality, motivating annotators to deliver superior work. Open Ecosystems Decentralized annotation ecosystems offer equal opportunities for small developers and individuals, breaking the monopoly of centralized platforms. Integration with AI Automation Web3 platforms can significantly enhance annotation efficiency by incorporating AI-assisted tools. For instance, Alaya AI leverages dynamic visual segmentation and discrete tracking technologies to reduce the burden of manual annotation. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/c57231fef53b5af3d78c6ab14ecd4d1e.jpg In-Depth Analysis of Web3 Annotation Projects 1. Sahara AI A blockchain-based AI asset marketplace aimed at building a comprehensive AI infrastructure through decentralized data sharing and trading. - Core Features: Users can upload datasets and models, earning revenue through sharing mechanisms. - Innovation: Supports AI-native application development and compatibility with mainstream protocols, offering diverse tools for enterprises. - Challenges: Despite attracting significant attention, the project is still in its early stages, with products yet to launch. 2. Alaya AI A leader in Web3 data annotation, Alaya AI's Open Data Platform (ODP) introduces innovative solutions. - Technological Highlights: Dynamic visual segmentation, 3D point cloud annotation, and AI-assisted tools ensure efficient labeling. A token-based reward system attracts top annotators. - Market Positioning: Focused on providing user-friendly platforms for small and medium-sized developers while fostering an open data ecosystem. - Potential Impact: Alaya AI is redefining fairness and openness in data annotation through decentralized practices. 3. Public AI Adopting a community-driven approach, Public AI emphasizes user participation and task quality validation. - Features: Users contribute data (e.g., tweets, chat logs, audio), while the community validates quality through voting. - Current Status: While it supports basic sentiment analysis and text annotation tasks, the platform lacks advanced AI-assisted annotation tools. - Market Significance: The community model provides a decentralized solution for data validation but requires further technical development. Shared Characteristics of Web3 Annotation Projects Despite their unique implementations, these projects share common traits: - Decentralized Blockchain Architecture: Ensuring distributed storage of annotated data for transparency and fairness. - Token-Based Incentive Models: Motivating high-quality contributions while addressing low rewards in traditional systems. - Robust Quality Verification Mechanisms: Leveraging community-driven or AI-assisted processes to validate data reliability. - Ecosystem Collaboration: Extending beyond annotation to encompass model training, data trading, and more, gradually forming complete AI ecosystems. Conclusion and Outlook: The Intersection of Web3 and AI From tackling historical issues in data annotation to driving technological innovation, projects like Sahara AI, Alaya AI, and Public AI exemplify how emerging technologies are reshaping traditional industries. Alaya AI's technical strengths and open ecosystem set a new benchmark, Sahara AI showcases the potential of comprehensive platforms, while Public AI explores novel community-driven models. As blockchain technology matures and AI continues to evolve, Web3-powered data annotation promises breakthroughs in transparency, efficiency, and fairness. Decentralized annotation models not only elevate AI training data quality but also create new opportunities for small developers. The convergence of AI and blockchain is paving the way for a more open, equitable, and efficient technological future. Disclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Media Contact Company Name: ALAYA AI Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=blockchainpowered-ai-data-annotation-a-czinspired-perspective-on-breakthroughs-in-the-web3-era-insights-into-sahara-ai-alaya-ai-public-ai-and-more ] State: Auckland Country: New Zealand Website: https://www.aialaya.io/ This release was published on openPR.

Company to hold investor strategy update event on December 10, 2024 Wilmington, Del., Dec. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Participating in a tradition that has evolved since 1792, today, employees from Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) gathered on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as Guillermo Novo, chair and chief executive officer, Ashland, joined by company executives, rang the trading day's opening bell . The event signifies a decade of evolution, resilience and sustainable solutions for the additives and specialty ingredients company and recognizes its 100-year anniversary. "I want to thank our employees for their dedication, our customers for their trust and our shareholders for their support over the years which continues to be the foundation of our success,” said Guillermo Novo, chair and chief executive officer, Ashland. From its origin of gavel banging to the modern workday bell ringing , the ritual marks the start and end of trading through the years and has come to celebrate economic growth and progress. One year ago, Ashland introduced seven new technology platforms aligned to the company's pharmaceutical, personal care and specialty additives core, that extend to secondary markets with new and differentiated capabilities to unlock organic growth for Ashland and its customers worldwide. The platform solutions bring "new to the world” sustainable innovations, offering tunable choices to customers to enable the reshaping of their product portfolios, answering global megatrends, and responding to various regulatory landscapes. "As the stock market has demonstrated resilience through devastating lows and exuberant highs over time, Ashland has consistently transformed itself ahead of market trends from an oil and refining company to a matrixed chemical company, and from a broad chemicals and materials provider to the focused additives and specialty ingredients company we are today; integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) in our operating plans to responsibly solve for a better world,” said Novo. strategy update event Ashland is hosting a strategy update event for analysts and investors on December 10, 2024, in New York City. The company will provide an in-depth review of Ashland's strategic priorities, key initiatives and financial objectives while emphasizing a proactive approach to market uncertainty in fiscal year 2025. The event includes presentations and prepared remarks from members of Ashland's executive team, as well as breakout sessions for in-person attendees and an opportunity for both live and webcast attendees to ask questions during moderated Q&A sessions. "This was a year marked by recovery from prolonged inventory destocking in the materials sector, yet Ashland was able to deliver strategic progress, margin expansion, high-quality free cash flow, and disciplined execution across our global portfolio,” continued Novo. "Despite a complex operating environment, we demonstrated our ability to drive value through portfolio optimization, commercial excellence, and focused growth in our core markets. As we execute our strategy, we remain focused on delivering sustainable, profitable growth and long-term shareholder value. I look forward to providing more context during our upcoming event,” concluded Novo. To participate in Ashland's strategy update event, interested participants must register for the event and have the option to attend via live webcast or in person. Presentations are expected to begin at 9:00 a.m. ET and conclude following Q&A sessions at 11:00 a.m. ET. After Q&A, in-person attendees will have the opportunity to discuss key initiatives with business line leaders and scientists in breakout sessions until 12:00 p.m ET. To register, participants should use the following link: registration page . Registration information and further event details will be posted on Ashland's investor website at http://investor.ashland.com . A webcast of the event will be available live and can be accessed, along with supporting materials, through the Ashland website. A replay will be available within 24 hours of the live event and will be archived, along with supporting materials, on Ashland's website for 12 months. Copies of the presentation may also be requested by sending an email to [email protected] About Ashland Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) is a global additives and specialty ingredients company with a conscious and proactive mindset for environmental, social and governance (ESG). The company serves customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including architectural coatings, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical. Approximately 3,200 passionate, tenacious solvers thrive on developing practical, innovative and elegant solutions to complex problems for customers in more than 100 countries. Visit ashland.com and ashland.com/ESG to learn more. TM Trademark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Attachments Press_Release_ASH_100_Yr_Bell_Ringing_20241209 100 yr anniversary lockup for PR Dec 2024Why is this ASX 300 battery tech stock jumping 11% today?None

Jarrod Bowen held Antonio’s number nine shirt aloft after scoring the winner in support of the Hammers striker, who is recovering after a horror car crash on Saturday. Boss Julen Lopetegui said: “He is not in his best moment but he kept his humour. It was a special moment for us. “I think we have a lot of reason to win matches but this was one reason more. He’s alive so we are happy.” MA9 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fXwtdSQWYE — West Ham United (@WestHam) December 9, 2024 West Ham players wore ‘Antonio 9′ shirts while warming up and walking out before kick-off. The shirts will be signed by the players, including Antonio, and auctioned off with the proceeds going to the NHS and Air Ambulances UK. Tomas Soucek headed West Ham into the lead and held up nine fingers to a TV camera. The Czech midfielder told Sky Sports: “He’s been here since I came here. He is really my favourite. I said it would be tough for me to play without him. "He was here since I came and he's really my favourite" Tomáš Souček on dedicating his goal to Michail Antonio ❤️ pic.twitter.com/smNy26wmuX — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 9, 2024 “I was so scared what was going to happen. It was a really tough week for him, his family and us.” Matt Doherty equalised for Wolves, and boss Gary O’Neil felt they should have had two penalties for fouls on Goncalo Guedes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, both of which were checked by VAR. But Bowen’s winner – O’Neil believed there was a foul in the build-up – condemned Wolves to a 10th defeat of the season and a third in a row. While under-pressure Lopetegui may have earned a stay of execution, O’Neil’s future as Wolves manager is now in serious doubt. “A lot of things went against us but ultimately we have not found a way to turn the game in our favour,” he said. “But the players showed they are still fighting for me, for the fans and the group. “Where does this leave me? In the same place I was. I’m aware of the noise. But if anyone expected this to be easy – I’m happy to be judged on results but it should be done in context. “Whenever this journey ends with Wolves I’ll be proud of it.” There was an acrimonious end to the match as captains Bowen and Mario Lemina scuffled after the final whistle, with the Wolves midfielder angrily shoving people including one of his own coaches, Shaun Derry. “I just went to shake his hand after the game,” Bowen said. “He didn’t want to shake my hand, two captains together just to say ‘well done’ after the game. “I know it’s difficult when you lose. I’ve been on the end of that situation.” O’Neil added: “Mario is calm now. He’s a passionate guy and something was said that upset him. “The instinct of the staff was to make sure he didn’t get into trouble, but he took some calming down.”Fitness App Market to Expand by USD 55.86 Billion (2024-2028), Driven by Health Management and Rising Chronic Disease Cases, AI Impacting Market Trends - Technavio

Percentages: FG .418, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 10-26, .385 (Butler 5-9, Campbell 2-3, Khayat 1-2, M.Johnson 1-4, Thomas 1-7, Exacte 0-1). Team Rebounds: 1. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 1 (Towns). Turnovers: 10 (Campbell 4, M.Johnson 3, Butler, Felt, Towns). Steals: 6 (Campbell 2, Green, Khayat, M.Johnson, Thomas). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .500, FT .909. 3-Point Goals: 8-20, .400 (Karasinski 2-4, Smith 2-4, B.Johnson 2-6, Hopf 1-1, Branson 1-2, Goodin 0-1, Hacker 0-2). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 4 (Branson 2, Hacker 2). Turnovers: 9 (Branson 2, Hopf 2, B.Johnson, Hacker, Karasinski, Smith, Whitaker). Steals: 6 (Smith 3, Doyle, Hopf, Karasinski). Technical Fouls: None. A_1,282 (2,196).Maju Motors Sdn Bhd, the authorised distributor of BYD, launched the BYD Sealion 6 yesterday. Some 131 units of this plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) have already been sold in the local market. The launch event, held at the Maju Motors showroom, was attended by over 300 guests, including new BYD Sealion 6 owners and representatives from financial institutions. Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Brunei Darussalam Shi Rongke along with Maju Motors Managing Director Chan Key Hong and Executive Director Stanley Lim attended the event. The BYD Sealion 6 offers a compelling solution for cost-effective, long-distance travel. With a battery capacity of 18.3kWh, it can travel up to 100 kilometres on electric power alone. Its 60-litre fuel tank, coupled with the efficient Super DM-i technology, extends the total range to over 1,100 kilometres. This technology allows the electric motor to power the vehicle, with the engine acting as a range extender to recharge the battery as needed. BYD Sealion 6 represents the next generation of sustainable transportation, combining innovation, performance and environmental responsibility. This PHEV offers unparalleled efficiency, advanced safety features and a smooth driving experience. Managing Director Chan expressed his excitement about the launch of the BYD Sealion 6 and the introduction of DM-i technology to Brunei. He highlighted the company’s commitment to providing economical and sustainable transportation solutions. Maju Motors is also planning to introduce additional BYD PHEV models in the coming years, including the BYD Shark, BYD Sealion 05 and BYD Seal 06. During the launch event, one owner of a BYD Sealion 6, Wardah Serkat, won a lifetime free servicing. She expressed her excitement at winning the prize and shared she chose the car for its fuel efficiency and long-distance capabilities. – James Kon ABOVE & BELOW: Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Brunei Darussalam Shi Rongke with Maju Motors Managing Director Chan Key Hong and Executive Director Stanley Lim during the launch of BYD Sealion 6. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI PHOTO: RAFI ROSLIJarrod Bowen held Antonio’s number nine shirt aloft after scoring the winner in support of the Hammers striker, who is recovering after a horror car crash on Saturday. Boss Julen Lopetegui said: “He is not in his best moment but he kept his humour. It was a special moment for us. “I think we have a lot of reason to win matches but this was one reason more. He’s alive so we are happy.” MA9 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fXwtdSQWYE — West Ham United (@WestHam) December 9, 2024 West Ham players wore ‘Antonio 9′ shirts while warming up and walking out before kick-off. The shirts will be signed by the players, including Antonio, and auctioned off with the proceeds going to the NHS and Air Ambulances UK. Tomas Soucek headed West Ham into the lead and held up nine fingers to a TV camera. The Czech midfielder told Sky Sports: “He’s been here since I came here. He is really my favourite. I said it would be tough for me to play without him. "He was here since I came and he's really my favourite" Tomáš Souček on dedicating his goal to Michail Antonio ❤️ pic.twitter.com/smNy26wmuX — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 9, 2024 “I was so scared what was going to happen. It was a really tough week for him, his family and us.” Matt Doherty equalised for Wolves, and boss Gary O’Neil felt they should have had two penalties for fouls on Goncalo Guedes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, both of which were checked by VAR. But Bowen’s winner – O’Neil believed there was a foul in the build-up – condemned Wolves to a 10th defeat of the season and a third in a row. While under-pressure Lopetegui may have earned a stay of execution, O’Neil’s future as Wolves manager is now in serious doubt. “A lot of things went against us but ultimately we have not found a way to turn the game in our favour,” he said. “But the players showed they are still fighting for me, for the fans and the group. “Where does this leave me? In the same place I was. I’m aware of the noise. But if anyone expected this to be easy – I’m happy to be judged on results but it should be done in context. “Whenever this journey ends with Wolves I’ll be proud of it.” There was an acrimonious end to the match as captains Bowen and Mario Lemina scuffled after the final whistle, with the Wolves midfielder angrily shoving people including one of his own coaches, Shaun Derry. “I just went to shake his hand after the game,” Bowen said. “He didn’t want to shake my hand, two captains together just to say ‘well done’ after the game. “I know it’s difficult when you lose. I’ve been on the end of that situation.” O’Neil added: “Mario is calm now. He’s a passionate guy and something was said that upset him. “The instinct of the staff was to make sure he didn’t get into trouble, but he took some calming down.”

Patriots QB Drake Maye speaks out on alma mater UNC hiring Bill Belichick READ MORE: UNC hires Belichick as legendary NFL coach seals return to football By ERIC BLUM Published: 23:56, 11 December 2024 | Updated: 23:59, 11 December 2024 e-mail View comments The second-most well-known connection between North Carolina 's football program and the New England Patriots , Drake Maye, has spoken out about Bill Belichick taking the gridiron helm in Chapel Hill. Belichick was not with the Patriots when they drafted Maye in April from North Carolina. It is possible that in scouting for his then-existent New England future that Belichick watched tons of Maye film. Despite the two never crossing in football circles, they represent two of the few who have worn Tar Heel and Patriot blue. 'Obviously, a legendary coach with the success he had here and what a great place Chapel Hill is,' Maye said of Belichick at UNC. 'So anytime you have a legendary NFL coach going back to college, I think it's cool. It's pretty interesting for me.' Belichick will now embark at 72 on his first job in college football after nearly 50 years in the NFL. Former North Carolina and now-Patriots quarterback Maye has spoken out about Belichick Belichick has made the jump from the NFL to college for the first time with his UNC hiring Drake Maye arrives ... shares thoughts on the possibility of Bill Belichick becoming coach at his alma mater, University of North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/3w9Y0X5GxK — Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 11, 2024 Belichick heading to the college game sent shockwaves through the sport, as many thought he was trying to re-enter the NFL coaching sphere. Read More ESPN host makes crude Bill Belichick joke as he closes in on UNC job With many teams likely not giving Belichick the kind of managerial control he had in 24 seasons with the Patriots, he heads to Chapel Hill, where he will have that level of power. Belichick will show quickly how much sway he has in recruiting, as college football's signing period wraps in February. North Carolina had been losing plenty of talent to the transfer portal and has four-star quarterback recruit Bryce Baker unsigned. Bringing Baker officially into the fold and would be the first encouraging sign for arguably the best NFL coach of all time in a different environment. Bill Belichick North Carolina Share or comment on this article: Patriots QB Drake Maye speaks out on alma mater UNC hiring Bill Belichick e-mail Add comment

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans reduced its position in shares of LKQ Co. ( NASDAQ:LKQ – Free Report ) by 0.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 185,838 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after selling 434 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in LKQ were worth $7,418,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC boosted its position in LKQ by 4.6% during the first quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC now owns 5,249 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $280,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise boosted its holdings in shares of LKQ by 29.8% during the 2nd quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 1,211 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its position in shares of LKQ by 33.5% in the third quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 1,151 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of LKQ by 0.3% in the third quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 103,156 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $4,118,000 after purchasing an additional 306 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Montag A & Associates Inc. lifted its position in LKQ by 0.6% during the second quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 50,495 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $2,100,000 after buying an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.63% of the company’s stock. LKQ Stock Performance NASDAQ:LKQ opened at $38.50 on Friday. LKQ Co. has a fifty-two week low of $35.57 and a fifty-two week high of $53.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.72. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $38.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $40.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.37 and a beta of 1.29. LKQ Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 14th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 14th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.12%. LKQ’s dividend payout ratio is presently 44.78%. Analyst Ratings Changes LKQ has been the subject of several analyst reports. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on LKQ from $50.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of LKQ from $53.00 to $47.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 price target on shares of LKQ in a report on Friday, October 25th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $59.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Finally, StockNews.com raised LKQ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, LKQ presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $53.80. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on LKQ LKQ Company Profile ( Free Report ) LKQ Corporation engages in the distribution of replacement parts, components, and systems used in the repair and maintenance of vehicles and specialty vehicle aftermarket products and accessories. It operates through four segments: Wholesale-North America, Europe, Specialty, and Self Service. The company distributes bumper covers, automotive body panels, and lights, as well as mechanical automotive parts and accessories; salvage products, including mechanical and collision parts comprising engines; transmissions; door assemblies; sheet metal products, such as trunk lids, fenders, and hoods; lights and bumper assemblies; scrap metal and other materials to metals recyclers; and brake pads, discs and sensors, clutches, steering and suspension products, filters, and oil and automotive fluids, as well as electrical products, including spark plugs and batteries. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LKQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for LKQ Co. ( NASDAQ:LKQ – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for LKQ Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for LKQ and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.SC overrules HC order on IAS officers’ security recall in Hry

It's always a great time to invest in quality businesses that can prime your portfolio for long-term growth. It's important to be selective with the companies that you add to your portfolio and ensure that you only put cash into investments that align with your overall investment priorities, risk tolerance, and long-term goals. You should also only put cash to work that you can leave in your portfolio for a few years, not funds that you might soon need for bills or other financial obligations. On that note, if you're looking for top-notch growth stocks to buy right now and have $1,000 available to invest, here are two names to consider. Start Your Mornings Smarter! Wake up with Breakfast news in your inbox every market day. Sign Up For Free » 1. Eli Lilly Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) has been the darling of pharmaceutical stocks in the last 12 to 18 months, with shares rocketing upward as the popularity of its GLP-1 drugs has propelled revenue and earnings. Bear in mind, this is one of the oldest healthcare companies in the world, with a lineup of top-selling drugs across a range of disease categories that target everything from various cancers and cardiovascular ailments to endocrine disorders and neurological conditions. In the first nine months of 2024 alone, shares roared upward to the tune of about 62%. After the company reported its earnings for the third quarter of 2024, shares took a double-digit nosedive as investors responded negatively to a few key points, including a slight pullback in full-year guidance. The company also reported financial figures that were slightly below what Wall Street had expected. In terms of its full-year guidance, where Eli Lilly was targeting revenue for the 12-month period in the $45.4 billion to $46.6 billion range, the company is now projecting that it will deliver in the ballpark of $45.4 billion to $46 billion. Its Q3 revenue was around $800 million below what analysts had aimed for. That being said, a closer look is warranted, and the long-term outlook for this business is anything but dismal. Revenue in Q3 2024 rose 20% year over year to $11.4 billion. The company sold rights for its olanzapine portfolio in Q3, featuring products used to treat ailments such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. If you exclude revenue from this portfolio, Eli Lilly's top line actually jumped 42% on a year-over-year basis, which is a bit more than the 36% growth it reported in the second quarter. The company also reported net income of approximately $970 million in Q3. Tirzepatide, which is the main active ingredient in its top-selling drugs Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss), is being studied by Eli Lilly across multiple other disease areas. For example, positive phase 3 trial data from a 176-week study of tirzepatide demonstrated a 94% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adults with pre-diabetes who are obese or overweight. Another first-of-its-kind study initiated by Eli Lilly has been studying tirzepatide in adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity. In this phase 3 trial, tirzepatide reduced heart failure symptoms and physical limitations while lowering the risk of worsening heart failure events by 38%. Risk of hospitalization for heart failure was also reduced by 56% in trial patients taking tirzepatide. In short, the future revenue and profit opportunities from tirzepatide may be in the very early innings. In Q3, sales of Mounjaro rose more than 121% year over year to $3.1 billion, while Zepbound (which was just approved last November) raked in $1.3 billion in sales. This was despite negative effects for both drugs cited by Eli Lilly that were caused by inventory decreases in the wholesaler channel. Blockbuster cancer drug Verzenio generated $1.37 billion in sales in the quarter, up 32% from one year ago, while sales of autoimmune disease drug Taltz jumped 18% to $879.6 million. While investors appear to be particularly reactionary in the current environment, that can present an opportunity for those with a sufficient buy-and-hold horizon to take a slice of the action. While Eli Lilly doesn't trade at a cheap valuation by any means, its annual dividend of $5.20 and steady increase to its payout can augment total investor returns. Investors who want to become part-owner in a top healthcare business with a steady global footprint may be remiss to overlook this quality stock. 2. Monday.com Monday.com (NASDAQ: MNDY) is a low-code and no-code platform that helps organizations build the work management tools and software applications they need to ensure business operations run smoothly. The company derives its revenue from monthly or annual subscription agreements that it enters into with customers who use its cloud-based platform. Monday.com's software enables everything from project management and collaboration to helping keep tools and files in a single location for easy access. Clients with little to no coding experience can leverage its platform to develop customized workflow apps featuring boards, charts, and other important automation solutions. Companies like Canva, Lionsgate , and Coca-Cola are just a handful of the big names on Monday.com's client roster. Investors have been particularly optimistic about Monday.com's performance recently, with shares skyrocketing to the tune of about 50% over the trailing 12-month period. As always, share price is never a reason to buy (or sell) a stock. You need to look at the underlying business, its drivers and detractors of growth, its financial performance, its industry, and its long-term growth runway to gain a clear picture of whether it's a wise fit for your portfolio. In the case of Monday.com, the company has only been in business since 2012, so it's still in the relatively early stages of its potential growth story. Management estimates that the company operates in a large and growing total addressable market, which could hit a valuation of $150 billion by the year 2026. The diverse range of solutions that Monday.com's platform offers allows it to target various segments of its overall market opportunity, including the $30 billion customer relationship management (CRM) software market. From a financial perspective, Monday.com is doing quite well. Its third-quarter revenue rose 33% from the year-ago period to $251 million, and the company officially surpassed the $1 billion annual recurring revenue (ARR) mark. Its overall net dollar retention rate (NRR) increased to 111%, while NRR for customers with more than $100,000 in ARR was 115%. The number of paid customers with more than $100,000 in ARR jumped 44% from one year ago. Meanwhile, the company's second-largest customer, which is an unnamed international technology company, more than doubled its seat count to 60,000 from 25,000. Although Monday.com is not profitable on the basis of generally accepted accounting principles ( GAAP ), cash flow is another core profitability metric to consider. From a free cash flow perspective, the company raked in $82.4 million of free cash flow, while net cash provided by operating activities was $86.6 million in Q3. While investors may need a certain level of risk tolerance to invest in software stocks, this resilient business looks like a compelling addition to a well-diversified portfolio. Should you invest $1,000 in Eli Lilly right now? Before you buy stock in Eli Lilly, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now... and Eli Lilly wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $898,809 !* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of November 18, 2024 Rachel Warren has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Monday.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . 2 Incredible Growth Stocks to Buy With $1,000 Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool

‘Like Delhi, Hyd needs police unit to protect those from North East’American Packaging Corporation Advances Recycle Ready High Performance Paper Packaging

Revealed: Schoolgirl's final social media post moments before she was stabbed in the neck in 'row over teddy' - as jury shown CCTV of attack at Croydon bus stop

7xm app download free In the changing world of graphic design, Canva never seems to tire of its innovation by launching more artificial intelligence features that are speeding up the graphic design processes. These state-of-the-art tools will convert the entire platform into a one-point solution for anyone from novices to professionals. In a fast-paced world, Canvas Smart Design Assistant is defining new rules for those seeking instantaneous high-impact designs. This model tunes into how a user will prefer to work, analyzing the project requirements, and then offering templates, layouts, and design elements that are relevant to a specific requirement. It's more a case of penny-arcade work shooting business presentations or social media posts, but the assistant means real-time suggestions for less brainstorming time to let creators focus on fine-tuning their projects. Time-consuming resizing takes out hours of any designer's day, from the right format for a client's or company's needs. Canvas Magic Resizing adjusts your design according to several dimensions, whether destined for an Instagram post, Facebook cover, or YouTube thumbnail. With just one click, users can ensure their visuals maintain quality and alignment, no matter the format. Canva has now given birth to its Text-to-Image AI, which allows users to generate unique images derived from their simple text prompts. This feature serves the needs of creative spirits requiring self-made images pretty much in sync with their themes. From abstract art to realistic scenery, it can have it. Canvas AI tools can boost your images by taking something already available, removing backgrounds, sharpening and even suggesting alternative complements. Indeed, it's a great time-saver. Magic Write also helps Canva users in composing convincing texts for their designs. Be it a punchy slogan, a product description, or a copy for an infographic. Magic Write's suggestions are context-aware, making it possible to add power to your message. The special feature has much to do with small business owners and marketers, who end up doing dozens of things at once. For businesses and teams, Canva's AI-driven collaboration features have proven invaluable. Tools like Real-Time Feedback and AI-Generated Brand Kits streamline the process of creating consistent designs across projects. The AI ensures adherence to brand guidelines, saving time spent on manual adjustments and approvals. Canva democratizes design through these features, making them accessible for users from different levels. AI innovations can disrupt established design processes, allowing any creator to achieve professional-quality results more quickly than ever. Development by user interest will definitely keep Canva among the designers of technology, such that the future of AI will unveil exceptional features just to make a user's creative path even easier. Canvas AI features are more than just tools—they're enablers of creativity and efficiency. From simplifying complex tasks to offering intuitive design suggestions, these innovations are reshaping how individuals and teams approach graphic design. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or a novice, Canvas AI tools promise to save time, reduce effort, and elevate your creative output.Pixalate’s November 2024 UK Publisher Rankings for Mobile Apps, Websites, and CTV: Spotify.com, ‘OneFootball’, Pluto TV Among Top-Ranked Publishers and Apps For Open Programmatic Ad Traffic Quality

For the last 15 years, Zac Paeth and Gene Walters have spent Black Friday under the weight of shopping bags. This year, they were spotted at Woodfield Mall walking out of the busy Lego store with yellow shopping bags filled with toys like the recently-released Nightmare Before Christmas set that’s been “selling out everywhere.” Wearing matching Santa hats and holding Starbucks holiday cups, it’s a tradition for them to spend the day after Thanksgiving hunting down deals. “I’ve done Black Friday shopping where I haven’t bought anything — just got out there for fun. My daughter’s here with her friends, and we drive around and pick up three of her friends,” Walters said. “It feels like some of the specials are back this year ... so sometimes, like I said, I’ll spend nothing, and then there’ll be times like this where I spend a lot.” Zac Paeth (left) and Gene Walters outside the Lego store at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times Chicagoans flocked to malls and big-box chains for Black Friday to snag holiday deals, and many took part in the tradition at 6 a.m., when most centers like Woodfield opened its doors. “This is our super bowl,” said Emily Holdeman, assistant director of marketing at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. “I think it’s a tradition for [people]. I think it’s a fun thing to get their coffees; they get their energy drinks.” Retailers like Best Buy, Amazon and Target have been pushing holiday deals for weeks, but Black Friday remains the biggest day of the year for retail foot traffic in the U.S., according to retail technology company Sensormatic Solutions. “It’s important for them to be able to get shoppers into their store to show them that experience of what it’s like to browse and touch and feel items. It also can be a bellwether for retailers on what to expect for the rest of the holiday season,” Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic, said. A record 183.4 million people plan to shop in stores and online from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. That’s more than the previous record of 182 million people set in 2023. NRF also forecast holiday sales in November and December to total $979.5 billion and $989 billion, growing between 2.5% and 3.5% year over year. Separately, digital research firm Adobe expects overall U.S. online holiday sales to hit $240.8 billion, representing 8.4% growth over last year. Christa Sowa, of Glen Ellyn, has passed on her enthusiasm for early morning shopping to her daughter, Liliana, 12, and even her daughter’s friend, Natalie Hauser, 11. The girls sported matching french braids. “That is cute,” Christa Sowa said to Liliana Sowa, who was holding up a black kids T-shirt inside activewear shop Athleta. “Add it to the stack.” The Sowas started regularly visiting Woodfield on Black Friday a few years ago as a way to get out of the house after the COVID-19 lockdowns lifted. When Christa Sowa briefly went next door to look at cheerleading uniforms at the Cheer Shoppe, Liliana and Natalie practiced TikTok dances in the mirror at Athleta. “I grew up with Black Friday shopping. It was such a tradition to get up and go,” Christa Sowa said. “I came down at 5 this morning, and they were already up ready to go. ... They’re at the age where they need independence, and they want to come and look a little bit and explore, and so I feel comfortable with that here.” While the 6 a.m. traffic was quiet heading into Woodfield, much of the parking lot was full by 9 a.m. and the mall was packed with shoppers. Jewelry store Pandora normally draws long lines on Black Friday, store manager Patricia Cigarroa said, but it wasn’t as busy Friday. “We actually started our Black Friday deals two weeks ago,” Cigarroa said. “[Shoppers] didn’t have to deal with getting up at 6 in the morning. That would be my guess. Otherwise, I can’t explain it. I geared up the store, and I have enough [staff] to take care of the typical traffic, but they aren’t here.” Tanisha Thomas (right) looks at jewelry at Pandora at Woodfield Mall. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times But some Pandora customers like Tanisha Thomas, 29, and Joe Alm, 24, were ready to shop there before 7 a.m. Thomas has had her eye on a ring and was able to purchase it at the store. “Pandora is my go-to,” she said. “It’s easier to just buy it in person now and see what you want without having to return it or deal with shipping.” Brynn Skinner, 14, also prefers shopping in person. She joined her friends at 5:30 a.m. for her first Black Friday experience after seeing TikTok videos advertising deals. “I don’t want to wait. I hate waiting for my packages,” Brynn said. At the Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont, lines wrapped around stores with wait times of more than an hour. Polo Ralph Lauren touted a 50% off sale and had 100 people in line by 8:45 a.m., while the Nike store had about 50 people waiting in line. Other retailers like Converse were also offering deep discounts of up to 50% off. Shoppers line up outside Polo Ralph Lauren at Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont, Ill. on Black Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times Katie Walsh, senior marketing manager for Fashion Outlets of Chicago, said there were “tons of lines” before its 6 a.m. opening, with many outside stores like Gucci, Lululemon and Ugg. DJ Lani Love spun tunes at the outlet mall, where roller skating dancers would later perform to keep the energy up during the long shopping day. “A lot of our stores are offering exclusive Black Friday deals or outlet exclusive products that makes you really have to come here,” Walsh said. “The other thing, too — the luxury stores don’t broadcast their Black Friday sales. So if you wanna know, you actually have to come here to see what it is.” Meanwhile, big-box chains like Target offered exclusive merchandise. The retailer was selling a Taylor Swift Eras Tour book and a bonus CD and vinyl edition of her “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology” album, only available in stores on Black Friday before customers can buy them online starting Saturday. Mari Flores, 18, looks at Taylor Swift’s “The Anthology” CD at Target’s Harlem Irving Plaza store in Norridge. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times Mari Flores, 18, is a big Swiftie fan but was thinking of her 29-year-old sister while shopping at the Harlem Irving Plaza Target in Norridge. She was purchasing the exclusive Taylor Swift CD as a gift. “[My sister] collects the CDs,” Flores said. “I’m the one who collects the vinyls. We’ve gotten the Target collabs before, and I like collecting the different versions.” Vicky Hernandez was in the toy aisle, clutching several Rainbow High dolls that were $10 off. She said she misses how Black Friday shopping used to be a decade ago. “I think online shopping has changed it,” Hernandez said. “It’s not like it used to be. I enjoy the chaos. We used to go to witness the chaos, not necessarily to fight over the items.” Contributing: Amy Yee and AP Vicky Hernandez and Efrain Hernandez, who are cousins, shop for Rainbow High Dolls at the Target store on Harlem Irving Plaza on Black Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesThe Senedd signed off on a 16 per cent budget increase, with the Welsh Parliament set to expand to accommodate an additional 36 politicians from 2026. Members voted 31-13 to approve the Senedd Commission’s £83.8m for 2025/26, which includes an extra £11.6m for the reforms, public-sector pay and infrastructure. Hefin David described next year’s spending plans for the commission – which is responsible for support services and the Senedd estate – as a transformational, step-change budget. The Caerphilly Senedd member, who is the commissioner responsible for the budget, said the 16 per cent uplift will cover a 60 per cent increase in the size of the Senedd. But the Conservatives criticised the “ballooning” costs, describing Senedd reform as the wrong priority while around one in five people in Wales are waiting for NHS treatment. Leading a debate on November 20, Dr David said the budget for the 12 months from April will address four key pressures: He said the £6.5m allocated to the reform programme includes costs for employing new staff, and reconfiguring the debating chamber and new members’ offices. Dr David told the Senedd: “In these turbulent times strengthening a democracy is often a difficult but certainly noble endeavour. “While I in no way devalue the objections of those opposed to reform, those members who have supported Senedd expansion have done so to build a stronger parliament for the people of Wales.” Janet-Finch Saunders, the Conservative Senedd commissioner, said the budget reflects significant efforts to ensure effective management of public funds. She told the Senedd that the costs compare favourably with the Scottish Parliament which is nearly £200,000 more expensive per member. But she reiterated her party’s opposition to expansion, saying: “We still believe that these resources would be better allocated to essential public services, such as health care, education, our road infrastructure, social services – I could go on.” Ms Finch-Saunders told the chamber that she had been inundated with messages from members of the public calling for a referendum of expansion.

Union blasts comments by Quebec minister mulling law to intervene to end strikes

The Gunners took two points out of Liverpool’s lead at the summit of the Premier League after Jurrien Timber and William Saliba struck in the second half – both from corners – to condemn Amorim to his first defeat as United boss. The hosts’ second-half strikes took their goals-from-corners tally to 22 since the start of last season – a statistic that is unmatched by any other team in the division. Asked if Arsenal are one of the best teams he has come up against on corners, Amorim replied: “If you follow the Premier League for a long time you can see that. “They are also big players and you see every occasion when (Gabriel) Martinelli and (Bukayo) Saka have one-on-ones, a lot of times they go outside and they cross, and they know that if the cross goes well, they can score, and if it is a corner they can score, too, so we have to be better on that. “You have seen in all Arsenal games that every team have had problems with that (corners). And the difference today was the set-pieces. “You see a goal and then the momentum changed, and it is really hard for us to take the full control of the game after that.” Timber leaned into Rasmus Hojlund at the front post before diverting Declan Rice’s set-piece into the back of Andre Onana’s net after 54 minutes to send Arsenal into the lead. Thomas Partey’s header from Saka’s corner then deflected in off Saliba’s shoulder with 17 minutes left. Arteta and the club’s set-piece guru Nicolas Jover embraced on the touchline as Amorim was left with his head in his hands. The Arsenal supporters cheered raucously every time they won a corner – landing 13 in all without reply. However, Arteta moved to play down the significance of Arsenal’s set-piece threat. “We need that, but we want to be very dangerous and very effective from every angle and every phase of play,” said Arteta. “Today we could have scored from open play like we did against West Ham and Sporting. Last year we scored the most goals in the history of this football club. Arsenal have won four consecutive Premier League matches against Man Utd for the first time ever! 💫 pic.twitter.com/biv1kvsJEP — Premier League (@premierleague) December 4, 2024 “Not because of only set-pieces, but because of a lot of things that we have. We want to create individual and magic moments, too.” Arsenal’s win against United – the first time they have recorded four victories in a row against the Red Devils in the league – was their fourth in succession since the international break. They will head to Fulham on Sunday bidding to keep the momentum going. Arteta continued: “The will to win is there. We try our best to do that. We won four in a row, but it doesn’t matter. We have to go to Fulham now, try to be better than them and try win the game. “It’s every three days that we play. It’s a crazy schedule. We’re going to need everybody and to mentally be very strong.”( MENAFN - Jordan Times) The government is projected to have revenue of JD7.88 billion. An estimated JD7.30 billion of that revenue is generated domestically, while the remainder comes in the form of foreign aid and assistance (Mainly from The United States). This means that Jordanians are expected to pay 92.6 per cent of the total budget revenues. The budget deficit is expected to increase in 2021 by JD2.05 billion. This will be financed primarily through loans from domestic and foreign sources. In other words, the Jordanian public will have to service and cover these debts in the years to follow. The Jordanian state's expenditures are projected to be JD9.39 billion, 65 per cent of which will go to salaries for various jobs in government, and result in a grand total of JD6.10 billion. Coupled with the JD940 million in other expenses that the government accrues, the actual amount that government is paying for its own employment is closer to JD6.95 billion. This means that capital expenditure does not exceed JD 1.3 billion, which will not be all spent. In addition, the private sector in Jordan pays the government in two other forms. First, the government is paid through dividends for its investments in addition to voluntary contributions to certain causes. Second, there are the government's unpaid bills, which are estimated to be at least JD350 million. The 2021 budget indicates that the government plans to pay about JD74 million of that debt. In a nutshell, the private sector's payments to the government are more than sufficient to cover the government's expenditures, minus debt service payments, of course. This technical, and statistical outlay is meant to challenge the fact that Jordan depend on foreign aid in executing its budgetary duties, but that it generates most of its cost from Jordanians in the form of taxes, duties, fees, fines, dividends and through withholding payment on overdue loans. The crux of the matter is that the role of the private sector is marginalised, and that the government takes the entire private sector for granted. The government stifles the private sector's boom, it also marginalises the latter's importance, and it takes liberties in over-monitoring and penalising private institutions and individuals. These defects have all reached intolerable levels, yet the reactions on social media and on official media are pervasive in their antagonism of the private sector. The current economic climate is not making this dynamic any easier: The cost of energy is very high, the social security monthly salaries are being chipped away at, there are unreasonably high tariff and sales tax rates, and not to mention the very high interest rates, all of which, are amalgamating in a manner that defeats the purpose of economic recovery. According to the Central Bank's data, there are too many bank accounts in difficulty, and who have outstanding debts that amount to JD2.5 billion. If this modus operandi continues for a few months more, S&P Global Ratings ominously warns that the economic problems in Jordan will become very serious. The current structure of the Cabinet is heavily skewed against the private sector. This does not match the messaging the government tries to put out when they say that there should be an active partnership between the two wings of our economy. His Majesty King Abdullah sent the nation a clear message a few days ago, wherein he called for political, administrative, economic and social reform. The election law should be seriously revamped. His Majesty's call was echoed by Upper House Speaker Faisal Al Fayez. In the coming days, we need to stretch our resilience as wide as we possibly can, in order to avoid a crucial tear in the fabric of our society and economy. MENAFN30112024000028011005ID1108942271 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

By Sani Abdullahi When the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was established 36 years ago in response to the pervasive menace of road traffic crashes in the country at the time, the founding fathers who were well known human rights activists and advocates of civility in law enforcement never saw any need to make provisions for use of arms by FRSC personnel in the enabling laws. Instead, they preferred a civil approach in the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations by which they believed that drivers would be civil enough to be persuaded by the efficacy of education, which the marshals would give them and their convictions about the rightness of the marshals’ actions would make them to willingly obey traffic rules and regulations without resistance. That civil approach they preferred was devoid of any coercive instruments in traffic management and safety administration and, although novel in the history of law enforcement in Nigeria, it was nevertheless given a try by the then military government, which bought into the ideas as canvassed by the founding fathers, championed by the founding chairman of the FRSC board, Nobel laurent, Professor Wole Soyinka. That was why the original FRSC enabling laws, known as Decree 45 of 1988, made no provisions for either the use of firearms by the FRSC or gave thought to any defensive mechanisms that marshals could rely upon whenever faced with adverse situations by drivers and members of the public. Relying on the use of education and public enlightenment as instruments of authority and potent tools in attitudinal change, therefore, continued to remain the guiding principle in managing drivers and public reactions to the corps’ operational activities over the years. It, however, did not take long after the commencement of full enforcement of the laws by the corps in 1989 following the full year of public enlightenment in 1988 when it became obvious that drivers were not going to exhibit civil traits in their reactions to the demands for enforcement as earlier thought. Thus, cases of knockdowns of patrolmen, violent attacks, destruction of their patrol vehicles and damage to buildings as well as use of various tactics to intimidate, harass and ridicule the personnel operating with civil convictions became daily occurrences, with recorded cases of loss of lives as patrol activities intensified nationwide. As the situation degenerated across the country, with threats of further violence on the personnel becoming obvious, the Federal Military Government was left with no opinion but to change its mind against the civil approach five years later when it approved firearms for the corps in the amendment to the original Decree 45 in 1992. Accordingly, provisions for arms for the corps were made in the 1992 amendment decree, otherwise referred to as Decree 35 of 1992. In giving impetus to the new approach, Major General Haldu Anthony Hananiya, who took over the mantle of leadership of the FRSC from the pioneer Corps Marshal, Dr. Olu Agunloye, in 1994, did not hide his preference for the military face of the corps. For instance, he introduced some semblances of military orientation, including the wearing of uniform by all categories of staff, sending some senior officers as well as marshals on arms training at some military institutions, while making parade and other traditional practices associated with paramilitary organizations fully entrenched in the system. Meanwhile, the corps’ uniform that used to be round collars to symbolize civility was changed to the normal collar type commonly worn by every paramilitary agency in the country even as the Eagle was superimposed on the Owl which was standing conspicuously on the corps’ logo to give a more distinct outlook for the FRSC. It must, however, be noted that despite all the arrangements made by General Hananiya throughout his first tenure, and even when he returned in his second sojourn, arms were actually never introduced into the operational strategies of the corps as at 2007 when he finally left, against the extant provisions in the FRSC laws. The status quo on the provision of arms for the corps remained till the emergence of civil democratic rule in 1999 when the military decrees were abrogated and re-enacted by the National Assembly with the FRSC enabling laws becoming the Establishment Act 2007. Even then, the provisions for arms for the corps were retained under Section 19 of the act. Evidently, from the 1992 amendment decree, which first introduced arms bearing to the FRSC, to the current 2007 Establishment Act, and despite the relevant training and reorientation programmes organized by the corps under successive corps marshals in the face of incivility to the personnel as well as damage caused to the facilities of the organization by various antagonists, the corps has continued to operate without recourse to arms or plans on how to react defensively to violence by drivers and members of the public. According to result of survey covering 2016, which was recently released, FRSC personnel have been enduring various provocations from drivers and misguided members of the public. These, according to the survey, included 1,266 violent attacks, 132 assault cases, 35 cases of abduction, 21 armed attacks and 82 mob attacks. Others were 107 knockdowns, 23 cases of harassment, 20 kidnappings and 46 killings even as the personnel continued to bear the brunt. This is against the fact that law enforcement anywhere in the world involves use of some coercive instruments, bearing in mind that majority of the offenders, even in the most advanced and civilized societies hardly submit themselves willingly all the times to law enforcement officers, unless there is evident fear of sanctions and threats of consequences of their act of violence against the enforcers. Moreover, no state will sit back to allow sustained acts of violence, intimidation and humiliation to its men in uniform, knowing that uniform, by its social values represents the presence of the state wherever the personnel appear on them. Consequently, personnel on uniform must always be respected and protected by the citizenry. It was with that spirit in mind that provisions to arm the FRSC personnel against the organization’s original civil outlook were made 32 years ago as reflected in the abrogated Decrees and the FRSC Establishment Act 2007 which is being amended by the National Assembly with proposals for the setting up of special armed squads for the Corps. In reality, the sustained aggression, violence and unprovoked intimidation by the civil populace against the personnel of the FRSC carrying out their legitimate duties of creating safer road environment is most condemnable and uncivilized. That’s why the consensus among some security analysts in the country is that, the once glamorized civility of the FRSC which made its personnel so vulnerable to various attacks and incapable of defending themselves is no longer tenable under the present circumstances, and must therefore, give way to a new orientation that can enhance the Corps’ capacity to carryout its statutory responsibilities most effectively without threats of attack. This, they said, is the panacea for guaranteeing greater safety and security on the nation’s highways. • Abdullahi is the Deputy Corps Commander in charge of Strategy in the Corps Marshal’s office.November 30, 2024 feature This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by Ingrid Fadelli , Phys.org Perovskites, materials with a crystal structure that mirrors that of the mineral calcium titanate CaTiO3, exhibit properties that are advantageous for developing various technologies. For instance, they have proved promising for designing photovoltaic (PV) systems and electronic devices. Perovskites are also ideal materials to explore a variety of quantum states, including orbital order, magnetism and superconductivity. Moreover, physicists can carefully engineer these materials to unlock various tunable properties, which typically result from subtle deviations from the cubic perovskite structure. Realizing these deviations and controlling them to attain specific properties can be highly challenging. In a recent paper published in Nature Physics , researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research introduced a promising strategy to realize subtle atomic displacements in the vanadate perovskite YVO 3 . "The objective of our recent study was to gain a fundamental understanding of how the functional properties of a crystalline material change when it is grown as a thin film in an oriented manner on different facets of another crystal, while control parameters such as lattice and polarity mismatch with the film remain almost unchanged," Eva Benckiser, senior author of the paper, told Phys.org. To directionally imprint slight atomic displacements in the antiferromagnetic Mott insulator YVO 3 , the researchers deposited epitaxial films on different facets of the same substrate. Notably, they observed that the vanadate films on different facets of the substrate exhibited distinct spin-orbital ordering patterns. "In materials with strong electron-electron correlations, such as the perovskite vanadate YVO 3 , the physical properties are very sensitive to the smallest structural changes, such as those that occur at interfaces when materials with different crystal lattices grow together," explained Benckiser. "In the present work, we used two cuts of an orthorhombic substrate material, YAlO 3 , which have facets that are indistinguishable in the cubic reference system and have a very similar lattice mismatch with YVO 3 ." The recent study by Benckiser and her colleagues demonstrates that substrate facets could be leveraged to carefully tailor the spin-orbital behavior of perovskites. Initial experiments highlight the promise of their proposed approach, which could eventually be used to design new materials for various technologies. "Our light scattering experiments show that the magnetic ordering patterns are different depending on the substrate facet and that this is due to the subtle difference in the atomic displacements imprinted at the substrate-film interface," said Benckiser. "This fundamental effect can be used to stabilize desired phases in various functional perovskite materials, for example, to create novel spintronic materials." The researchers hope their recent work will contribute to the precise engineering of quantum materials, offering physicists an alternative route for manipulating their properties. Meanwhile, they plan to continue building on the approach they devised while also exploring the extent to which imprinted displacement patterns affect the properties of other perovskites. "In the future, we plan to investigate the length scale of the imprinted orthorhombic displacements in more detail and to explore the influence of different facets in other functional perovskite thin films," added Benckiser. More information: Padma Radhakrishnan et al, Imprinted atomic displacements drive spin–orbital order in a vanadate perovskite, Nature Physics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-024-02686-8 . Journal information: Nature Physics © 2024 Science X Network

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With Syrian rebels edging ever-closer to the capital, President Bashar Al-Assad is making a last-ditch attempt to remain in power, including indirect diplomatic overtures to the US and President-elect Donald Trump, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation. Assad is ordering his army to fall back to defend Damascus, essentially ceding much of the country to insurgents, who seized the major cities of Aleppo and Hama in a lightning offensive over the past week. They’re now on the outskirts of Homs, less than 100 miles to the north. As his remaining troops dig in, Syria’s longtime ruler is signaling his willingness to reach a deal that would allow him to hold on to the rump territory his army controls, or guarantee his safe passage into exile if needed, said the people. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss secret meetings. Also Read | ‘Not our fight’: Donald Trump says US should avoid military action in Syria One offer Assad made to the US via the United Arab Emirates is for Syria to cut all involvement with Iran-backed militant groups, such as Hezbollah, if Western powers wield influence to stem the fighting, the people said. Another initiative saw Assad dispatch a senior Christian leader to meet Hungarian President Viktor Orban to relay what he sees as an existential threat to Syria’s Christian minority if Islamist rebels prevail, according to other people familiar with the plan. The intention was that Orban, a Trump ally, would convey this danger to the incoming US president, they said. It’s a dramatic turn of events for a dynasty that’s ruled Syria with an iron fist for half a century, crushed peaceful protests in 2011 and clung to power through years of civil war that spurred one of the worst humanitarian crises of modern times. Iranian and Russian military support was crucial to the survival of the 59-year-old president, but both are now distracted and stretched thin by other conflicts. Also Read | Syrian rebels storm Homs, just 20 kms away from capital Damascus | Top updates “Assad is in huge danger — it’s almost like in 2015 when the insurgents were at the gates of Damascus,” said Sergei Markov, a political consultant close to the Kremlin, referring to the year Russia intervened to save him. Western nations were equally surprised, including the US, which had largely relinquished much of its influence in Syria to Iran, Russia and Turkey but has reacted to protect its interests, according to senior officials. Multiple Western officials said it was difficult to see Assad remaining in power. The fall of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, could cut the highway linking Damascus and the country’s west and Mediterranean coast — the stronghold of the Assads and loyalists from their Alawite sect. The president’s whereabouts are unclear, although he’s believed to be in Damascus or his hometown of Al-Qardaha, close to Russia’s Khmeimim airbase. It’s also possible he’s in the Iranian capital, Tehran, a person familiar with US policy said Saturday. Assad’s office issued a statement condemning “rumors and fake news,” saying the the president remains in the capital. Assad has ordered the bulk of Syria’s remaining army — estimated at between 30,000 to 40,000 fighters — to rush to defend Damascus, according to two people familiar with the matter. An army spokesman said in a TV address on Saturday that it was strengthening its defenses around the city and in southern Syria. The main rebel offensive has been led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, or HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, and various armed groups backed by Turkey. Other fighters have joined in, including army defectors who’d fought the regime and laid down arms in previous ceasefires, said the people. As rebels converge on Damascus from the north and south, Iran had drawn back its presence in Syria, leaving its military advisers concentrated around the capital, according to the people. Some Tehran-backed Iraqi militia have also returned their country after the government ceded the eastern city of Deir Ezzor to US-backed Kurdish fighters, they said. Russian personnel now remain mainly around the capital and at the Khmeimim airbase and Tartous naval base, they said. After a meeting with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts in Doha on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is “trying to do everything not to allow terrorists to prevail.” “We don’t want them to follow the fate of Iraqis, Libyans and other nations who were disturbed by the people desiring to keep their domination,” he said. Trump said Saturday a withdrawal from Syria might “be the best thing that can happen” to Russia and that troops shouldn’t get involved in the fighting. Back Channels Russia has launched airstrikes around Homs to try and stall the rebel advance. But with signs the Kremlin’s help may not be enough, Assad is pressing on with back-channel negotiations. A key goal would be retaining control of a portion of the country and addressing Turkey’s demands for a political transition and the potential return of millions of Syrian refugees, a major issue for Ankara. Assad is also proposing a new constitution and talks with the mostly exiled political opposition, according to the people familiar with the outreach. It’s unclear if the efforts will bear fruit. Events on the battlefield have their own momentum, and even countries such as Turkey that have influence over the rebels may not be able to fully control events. “I don’t think any of these outside powers have the leverage over their proxies to change the course of what is happening on the ground,” said Andreas Krieg, director of London-based MENA Analytica Ltd. “At this moment most bets are that the Assad regime may not be able to hold out.” Patriarch Visit It was against that backdrop that Assad sent Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II to Hungary on Monday to relay his fears. Syria’s Christian community makes up about 10% of the country’s 24 million population. The plan to have Orban relate this message to Trump was described by an aide to the patriarch and another person with knowledge of the encounter. People close to Trump couldn’t immediately comment, but said he had dispatched his in-law and Middle East adviser, Massad Boulos, to the UAE on Saturday to discuss the situation in the region. Assad has pursued similar tactics before. HTS leader Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani and other rebels have in recent days attempted to allay the fears of Christians and Syria’s other minorities that they envision a form of Islamic rule. Assad’s own Alawite community, which has stuck by him since 2011 and paid a heavy price to defend the regime, also appears to sense the end may be near. Nariman, an Alawite woman reached by phone in Damascus on Friday said she, her husband who’s in the security forces and their 23-year-old son were fleeing to their ancestral village near Jableh in western Syria. She said there were many families like hers. Nobody is going to fight for Assad this time, she said, asking not to be identified by her last name for reasons of safety.

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Q : My husband’s 8-year-old daughter has a birthday this weekend, and she decided she would like to take a few friends to the movies and then out for frozen yogurt around the corner from our home. My husband and his ex-wife plan to take her, and I was not invited. What’s good ex-etiquette? A: Let’s clarify something first. Your husband’s ex is this child’s mother, so the request may not be as off as presented at first. But it’s still inappropriate if you, as his wife, are not included when Mom also attends. If you decline the invitation because you are sick, for example, that would be understandable. But not invited? That’s not good ex-etiquette. Once a divorced parent lives with or marries someone else, the new partner becomes their primary companion. That means your husband and his ex continue to co-parent, but you are also integrated into the mix. Ideally, that would mean all three of you take the child to the movies — or, if that is uncomfortable because you have not progressed to comfortably co-parenting as a team, just one parent is designated to attend. I suggest this approach for three reasons: First, children often hope for parental reconciliation after a breakup, and when that doesn’t happen, it can be extremely disappointing. Still reeling from the first breakup, they may even perceive it as another breakup. So, if parents do attend a special occasion together, they must be mindful of how their friendly interaction is perceived by their children. Second, too-familiar interaction between parents can influence the children’s relationship with a new partner. Even though they love both parents, they can also feel protective of the new partner and not know where to turn or how to react when witnessing too-friendly parental interaction. By the same token, they might resent the new partner for getting in the way of their parents’ reconciliation. Either way, you can see how confusing this might be. Finally, the third reason is that if there is tension between any of the adults, it will embarrass the children and make them very uncomfortable. Never attempt this sort of interaction until you are confident that you are ready for it and can set a good example. I must clarify that these considerations apply to things like private birthday parties or outings, not events like Little League games or school plays where it is commonplace for both parents to support their children and where many other parents are also in attendance. I did not get the impression that you were asking this question because you were jealous. It appeared you felt overlooked and you wanted clarification. However, it seems fitting to now discuss jealous and insecure feelings and how misunderstanding your role can negatively influence both past and current relationships. Both past and current partners may experience jealousy or insecure feelings when their position is unclear or unstated. Basically, people need to know where they stand. Once parents divorce, everyone has new roles and responsibilities to consider. Parents are now co-parents. New partners are now the primary romantic interest. It is when these new roles do not match each person’s expectations that people become jealous and insecure. That merits a clarifying conversation right from the beginning. As a result, each person will better understand their position, they’ll become more confident about where they stand, and jealous and insecure feelings will hopefully be diminished. That’s good ex-etiquette. Email Dr. Jann Blackstone at dr.jann@exetiquette.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!Musk causes uproar by backing Germany’s far-right party AfD

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Influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul is giving boxing fans the chance to knock him out by joining the roster of Undisputed as a DLC fighter. Jake Paul has taken the combat sports world by storm, besting some UFC legends in the ring including Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley and more. His most recent victory took place on November 15 when he secured a unanimous decision against Mike Tyson in a match that even caused Netflix’s streaming service to crash . While his next match hasn’t been announced yet, ‘The Problem Child’ is going to be playable in Steel City’s boxing video game, Undisputed , which means players will get the chance to KO him themselves. Jake Paul revealed as Undisputed DLC fighter On December 5, Undisputed revealed a trailer for the The Problem Child DLC Pack, featuring Jake Paul and three unique outfits. Steel City even conducted motion capture for Jake to showcase his style of boxing, footwork, and how he fights inside the ring. “I’ve been breaking barriers and making history in real life, so it’s only fitting that I bring the same energy to Undisputed. This isn’t just about being in a video game; it’s about inspiring a new generation of fans to step into the ring – virtually and in real life,” Jake said. “The Steel City team nailed every detail, from my moves to my swag, and I can’t wait for players to test their skills as ‘El Gallo de Dorado.’ Just like in the real ring, I’m here to take over.” Related: The pack also includes boxers Zhilei Zhang, James ‘Buster’ Douglas, Otto Wallin, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Juan Manuel Marquez. All fighters will be coming with an alternate outfit. The Problem Child DLC Pack will be available December 12 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Surprisingly, this isn’t actually the first time Jake Paul has been playable in a video game. Last year, he entered the world of mobile tower defense games by becoming a playable hero in Rush Royale . Meanwhile, Jake’s brother Logan has been playable in WWE’s 2K series ever since 2K22, where he was a DLC character himself before being included in the base game in subsequent releases.It looks like Shawn Mendes thinks he could have treated Sabrina Carpenter better. The "Stitches" singer seemingly shared the timeline of how he reconnected with ex Camila Cabello —who he split with in 2021 following two years of dating—amid his rumored romance with the "Espresso" singer, who he was first spotted with in February 2023. “I’m with someone," Shawn recalled in a teaser from the Dec. 12 episode of John Mayer 's SiriusXM show New Light . "Two days before going to hang with my ex, [I] express I’m going to hang with my ex because I have unresolved feelings.” And the 26-year-old admitted that he could have given his partner at the time more of a heads up on where he stood with his ex. As he put it, "Maybe instead of two days it could have been two weeks.” But Shawn—who was seen packing on the PDA with Camila at Coachella music festival in Palm Springs, Calif., one month after allegedly calling it quits with Sabrina in March 2023—doesn't look back on the situation as a complete negative. In fact, the "Treat You Better" singer said he walked away from the complicated period with new perspective. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is no one gets out of this life without getting hurt," he shared, "and no one gets out of this life without hurting someone.” Shawn has never publicly confirmed his relationship with Sabrina, but fans believe the Girl Meets World actress addressed their alleged fling on her 2024 songs "Taste" and "Coincidence." On the latter track, Sabrina, 25, calls out a former flame for going to Palm Springs to spend time with "the girl you outgrew." And as for Shawn's relationship with Camila, he previously opened up their sometimes "brutal" love story , saying the two ultimately decided they didn't work as a couple. "Love is a lot, but partnership is more than love and I think it has a lot to do with how you support each other in your day-to-day life and really being honest about who you are," Shawn said during a Sept. 30 appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast. "And making sure that someone that you're with is in support of that and doesn't have to bend themselves entirely to be in support of that and vice versa." And Camila, 27, echoed his sentiment, revealing that she realized soon into their rekindled romance that they were "not a fit." "Luckily, I was in a place in my life where it took me less time to realize that," she explained on a March episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, "and it took us both less time to be like, 'This doesn't feel right and we don't really need to try so hard to make it work. It's all good.'" Keep reading for a deeper dive into Shawn and Camila's complicated love story. Back in 2015, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello first made headlines together not as a couple, but as a musical duet on their joint hit single, "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Four years later, the performers' new steamy music video for their "Señorita" duet, released in June, raised eyebrows over whether there was a romance brewing behind the scenes. The following month, the two were spotted holding hands while out together in West Hollywood. "They were telling people they were a couple," a source told E! News at the time. Soon after, the stars were seen getting close in San Francisco. While the two had not publicly confirmed their relationship status, this steamy makeout in the Miami water did all the talking . The rumored pair rang in Mendes' 21st birthday together in August 2019, including a big kiss for the birthday boy . Cabello also declared her love for her musical beau over on Instagram. At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, Camila and Shawn stole the show with a sexy live performance of "Señorita" as viewers waited to see if they would kiss. After laughing off breakup rumors in October 2019, their romance was on full display as they made out courtside throughout a basketball game . Shawn revealed that during the pandemic, he went to Miami to live with Camila. "Something really beautiful for me came out of it, which was you're not allowed to leave," he told Zane Lowe in 2020 . "I went to Miami and I was living with Camila [Cabello] and her parents and her sister." Relationship milestone alert: They welcomed a new member of their family after picking up a puppy named Tarzan in November 2020. Shawn revealed he and Camila get into fights from time to time. "We definitely fight, and we get in like the worst little arguments," he said on SiriusXM's The Morning Mash Up in August. "But, like, I think that we definitely are pretty good at picking up on when it's just ego talking. And we like, usually like call each other out. We have a really honest and open relationship—but, yeah, no, we definitely fight." Shawn was by Camila's side while she walked the red carpet for the premiere of Cinderella in September. Shawnmila attended their first Met Gala together in 2021, wearing Michael Kors Collection looks. The pair celebrated Halloween together in 2021, writing on social media, "Feliz día de los muertos." The couple announced their split on Nov. 17, 2021. As they wrote, "we've decided to end our romantic relationship but our love for on another as humans is stronger than ever." The pair added, "we started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends." The pair reunited at Coachella in April 2023 and were seen kissing during the festival. Rekindling the Flame After their Coachella moment, Shawn and Camila were spotted hanging out a few times during early summer 2023—including at a Taylor Swift concert—but ultimately called it quits once more in June.

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British Columbia's Minister of Children and Family Development Grace Lore says she has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and is temporarily stepping away from her role as minister. Lore says in a statement that she intends to participate in important votes in the legislature to ensure the stability of the NDP government, which holds a slim majority of one vote. Lore, who is the MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill, says her diagnosis was "very sudden" and that she is working with medical professionals to address it immediately. She says the important ministry requires someone's full attention, and by stepping back she can focus on treatment, recovery, and returning to work as soon as possible. Lore says she is committed to beating the cancer. Premier David Eby says in a statement that New Democrat MLA Jodie Wickens, the minister of state for child care, will step into Lore's role on a temporary basis. “Grace has persevered through immense personal family challenges in recent years, including the illness of her young son,” Eby says. "She is an inspiration to me and to people right across the province.” B.C. Green Party house leader Rob Botterell says in a statement that the caucus respects Lore’s decision to prioritize her health. “Our thoughts are with her and her family, and we wish her strength and healing in the days ahead,” he said. Eby's government holds 47 seats in the legislature, while the Conservatives have 44 and the Greens have two. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024 Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press

SAN RAMON, Calif., Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CooperCompanies (Nasdaq: COO), a leading global medical device company, today announced financial results for its fiscal fourth quarter and full year ended October 31, 2024. Fourth quarter 2024 revenue of $1,018.4 million, up 10%, or up 7% organically. Fiscal year 2024 revenue of $3.9 billion, up 8%, or up 8% organically. Fourth quarter 2024 GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.58, up 38%. Fiscal 2024 GAAP diluted EPS of $1.96, up 33%. Fourth quarter 2024 non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.04, up 19%. Fiscal 2024 non-GAAP diluted EPS of $3.69, up 15%. See "Reconciliation of Selected GAAP Results to Non-GAAP Results" below. Commenting on the results, Al White, Cooper's President and CEO said, "Fiscal 2024 was a great year for Cooper having achieved record consolidated revenues, including record CooperVision revenues, record CooperSurgical revenues and record non-GAAP EPS. We look forward to continued success in fiscal 2025 and thank all of our employees for driving these results." Fourth Quarter Operating Results Revenue of $1,018.4 million, up 10% from last year’s fourth quarter, up 9% in constant currency, up 7% organically. Gross margin of 67% compared with 65% in last year’s fourth quarter driven by price and efficiency gains. On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin was similar to last year at 67%. Operating margin of 19% compared with 15% in last year’s fourth quarter driven by SG&A expense leverage and stronger gross margins. On a non-GAAP basis, operating margin was 26%, up from 24% last year. Interest expense of $27.0 million compared with $26.3 million in last year's fourth quarter. On a non-GAAP basis, interest expense was $25.6 million, down from $26.4 million. Cash provided by operations of $268.1 million offset by capital expenditures of $139.9 million resulted in free cash flow of $128.2 million. Fourth Quarter CooperVision (CVI) Revenue Revenue of $676.4 million, up 9% from last year’s fourth quarter, up 8% in constant currency, up 8% organically. Revenue by category: Revenue by geography: Fourth Quarter CooperSurgical (CSI) Revenue Revenue of $342.0 million, up 12% from last year's fourth quarter, up 12% in constant currency, up 5% organically. Revenue by category: Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Results Revenue of $3,895.4 million, up 8% from fiscal 2023, up 9% in constant currency, up 8% organically. CVI revenue of $2,609.4 million, up 8% from fiscal 2023, up 8% in constant currency, up 9% organically, and CSI revenue $1,286.0 million, up 10% from fiscal 2023, up 11% in constant currency, up 5% organically. Gross margin of 67% compared with 66% in fiscal 2023. Non-GAAP gross margin was 67% compared with 66% in fiscal 2023. Operating margin of 18% compared with 15% in fiscal 2023. Non-GAAP operating margin was 25% compared with 24% in fiscal 2023. Cash provided by operations of $709.3 million offset by capital expenditures of $421.2 million resulted in free cash flow of $288.1 million. Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Guidance The Company initiated its fiscal year 2025 financial guidance. Details are summarized as follows: Fiscal 2025 total revenue of $4,080 - $4,158 million (organic growth of 6% to 8%) CVI revenue of $2,733 - $2,786 million (organic growth of 6.5% to 8.5%) CSI revenue of $1,347 - $1,372 million (organic growth of 4% to 6%) Fiscal 2025 non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $3.92 - $4.02 Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share guidance excludes amortization and impairment of intangible assets, and certain income or gains and charges or expenses including acquisition and integration costs which we may incur as part of our continuing operations. With respect to the Company’s guidance expectations, the Company has not reconciled non-GAAP diluted earnings per share guidance to GAAP diluted earnings per share due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting acquisition-related, integration and restructuring charges and expenses, which are reconciling items between the non-GAAP and GAAP measures. Due to the unknown effect, timing and potential significance of such charges and expenses that impact GAAP diluted earnings per share, the Company is not able to provide such guidance. Reconciliation of Selected GAAP Results to Non-GAAP Results To supplement our financial results and guidance presented on a GAAP basis, we provide non-GAAP measures such as non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP diluted earnings per share, as well as constant currency and organic revenue growth because we believe they are helpful for the investors to understand our consolidated operating results. Management uses supplemental non-GAAP financial measures internally to understand, manage and evaluate our business, to make operating decisions, and to plan and forecast for future periods. The non-GAAP measures exclude costs which we generally would not have otherwise incurred in the periods presented as a part of our continuing operations. We provide further details of the non-GAAP adjustments made to arrive at our non-GAAP measures in the GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations below. Our non-GAAP financial results and guidance are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP measures and should be read only in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. To present constant currency revenue growth, current period revenue for entities reporting in currencies other than the United States dollar are converted into United States dollars at the average foreign exchange rates for the corresponding period in the prior year. To present organic revenue growth, we excluded the effect of foreign currency fluctuations and the impact of any acquisitions, divestitures and discontinuations that occurred in the comparable period. We define the non-GAAP measure of free cash flow as cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. We believe free cash flow is useful for investors as an additional measure of liquidity because it represents cash that is available to grow the business, make strategic acquisitions, repay debt, or buyback common stock. Management uses free cash flow internally to understand, manage, make operating decisions and evaluate our business. In addition, we use free cash flow to help plan and forecast future periods. Investors should consider non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, and not as replacements for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. EPS, amounts and percentages may not sum or recalculate due to rounding. (1) Charges include the direct effects of acquisition accounting, such as amortization of inventory fair value step-up, professional services fees, regulatory fees and changes in fair value of contingent considerations, and items related to integrating acquired businesses, such as redundant personnel costs for transitional employees, other acquired employee related costs, and integration-related professional services, manufacturing integration costs, legal entity rationalization and other integration-related activities. The acquisition and integration-related charges in fiscal 2024 were primarily related to the Cook Medical acquisition and integration expenses. The acquisition and integration-related charges in fiscal 2023 were primarily related to the Generate acquisition and integration expenses. Charges included $2.9 million and $8.4 million related to redundant personnel costs for transitional employees, $0.7 million and $4.5 million of professional services fees, $1.4 million and $1.4 million of manufacturing integration costs, $1.5 million and 1.5 million of inventory fair value step-up amortization, and $0.7 million and $4.1 million of other acquisition and integration-related activities in the three and twelve months ended October 31, 2024, respectively. The twelve months ended October 31, 2024 also included $0.7 million regulatory fees. Charges included $7.5 million and $21.9 million related to redundant personnel costs for transitional employees, $6.5 million and $16.2 million of professional services fees, $2.9 million and $6.5 million of manufacturing integration costs, $3.1 million and $5.0 million of legal entity rationalization costs, $0.9 million and $2.7 million regulatory fees, and $0.6 million and $5.0 million in other acquisition and integration-related activities, in the three and twelve months ended October 31, 2023, respectively. (2) Charges include costs related to product line exits such as inventory write-offs, site closure costs, contract termination costs and specifically-identified long-lived asset write-offs. Charges included $2.3 million of write-offs of long-lived assets and $1.7 million of other costs related to product line exits in the twelve months October 31, 2024. No charge related to product line exits was incurred in the three months ended October 31, 2024. Charges included $3.4 million and $7.9 million of site closure costs related to the exit of the lens care business, $0.4 million and $1.1 million of other costs related to product line exits in the three and twelve months ended October 31, 2023, respectively. The fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 also included $9.8 million of intangible assets impairment charge associated with the discontinuation of certain products. (3) Charges represent incremental costs of complying with the new European Union (E.U.) medical device regulations for previously registered products and primarily include charges for contractors supporting the project and other direct third-party expenses. We consider these costs to be limited to a specific time period. (4) Charges represent the costs associated with initiatives to increase efficiencies across the organization and optimize our overall cost structure, including changes to our IT infrastructure and operations, employee severance costs, legal entity and other business reorganizations, write-offs or impairments of certain long-lived assets associated with the business optimization activities. Charges included $1.5 million and $10.6 million of employee severance costs, $1.0 million and $4.1 million related to changes to our IT infrastructure and operation, and $0.4 million and $2.9 million of legal entity and other business reorganizations costs, in the three and twelve months ended October 31, 2024, respectively. The twelve months ended October 31, 2024 also included $0.7 million of other optimization costs. Charges included $1.4 million and $11.3 million of employee severance costs, $1.4 million and $1.9 million of legal entity and other business reorganizations costs, and $0.3 million and $5.9 million related to changes to our IT infrastructure and operations, partially offset by $0.2 million and $0.4 million of other items in the three and twelve months ended October 31, 2023, respectively. (5) Amount represents an accrual for probable payment of a termination fee in connection with an asset purchase agreement in the second quarter of 2023, which was paid in August 2023. (6) Amount represents the release the contingent consideration liability associated with SightGlass Vision's regulatory approval milestone in the first quarter of 2023. (7) Charges include certain business disruptions from natural causes, litigation matters and other items that are not part of ordinary operations. The adjustments to arrive at non-GAAP net income also include gains and losses on minority interest investments and accretion of interest attributable to acquisition installment payables. Charges included $1.5 million and $5.9 million of gains and losses on minority interest investments, $1.4 million and $5.5 million of accretion of interest attributable to acquisition installments payable, $0.6 million and $1.5 million related to legal matters in the three and twelve months ended October 31, 2024, respectively. Charges included $1.6 million and $6.3 million of gains and losses on minority interest investments, and $1.3 million and $4.6 million related to legal matters in the three and twelve months ended October 31, 2023, respectively. The twelve months ended October 31, 2023 also included $1.1 million of other items. (8) In fiscal 2021, the Company transferred its CooperVision intellectual property and goodwill to its UK subsidiary. As a result, we recorded a deferred tax asset equal to approximately $2.0 billion as a one-time tax benefit in accordance with U.S. GAAP in fiscal 2021 as subsequently adjusted for changes in UK tax law. The non-GAAP adjustments reflect the ongoing net deferred tax benefit from tax amortization each period under UK tax law. Audio Webcast and Conference Call The Company will host an audio webcast today for the public, investors, analysts and news media to discuss its fourth quarter results and current corporate developments. The audio webcast will be broadcast live on CooperCompanies' website, www.investor.coopercos.com , at approximately 5:00 PM ET. It will also be available for replay on CooperCompanies' website, www.investor.coopercos.com . Alternatively, you can dial in to the conference call at 800-715-9871; conference ID 2026064. About CooperCompanies CooperCompanies (Nasdaq: COO) is a leading global medical device company focused on improving lives one person at a time. The Company operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision is a trusted leader in the contact lens industry, improving the vision of millions of people every day. CooperSurgical is a leading fertility and women's health company dedicated to assisting women, babies and families at the healthcare moments that matter most. Headquartered in San Ramon, CA, CooperCompanies ("Cooper") has a workforce of more than 16,000 with products sold in over 130 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com . Forward-Looking Statements This earnings release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements relating to guidance, plans, prospects, goals, strategies, future actions, events or performance and other statements of which are other than statements of historical fact, including our fiscal year 2025 financial guidance are forward looking. In addition, all statements regarding anticipated growth in our revenues, anticipated effects of any product recalls, anticipated market conditions, planned product launches, restructuring or business transition expectations, regulatory plans, and expected results of operations and integration of any acquisition are forward-looking. To identify these statements look for words like "believes," "outlook," "probable," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "intends," "plans," "estimates" or "anticipates" and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements necessarily depend on assumptions, data or methods that may be incorrect or imprecise and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause our actual results and future actions to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements are: adverse changes in the global or regional general business, political and economic conditions including the impact of continuing uncertainty and instability of certain countries, man-made or natural disasters and pandemic conditions, that could adversely affect our global markets, and the potential adverse economic impact and related uncertainty caused by these items; the impact of international conflicts and the global response to international conflicts on the global and local economy, financial markets, energy markets, currency rates and our ability to supply product to, or through, affected countries; our substantial and expanding international operations and the challenges of managing an organization spread throughout multiple countries and complying with a variety of legal, compliance and regulatory requirements; foreign currency exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations including the risk of fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies or interest rates that would decrease our net sales and earnings; our existing and future variable rate indebtedness and associated interest expense is impacted by rate increases, which could adversely affect our financial health or limit our ability to borrow additional funds; changes in tax laws, examinations by tax authorities, and changes in our geographic composition of income; acquisition-related adverse effects including the failure to successfully achieve the anticipated net sales, margins and earnings benefits of acquisitions, integration delays or costs and the requirement to record significant adjustments to the preliminary fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed within the measurement period, required regulatory approvals for an acquisition not being obtained or being delayed or subject to conditions that are not anticipated, adverse impacts of changes to accounting controls and reporting procedures, contingent liabilities or indemnification obligations, increased leverage and lack of access to available financing (including financing for the acquisition or refinancing of debt owed by us on a timely basis and on reasonable terms); compliance costs and potential liability in connection with U.S. and foreign laws and health care regulations pertaining to privacy and security of personal information such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the U.S. and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements in Europe, including but not limited to those resulting from data security breaches; a major disruption in the operations of our manufacturing, accounting and financial reporting, research and development, distribution facilities or raw material supply chain due to challenges associated with integration of acquisitions, man-made or natural disasters, pandemic conditions, cybersecurity incidents or other causes; a major disruption in the operations of our manufacturing, accounting and financial reporting, research and development or distribution facilities due to the failure to perform by third-party vendors, including cloud computing providers or other technological problems, including any related to our information systems maintenance, enhancements or new system deployments, integrations or upgrades; a successful cybersecurity attack which could interrupt or disrupt our information technology systems, or those of our third-party service providers, or cause the loss of confidential or protected data; market consolidation of large customers globally through mergers or acquisitions resulting in a larger proportion or concentration of our business being derived from fewer customers; disruptions in supplies of raw materials, particularly components used to manufacture our silicone hydrogel lenses; new U.S. and foreign government laws and regulations, and changes in existing laws, regulations and enforcement guidance, which affect areas of our operations including, but not limited to, those affecting the health care industry, including the contact lens industry specifically and the medical device or pharmaceutical industries generally, including but not limited to the EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR), and the EU In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR); legal costs, insurance expenses, settlement costs and the risk of an adverse decision, prohibitive injunction or settlement related to product liability, patent infringement, contractual disputes, or other litigation; limitations on sales following product introductions due to poor market acceptance; new competitors, product innovations or technologies, including but not limited to, technological advances by competitors, new products and patents attained by competitors, and competitors' expansion through acquisitions; reduced sales, loss of customers, reputational harm and costs and expenses, including from claims and litigation related to product recalls and warning letters; failure to receive, or delays in receiving, regulatory approvals or certifications for products; failure of our customers and end users to obtain adequate coverage and reimbursement from third-party payers for our products and services; the requirement to provide for a significant liability or to write off, or accelerate depreciation on, a significant asset, including goodwill, other intangible assets and idle manufacturing facilities and equipment; the success of our research and development activities and other start-up projects; dilution to earnings per share from acquisitions or issuing stock; impact and costs incurred from changes in accounting standards and policies; risks related to environmental laws and requirements applicable to our facilities, products or manufacturing processes, including evolving regulations regarding the use of hazardous substances or chemicals in our products; risks related to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues, including those related to regulatory and disclosure requirements, climate change and sustainability; and other events described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the “Business”, “Risk Factors” and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, as such Risk Factors may be updated in annual and quarterly filings. We caution investors that forward-looking statements reflect our analysis only on their stated date. We disclaim any intent to update them except as required by law. Contact: Kim Duncan Vice President, Investor Relations and Risk Management 925-460-3663 ir@cooperco.com THE COOPER COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation Constant Currency Revenue Growth and Organic Revenue Growth Net SalesBERWYN, Ill. — Far-right influencer Nick Fuentes is due in court later this month after a woman accused him of pepper-spraying her when she showed up at his suburban Chicago home following his “Your body, my choice” post on X. According to court documents, the 57-year-old woman approached Fuentes’ home in Berwyn on Nov. 10, shortly after his address was leaked following his post, the Chicago Tribune reported. Berwyn is a Chicago suburb of about 54,000 people. The woman told the newspaper in a Nov. 15 interview that her friends encouraged her to go to Fuentes’ home to see if rumors were true that he had been receiving prank deliveries after his post on X. She said she made a video of herself on the sidewalk in front of Fuentes’ home. Another woman pulled up in her car and told her to ring the doorbell. She alleged that Fuentes opened the door before she could ring the bell, pepper-sprayed her, screamed an expletive and took her phone. Fuentes, 26, faces a battery charge in connection with the incident, the newspaper reported. He is due to appear in court on Dec. 19. He has posted mugshots of himself on his X account along with “Free me (racial slur).” He didn’t immediately respond to a message The Associated Press sent him Saturday through X. Attempts to reach his attorney, Eduardo Cervantes, were unsuccessful. Fuentes, a Holocaust-denying white supremacist, is part of an emboldened fringe of right-wing “manosphere” influencers who have seized on Republican Donald Trump’s presidential victory to amplify misogynistic derision and threats online. Many of them have appropriated the “my body, my choice” abortion rights slogan, changing it to “your body, my choice.” The twist on the wording has been largely attributed to Fuentes’ Nov. 5 X post: “Your body, my choice. Forever.”

This Strategy Just Beat the Market 5 Months in a RowNoneThey are as much a part of the Blackpool seafront as the Tower. But the resort's vintage trams have been suspended indefinitely. For the time being you are more likely to be able to ride one of the town's old trams in Derbyshire or San Francisco where several have ended up. The company which runs Heritage Tram Tours, in Blackpool has announced that its fleets will be off the tracks for the forseeable future, citing safety complications as one of the main issues. There are also questions over how heritage trams can run alongside modern ones. Blackpool's famous vintage trams get ready for the big parade along Blackpool's Promenade to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III. Photo by James Maloney/LancsLive (Image: James Maloney/Lancs Live) The news has been met with dismay by locals and visitors to the resort. Arlene Wilson posted: "I loved the old trams as it is part of Blackpool and should always be." Chris Callan commented: "The operation has basically run out of track and time to turn it around. All very sad. Some wonderful memories and lots to look back on. Hopefully some of the Heritage Trams are able to find new homes elsewhere where they can be cared for and enjoyed by future generations." Another person commented: "Typical of Blackpool transport , they won't do rural bus routes because they're not profitable and now proposing to stop heritage trams because they're not to modern requirements or standards. They are just cherry picking for profit. Blackpool Transport, your heritage got you where you are now ! Respect and support it. It's not all about profit. It's about a local transport SERVICE." Tram 5 on Blackpool sea front in May 2001. (Image: Birmingham Post and Mail) In a statement Blackpool Transport Ltd said: “Following a thorough review, we have made the difficult decision to suspend our Heritage Tram Tours. Operating the Heritage Trams alongside our modern fleet has become increasingly challenging, with issues such as depot space, tram movements, general safety and maintenance conflicts making it difficult to continue running the service effectively. "This decision was not taken lightly, but we believe it is the most practical step to support the evolving needs of our business and maintain the overall efficiency of our operations. As part of our efforts to future-proof and safely grow our core tram network following the North Station extension, we are introducing advanced safety systems, including the Obstacle Detection Assistance System (ODAS) and the Collision and Overspeed Monitoring and Prevention Assistance System (COMPASS). "These technologies are essential to maintaining safety, especially during busy times such as the summer, illuminations and festive seasons. The systems also allow us to improve operational efficiency, and ensure the sustainability of the network. "The Heritage Trams are a cherished part of Blackpool’s history, and we fully recognise their importance to the community, however, ensuring the ongoing safety and sustainability of the service has become increasingly complex. This pause provides an opportunity to reflect on the role of Heritage trams within a modernised and safe tramway network. Old Blackpool "boat" style trams on the streets of San Francisco "By reassessing their operation, we aim to explore new ways to honour Blackpool’s rich transport heritage while maintaining our commitment to a safe, efficient, and future-focused service. We are dedicated to finding innovative opportunities to honour and showcase Blackpool’s iconic tramway history, and we thank you for your understanding as we work towards this” San Francisco Municipal Railway recently acquired a third “Boat Tram” that once operated in Blackpool, England. The streetcar joins two others already in operation there. The three were among 12 open-top canoe-shaped trams which Blackpool acquired in the 1930s. Today, eight of the original 12 still exist. Three are in California, including Nos. 226, 228 and 233. Car 226 was the first to ever operate in San Francisco in 1983. The old Blackpool Corporation tram 166, pictured in its new home at Crich in Derbyshire. Three other vintage models from Blackpool are now at Crich Tramway Village in Derbyshire. They include Blackpool Corporation 166 built in 1927. It operated at the resort until 1945 before being put in storage until 1953. It arrived at Crich in 1972 to be restored.

7xm app download play store A martial law order from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has again put communist influence in the country under the spotlight. For the first time in nearly four decades, the South Korean leader invoked the authority, accusing the opposing Democratic Party of aligning with communist North Korea. He revoked martial law hours later after parliament voted to lift the order. “I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order,” Yoon said in a late-night address on Dec. 3. He said the political opposition, which dominates the national assembly, was “paralyzing the judiciary by intimidating judges and impeaching a large number of prosecutors,” and causing dysfunction in other government sectors as well. North Korea is far from the only country bringing communist influence over the peninsula. During a campaign rally in March, Lee criticized Yoon’s approach to China and his comments on the regime’s military encroachment on Taiwan, which the Chinese regime has sought to claim as its own. “Why are you provoking China?” Lee said. “What does the Taiwan issue have to do with South Korea?” The former presidential candidate Lee was convicted two weeks ago of violating election law and was sentenced to a one-year suspended prison term. Lee lost the 2022 election to Yoon by a 1 percent margin, marking the closest election in South Korean presidential history. The concern may be a pressing one if Yoon’s popularity plummets as a result of his emergency declaration. His own political party has disavowed the marital law order and said they would “stop it with the people.” “Yoon’s political days are likely numbered since the populace will be united in its criticism and the majority opposition party will seek Yoon’s impeachment,” Bruce Klingner, a veteran at the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency who specializes in Korean affairs, told The Epoch Times. During the brief martial law declaration, Lee called for people in South Korea to descend on the national assembly to protest the order. “Economy, culture, universities, there is no place that hasn’t been penetrated,” a former counter-espionage official, who asked for anonymity, previously told The Epoch Times. Cities in the two countries have signed nearly 700 hundred friendship or sisterhood agreements. Hundreds of Chinese civil servants had been sent to work and train in South Korea through a state-sponsored civil servant exchange program. The Chinese embassy pays for South Korean youths to spend a week in China; it hands them books of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s speeches to read before they depart and expresses hope that they'll be leaders of future bilateral relations. A mayor for the South Korean city of Gwangju in 2023 tried to build a park to honor the composer of the anthem of the People’s Liberation Army and a marching song for North Korea in order to attract tourists from China. The subversion by the Chinese Communist Party in Korea is not as well known compared to the threats from North Korea, but “it is extensive, and it is rather deep,” Tara O, author of The Collapse of North Korea, previously told The Epoch Times’ sister media NTD. She said the effort to build the park was “very ironic.” “That is just one of cultural warfare by China,” she said. Dozens of South Korean media outlets carry articles by the Chinese regime’s propaganda mouthpiece People’s Daily. South Korea also has the highest number of Confucius Institutes, a Chinese state-funded language education program to promote Beijing’s agenda. In a previous interview with The Epoch Times, Choi Soo Yong, a retired case officer from the National Intelligence Service, noted that there’s a room dedicated to the collections of works about Xi at the Seoul National University. By contrast, the university has no memorial to South Korea’s forefathers.ICYMI: MOBILion Forms Advisory Board to Drive Proteomics Innovation

The Latest: Matt Gaetz withdraws his name from consideration as Trump’s attorney generalW.C. (Dub) Britt, age 91 died Sunday, November 24, 2024. W. C. was born on September 8, 1933 to Clyde and Pearl Britt. He grew up in White Pine Tennessee. After high school graduation he joined the United States Air Force. He loved ball games and while in the Air Force he played shortstop for the Washington D. C. Headquarters Team and they won the D.C. Citywide Softball Championship in 1959. While in D.C. he met and married Joan Louise Flood of Lincolndale, New York. They married and had two children. He returned to his hometown and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He is retired from the US Air Force and the US Postal Service, where he served as city carrier in Jefferson City, TN. He is preceded in death by brothers James Britt, Roy Britt, and Frank Britt. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Joan L Britt, daughter Helen Britt Pate (James) son Ed Britt (Heather) grandchildren Justin Pate, Ben Pate (Jennifer), Allison Pate, Breanna Byrd, Nick Britt great grandchildren Liam Pate, Annie Pate and Henry Pate, sisters Lorene Britt King and Lillie (Snooks) Britt Hutsell and brother Paul Britt, along with several nieces and nephews, A graveside service will be held on Monday, December 2, 2024 in Dandridge Memorial Gardens at 11:00am Arrangements by Farrah Funeral Home, 1806 Main St., White Pine.

The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a 2-year $15 million contract with Relief Pitcher Yimi Garcia earlier today. He was acquired by the Seattle Mariners from the Toronto Blue Jays in July before the MLB Trade Deadline. After a slight detour with the Mariners, Garcia is returning to a team where he has spent parts of the last three seasons. He had a stellar 2024 season as he finished 3-0 with a 3.46 ERA. Garcia’s career has included stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and Seattle Mariners. He has a career 22-29 record with a 3.59 ERA. How will Garcia fare this year with the Toronto Blue Jays? What Will Garcia Bring To the Toronto Blue Jays? Blue Jays, RHP Yimi García are reportedly in agreement on a two-year contract. pic.twitter.com/QqJqbwprOn — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 10, 2024 Toronto finished the regular season 74-88 and missed the MLB Playoffs after qualifying the past two seasons. One of the reasons why the Toronto Blue Jays had such a disappointing 2024 season was their poor pitching staff. They were 22nd in ERA, 19th in opposing batting average, and 20th in WHIP. Toronto’s bullpen, an area Garcia will hope to help improve, was even worse this past season. They had the league’s second-worst bullpen ERA and struggled to close out games in 2024. Final Thoughts The Toronto Blue Jays were reportedly involved in the Juan Soto sweepstakes until the bitter end. The team will be led by First Baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. heading into the 2025 season as the sides try to hammer out a contract extension during the offseason. He was second in the league in batting average and sixth in OPS during a regular season. Toronto will look to continue improving their roster as they look to return to the playoffs next season . This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.None

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A melee broke out at midfield of Ohio Stadium after Michigan upset No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday. After the Wolverines' fourth straight win in the series, players converged at the block "O" to plant its flag. The Ohio State players were in the south end zone singing their alma mater in front of the student section. When the Buckeyes saw the Wolverines' flag, they rushed toward the 50-yard line. Social media posts showed Michigan offensive lineman Raheem Anderson carrying the flag on a long pole to midfield, where the Wolverines were met by dozens of Ohio State players and fights broke out. Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer was seen ripping the flag off the pole and taking the flag as he scuffled with several people trying to recover the flag. A statement from the Ohio State Police Department read: "Following the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation. During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. OSUPD is the lead agency for games and will continue to investigate." Michigan running back Kalel Mullings on FOX said: "For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game. It's bad for the sport, bad for college football. At the end of the day, some people got to learn how to lose, man. "You can't be fighting and stuff just because you lost the game. We had 60 minutes and four quarters to do all that fighting. Now people want to talk and fight. That's wrong. It's bad for the game. Classless, in my opinion. People got to be better." Once order was restored, officers cordoned the 50-yard line, using bicycles as barriers. Ohio State coach Ryan Day in his postgame press conference said he wasn't sure what happened. "I don't know all the details of it. But I know that these guys are looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren't going to let that happen," he said. "I'll find out exactly what happened, but this is our field and certainly we're embarrassed at the fact we lost the game, but there's some prideful guys on our team that weren't just going to let that happen." The Big Ten has not yet released a statement on the incident. --Field Level MediaIsrael said Tuesday it had bombed more than 350 military sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wave of airstrikes in neighboring Syria was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s stunning collapse . Israel also acknowledged its troops were pushing into a border buffer zone inside Syria, which was established after the 1973 Mideast war. However, Israel denied its forces were advancing Tuesday toward the Syrian capital of Damascus. Life in the capital was slowly returning to normal after jihadi-led Syrian insurgents ousted President Bashar Assad over the weekend. People celebrated for a third day in a main square, and shops and banks reopened. The United States said Tuesday it would recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Syria's nearly 14-year civil war killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s prewar population of 23 million, becoming a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Here's the Latest: BEIRUT — Insurgents who overthrew the Syrian government now say they have wrested control of the eastern city of Deir el-Zour after intense battles with a Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed force. Syria’s rebel military command announced Tuesday evening that they had completely captured the city of Deir el-Zour. A member of the jihadi group Hayat al-Tahrir, which leads the insurgent alliance, said in a recorded video that the group would soon conduct a thorough sweep of the city’s neighborhoods to secure the area, adding that the strategic nearby town of Boukamal has also fallen to opposition forces. “We will advance toward Raqqa and Hasakah and other areas in eastern Syria,” the HTS fighters said. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces had only held the city for a few days. The SDF said it deployed to Deir el-Zour and west of the Euphrates River on Friday, replacing Syrian government forces. At the time, the SDF said its fighters were not in control of the Boukamal border crossing with Iraq. Earlier Tuesday, the top U.S. military commander for the Middle East was in eastern Syria for meetings with the SDF. It wasn’t clear if he met with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi. BEIRUT — Syria’s transitional government will made up of members from the rebel-led administration that ruled an insurgent stronghold in the country's northwest, the new prime minister said Tuesday, who called the task “a great challenge.” The caretaker Syrian government, which will oversee the country’s affairs until March, held its first meeting Tuesday since overthrowing former President Bashar Assad. It was attended by the departing Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali and other ministers along with new Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir. He had led the so-called “salvation government” in areas controlled by rebel groups — led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS — that have taken control of much of the country. “We were tasked by the general command with managing the affairs of the Syrian government during a transitional period,” Bashir said in a statement following the meeting in Damascus. He added that he hopes ministers in the former Syrian government will assist the new government during this transitional period. “The caretaker government was formed from a number of ministers of the revolutionary government, which is the Syrian Salvation Government, and this government is a temporary caretaker government that will last until March 2025, until the constitutional issues are resolved,” Bashir said. The insurgent alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant , Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who cut ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. SAYDNAYA, Syria — Tens of thousands came to Saydnaya Prison from all over Syria after the fall of former President Bashar Assad to search for their loved ones. The place so notorious for its horrors was long known as “the slaughterhouse.” For the past two days, all have been looking for signs of loved ones who disappeared years or even decades ago into the secretive, sprawling prison just outside Damascus. But hope gave way to despair Monday. People opened the heavy iron doors lining the hallways to find cells inside empty. With sledgehammers, shovels and drills, men pounded holes in floors and walls, looking for what they believed were secret dungeons, or chasing sounds they thought they heard from underground. They found nothing. Insurgents freed dozens of people from the Saydnaya military prison on Sunday when Damascus fell. Since then, almost no one has been found. “Where is everyone? Where are everyone’s children? Where are they?” said Ghada Assad, breaking down in tears. An estimated 150,000 people were detained or went missing in Syria since 2011 — and tens of thousands of them are believed to have gone through Saydnaya. WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East was on the ground in Syria on Tuesday, meeting with a Kurish-led, U.S.-allied force at several bases in the country's east, U.S. Central Command said. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla visited with U.S. military commanders and troops as well as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. It wasn’t clear if he met with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi, and U.S. Central Command did not respond to a request for details about his visit or with whom he met. U.S. officials said they did not know what his message to the SDF was. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. In a press release, Central Command said Kurilla received an “assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation.” Kurilla then went on to Iraq where he met with leaders in Baghdad. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations says it still getting reports about the looting of warehouses with humanitarian aid in a number of areas in Syria, including around the capital Damascus. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Tuesday that U.N. agencies and their partners are working to identify the extent of looting at the warehouses, including those of U.N. agencies and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Dujarric said U.N. aid officials report that “the humanitarian situation remains volatile across Syria, with reports of people continuing to be displaced.” Humanitarian officials reported that 25 trucks carrying U.N. aid crossed from Turkey to northwest Syria, which the situation is now relatively calm, the U.N. spokesman said. All 11 receptions opened in Idlib in the northwest to host newly displaced families were empty as of Monday, Dujarric said. In the northeast, he said, authorities report that as of Tuesday 100,000 people have been displaced due to fighting in Tal Rifaat and other parts of Aleppo governorate. Dujarric said the U.N.’s partners report that “reception centers in Tabqa and Raqqa have reached full capacity, and more than 200 sites – including municipal buildings, schools, mosques, and stadiums – are being used to accommodate newly displaced people.” BEIRUT — The Lebanese army said Tuesday that “unidentified gunmen” crossed the border from Syria into eastern Lebanon's Bekaa province and approached a Lebanese border post. In a statement, the army said the gunmen fired into the air and seized equipment from an evacuated Syrian army post in the outskirts of Kfar Fouq, near Rashaya al-Wadi, in the western part of Bekaa province. Lebanese army personnel responded with warning shots, forcing the group to retreat back into Syrian territory. The Lebanese army did not report any injuries or provide further details about the identity of the gunmen. WASHINGTON — Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched multiple drones and a missile at three commercial ships being escorted in the Gulf of Aden by U.S. Navy ships, a U.S. official said Tuesday. There was no damage and no injuries. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, said U.S. Navy destroyers, and Navy helicopter and a French Air Force aircraft shot down four of the drones and the missile. The three U.S. affiliated flagged ships were sailing east toward Djibouti. The Iran-backed Houthis have targeted shipping through the key waterway for more than a year, attacks they say are meant to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said it bombed more than 350 sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. There is concern that, with the sudden collapse of the Syrian government, weapons stockpiles could be seized by jihadi militants. Warplanes hit what Israel said were Syrian air defense systems, military airfields, missile depots, and dozens of weapons production sites in the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra, the Israeli army statement said. In naval operations overnight Monday, Israeli missile ships struck two Syrian navy facilities simultaneously — Al-Bayda port and Latakia port — where the army said 15 Syrian naval vessels were docked. Israeli did not specify how many Syrian naval vessels were hit. The private security firm Ambrey said it had seen evidence that at least six Soviet-era Syrian navy missile ships were hit. Israeli officials said earlier that Israel also targeted alleged chemical weapons sites. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Tuesday that his country’s military launched a wave of airstrikes across Syria to destroy the toppled government’s leftover “military capabilities,” and said Israel wants relations with the new government emerging Syria. Hours after Israeli warplanes pounded Syria, Netanyahu said Israeli doesn’t want to meddle in Syria’s internal affairs, but would take necessary steps to protect Israel's security and prevent jihadi militants from seizing the Syrian army assets. He warned that if the new Syrian government “allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or attacks us -- we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price from it.” He spoke in a video statement recorded at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, after his first day of testimony in his corruption trial. DAMASCUS, Syria — In Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syrians celebrated the fall of President Bashar Assad for the third day on Tuesday despite Israeli airstrikes across the country. Insurgents who recently took control of the capital city tried to impose a new rule banning the celebratory gunfire. There were a few violators, and much less deafening gunfire. Protesters climbed the square's central monument to wave the Syrian revolutionary flag. On the ground, crowds chanted: “Out with Bashar! Out with Bashar!” Assad fled to Russia over the weekend after a lightning rebel offensive toppled his brutal police state. Demonstrators from different provinces marched in the square in groups, celebrating Assad's fall. Men on motorcycles and horses paraded into the square. One woman from Idlib province shouted that the Israeli strikes ruined the joy of ousting Assad. “Why are you striking us? We just deposed a tyrant,” she said. “Give us peace. Leave us alone,” said Ahmed Jreida, 22, a dentist student, when asked about the Israeli airstrikes. Hamzeh Hamada, 22, said this was the first time he had gone out to a demonstration. “We want the country to get better, to live in dignity and be like other countries that respect citizens’ rights and where there are no bribes,” he said. “We have suffered a lot from bribes. ... We had to bribe people for very minor things; things that should be our right.” Abdul-Jalil Diab was taking a stroll with his brothers in another square in western Damascus. He said he came back from Jordan the day Damascus fell. He was there studying German to prepare to move to Germany and said he is now reconsidering his plans. He was ecstatic, saying words can’t describe how he feels. “We are happy to get rid of the corrupt regime that was based on bribes. The whole country feels better. Everyone is happy and celebrating,” Abdul-Jalil Diab said. QAMISHLI, Syria — Residents of northeast Syria in the area around Qamishli airport said Tuesday they heard explosions overnight after an airstrike hit trucks loaded with rockets and ammunition that were heading to a military base in Tartab. “We don’t know the story. It was only in the morning when we realized they are trucks loaded with ammunition, leftovers of the former army, the regime,” said Ibrahim al-Thalaj, who lives near the base. He said residents assumed that the strikes were Israeli. Israel has carried out a heavy wave of airstrikes across Syria targeting military infrastructure after Syrian insurgents toppled the government of Bashar Assad. However, Turkish security officials said Tuesday that the strike in Qamishli was carried out by Turkey, targeting weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian army and seized by Syrian Kurdish militants. The explosions lasted for over 20 minutes after the strike, and many houses in the surrounding area were damaged as a result, residents of the area said. “We just felt a strike hitting. It hit the first one (truck) and we saw the other trucks retreating back, and from there rockets and shells started flying over,” said Hamid al-Asaad, an eyewitness from Qub al-Zeki village in Qamishli. “We were sitting when these explosions started to hit the house,” said Mahmoud Hamza of Tartab. “It was hitting randomly and we didn’t know where it was coming from. ... Once we got out of our house, a rocket hit the house.” There were no details released by the local Kurdish administration regarding the explosions, but members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces blocked the road to the base. BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top diplomat is concerned that Syria might violently fall apart like neighboring Iraq, or Libya and Afghanistan if its territorial integrity and the rights of minorities are not protected. “The transition will present huge challenges in Syria and in the region,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told European lawmakers on Tuesday during a special hearing. “There are legitimate concerns about the risks of sectarian violence, extremist resurgence and the governance vacuum, all of which must be averted. We must avoid a repeat of the horrific scenarios of Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan,” she said. “The rights of all Syrians, including those of many minority groups, must be protected,” she said. “It is crucial to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria, and to respect its independence, its sovereignty, as well as the state institutions.” Kallas also said the collapse of the government has shown that Assad’s backers in Russia and Iran “could neither afford to do it any longer, nor had any interest of being present in the aftermath.” “They are weakened, distracted and overstretched in other theaters in the broader Middle East, but also in Ukraine,” she said. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s intelligence agency, MIT, has attacked a convoy of trucks that was allegedly carrying missiles, heavy weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian government and reportedly seized by Syrian Kurdish militias, Turkish security officials said Tuesday. The officials said 12 trucks, two tanks and two ammunition depots were “destroyed” in aerial strikes in the city of Qamishli, near the border with Turkey in northeast Syria. The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with Turkish regulations. They did not say when the attack occurred. The officials said the intelligence agency detected that weapons left by the Syrian government forces were being moved to warehouses belonging to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Defense Units, or YPG. Turkey views the group as a terrorist organization because of its links to the banned Kurdish militants that have led a decadeslong insurgency in Turkey. According to the officials, he group was allegedly planning to use the equipment and supplies against Turkish security forces. By Suzan Fraser WASHINGTON — The White House is signaling its approval of Israel’s strikes against Syrian military and alleged chemical weapons targets and the seizure of a buffer zone in the Syrian Golan Heights after the fall of the Assad government. “These are exigent operations to eliminate what they believe are imminent threats to their national security,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday, saying the U.S. would leave it up to the Israelis to discuss details of their operations. “They have as always the right to defend themselves,” Kirby said. He declined to detail and U.S. intelligence cooperation with the Israelis that went into the strikes. Kirby said the White House was reasserting its support of the 1974 Golan Heights disengagement agreement, but didn’t criticize the Israeli seizure of the demilitarized zone. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely , citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States. WASHINGTON — The Biden administration says it will recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Tuesday that the U.S. would work with groups in Syria and regional partners to ensure that the transition from President Bashar Assad’s deposed government runs smoothly. He was not specific about which groups the U.S. would work with. Blinken says Syrians should decide their future and that other countries should “support an inclusive and transparent process” and not interfere. “The United States will recognize and fully support a future Syria government that results from this process,” he said. “We stand prepared to lend all appropriate support to all of Syria’s diverse communities and constituencies.” DAMASCUS, Syria — Jihad Mustafa Shibani was taking his new motorcycle for a spin with a friend around the house of the deposed Syrian president in western Damascus on Tuesday. Shibani was released from prison a week before the capital Damascus fell, after he served two years on charges of buying his motorcycle using foreign currency on accusations he was dealing in dollars. He was tortured for 15 days and and given a quick trial where he was sentenced for two years, he said. He was released the day Aleppo fell to the insurgents. “Everything was banned in Syria. The (Assad loyalists) only could use it,” Shibani said. He said he has never been to this neighborhood, because it was taken over by Assad, his family and supporters. “For 50 years, my family’s house is near here, and we don’t know anything about it. ... The Syrian people had been oppressed, you can’t imagine.” Shibani said he has no fear of the rebel newcomers who have taken control of the country. “We are not afraid. There can be no one more unjust than Bashar. Impossible.” BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prime minister is in contact with security and judicial officials to follow up on reports that senior members of President Bashar Assad’s government have fled to Lebanon. Najib Mikati’s office quoted him as saying that Lebanon abides by international laws regarding people who cross its borders. Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said that several top security officials have entered Lebanon over the past two days. Abdurrahman added that Syria’s former intelligence chief Ali Mamlouk, who is wanted in Lebanon over two bombings in 2012 in the northern city of Tripoli that killed dozens, was allegedly brought to Lebanon by the Hezbollah militant group and was staying in a southern suburb of Beirut where the group has deep support. Lebanon’s Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, whose ministry is in charge of border crossings, told reporters Tuesday that no person who is wanted in Lebanon entered the country through legal border crossings. There are dozens of illegal border crossings between Lebanon and Syria where people are usually smuggled in and out of Lebanon, but it was not possible to independently confirm whether Mamlouk had entered Lebanon. GENEVA — The United Nations says humanitarian operations in two major areas in northwestern Syria have resumed, deploying food, medical supplies, fuel and other needed services and supplies. Spokesman Jens Laerke of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that some health facilities were “overwhelmed” – in part due to staff shortages – and many border crossings have been closed, disrupting supply chains. OCHA said humanitarian operations in some parts of northwestern Syria were put on hold in the early days of the recent escalation, and resumed on Monday. “As of yesterday, all humanitarian organizations in Idlib and northern Aleppo have resumed operations,” Laerke told reporters at a U.N. briefing in Geneva. He said the three border crossings from Turkey used by the U.N. to deliver assistance into Syria remain open and “we are providing assistance in the northwest, including to those who have been newly displaced.” Even before the latest escalation, which led President Bashar Assad to flee the country, nearly 17 million people in Syria needed humanitarian assistance. More than 1 million have been displaced across Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Homs since the escalation. JERUSALEM — Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israel's military destroyed Syria’s fleet overnight and intends to establish a demilitarized zone “in southern Syria” to prevent attacks on Israel. He also issued a warning to Syria’s rebels, saying that “whoever follows Assad’s path will end up like Assad — we will not allow an extremist Islamic terrorist entity to act against Israel across its border while putting its citizens at risk.” Speaking at a naval base in Haifa, Katz said the Israeli navy “operated last night to destroy the Syrian fleet and with great success.” Video showing the smoking wreckage of what appeared to be small Syrian naval ships in the port at Latakia was broadcast by Saudi-owned television station Al-Hadath on Tuesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has closely tracked the conflict since the civil war erupted in 2011, said Israel targeted Syrian warships, military warehouses and an air-defense facility on the coast. Katz added that he had instructed the army to establish a “defense zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence, in order to prevent terrorism in Syria from taking root and organizing.” It was unclear if the demilitarized zone would reach beyond the buffer zone that Israel has taken over in the border area. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely , citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States. DAMASCUS, Syria — Members of the Syrian government under ousted President Bashar Assad will gradually transfer power to a new transitional cabinet headed by Mohammed al-Bashir. The departing government met with al-Bashir for the first time since Assad fled Damascus over the weekend. Al-Bashir had previously led the “salvation government” running the rebel stronghold in northwest Syria. Al-Bashir told reporters after the meeting that the ministers discussed transferring the portfolios to the interim government during the transitional period until the beginning of March. He said that in the coming days the new government will decide on each ministry. DAMASCUS, Syria — Banks and shops are reopening in Damascus after the chaos and confusion of the first two days following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. Sadi Ahmad, manager of Syria Gulf Bank, said life is returning to normal. A customer who came to withdraw money from an ATM was surprised to see it functioning. At the historic Hamadiyeh market, fighters who seized power were still standing guard but shops had reopened — even an ice cream stand. Resident Maysoun Al-Qurabi said she was initially “against what happened,” referring to the insurgency, but changed her mind after seeing footage of rebels releasing inmates from the notorious Saydnaya prison. “People are at ease and secure now,” she said. “Before, people were hungry and scared.” DAMASCUS, Syria — Minority Christians in Syria have been living in a state of uneasy anticipation since insurgents headed by the Islamic militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham took control after ousting President Bashar Assad. Mazen Kalash, a resident of Bab Touma, a Christian neighborhood in Damascus, said he wants to know the plans of the new government that will be formed by the rebels. “The important thing is to feel safe, bring order, law and respect to the citizens,” he said. “We need to be able to work whatever we want and do whatever we want without any interference from anyone.” The insurgents have so far attempted to reassure minorities that they will be protected. Large numbers of Syrian Christians, who made up 10% of the population, fled after the civil war erupted in 2011. Many of those who stayed supported Assad out of fear they might be targeted by Islamist insurgents. TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at media during testimony at his corruption trial, which involves media moguls. “There has never been such a biased media in any democracy ... as there is in Israel,” Netanyahu told the court, describing his testy relationship with the press. He is accused of exchanging regulatory favors with media bosses for more positive coverage of himself and his family. He has denied wrongdoing. GENEVA — The U.N. envoy for Syria says armed groups that drove out President Bashar Assad have “been sending good messages” about national unity and inclusiveness but acknowledges that a Security Council resolution still counts the leading one as a terrorist group. With Syria’s future and stability still very much in flux since Assad’s departure over the weekend, Geir Pedersen suggested that the international community needs to help the country get through this turbulent moment. “We are still in what I would call a very fluid period. Things are not settled,” Pedersen told reporters at U.N. offices in Geneva on Tuesday. “There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity needs to be grasped by the Syrians themselves and supported by the U.N. and the international community.” Referring to Israeli military strikes in Syria, Pedersen said it was “extremely important that we now don’t see any action from any international country that destroys the possibility for this transformation in Syria to take place.” The insurgents are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which grew out of an al-Qaida-affiliate called the Nusra Front that the Security Council listed as a terror group in a 2015 resolution. “This is obviously a complicating factor for all of us,” Pedersen said. “But we also have to be honest, we have to look at the facts and to see what has happened during the last nine years.” “The reality so far is that the HTS and also the other armed groups have been sending good messages to the Syrian people,” he said. “They have been sending messages of unity, of inclusiveness, and frankly speaking, also, we have seen in (the captured cities of) Aleppo and in Hama ... reassuring things on the ground." Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency and the founder of both groups Nusra and HTS, cut ties with al-Qaida in 2016 and says he is committed to pluralism and religious tolerance. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has “strongly” condemned Israel’s advance into Syrian territory, saying it was in violation of a 1974 agreement on a buffer zone inside Syria. “We strongly condemn Israel’s violation of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement, its entry into the separation zone between Israel and Syria, and its advance into Syrian territory,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry accused Israel of “displaying a mentality of an occupier” at a time when the possibility of peace and stability had emerged in Syria. The statement also reiterated Turkey’s support to Syria’s “sovereignty, political unity, and territorial integrity.” Israeli troops on Sunday entered the buffer zone that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war and the military said it would deploy in “several other places necessary for (Israel’s’) defense.” TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he works 17 to 18 hours a day and that he is engulfed in meetings, especially during the past year that Israel has been fighting wars. Netanyahu was testifying in his long-running corruption trial. He has denied charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. “If only I could steal away five minutes to enjoy some time with my wife,” he told the court Tuesday. TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli military official says troops plan to seize a buffer zone inside Syria as well as “a few more points that have strategic meaning.” The official spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The official dismissed reports of a larger Israeli invasion as “rumors.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli forces were moving to control a roughly 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) demilitarized buffer zone in Syrian territory. The buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights was created by the U.N. after the 1973 Mideast war. Following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad, Israel sent troops into the buffer zone. It said the move was temporary and was aimed at preventing attacks. It said the 1974 agreement establishing the zone had collapsed and that Syrian troops had withdrawn from their positions. Israel has also carried out airstrikes across Syria in recent days targeting what it says are suspected chemical weapons and long-range rockets. Egypt and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israel’s incursion, accusing it of exploiting the disarray in Syria and violating international law. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community, except for the United States. The rest of the world views the strategic plateau as occupied Syrian territory. — By Joseph Krauss DAMASCUS, Syria — Israel’s air force has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in different parts of Syria as its ground forces move north of the Golan Heights along the border with Lebanon, according to an opposition war monitor. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday that since the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government, Israel’s air force has carried out more than 300 airstrikes against research centers, arms depots and military infrastructure across Syria, as well as a naval base along the Mediterranean coast. Associated Press journalists in Damascus witnessed intense airstrikes on the city and its suburbs overnight into Tuesday morning. Photographs posted online by activists showed destroyed missile launchers, helicopters and warplanes. Meanwhile, Israeli troops marched along the border with Lebanon and now control a long stretch on the Syrian side facing Lebanon’s Rashaya region, according to the war monitor's head, Rami Abdurrahman, and the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV, which has reporters in Syria. Israeli troops are now about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Damascus, according to the monitor. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel’s incursion into a buffer zone in Syria and a wave of Israeli airstrikes launched after the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that “the assaults carried out by the Israeli occupation government, including the seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, and the targeting of Syrian territory confirm Israel’s continued violation of the principles of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.” Israel sent troops into a buffer zone inside Syria that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war. It said the move was temporary and was taken to prevent any cross-border attacks after Syrian troops withdrew. Israel has also carried out heavy airstrikes that it says are aimed at preventing suspected chemical weapons and long-range rockets from falling into the hands of extremists. Saudi Arabia has been in talks with the United States in recent years over normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact, American assistance in establishing a civilian nuclear program and a pathway to the establishment of a Palestinian state. But the kingdom has also repeatedly condemned Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, where it is at war with the Hamas militant group. Last month, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and day-to-day ruler Mohammed bin Salman accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza , allegations Israel adamantly rejects.

Limitations of FRT apparent in search for United Healthcare CEO’s killerAP Business SummaryBrief at 9:06 a.m. EST

World Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. An extensive report on the assassination attempts against Donald Trump during this year’s election campaign has blamed the incident on a procession of security failures, rather than any single catastrophic mistake. The country’s House of Representatives voted to set up a task force to investigate those failures after the first attempt on Mr Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, when the then-candidate’s ear was grazed by a bullet during an outdoor political rally. If the would-be assassin’s aim had been even centimetres more accurate, Mr Trump likely would have been killed. This was the attack that ended with an iconic image of a bloodied Mr Trump raising his fist to the crowd and shouting the word “fight”, before he was whisked away to safety by Secret Service agents. Snipers shot and killed the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks. Mr Trump raises a defiant fist to the crowd after the first attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania. Picture: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images via AFP In a second incident, on September 15, a gunman was spotted hiding in the bushes at Mr Trump’s golf club in Florida, where the candidate was playing a round. Secret Service officers shot at the man, subsequently identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, and he fled the scene before being arrested a short time later. Routh will face court early next year, and is looking at the prospect of life imprisonment. The 13-person task force to look into the incidents, and set up by Congress, was bipartisan, with seven Republican members and six Democrats. It ultimately conducted 46 interviews, reviewed more than 18,000 pages of documents, and visited the scene of each assassination attempt. Its report, published today, is quite thorough, running to 180 pages. You can read the whole thing here , should you be so inclined and sufficiently time-rich. “The task force found that the tragic and shocking events in Butler, Pennsylvania were preventable and should not have happened,” the 13 members of Congress concluded. “There was not, however, a singular moment or decision that allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks to nearly assassinate the former president. “The various failures in planning, execution, and leadership on and before July 13, 2024, and the pre-existing conditions that undermined the effectiveness of the human and material assets deployed that day, coalesced to create an environment in which the former president, and everyone at the campaign event, were exposed to grave danger.” The report is actually complimentary of the Secret Service’s work regarding the second attempt in September, saying “the events that transpired in West Palm Beach demonstrated how properly executed protective measures can foil an attempted assassination”. Secret Service agents surround Mr Trump after the shooting in Butler. Picture: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images via AFP Mr Trump’s defiance. Picture: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images via AFP The report identifies “several decision points” that “if handled differently, could have prevented” Crooks from firing eight shots at the stage, in Butler, while Mr Trump was giving a campaign speech. “Foremost, the failure to secure a recognised high-risk area immediately adjacent to the venue – specifically the American Glass Research (AGR) grounds and building complex – gave rise to several vulnerabilities that eventually allowed Crooks to evade law enforcement, climb on and traverse the roof of the AGR complex, and open fire,” it said. “Despite its proximity to a main road, clear sight lines to the stage, and elevated position, the Secret Service allowed a crowd that was not screened to gather at the fence line separating the secured area and the AGR complex. “The presence of the crowd outside the secured area made Crooks more difficult to interdict as his behaviour became increasingly suspicious.” That initial failure to secure the building upon whose roof Crooks took aim was “compounded by the fact that the area was not sufficiently monitored or patrolled to deter threats”. “The Secret Service did not provide clear guidance to its state and local partners about which entity was responsible for the area,” the committee said. “An expressed lack of manpower and assets was not sufficiently addressed, resulting in coverage gaps on the ground. “Further, local snipers on the property understood their responsibility to be overwatch of the crowd and the venue, not the area outside the secure perimeter where Crooks loitered and prepared, believing that area to have been secured by Secret Service counter-snipers.” The now-dead gunman, Thomas Crooks. Other failures involved “technology meant to supplement venue security” being down for hours, a “fragmented communication structure”, and “pre-existing issues” involving the Secret Service’s leadership and training. The task force’s report includes 25 recommendations, based on the events in Butler, which are intended to prevent a similarly perilous incident in the future. Most of them are redacted, though the publicly available report does recommend recording “all radio transmissions” at protective events and “considering staffing redundancies for high pressure moments”. “On July 13, the Secret Service did not record its radio communications,” the report says. “The absence of radio logs or recordings significantly limits the ability to reconstruct events for either investigative or evaluative purposes. To the extent that there are any technological limitations that prevent radio recordings or logs for all protective events, the Secret Service must prioritise addressing those challenges to enable this capability.” More generally, the committee concluded “Congress must ensure that the Secret Service determines ways to strengthen its capabilities and reduce the strain on its resources” if it’s to sufficiently protect presidential candidates going forward. More Coverage ‘Harm’: Doctors demand Covid vaccine pulled Frank Chung Israel wipes out Syria’s navy in bomb spree Shannon Molloy Originally published as ‘Grave danger’: Report into Donald Trump assassination attempts released Read related topics: Donald Trump More related stories News ‘Grave danger’: Scathing Trump security failure report A congressional taskforce investigating the assassination attempts on Donald Trump has released a scathing report into the Secret Service. Read more News TikTok exposes alleged CEO killer’s past A friend of alleged CEO murderer Luigi Mangione has shared an insightful video about the 26-year-old. Read moreUCF coach Gus Malzahn reportedly resigning to take Florida State OC job

Trump convinced Republicans to overlook his misconduct. But can he do the same for his nominees?Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more! Cyber Monday is the cherry on top of a Thanksgiving week jam-packed with online shopping sales. One last chance to score the best discounts and deals of the season! Following the frenzy of Black Friday, Amazon is back once again with sitewide savings you do not want to miss. Since the options are overwhelming, I thought I’d simplify your search by spotlighting some of my all-time favorite finds at Amazon. From heaters to hair oil, these products have seriously changed my life for the better. Keep scrolling to shop these must-have markdowns! My go-to perfume is on sale for less than the cost of a manicure! Sol de Janeiro’s viral hair and body fragrance mist comes in a variety of scents, but the pink Cheirosa ’68 is my favorite. The Dyson Airwrap absolutely lives up to the hype! This multi-styling hair tool dries, curls, shapes and smooths strands like you’re at a salon. And without heat damage, your hair will be so much healthier! I swear by this beauty bestseller. I recently purchased this Hatch alarm clock, and it has honestly changed my life. I used to wake up to the irritating iPhone alarm sound, starting my day in a bad mood. Now I slowly arise to the gentle sound of ocean waves, followed by a pump-up speech from RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Jaida Essence Hall. It’s pure joy! Plus, you can customize the morning light to mimic a sunrise. I fall asleep to classical music and a meditation with soothing red light. Best money I’ve ever spent! Stay warm on your walks with these Baleaf fleece-lined leggings! Finally a pair of pocketed yoga pants that won’t make you freeze in the cold. I wore these high-waisted leggings on a long walk in chilly weather, and my legs felt toasty the whole time! Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask is a cult-favorite product beloved by customers and celebs alike. Every night before bed, I apply this hydrating lip balm for the smoothest, softest pout. If you want long, lifted lashes, then you need to shop Maybelline’s Sky High Mascara! I even got my mom hooked on this drugstore beauty product. Once I heard that Sofia Richie wore this mascara on her wedding day, I had to try it for myself — and now it’s my everyday essential! I never wore daily SPF until I discovered Supergoop’s Glowscreen. This tinted sunscreen leaves my complexion with a dewy glow without any white cast. It’s my primer, foundation and highlighter all in one! I’ve owned this compact space heater for almost a decade, and it still works like a charm! With over 65,000 glowing reviews on Amazon, it’s clear that I’m not the only fan of this space heater. It may be small, but it’s mighty! You can control the timer, oscillation and thermostat so the temperature will be just right. Shape your eyebrows like a pro with Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Brow Wiz! Bachelor Nation’s Kelsey Anderson just called this eyebrow pencil one of her favorite beauty products in a recent TikTok video . I love that one side features a fine-tip pencil while the other end is a spoolie brush. Revive your tired under-eyes with these Grace & Stella gold eye masks! Wrapped in individual packages, these energizing eye masks make great stocking stuffer gifts. Whenever anyone asks me my favorite drugstore beauty product, I always say L’Oreal Paris Lumi Glotion! This silky-smooth skin tint rivals luxury labels, gliding on like a dream and delivering a perfectly dewy glow. As a longtime fan of the beauty brand Kerastase, I was so excited to finally sample the buzzy Elixir Ultime Hair Oil. After applying the product to my wet hair before a blowout, I couldn’t believe how shiny my strands looked! My friend Kate even asked me if I had just gotten a haircut. Highly recommend this serum that fights frizz and provides heat protection. This off-the-shoulder top is my go-to first date look! It’s also the perfect shirt to pair with patterned pants or skirts. Flirty and flattering! I never wanted to use body oil because I was worried about feeling sticky and slimy. But this Osea non-greasy body oil leaves my skin soft, smooth and less wrinkled, especially when I add moisturizer on top. Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News Sick of staining your towels with makeup residue after washing your face? These Makeup Erasers work like magic, removing makeup with just water. And they’re just the right size for travel!7xm app login for android 。

TORONTO, Dec. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fredonia Mining Inc. (“ ” or the “ ”) (TSXV:FRED) announces that it has filed a technical report for its wholly-owned El Dorado Monserrat (“EDM”) Gold & Silver Project, Santa Cruz province, Argentina (the “ “) pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 “Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects” (“ “). The Technical Report supports the disclosure made by the Company in its November 11, 2024 news release announcing the Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate at El Dorado Monserrat Project, Argentina. The Technical Report is titled “Maiden Mineral Resources Estimate on the El Dorado Monserrat Property, Gold and Silver Project Santa Cruz Province, Argentina” with an effective date of November 8, 2024, and was prepared by Mr. Mario Alfaro Cortés, Qualified Person (QP) as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, Chilean Mining Commission; and Mr. Ganem Fernando, Qualified Person (QP) as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists. Estanislao Auriemma, CEO stated: “With the filing of the technical report and maiden mineral resource estimate for the North and South deposit, we are planning a new phase of diamond drilling to expand the high-grade gold and silver resources and then move the Project through a Pre- Feasibility study. As the maiden mineral resource estimate covers only a fraction of the Project, we believe we have established the baseline for significant shareholder value, and, with our now deeper understanding of the Project’s geology, we plan to continue to significantly grow the size and quality of the mineral resource as we address the broader Project area that demonstrates mineralization, similar to the neighboring Cerro VanGuardia mine. The upcoming drill campaign is focused on demonstrating that higher grade mineralization exists at depth consistent with the results of our deeper drill holes we completed at Herradura Hill showing increasing grade.” • 81.348 million tonnes grading 0.61 g/t gold and 18.76 g/t silver (0.86 g/t gold equivalent*6), containing an estimated 1.593 million ounces of gold and 49.067 million ounces of silver (2.248 million ounces of gold equivalent*6); plus limited Inferred Mineral Resource. • The estimate produces in- pit resources for the Northern Monserrat Sector and Southern Mineralized Corridor deposits, spaced just 5.0 km apart. • Mineralization remains open in all directions and below the base of drilling at both the North and South sectors, showing clear scope for further drilling to increase the size of this initial mineral resource estimate. • The resource estimate is based on 40,472.68 meters of drilling and 5,305.43 meters of trenches, intersecting the resource solids. These drillings are divided into 164 holes for a total of 27,504.22 meters for Northern Monserrat Sector and 55 holes for a total of 12,968.46 meters for Southern Mineralized Corridor (including only Herradura Hill target). Gold and silver grades for both sector, have been interpolated independently. Figure 1. Plan view of the north and south deposits (resource area in green) and their proximity in relation to the Cerro Vanguardia Mine. Figure 2. Plan view of the north and south deposit at El Dorado Monserrat. (Blue measured, green indicated, red inferred). Figure 3. Gold grade Shell with a view to the West. Long Section of the MRE at Northern Monserrat Sector. Figure 4. Gold grade Shell with a view to the west. Cross Section of the MRE at Southern Mineralized Corridor (included only Herradura Hill). The mineral resource estimate was prepared by independent QP Mario Alfaro Cortés of Chile, commissioned by Fredonia Mining, and is calculated for two deposits, North and South. The estimate was prepared according to NI 43-101 standards and the CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves: Definitions and Guidelines (CIM 2014). Mr. Fernando Ganem, is a QP as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Ganem visited the property and has read and approved the technical contents of this release. The Company also announces that it has granted stock options (the “ ”) to directors and officers of the Company in the amounts described in the table below. Each Option is exercisable to purchase one common share of the Company (a “ ”) at a price of $0.40 per Common Share, representing a significant premium to the market price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange, for a period five years from the grant date. The Options have been granted in accordance with the terms of the Company’s stock option plan and have been granted to the directors and offices in lieu of accrued cash amounts payable for compensation for acting in those positions. The Company intends to pay cash compensation to officers and directors in the future in accordance with historical practices. Fredonia holds gold and silver license areas totaling approximately 18,300 ha. in the prolific Deseado Massif geological region in the Province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, including the following principal areas: its flagship – the advanced El Dorado-Monserrat project (approx. 6,200 ha.) located close to AngloGold Ashanti’s 300,000 oz./yr Au-Ag Cerro Vanguardia mine, the El Aguila project (approx. 9,100 ha.), and the Petrificados project (approx. 3,000 ha). Please visit the Company’s website at or contact: Estanislao Auriemma, Chief Executive Officer, Direct +54 91 149 980 623, Email: . Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release contains certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation relating to the Company and the EDM project, including statements regarding the prospectivity of the EDM project for gold and silver mineralization, including the potential for metal recoveries from any mineral processing activity, the mineral resource estimate at the Project, the prospectivity for mineralization at the EDM Project similar to mineralization at the Cerro Vanguardia mine, and the Company’s future exploration plans. Words such as “might”, “will”, “should”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “expect”, “believe”, “estimate”, “forecast” and similar terminology are used to identify forward looking statements and forward-looking information. Such statements and information are based on assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by the Company considering its experience, current conditions and its expectations of future developments as well as other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, the factors described in the Company’s filing statement dated June 22, 2021 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the heading “Risk Factors” that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements and information and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on such statements and information and the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements made herein, or comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of the Company or its securities, other than as required by law. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

COUNCILLORS must address matters in their areas, especially flooding, be accountable to the people and have a high level of integrity, says Klang Royal City Council (MBDK) mayor Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain. “As the new mayor, I need the support of councillors to reach out to the people. “We have to work as a team and demonstrate good leadership in resolving pressing issues like floods, upgrading drains and cleanliness,” said Abd Hamid who took his oath of office yesterday. His predecessor, Datin Paduka Noraini Roslan, retired on Nov 20. Abd Hamid previously served as Sepang Municipal Council president from September 2020. “When I met with people in Klang on Sunday, they wanted councillors to address issues in their neighbourhoods,” he told StarMetro. Abd Hamid said he was willing to accompany councillors to meet the people. He said based on feedback, residents were happy with waste management but upset over faulty streetlights and road conditions in certain areas. “With good teamwork, we can share ideas for better workflow to resolve various issues. “Even department heads need to consider the well-being of all Klang residents and bring up their views at sub-committee meetings,” said the mayor, a father of four. Abd Hamid, 57, holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He had also served in Ampang Jaya Municipal Council as president. “Our success at MBDK will depend on improving work processes and promoting the use of data-driven decisions,” he said. He noted that the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) linking Bandar Utama to Klang will open in March next year. “This will impact everything from economic growth to social well-being. “We as a council must embrace improved methods to provide micro-mobility to complement the new public transport mode,” he added. Abd Hamid said businesses around LRT3 stations were looking forward to more customers. “Businesses are key drivers in job creation and economic growth. “As a council, we must support this new transportation infrastructure to provide better opportunities to Klang folk,” he added.CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Jacob Hutson's 20 points helped Northern Iowa defeat Southern Illinois 78-67 on Sunday. Hutson shot 7 of 10 from the field and 5 for 7 from the line for the Panthers (8-5, 2-0 Missouri Valley Conference). Tytan Anderson added 15 points while shooting 6 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line while he also had 10 rebounds. Max Weisbrod went 4 of 7 from the field (2 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 10 points. Jarrett Hensley finished with 20 points and six rebounds for the Salukis (5-8, 0-2). Ali Abdou Dibba added 10 points for Southern Illinois. Drew Steffe had eight points. Northern Iowa took the lead with 1:02 remaining in the first half and never looked back. Hutson led his team in scoring with 10 points in the first half to help put them ahead 38-34 at the break. Northern Iowa turned a 13-point second-half lead into a 27-point advantage with a 14-0 run to make it a 73-46 lead with 8:38 left in the half. Hutson scored 10 second-half points in the matchup. Both teams next play Wednesday. Northern Iowa hosts Belmont and Southern Illinois takes on Evansville at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

From defence to culture and sports, India and Kuwait sign key agreements during PM Modi's visitTransformation to Digital NationWith two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty leading the field, these certainly aren't your typical Heisman Trophy contenders. Sure, veteran quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel from top-ranked Oregon and Cam Ward of No. 15 Miami are finalists for college football's most prestigious award as well, but the 90th annual ceremony coming up Saturday night at Lincoln Center in New York City offers a fresh flavor this year. To start with, none of the four are from the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, which has produced four of the past five Heisman winners — two each from Alabama and LSU. Jeanty, who played his home games for a Group of Five team on that peculiar blue turf in Idaho more than 2,100 miles from Manhattan, is the first running back even invited to the Heisman party since 2017. After leading the country with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns, he joined quarterback Kellen Moore (2010) as the only Boise State players to be named a finalist. "The running back position has been overlooked for a while now," said Jeanty, who plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft. "There's been a lot of great running backs before me that should have been here in New York, so to kind of carry on the legacy of the running back position I think is great. ... I feel as if I'm representing the whole position." With the votes already in, all four finalists spent Friday conducting interviews and sightseeing in the Big Apple. They were given custom, commemorative watches to mark their achievement. "I'm not a watch guy, but I like it," said Hunter, flashing a smile. The players also took photos beneath the massive billboards in Times Square and later posed with the famous Heisman Trophy, handed out since 1935 to the nation's most outstanding performer. Hunter, the heavy favorite, made sure not to touch it yet. A dominant player on both offense and defense who rarely comes off the field, the wide receiver/cornerback is a throwback to generations gone by and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades. On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season to help the 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3) earn their first bowl bid in four years. On defense, he made four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced a critical fumble that secured an overtime victory against Baylor. Hunter played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense — the only Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research. Call him college football's answer to baseball unicorn Shohei Ohtani. "I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways," Hunter said. "It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you'll be able to do it. And also, I do a lot of treatment. I keep up with my body. I get a lot of recovery." Hunter is Colorado's first Heisman finalist in 30 years. The junior from Suwanee, Georgia, followed flashy coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State, an HBCU that plays in the lower level FCS, to the Rocky Mountains and has already racked up a staggering combination of accolades this week, including The Associated Press player of the year. Hunter also won the Walter Camp Award as national player of the year, along with the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for best wide receiver. "It just goes to show that I did what I had to do," Hunter said. Next, he'd like to polish off his impressive hardware collection by becoming the second Heisman Trophy recipient in Buffaloes history, after late running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994. "I worked so hard for this moment, so securing the Heisman definitely would set my legacy in college football," Hunter said. "Being here now is like a dream come true." Jeanty carried No. 8 Boise State (12-1) to a Mountain West Conference championship that landed the Broncos the third seed in this year's College Football Playoff. They have a first-round bye before facing the SMU-Penn State winner in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal on New Year's Eve. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior from Jacksonville, Florida, won the Maxwell Award as college football's top player and the Doak Walker Award for best running back. Jeanty has five touchdown runs of at least 70 yards and has rushed for the fourth-most yards in a season in FBS history — topping the total of 115 teams this year. He needs 132 yards to break the FBS record set by Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988. In a pass-happy era, however, Jeanty is trying to become the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since Derrick Henry for Alabama nine years ago. In fact, quarterbacks have snagged the prize all but four times this century. Gabriel, an Oklahoma transfer, led Oregon (13-0) to a Big Ten title in its first season in the league and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The steady senior from Hawaii passed for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions. His 73.2% completion rate ranks second in the nation, and he's attempting to join quarterback Marcus Mariota (2014) as Ducks players to win the Heisman Trophy. "I think all the memories start to roll back in your mind," Gabriel said. Ward threw for 4,123 yards and led the nation with a school-record 36 touchdown passes for the high-scoring Hurricanes (10-2) after transferring from Washington State. The senior from West Columbia, Texas, won the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Year award and is looking to join QBs Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992) as Miami players to go home with the Heisman. "I just think there's a recklessness that you have to play with at the quarterback position," Ward said.

By MARC LEVY HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania conceded his reelection bid to Republican David McCormick on Thursday, as a statewide recount showed no signs of closing the gap and his campaign suffered repeated blows in court in its effort to get potentially favorable ballots counted. Casey’s concession comes more than two weeks after Election Day, as a grindingly slow ballot-counting process became a spectacle of hours-long election board meetings, social media outrage, lawsuits and accusations that some county officials were openly flouting the law. Republicans had been claiming that Democrats were trying to steal McCormick’s seat by counting “illegal votes.” Casey’s campaign had accused of Republicans of trying to block enough votes to prevent him from pulling ahead and winning. In a statement, Casey said he had just called McCormick to congratulate him. “As the first count of ballots is completed, Pennsylvanians can move forward with the knowledge that their voices were heard, whether their vote was the first to be counted or the last,” Casey said. The Associated Press called the race for McCormick on Nov. 7, concluding that not enough ballots remained to be counted in areas Casey was winning for him to take the lead. As of Thursday, McCormick led by about 16,000 votes out of almost 7 million ballots counted. That was well within the 0.5% margin threshold to trigger an automatic statewide recount under Pennsylvania law. But no election official expected a recount to change more than a couple hundred votes or so, and Pennsylvania’s highest court dealt him a blow when it refused entreaties to allow counties to count mail-in ballots that lacked a correct handwritten date on the return envelope. Republicans will have a 53-47 majority next year in the U.S. Senate. Follow Marc Levy at twitter.com/timelywriter7xm app login register mobile 。

ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

NEW YORK — The masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words "deny," "defend" and "depose," two law enforcement officials said Thursday. The words were written in permanent marker, according to one of the officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. With the gunman still at large, police also released photos of a person they said was wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, died in a dawn ambush Wednesday as he walked to the company's annual investor conference at a Hilton hotel in Midtown. The reason behind the killing remained unknown, but investigators believe it was a targeted attack. This image shows a man wanted for questioning in connection to the investigation of the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. The message left on the ammunition echoes the phrase "delay, deny, defend," which is commonly used by attorneys and insurance industry critics to describe tactics used to avoid paying claims. It refers to insurers delaying payment, denying a claim and then defending their actions. Health insurers like UnitedHealthcare have become frequent targets of criticism from doctors and patients for complicating access to care. Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the shooter fled. Inside a nearby trash can, they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper that they say the gunman purchased from a nearby Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The city's medical examiner was looking for fingerprints. The killing and the shooter's movements in the minutes before and after were captured on some of the multitudes of security cameras present in that part of the city. The shooter fled on a bike and was last seen riding into Central Park. Bullets lie on the sidewalk Wednesday outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in New York. The hunt for the shooter brought New York City police to at least two hostels on Manhattan's Upper West Side on Thursday morning, based on a tip that the suspected shooter might have stayed at one of the residences, according to one of the law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation. The photos police released Thursday of a man wanted for questioning were taken in the lobby of the HI New York City hostel. "We are fully cooperating with the NYPD and, as this is an active investigation, can not comment at this time," said Danielle Brumfitt, a spokesperson for the hostel. Police received a flood of tips from members of the public, many of them unfounded. On Wednesday evening, police searched a Long Island Rail Road train after a commuter claimed to have spotted the shooter, but found no sign of the gunman. "We're following up on every single tip that comes in," said Carlos Nieves, a police spokesperson. "That little piece of information could be the missing piece of the puzzle that ties everything together." Investigators believe, judging from surveillance video and evidence collected from the scene, that the shooter had at least some prior firearms training and experience with guns and the weapon was equipped with a silencer, said one of the law enforcement officials who spoke with the AP. This still image from surveillance video shows the suspect, left, sought in the the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, center, Wednesday outside a Manhattan hotel. Security camera video showed the killer approach Thompson from behind, level his pistol and fire several shots, barely pausing to clear a gun jam while the health executive tumbled to the pavement. Cameras showed him fleeing the block across a pedestrian plaza before getting on the bicycle. Police issued several surveillance images of the man wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that concealed most of his face, which wouldn't have attracted attention on a frigid day. Authorities also used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intensive search, but the killer's whereabouts remained unknown. Thompson, a father of two sons who lived in suburban Minneapolis, was with UnitedHealthcare since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years. The insurer's Minnetonka, Minnesota-based parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., was holding its annual meeting with investors in New York to update Wall Street on the company's direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Thompson's death. UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs. In the U.S. healthcare system, even the simplest act, like booking an appointment with your primary care physician, may feel intimidating. As you wade through intake forms and insurance statements, and research out-of-network coverage , you might wonder, "When did U.S. health care get so confusing?" Short answer? It's complicated. The history of modern U.S. health care spans nearly a century, with social movements, legislation, and politics driving change. Take a trip back in time as Thatch highlights some of the most impactful legislation and policies that gave us the existing healthcare system, particularly how and when things got complicated. In the beginning, a common perception of American doctors was that they were kindly old men stepping right out of a Saturday Evening Post cover illustration to make house calls. If their patients couldn't afford their fee, they'd accept payment in chicken or goats. Health care was relatively affordable and accessible. Then it all fell apart during the Great Depression of the 1930s. That's when hospital administrators started looking for ways to guarantee payment. According to the American College of Healthcare Executives, this is when the earliest form of health insurance was born. Interestingly, doctors would have none of it at first. The earliest health plans covered hospitalization only. A new set of challenges from the Second World War required a new set of responses. During the Depression, there were far too many people and too few jobs. The war economy had the opposite effect. Suddenly, all able-bodied men were in the military, but somebody still had to build the weapons and provision the troops. Even with women entering the workforce in unprecedented numbers, there was simply too much to get done. The competition for skilled labor was brutal. A wage freeze starting in 1942 forced employers to find other means of recruiting and retaining workers. Building on the recently mandated workers' compensation plans, employers or their union counterparts started offering insurance to cover hospital and doctor visits. Of course, the wage freeze ended soon after the war. However, the tax code and the courts soon clarified that employer-sponsored health insurance was non-taxable. Medicare, a government-sponsored health plan for retirees 65 and older, debuted in 1965. Nowadays, Medicare is offered in Parts A, B, C, and D; each offering a different layer of coverage for older Americans. As of 2023, over a quarter of all U.S. adults are enrolled in Medicare. The structure of Medicare is not dissimilar to universal health care offered in other countries, although the policy covers everyone, not just people over a certain age. Medicaid was also signed into law with Medicare. Medicaid provides health care coverage for Americans with low incomes. Over 74 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid today. The Obama administration was neither the first nor the last to champion new ways to provide health care coverage to a wider swath of Americans. The first attempts to harmonize U.S. healthcare delivery systems with those of other developed economies came just five years after Medicare and Medicaid. Two separate bills were introduced in 1970 alone. Both bills aimed to widen affordable health benefits for Americans, either by making people Medicare-eligible or providing free health benefits for all Americans. As is the case with many bills, both these died, even though there was bipartisan support. But the chairman of the relevant Senate panel had his own bill in mind, which got through the committee. It effectively said that all Americans were entitled to the kind of health benefits enjoyed by the United Auto Workers Union or AFL-CIO—for free. But shortly after Sen. Edward Kennedy began hearings on his bill in early 1971 , a competing proposal came from an unexpected source: Richard Nixon's White House. President Nixon's approach , in retrospect, had some commonalities with what Obamacare turned out to be. There was the employer mandate, for example, and an expansion of Medicaid. It favored healthcare delivery via health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, which was a novel idea at the time. HMOs, which offer managed care within a tight network of health care providers, descended from the prepaid health plans that flourished briefly in the 1910s and 1920s. They were first conceived in their current form around 1970 by Dr. Paul M. Ellwood, Jr. In 1973, a law was passed to require large companies to give their employees an HMO option as well as a traditional health insurance option. But that was always intended to be ancillary to Nixon's more ambitious proposal, which got even closer to what exists now after it wallowed in the swamp for a while. When Nixon reintroduced the proposal in 1974, it featured state-run health insurance plans as a substitute for Medicaid—not a far cry from the tax credit-fueled state-run exchanges of today. Of course, Nixon had other things to worry about in 1974: inflation, recession, a nation just beginning to heal from its first lost war—and his looming impeachment. His successor, Gerald Ford, tried to keep the proposal moving forward, but to no avail. But this raises a good question: If the Republican president and the Democratic Senate majority both see the same problem and have competing but not irreconcilable proposals to address it, why wasn't there some kind of compromise? What major issue divided the two parties? It was a matter of funding. The Democrats wanted to pay for universal health coverage through the U.S. Treasury's general fund, acknowledging that Congress would have to raise taxes to pay for it. The Republicans wanted it to pay for itself by charging participants insurance premiums, which would be, in effect, a new tax. The next significant legislation came from President Reagan, who signed the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, in 1985. COBRA enabled laid-off workers to hold onto their health insurance—providing that they pay 100% of the premium, which had been wholly or at least in part subsidized by their erstwhile employer. While COBRA offers continued coverage, its high expense doesn't offer much relief for the unemployed. A 2006 Commonwealth Fund survey found that only 9% of people eligible for COBRA coverage actually signed up for it. The COBRA law had a section, though, that was only tangentially related. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, or EMTALA, which was incorporated into COBRA, required all emergency medical facilities that take Medicare—that is, all of them—to treat patients irrespective of their insurance status or ability to pay. As Forbes staff writer Avik Roy wrote during the Obamacare debate, EMTALA has come to overshadow the rest of the COBRA law in its influence on American health care policy. More on that soon. It wasn't until the 1990s that Washington saw another serious attempt at healthcare reform. Bill Clinton's first order of business as president was to establish a new health care plan. For the first time, the First Lady took on the role of heavy-lifting policy advisor to the president and became the White House point person on universal health care. Hillary Clinton's proposal mandated : The Clintons' plan centralized decision-making in Washington, with a "National Health Board" overseeing quality assurance, training physicians, guaranteeing abortion coverage, and running both long-term care facilities and rural health systems. The insurance lobbyists had a field day with that. The famous "Harry and Louise" ads portrayed a generic American couple having tense conversations in their breakfast nook about how the federal government would come between them and their doctor. By the 1994 midterms, any chance of universal health care in America had died. In this case, it wasn't funding but the debate between big and small governments that killed the Clinton reform. It would be another generation before the U.S. saw universal health care take the stage. Fast-forward to 2010. It was clear that employer-sponsored plans were vestiges of another time. They made sense when people stayed with the same company for their entire careers, but as job-hopping and layoffs became more prevalent, plans tied to the job became obsolete. Thus the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, was proposed by Barack Obama's White House and squeaked by Congress and the Supreme Court with the narrowest of margins. The ACA introduced an individual mandate requiring everyone to have health insurance regardless of job status. It set up an array of government-sponsored online exchanges where individuals could buy coverage . It also provided advance premium tax credits to defray the cost to consumers. But it didn't ignore hat most people were already getting health insurance through work, and a significant proportion didn't want to change . So the ACA also required employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees to provide health coverage to at least 95% of them. The law, nicknamed Obamacare by supporters and detractors, set a minimum baseline of coverage and affordability. The penalty for an employer that offers inadequate or unaffordable coverage can never be greater than the penalty for not offering coverage at all. The model for Obamacare was the health care reform package that went into effect in Massachusetts in 2006. The initial proposal was made by then-Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican who now serves as a senator from Utah. Despite an onslaught of court challenges, Obamacare remains the law of the land. For a while, Republican congressional candidates ran on a "repeal-and-replace" platform plank, but even when they were in the majority, there was little legislative action to do either. Still, Obamacare is not the last word in American health care reform. Since then, there have been two important improvements to Health Reimbursement Arrangements, through which companies pay employees back for out-of-pocket medical-related expenses. HRAs had been evolving informally since at least the 1960s but were first addressed by the Internal Revenue Service in 2002. Not much more happened on that front until Obama's lame-duck period. In December 2016, he signed the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which was mainly a funding bill supporting the National Institutes of Health as it addressed the opioid crisis. But, just like the right to free emergency room treatment was nested in the larger COBRA law, the legal framework of Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements was tucked away in a corner of the Cures Act. QSEHRAs, offered only by companies with fewer than 50 full-time employees, allow firms to let their employees pick their insurance coverage off the Obamacare exchanges. The firms pay the employees back for some or all of the cost of those premiums. The employees then become ineligible for the premium tax credit provided by the ACA, but a well-constructed QSEHRA will meet or exceed the value of that subsidy. That brings this timeline to one last innovation, which expands QSEHRA-like treatment to companies with more than 50 employees or aspiring to have them. Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements , or ICHRAs, were established by a 2019 IRS rule . ICHRAs allow firms of any size to offer employees tax-free contributions to cover up to 100% of their individual health insurance premiums as well as other eligible medical expenses. Instead of offering insurance policies directly, companies advise employees to shop on a government-sponsored exchange and select the best plan that suits their needs. Employer reimbursement rather than an advance premium tax credit reduces premiums. And because these plans are already ACA-compliant, there's no risk to the employer that they won't meet coverage or affordability standards. The U.S. is never going back to the mid-20th century model of lifetime employment at one company. Now, with remote employees and gig workers characterizing the workforce, the portability of an ICHRA provides some consistency for those who expect to be independent contractors for their entire careers. Simultaneously, allows bootstrap-phase startups to offer the dignity of health coverage to their Day One associates. The U.S. health care system can feel clunky and confusing to navigate. It is also regressive and penalizes startups and small businesses. For a country founded by entrepreneurs, it's sad that corporations like Google pay less for health care per employee than a small coffee shop in Florida. In many ways, ICHRA democratizes procuring health care coverage. In the same way that large employers enjoy the benefits of better rates, ICHRA plan quality and prices improve as the ICHRA risk pool grows. Moving away from the traditional employer model will change the incentive structure of the healthcare industry. Insurers will be able to compete and differentiate on the merits of their product. They will be incentivized to build products for people, not one-size-fits-all solutions for employers. This story was produced by Thatch and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.Seahawks’ Coby Bryant fined for Marshawn Lynch tribute against Cardinals

: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his two-day visit to Kuwait, underscored the growing importance of trade and commerce in strengthening the bilateral ties between India and Kuwait. PM Modi is on a two-day visit to the Gulf nation of Kuwait at the invitation of Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of the State of Kuwait. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years. In an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday, he highlighted the significant rise in two-way trade, emphasising their energy partnership and the increasing presence of “Made in India” products across various sectors in Kuwait. “Trade and commerce have been important pillars of our bilateral relationship. Our bilateral trade has been on an upswing. Our energy partnership adds a unique value to our bilateral trade,” PM Modi said. “We are happy to see ‘Made in India’ products, particularly in automobile, electrical and mechanical machinery, and telecom segments making new inroads in Kuwait. India today is manufacturing world-class products at the most affordable cost. Diversification to non-oil trade is key to achieving greater bilateral trade,” the Prime Minister said. He further spoke about deepening the potential for collaboration in diverse fields such as health, technology, digital, innovation and textiles. PM Modi further said that India and Kuwait share a deep and historic bond and the relationship between both countries has always been one of warmth and friendship and the crosscurrents of history and exchanges through ideas and commerce have brought people close and together, KUNA reported. “We have traded with each other since times immemorial. The discoveries in Failaka Island speak of our shared past. The Indian Rupee was a legal tender in Kuwait for over a century till 1961. This shows how closely our economies were integrated,” PM Modi told KUNA. He further said, “Overall, the bilateral ties are progressing well and if I could say, scaling new heights. I eagerly look forward to my talks with His Highness the Emir to elevate our ties in various areas including defence, trade, investment, and energy. The strong roots of our historical ties must be matched by the fruits of our 21st-century partnership – dynamic, robust and multifaceted. There is a lot we have achieved together, but possibilities are limitless for our partnership. I am sure this visit will give new wings to it.” Earlier today on Sunday received a rousing ceremonial welcome and a Guard of Honour in Kuwait during his state trip to the Gulf country. PM Modi was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the Bayan Palace, Kuwait. The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah also present during the ceremony. The details of the meeting were also shared by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs on X. “A special welcome on historic visit! PM @narendramodi arrives at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait to a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour. Warmly received by HH Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, PM of Kuwait. Extensive talks with HH the Amir, Crown Prince and PM of Kuwait lie ahead,” Randhir Jaiswal wrote. On Saturday, he visited the Gulf Spic Labour Camp in Kuwait, where he interacted with Indian workers and highlighted their contribution to the country’s development. PM Modi spoke about the aspirations of Indian workers, linking them to his vision for a “Viksit Bharat 2047.” (ANI)

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AROUND the turn of the Millennium, U2 were ready for a reset. Since forming at school, the four likely lads from Dublin’s Northside had scaled dizzying heights to become the world’s biggest band. But Bono , The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr wanted to recapture the free-wheeling, rabble-rousing spirit of their early days. This process began with their tenth studio album, All That You Can’t Leave Behind, released in 2000 and best remembered for euphoric lead single Beautiful Day. For album No11, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, they were looking to take things a stage further — to strip their music back and to rock out. “We were hitting our forties,” bassist Clayton says today, before adding with a knowing smile, “which is still a very vibrant, masculine moment! Read more on U2 “As a band at the peak of its powers, playing well together, our aim was to go into a room and command that room with just a few primary colours.” To get in the mood, singer Bono listened to unvarnished, guitar-driven records by the bands who had inspired him in the first place — The Who, The Clash and Buzzcocks. When it came to recording, U2 turned to producer Chris Thomas, the man who had added fuel to the fire of punk’s most iconic album, Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols . On paper, Thomas seemed like the perfect choice but, as you probably know, this is a band that “moves in mysterious ways”. Most read in Music It took Steve Lillywhite, producer of their first three albums, Boy, October and War, to apply necessary rocket boosters to send their studio efforts into orbit. Speaking via Zoom from the Irish capital, the genial Clayton gives me some first-hand insights into the complicated creation of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. If Lillywhite gets most of the production credits, Thomas is also recognised, as are other U2 associates Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Jacknife Lee. The finished article contains what Clayton calls “four very strong songs — Vertigo, City Of Blinding Lights, Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own and All Because Of You”. Twenty years on, we also have a worthy companion album, How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb, ten discarded tracks from the sessions finally brought kicking and screaming into the light. It includes Luckiest Man In The World, originally known as Mercy but given new lyrics and melody by Bono, and regarded by Clayton as “a great song”. “I have a feeling that one will be in our live set,” he says. “It didn’t fit with what we were trying to do at the time, but I’m so glad it’s out there now.” We also have the thrilling punk blast of Country Mile and three other previously unheard songs, Happiness, Evidence Of Life and Treason. The newly remastered out-take Picture Of You (X+W) bears the telling lines: “I’m going nowhere, where I am, it is a lot of fun/There in the desert to dismantle an atomic bomb.” Clayton returns to the story of the sessions: “Chris Thomas cut his teeth engineering The Beatles , made the legendary Never Mind The Bollocks and did some wonderful records with Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders. ‘Various reprobates would gather’ “By the time we got to know him, he’d also done a lot of good records with INXS, so he straddled different eras.” U2 had been friends with mercurial INXS singer Michael Hutchence right up until the Aussie’s untimely death in 1997. Bono and Hutchence were neighbours in the south of France , near Nice — that’s where Thomas came in. Clayton says: “We had known Chris for a while. We would bump into him during summers in France when various reprobates would gather.” During those balmy days under the Mediterranean sun, there were informal chats with Thomas “about the record we wanted to make”. It was these that led U2 to “setting off on a course with him”. But, and it’s a big BUT, things didn’t quite work out as planned, as Clayton explains. “In U2, we have a rather strange methodology, which is: Just when you think a track is finished, we go off and rewrite it! “Chris wasn’t used to this. Quite reasonably, he thought a record should take six weeks at most. “When we were heading into the third month, he found it very difficult to concentrate. “At that point, he said, ‘Look, I’m not sure I’m the right person. You Irish guys are a bit too crazy!’” There’s something about those searing guitar riffs. They’re eternal. The band turned to Steve Lillywhite, who Clayton recalls being “very helpful and very sensible”. “He listened to what we had, particularly the track we were putting most energy into — the one which became Vertigo.” First known as Native Son, the song served as a homage to Leonard Peltier, a Native American incarcerated for murder in 1975 and long the subject of miscarriage of justice campaigns . “For us, it was a complex lyrical matter,” says Clayton. “It wasn’t really working and Steve called it. "He said, ‘Do a better backing track and then we’ll play it to Bono’. He had been doing other work, but when he heard what we’d done he was very excited. “Bono said, ‘Give me a mic’. And the bones of Vertigo happened right there.” Suddenly, “everything clicked into place” and U2 had a storming, straight-ahead anthem to kick off their new album, exactly what they had been aiming for. Clayton says: “We’ve always loved the idea making rock and roll 45s and Vertigo fits into that, as does Beautiful Day. “They are the holy grail of tunes for us. They’re fun to play and audiences love them. “There’s something about those searing guitar riffs. They’re eternal.” If Vertigo is a three-minute adrenalin rush that Clayton describes as “invincible”, Sometimes You Can’t Make It On You Own is just as intense but in a very different way. ‘Difficult relations with our fathers’ Spanning nearly five minutes, the searing power ballad bears a towering Bono vocal and some of his most heartfelt lyrics. Originally with the working title Tough after the song’s first word, it is about the singer’s troubled relationship with his father Bob Hewson, who died of cancer in 2001. Clayton well remembers how the song resonated with the rest of the band. “Bono’s father had been very, very sick,” he says. “Probably with the exception of Edge, we’re a band of men who had difficult relationships with our fathers. “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own contemplates the loss of a very big figure in a very big figure’s life. It is poignant and powerful. “You don’t need to dig very deep before you realise what Bono was working with. “I’ve always responded to the universality of a lyric. But, because I know Bono and because we’ve been together for so long, I’m very aware of where he pulls his references from. “For me, Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own was him being that small boy again, that 14-year-old looking at his father who was struggling with the loss of his wife.” Clayton is referring to the death of Bono’s mother, Iris, which had a devastating effect on the singer’s whole family. When Bono writes, he’s never looking for sympathy. She is remembered in several U2 songs, including I Will Follow and Iris (Hold Me Close). But Clayton adds: “When Bono writes, he’s never looking for sympathy. Rather like a method actor, he’s saying, ‘I need to examine this emotion and express it.’” The bassist suggests that no matter who you are, rock stars in their ivory towers included, life can be tough. He says: “The thing that’s dropping into my vision nowadays is realising that nobody escapes heartache, disappointment, vulnerability. We’re all built the same.” This brings us to another key song from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, City Of Blinding Lights, which, says Clayton, had a difficult birth. “It was originally conceived on piano but we had to shift everything into guitar mode. It was hard to make it work.” Then he adds with due modesty: “Once we had, dare I say it, the bass part, which drives it, everything slotted into place.” City Of Blinding Lights, a U2 live staple, achieved wider recognition when it was used by Barack Obama during his presidential campaigns. Clayton questions whether a song being used in a political context “is a good badge of honour” but adds: “It must have connectivity — and that means something.” ‘To succeed, you needed no plan B’ Bono’s lyrics reflect on lost innocence but, suggests his bandmate: “It is written to the audience and also to a city. The city of blinding lights is probably New York .” We move on to a wider discussion about the influences swirling around How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Of its post-punk vibe, Clayton says: “As teenagers in 1976/77, there was a lot of anger in the air. That was our go-to position, where we came from, our music.” Clayton acknowledges that in the years leading up to How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, “We made our music more complicated — to take us away from the mainstream maybe. “A lot of Edge’s more lyrical guitar parts were coming from a place of otherness. “On this record, we were interested in pushing him to turn off the echo machine and play the power chord. “Sometimes, it’s hard to get him to do that,” he adds, before adding with a smirk, “because he doesn’t have that sort of anger in him!” Clayton sees the two albums, Dismantle and Re-Assemble, as something of a last hurrah for old-school recording techniques. “Compared with 20 years ago, music today is made in an entirely different way. It’s a different sound, not that of four men forging a future for themselves. “Back then, records were based on people in a room, playing instruments together. “Now that’s become uneconomical. Artists are in their bedrooms or home studios, creating music alone, and that is being streamed. “It’s a different sound, not that of four men forging a future for themselves.” Clayton says that when U2 started out in the late Seventies, “the best way for a band to succeed was desperation. To have no plan B. “You had no choice but to keep going forward because your life depended on it. “By the time you got a record deal and a bit of money , the next thing you had to do was play a whole load of tiny, s***ty little bars and clubs.” Before the ever-insightful Clayton and I go our separate ways, I ask him for an update on drummer Larry Mullen Jr. who missed U2’s groundbreaking shows at the state-of-the-art Sphere in Las Vegas because of “drumming-related” injuries. “He’s back on his stool,” replies Clayton. “Look, we are a little bit like athletes, but have a longer shelf life. “Larry’s body had taken a battering over the years and his primary issue was pain. “He’s finally feeling much better and is very enthusiastic about playing again.” And what of the future of U2? “I feel, I hope not mistakenly, that we still have a lot to give,” answers Clayton. “No matter where our lives have led us, the constant is mucking about in a studio, creating music together. READ MORE SUN STORIES “That is the greatest reward.” U2 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (20th anniversary editions with How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb) ★★★★☆

Global Artificial Intelligence Logo Generator Market Set For 6.2% Growth, Reaching $7.53 Billion By 2028

The Ducks will ring in December by hosting the Ottawa Senators on Sunday in a matchup of teams that are an eyelash under .500 with designs on gaining some upward momentum. They’ll enter the clash with identical .477 points percentages that situate them near the bottom of their respective divisions but not far behind a crowded pack of middling clubs. The Ducks have had more of a defensive inclination while the Senators have shown more scoring pop to date. Ducks coach Greg Cronin said his team hadn’t “had too many stinkers” of late, and that’s been reflected by their 5-3-1 record across their past nine games, with four of their five-plus-goal games this season arriving in that span. “Since we got back from that New York trip, I think we’ve been on a pretty good path in terms of playing with an identity and competing,” Cronin said. They had to grind hard on Black Friday, when they played what Cronin described as something of a postseason-style game against the Kings at Honda Center. Though they fell 2-1 to what veteran forward Ryan Strome described as a “mature, veteran team” that they couldn’t quite edge past despite playing a “disciplined, structured and north-south” game, the Ducks still felt they carried forward some positive indicators from their recent play. “It was a good hockey game. We competed hard. I thought we dictated a lot of the game. We played similar to the way we’ve been playing,” Strome said. Kings coach Jim Hiller concurred. With teams frequently playing the Southern California franchises back to back, he and Cronin get constant looks at one another’s teams during pre-scouts, and Hiller assessed the Ducks’ performance quite favorably. “I thought – we’ve played them this year, I’ve scouted them this year – I thought that’s the best game they’ve played this year. I thought they played very well,” Hiller said. Time will tell if Sunday’s match elicits similar plaudits from Ottawa coach Travis Green, who spent parts of two seasons with the Ducks as a player and is in his first year as the Sens’ head coach after previously guiding the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils briefly. Though Brock McGinn has made some progress in his return, he and Robby Fabbri remained unavailable. So, too, did Leo Carlsson, whose upper-body injury has kept him out of the Ducks’ past two matches. Cam Fowler will be a game-time decision. Troy Terry has four points across his three-game scoring streak, while Trevor Zegras just snapped a four-gamer that saw him compile six points. For Ottawa, forwards Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson each have seven points in the Sens’ past five outings. Captain Brady Tkachuk, whom Cronin suggested could be a model for his own power forward Mason McTavish, has racked up five points during a three-game surge. Those are the three Senators scoring above a point per game this season, with Stützle’s 28 points in 22 games leading the way. Ottawa at Ducks When: 5 p.m. Sunday Where: Honda Center How to watch: Victory+

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Billtrust , a B2B order-to-cash and digital payments market leader, has been named a Leader in two IDC MarketScape reports – IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for the Enterprise 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc #US51740924, December 2024 ) and IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for Small and Midmarket 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc #US52692224, December 2024 ). Billtrust was one of 14 providers evaluated for the enterprise report and one of 11 providers in the small and midmarket report. The IDC MarketScapes evaluate a broad set of SaaS and cloud-enabled accounts receivable automation software vendors based on innovation, functionality, range of services, customer satisfaction, cloud capabilities and architecture. "Billtrust is a Leader in the Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for Enterprise and Small and Midmarket," said Kevin Permenter , Research Director, Financial Applications at IDC. "Billtrust attempts to differentiate itself with a scalable, unified solution that simplifies AR processes and improvement to the payment experience their clients provide their customers, all while empowering their AR teams to turn financial data into insights that contribute to their business strategy. They offer an extensive suite of payment management capabilities designed to streamline and automate the accounts receivable process." Billtrust was recognized for the following strengths: The news of Billtrust's recognition as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape comes as B2B businesses are leveraging technology like generative AI to boost efficiency and optimize operations as they grapple with the challenges of cash flow management, according to a recent IDC InfoBrief study (IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Billtrust, "AI Pushing the Boundaries of What's Possible for OTC," IDC #US52446224, August 2024 ). Billtrust recently announced new generative AI functionality within its accounts receivable software platform to empower finance professionals to better understand their business, make strategic decisions, maximize cash flow and engage customers more effectively. "We are honored to be recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape, which we believe reflects our dedication to innovation, digital transformation, and delivering exceptional customer outcomes," said Sunil Rajasekar , CEO of Billtrust. "In 2024, we achieved remarkable milestones, including the launch of our generative AI tool, Billtrust Finance Co-Pilot, which provides unmatched, in-depth analysis of customer data. We are proud to support finance teams in working more efficiently, accelerating payments, and enhancing the buyer experience." About IDC MarketScape IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and service suppliers in a given market. The research utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each supplier's position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of technology suppliers can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective suppliers. About Billtrust Finance leaders turn to Billtrust to get paid faster while controlling costs, accelerating cash flow and maximizing customer satisfaction. As a B2B order-to-cash software and digital payments market leader, we help the world's leading brands move finance forward with AI-powered solutions to transition from expensive paper invoicing and check acceptance to efficient electronic billing and payments. With more than $1 trillion invoice dollars processed, Billtrust delivers business value through deep industry expertise and a culture relentlessly focused on delivering meaningful customer outcomes. Media Contact Paul Accardo PR@billtrust.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/billtrust-named-a-leader-in-idc-marketscape-for-worldwide-accounts-receivable-automation-software-for-enterprise-and-small-and-midmarket-2024-302324426.html SOURCE BilltrustCharles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc ( NASDAQ:JAZZ – Free Report ) by 8.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 531,710 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 42,587 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Jazz Pharmaceuticals were worth $59,238,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWA Asset Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in Jazz Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,197,000. Swedbank AB purchased a new position in shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals during the second quarter worth $106,936,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Jazz Pharmaceuticals by 15.3% during the third quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 2,099,378 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $233,892,000 after purchasing an additional 278,465 shares during the period. Philip James Wealth Mangement LLC purchased a new stake in Jazz Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter valued at $830,000. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Jazz Pharmaceuticals by 42.7% during the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 205,492 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $21,932,000 after purchasing an additional 61,458 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.14% of the company’s stock. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CEO Bruce C. Cozadd sold 1,000 shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction on Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.84, for a total transaction of $110,840.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 428,976 shares in the company, valued at $47,547,699.84. The trade was a 0.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, EVP Neena M. Patil sold 3,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.41, for a total transaction of $456,617.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 33,048 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,078,453.68. This represents a 10.07 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,110 shares of company stock worth $720,160. 4.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Get Our Latest Stock Report on Jazz Pharmaceuticals Jazz Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 0.9 % JAZZ opened at $121.59 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.57. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $114.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $111.12. Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc has a 1-year low of $99.06 and a 1-year high of $134.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 4.26 and a quick ratio of 3.74. Jazz Pharmaceuticals Company Profile ( Free Report ) Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc identifies, develops, and commercializes pharmaceutical products for unmet medical needs in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers Xywav for cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia; Xyrem to treat cataplexy or EDS with narcolepsy; Epidiolex for seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes, or tuberous sclerosis complex; Zepzelca to treat metastatic small cell lung cancer, or with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy; Rylaze for acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma; Enrylaze to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma; Defitelio to treat severe hepatic veno-occlusive disease; and Vyxeos for newly-diagnosed therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JAZZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc ( NASDAQ:JAZZ – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Jazz Pharmaceuticals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Jazz Pharmaceuticals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

According to wealth tracking group, Informa Connect Academy (ICA), several current industry titans will achieve trillionaire status before the end of this decade. Elon Musk leads the race but it depends on whose share price performs best over the intervening period. As the head of the electric carmaker Tesla, private rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Musk is currently the world’s richest man with a current net worth on paper of roughly $450 billion (€431.5 billion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires index. His wealth is estimated to have jumped by more than $170 billion since the US election and his alliance with president-elect Donald Trump, largely on the back of Tesla’s share price. Since the November 5th election, Tesla’s stock has surged 70 per cent. On the basis of his current trajectory, the ICA predicts he will hit the trillion mark in 2027. But Telsa’s share price has been volatile and Musk appears to be driving X into the ground so things may change. India’s business mogul Gautam Adani is predicted to hit the trillion mark in 2028 followed by Jensen Huang, the chief executive of the AI giant Nvidia, and Prajogo Pangestu, the Indonesian energy and mining mogul, provided their current financial trajectories hold. $1 trillion is a hard quantum to hold in your head. Put it this way, it would comfortably buy every home Ireland. It was only six years ago that companies reached the trillion dollar milestone in terms of valuations (Apple became the first to cross the $1 trillion mark in August 2018) and we marvelled, or thought absurd, that a single company could be financially bigger than a developed economy. There are currently nine companies with trillion dollar valuations: Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Saudi Aramco, Meta, Berkshire Hathway and Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC. Now we’re about to confront the notion that an individual could be as valuable as a developed nation and the millions of workers and their labour that comprise it. The Netherlands, one of Europe’s richest countries, has an annual GDP (gross domestic product) of roughly $1 trillion (€960 billion). So if the ICA is right, Musk will be richer than the Netherlands is now by 2027. What this acceleration in individual wealth says about the state of the world or modern capitalism is disturbing. On one level, it suggests that the current period of rapid technological transformation has outgunned the antitrust legislation designed to police it, creating behemoth monopolies and uber elites wielding too much economic power. According to UK economist Duncan Weldon, the wealth of these aspiring trillionaires is also tied into three more conventional but no less consequential economic trends: decades of low interest rates (which have boosted asset values); accelerated corporate profits; and a shift towards less progressive tax systems. Combined, these trends have accelerated global inequality. And this appears to be feeding into a breakdown in consensus politics, a throwback to the Rockefeller days when democracy in many countries fractured. According to Oxfam, this inequality trend has been supercharged by the pandemic. In a report earlier this year, the charity noted that almost five billion people had been made poorer by the pandemic while the wealth of the five richest people had more than doubled, from $405 billion in 2020 to $869 billion in late 2023. That’s an increase of $14 million an hour. The world’s richest 1 per cent now own 43 per cent of all global financial assets and emit as much carbon pollution as the poorest two-thirds of humanity, Oxfam says. Let’s not be naive, market capitalism depends on inequality and is, in part, driven by it (some people will work harder or take financial risks to get ahead), but when the gap between top and bottom gets too large, when a critical mass of citizens feel the system is rigged against them, we tend to get radical politics. That was surely the lesson of the 20th century. In the 1960s, the gap was modest by today’s standards. Expressed as the ratio of the boss’s salary to those on the factory floor, it was just 15-to-1 in the US. According to the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute, it is now 221-to-1. Other estimates suggest it is higher. Of course, salary is just one metric. In Ireland and other countries, an intergenerational divide on housing has become a major and ongoing source of grievance. Musk said once that he believed the effects of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) on employment would soon make it necessary for countries to provide citizens with a basic income as a guardrail against inequality. This was before he bought his way into the second Trump presidency (spending a reported $250 million on the campaign) and supercharging his wealth in the process.

7xm app review Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor was on Friday inducted as the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) at a ceremony in Accra. Prior to his appointment, Prof Mawutor was a professional Accounting and Finance practitioner with over 17 years of experience in higher education and the financial sector. Prior to his appointment Prof Mawutor served as the Dean of graduate studies for six years (2016-2022). He is an Associate member of the Institute of Fraud Examiners (USA), a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG), and has been a member of the University’s Academic Board as well as a member of the Executive Committee. Speaking after the induction , Prof Mawutor pledged to pursue five thematic aspirations to transform the university into a world-class professional institution in Africa and beyond. The aspirations, he said were to leverage technology; promote interdisciplinary research; promote entrepreneurship, innovation and volunteerism; and uphold, protect and enhance the culture and brand of the university. Prof. Mawutor said he would build on the solid foundation laid down by his immediate predecessor, Prof. Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey, who had improved the academic standing of the university in the last eight years. “We will work tiredly to ensure that students get the needed resources and support to reach their full potential. For our faculty and staff, it is your dedication and expertise which is the foundation of the university and so I look forward to working and supporting you to grow the fortunes of the university. “As an institution of reach, we pledge to work with the new government to achieve its objective. We also pledge to produce graduates with employable skills that will be relevant to the country,” Prof Mawutor stated. Prof Mawutor who is also an alumni of the university, stated that his leadership would be grounded on God Almighty and be guided by His timeless principles and values. “I see my role as a steward of your collective aspirations. My leadership will be grounded on GOD Almighty, and I stand here to pledge that there will be no middle ground,” he said. He said to leverage on this achievement, his strategic focus on information technology would ensure that students learn coding skills and develop at least a software application in their respective areas of study. “Upgrade UPSA’s learning management system for greater efficiency, and develop unique accounting software for UPSA financial operations. Introduce artificial intelligence programmes and increase the number of online courses by 50 per cent,” he said. Pin Attendance were the Deputy Minister of Education, John Ntim Fordjour; Chairman of UPSA Council, Dr Kofi Hene Konadu; outgoing Vice Chancellor; Professor Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey; Chair of the Church of Pentecost Apostle Eric Kwabena Nyamekye; Editor, Graphic, Theophilus Yartey; clergy, traditional leaders, staff of the university and other dignitaries. BY CECILIA YADA LAGBARetail Don't miss out on the headlines from Retail. Followed categories will be added to My News. Millions of Aussies are set to take advantage of the biggest sales of the year by spending an extra $7.5 billion as Black Friday deals hit new heights this weekend. The latest Finder research revealed one in three Australians have already scooped up a deal or plan to take advantage of the Black Friday sales on November 29, while 13 per cent of shoppers are holding out in hope of finding a bargain on Cyber Monday on December 2. Millions of Aussies are taking advantage of Black Friday sales. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard Black Friday sales kicked off early this year as many retailers launched special deals throughout November. And shoppers snapped up plenty of bargains having each spent on average $607 – or the equivalent to $6.3 billion nationally – across the sales, according to Finder. It’s expected as Black Friday and other sales roll out before Christmas, shoppers will each spend a further $722 on average on – or $7.5bn nationally – before the end of the year. Clothes and shoes top of the list of must buys for many shoppers, with 62 per cent of those surveyed stating they were hoping to grab a bargain. Electronics and gadgets came in second with 41 per cent, while beauty, skincare, and makeup was also a high sale priority with 33 per cent shoppers looking to purchase these items on sale. The Black Friday Sales give shoppers a chance to get some bargains before Christmas. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard Food and alcohol and accessories bargains were also on people’s shopping list (29 per cent each), while only 26 per cent of shoppers were looking to buy toys on sale. According to news.com.au’s shopping expert Kara Byers, the most sought after items this year include big household purchases such as robot vacuums, Dyson stick vacuums, air fryers , mattresses, as well as pricey tech and electronics such as headphones, laptops and TVs. “We’re seeing a lot of interest in beauty products, COSRX snail mucin, K18 hair mask and the much-coveted Dyson Airstrait are really popular,” Ms Byers said. “When it comes to tech, there’s always interest in headphones, especially Apple AirPods . Samsung devices – like the new Galaxy ring and tablet are selling quickly and, as we get closer to Christmas, TVs and projectors are being snapped up”. “We are finding most brands and retailers will drop their biggest and best discounts during Black Friday and this year, brands are offering up some incredible deals earlier than the actual November 29 start date. So if you see an item you want, we recommend snapping it up,” she said. Meanwhile, the latest Roy Morgan data estimated Australians will spend $6.7bn in the four days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which will see an increase by 5.5 per cent in spending compared to the same period last year. Australian Retail Association chief industry affairs officer Fleur Brown said the healthy increase in spending is a positive outcome for retailers after a difficult year marred by tighter consumer budgets. “Shoppers are being savvier than ever with their dollars, which is why they are flocking to sales events like the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend to stock up on gifts and personal items,” Ms Brown said. “The full peak season period is predicted to see a more modest 2.7 per cent increase in spending, highlighting not only the growing popularity of Black Friday/Cyber Monday but also the role it is playing in this year’s cost of living challenges. “It’s clear that shoppers still want to enjoy the little luxuries while being wallet-conscious during the cost-of-living crisis.” Ms Brown said shoppers are using sale periods like Black Friday as an opportunity to save big on their Christmas shopping. “Shopping habits are shifting, with more people looking to sales events and buying their Christmas presents earlier than ever,” she said. “Retailers are hopeful this spending boost will hold them in good stead for the New Year.” Australians are also expected to spend $28 billion on food, marking an increase of 4.2 per cent from 2023, according to Roy Morgan. Small businesses will benefit from consumer spending throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Picture: NewsWire / David Mariuz CommBank Small Business Banking executive general manager Rebecca Warren said small businesses are also set to take advantage of the sales. “Black Friday and Cyber Monday mark the start of a busy season for Australian small businesses as we head into the last month of the year,” Ms Warren said. “As consumer demand for a good deal reigns and more competition enters the market, it’s not too late for small businesses to take advantage of tent pole moments like these major shopping events. “Our data shows the top five best performing industries by spend during the 2023 festive season were restaurants and bars, beauty and barber shops, clothing and department stores, homewares and travel. “While these industries continue to perform well, the festive season generates gains for the broader small business community, driving revenue into supporting sectors like marketing and advertising, printing, courier and delivery services.” More Coverage Huge fine to stop supermarket price gouging Jessica Wang Pleas to RBA to ignore Black Friday boom Cameron Micallef Originally published as Aussies set to spend $7.5bn during Black Friday sales More related stories Retail Major Aussie food company collapses A major Australian food company will end production this week, leaving farmers who are owed millions in the lurch. Read more Retail Huge fine to stop supermarket price gouging Australia’s major supermarkets could face at least a $10m fine if they are sprung breaching a new mandatory code in a bid to make things fairer for farmers and families. Read more

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The Latest: Former President Jimmy Carter is dead at age 100

Barcelona, which has already taken action to stop the spread of holiday rental apartments, is the latest Spanish city to see protests for cheaper housing. Backed by left-wing parties and unions, the demonstrators gathered in central Barcelona behind a giant banner declaring "Lower the rents". "Today a new political cycle starts concerning housing," Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for the Catalan Tenants Union, the main organiser, told reporters. "Investors must not be allowed to come to our cities and play with the apartments like a game of Monopoly," she added. The union would target "profiteers" who are taking "half of our salaries", Arcarazo said. The demonstrators demanded a 50 percent cut in rents, leases with an unlimited term and a ban on "speculative" sales of buildings. They threatened to start a rent strike. An estimated 22,000 people took part in a similar demonstration in Madrid on October 13. Campaigns have been launched in other cities. According to the Idealista specialised website, rental prices per square metre have risen 82 percent across Spain over the past decade. The average salary has gone up by 17 percent in that time, according to the national statistics institute. Facing pressure over a housing crisis, the government in 2023 passed legislation calling for more social housing, greater restrictions on rents in high demand areas and penalties for owners who do not occupy properties. But rents have continued to rise while the government has battled city and regional authorities to get some parts of the law applied. vid-vab/tw/jm

The Crown can be found in a passageway close to Carfax off the busy shopping street. It used to be a hidden gem but now there are lots of signs directing drinkers down the passageway to the bar. The pub, run by Nicholson's, has an interesting history. Its website said: “The Crown has had a succession of famous landlords. “In the year of the Gunpowder Plot it was kept by John Davenant and it was during this time Shakespeare paid his frequent visits to Oxford. “The poet used to stop in the university town on his journeys between Stratford and London, and The Crown was his headquarters.” Ross McCarthy, general manager of The Crown for the past three years, said he was delighted it has been chosen as the Oxford Mail Pub of the Week. He added: "Everything we do here is trying to emulate the traditional British pub experience, with real ales, gin and tonics and traditional pub food including fish and chips, sausage and mash and a good selection of pies. "In the summer, people can sit outside and watch sport, and then in the winter we can transition to a cosy pub indoors with soft lighting and Christmas decorations." Mr McCarthy said customers included tourists, students and locals. "We welcome everyone and our A-boards in Cornmarket direct people to our door. "You will get a good welcome if you come in here by yourself or with friends and family." There is already a festive atmosphere at The Crown, fuelled by generous servings of mulled wine from a barrel. The pub is warm inside, with subtle lighting, and there are lots of nooks and alcoves where you can enjoy a meal and a pint. The pies on the menu are a popular choice for customers. The website says: "When you’re hungry for a catchup and ready to meet, here’s a few options you’ll be tempted to eat. "Taste our new Pulled Duck Croquettes and Garlic Mushrooms on Sourdough or skip straight to the main event: our hand-crafted specialty pies, including our brand-new Chicken and Truffled Oyster Mushroom Pie and our British Steak & Nicholson's Pale Ale Pie." Real ales include Plum Porter by Titanic, and Theakston's Old Peculier. The pub is open seven days, from noon until 11pm, although it shuts on Sunday at 10pm. Food is served from noon until 9pm, and at weekends from noon until 9.30pm. "We're in a great position here off Cornmarket - bang in the middle of all the colleges," added Mr McCarthy. "We try to stock some darker beers at this time of year but we always have a good range." Dave Richardson, of real ale group Oxford CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), said: "This is a fine old building that was once the stables and outhouses of a much larger coaching inn that fronted onto Cornmarket Street, and it's generally a haven of relative tranquillity in the hustle and bustle of the city centre. "I'm not so sure about Shakespeare being 'more than friendly' with the owner's wife, as claimed on the wall outside, but it adds intrigue." Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get: Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire. His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.

Jimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 100Thousands demand lower rents at Barcelona demo

Ahmedabad: The world has become a touchscreen phenomenon and youngsters these days are fuelled by instant fame and money, but such a desire is not sustainable, philanthropist and author Sudha Murty said on Saturday. Addressing an event at a private university here, Murty urged the graduates not to chase instant fame but instead develop a mind of curiosity and learn from mistakes while trying new things ethically and legally. “The whole world, for that matter, has become a touch screen phenomenon or syndrome. You touch the screen, you get something, you play or you read... touch the screen, you get the reply. All of you think life is a touch screen. “No, it is not true. Youngsters like you are always fuelled by instant fame and instant money. That is not sustainable. Instant fame, nobody gets,” the Rajya Sabha MP said. She advised the student to remember that life does not run on Facebook likes and dislikes, or followers or influencers. “You have to make your mind healthy along with your body,” she added. Murty said that successful people have worked for several years without fame, and with a lot of difficulties to achieve what they did. The philanthropist said she failed miserably many times but learned a lesson from every failure. “As long as it is right legally and ethically, try new things, and from failure learn new things,” she said. Murty recalled that she learnt the greatest philosophies in life from the poorest people who did not know English. She also observed that children today are not connected to the people, especially the poor. “India does not mean software, it does not mean Bollywood, it is not only money. India means those people who will perish without your help. And you are the catalyst in this improvement of our country,” she said. “Your life after here should be guided by your own conscience. But life is not that difficult. It will not be that easy either. It will somewhere be in the middle,” Murty told the graduating students at the 6th convocation ceremony of Anant National University. Murty, who is married to the co-founder of tech giant Infosys N R Narayana Murthy, observed that creativity is a basic sign of progress and helps cut the boredom of the mundane world. “For creativity, you require great imagination... Imagination should be built up with children, and you can imagine as much as possible depending on your strength. And that you should do at home as parents,” she said. She said there was no shortcut to success other than hard work. Disappointments are also needed in life as one becomes a “soft” person without resistance, she added. Murty urged the graduates to help others saying it gives tremendous happiness. She also said that one should know technology, otherwise one will perish.

Former President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. The 39th president of the United States was a Georgia peanut farmer who sought to restore trust in government when he assumed the presidency in 1977 and then built a reputation for tireless work as a humanitarian. He earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in Plains, Georgia. At age 52, Carter was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Carter left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following his 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. Here's the latest: A somber announcement The longest-lived American president died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” The Carter Center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. A Southerner and a man of faith In his 1975 book “Why Not The Best,” Carter said of himself: “I am a Southerner and an American, I am a farmer, an engineer, a father and husband, a Christian, a politician and former governor, a planner, a businessman, a nuclear physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among other things a lover of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry.” A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. After he left office and returned home to his tiny hometown of Plains in southwest Georgia, Carter regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world. Former Vice President Gore remembers Carter for life "of purpose” Former Vice President Al Gore praised Jimmy Carter for living “a life full of purpose, commitment and kindness” and for being a “lifelong role model for the entire environmental movement.” Carter, who left the White House in 1981 after a landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan. concentrated on conflict resolution, defending democracy and fighting disease in the developing world. Gore, who lost the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush, remains a leading advocate for action to fight climate change. Both won Nobel Peace Prizes. Gore said that “it is a testament to his unyielding determination to help build a more just and peaceful world” that Carter is often “remembered equally for the work he did as President as he is for his leadership over the 42 years after he left office.” During Gore’s time in the White House, President Bill Clinton had an uneasy relationship with Carter. But Gore said he is “grateful” for “many years of friendship and collaboration” with Carter. The Clintons react to Jimmy Carter's death Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, remember Carter as a man who lived to serve others. “Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end." The statement recalled Carter's many achievements and priorities, including efforts “to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David." After he left office, the Clinton statement said, Carter continued efforts in "supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity — he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” the statement said.In November, the development index of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China increased by 0.2 points, reflecting positive growth and resilience in the country's entrepreneurial landscape. This improvement showcases the ongoing efforts and policies aimed at supporting and fostering the growth of SMEs, which play a crucial role in driving innovation, creating jobs, and contributing to economic development.

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.Toyota, one of the largest automakers in the world, has once again demonstrated its dominance in the market with strong sales figures for November. The company's focus on fuel-efficient vehicles and innovative technology has resonated well with consumers, leading to a steady increase in sales throughout the year. With solid performance in November, Toyota is well-positioned to achieve its annual targets and maintain its leading position in the industry.Liverpool's interest in Franck Kessie is not surprising given the midfielder's exceptional talent and potential. The 25-year-old has been a standout performer for AC Milan, impressing with his all-action style of play and ability to contribute both defensively and offensively. Kessie's contract at Milan was set to expire at the end of the season, leading to widespread interest from top clubs across Europe.

Former President Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States who dedicated his life after leaving office to brokering international peace, has died at age 100, his office confirmed Sunday. Carter had been receiving hospice care since February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he lived with his wife of , Rosalynn Carter. The Nov. 19, 2023, two days after her family said she . “They are still holding hands,” the couple’s grandson, Josh Carter, told in August 2023. “It’s just amazing.” In February 2023, the Carter Center that the former president had “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention” following a series of short hospital stays. “He has the full support of his family and his medical team,” the statement said. President Joe Biden offered his prayers to Carter at the time, : “We admire you for the strength and humility you have shown in difficult times. May you continue your journey with grace and dignity, and God grant you peace.” Days before his 99th birthday and seven months after he entered hospice, the riding in an SUV at the Plains Peanut Festival in Georgia. In October 2024, for Carter’s 100th birthday, Biden recognized him in shared with CBS News, saying, “Mr. President, you’ve always been a moral force for our nation and the world. I recognized that as a young senator. That’s why I supported you so early. You’re a voice of courage, conviction, compassion, and most of all, a beloved friend of Jill and me and our family.” Carter was to reach their 100th birthday. A Georgia native and a Democrat, Carter was elected president in 1976, defeating the Republican incumbent, Gerald Ford, in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal. Carter served one term before losing re-election in 1980 to Ronald Reagan, his bid hobbled by an inability to resolve the Iran hostage crisis, a standoff that lasted 444 days. Carter also was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his human rights work around the world. The oldest living former president since the death of George H.W. Bush in 2018 at 94, Carter was the first American president to have been . Only 56 years old when he left the Oval Office, Carter would spend the next four decades focusing on good works that made him an almost universally revered figure, sometimes called America’s greatest ex-president — a sharp contrast to his relatively low popularity when he exited the White House in January 1981. For years, he and his wife could be found on construction sites hoisting beams and pounding nails to build homes for the disadvantaged with the nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanity. Around the world, Carter was recognized after his presidency for his tireless work promoting peaceful resolutions to conflict and advancing democracy, human rights and social justice, primarily through the Carter Center, which he and the former first lady established at Emory University in Atlanta in 1982. Working through the center, the Carters traveled to developing countries to monitor elections, help build democratic institutions, lobby for victims of human rights abuses and spearhead efforts to eradicate diseases. In February 1986, Carter secured the release of the journalist Luis Mora and the labor leader José Altamirano from prison in Nicaragua. In 1994, he traveled to North Korea at the request of then-President Bill Clinton and soon announced the negotiation of a “treaty of understanding” with the then-leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung. Carter was also credited with having helped to persuade Egypt and Tunisia to ease violence in the Great Lakes Region of Africa in 1996, and he helped to negotiate the Nairobi Agreement to end the war between Sudan and Uganda in northern Uganda in 1999. In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts” and his “outstanding commitment to human rights.” For Carter, the award was something of a mark of rehabilitation after a presidency that ended with one of the , averaging just 45.5% over his single term in office, according to Gallup. In 1978, President Carter brokered the Camp David Accords, a historic peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. The deal, which capped 16 months of negotiations, led to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978. Many historians also credit the Carter administration with having been at the forefront of events that led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Carter and his hard-line national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, used human rights to put Moscow on the ideological defensive, and their forceful support for Lech Walesa’s Solidarity movement in Poland helped to fuel a revolutionary wave in Eastern Europe that eventually sparked the fall of communism. But Carter was often characterized as an ineffectual micromanager whose efforts to rally the American people during a time of economic recession and energy shortages landed with a thud. He was mocked for wearing sweaters in the White House to encourage Americans to turn down their thermostats in the winter to conserve energy, and his declaration in a nationally televised address in July 1979 that the United States was suffering a “crisis of confidence” was widely panned, given that it came after 21⁄2 years into his leadership. It came to be known as Carter’s “malaise” speech, even though he never used the word. Reagan would present himself as the sunny alternative to Carter’s scolding demeanor to win the 1980 election in a landslide. In addition, Carter’s decision to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow in protest of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan was popular domestically, but it remains controversial among historians, with some characterizing it as a missed opportunity to open warmer relations with Moscow and others declaring that it led to a decade of intensified Soviet repression before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The final year of Carter’s presidency was dogged by the Iran hostage crisis, which began Nov. 4, 1979, when Iranian students took more than 60 U.S. hostages at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran after Carter had allowed the deposed shah of Iran to receive medical treatment in the United States on humanitarian grounds. In April 1980, Carter sent an elite rescue team into the embassy compound, but a desert sandstorm crippled several of the military helicopters. One of them crashed into a transport plane on takeoff, killing eight U.S. service members and leading Carter to abort the mission. The debacle prompted Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, to order the hostages scattered among numerous locations to prevent another rescue attempt, and it gave him more ammunition with which to denounce the United States as “the Great Satan.” An official investigation into the rescue attempt found major deficiencies in planning, command and control, and identified critical shortcomings in communication and coordination among the U.S. military branches, bolstering perceptions of Carter as a weak leader and leading to the passage of the Goldwater–Nichols Act, which ordered a top-to-bottom reorganization of the Department of Defense in 1986. Fifty-two of the hostages would remain captive for 444 days, each day ticked off by Walter Cronkite at the end of the “CBS Evening News,” until they were released on Jan. 20, 1981 — the day Reagan was inaugurated as president. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in the tiny Sumter County town of Plains in southwest Georgia, where he grew up on a peanut farm. His intellect was recognized early, and he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy He graduated in 1946 and the same year married Rosalynn Smith, a 19-year-old childhood friend who was a star student at Plains High School. Carter became a submariner in the Navy, where he was spotted by Adm. Hyman Rickover, who is considered the father of the U.S. nuclear submarine program. Rickover selected Carter as an aide and assigned him to Schenectady, New York, where the family relocated while Carter studied reactor technology and nuclear physics at the Union Graduate College. Eventually, Carter would become a senior officer of the USS Seawolf, the United States’ second nuclear submarine. Speaking of Rickover in a 1984 interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Carter said, “There were a few times when I hated him, because he demanded more from me than I thought I could deliver.” Carter appeared set for a stellar military career under Rickover’s tutelage, but in 1953, he left the Navy after the death of his father, returning to Georgia to run the family peanut business. As the company grew, Carter became prominent in south Georgia politics, speaking out as a rare advocate of civil rights in church addresses and as chairman of the Sumter County School Board. He was elected as a Democrat to the state Senate in 1962 in a special election after he challenged his defeat in what an investigation revealed to have been a fraudulent vote. Carter rose quickly, becoming a member of the Democratic Executive Committee and chairman of the Senate Education Committee in just his second two-year term. After just four years in the Senate, Carter launched a campaign for governor, losing the Democratic primary but winning enough votes to force a runoff between the presumed front-runner and an outlandish segregationist chicken-restaurant owner, Lester Maddox. Maddox would win the runoff and the general election. Carter tried again in 1970, this time compromising his civil rights record by declaring himself “basically a redneck” and complimenting the divisive Maddox — who was famous for having used an ax handle as a weapon to drive Black activists from his restaurant in 1964 — for being “steadfast” and “honorable” in his beliefs. “Carter, believe it or not, ran a segregated race, one that he was connected with George Wallace of Alabama,” with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, adding that Carter “hoodwinked enough people to make them believe” that he would work to undermine integration. “I can win this election without a single Black vote,” in July 1970. Carter was forced into a runoff in the Democratic primary, which he easily won. And then he changed strategy to one he would use for the rest of his career — reaching out to Black voters and campaigning in Black churches and easily defeating a Republican news broadcaster in the general election. In his 2014 biography, “ ,” the Dartmouth College religion historian Randall Balmer wrote that Carter regretted the 1970 campaign for the rest of his life. Barred from running for re-election as governor in 1974 and seizing on the opening left by disarray in both major parties after the Watergate scandal, Carter leaped into the 1976 presidential campaign, starting out near the bottom of the polls in a Democratic field of more than a dozen candidates. He was generally derided as “Jimmy who?” Relying on his reputation as a reformer with deep ties in the Baptist church and promising voters “I will never lie to you” — and capitalizing on political cartoonists’ depictions of him as a peanut with a big smile by adopting them in his campaign — Carter entered a record number of state primaries and caucuses. He campaigned tirelessly in Black and other minority communities and slowly chipped away at the opposition. Turning back a liberal “Anybody But Carter” movement led by California Gov. Jerry Brown and Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho, he had by June wrapped up the nomination. Helped by a colossal blunder by the Republican vice presidential nominee, Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas — who dismissed the U.S.-led victories in both World War I and World War II as “Democrat wars” — Carter defeated President Ford with 50.1% of the vote. Carter took pains to project a modest image to a scandal-weary nation. He walked down Pennsylvania Avenue during his inaugural parade. He carried his own bags on Air Force One. And there were his constant messages to Americans that he couldn’t address the nation’s problems alone, often in self-effacing sweater-wearing public appearances. Throughout his busy post-presidency, Carter wrote — a lot. He wrote more than two dozen books, some with his wife. And as always, his faith, and his humble roots, remained his guides. He continued to teach Sunday school at his hometown church, Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, until the in early 2020, forcing him and his wife to forgo most public engagements. Carter still participated in church activities by video amid the pandemic. “When I got through being governor, I went back to Plains,” . “When I got through being president, I went back to Plains, and now no matter where we are in the world, you look forward to getting back home to Plains.” Carter was the only living president aside from Donald Trump President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021, due to the pandemic. It was the first inauguration Carter had missed as a former president. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden to the Carters in Georgia in April 2021. “We sat and talked about the old days,” Biden said afterward. Carter was diagnosed with in 2015, a virulent form of skin cancer that had spread to his liver and his brain. He underwent experimental treatment with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, also known as Keytruda, and a few months later, he announced that doctors had ended his treatments after having found . Carter spent much of the second half of 2019, right before the pandemic hit, in the hospital for brain surgery, infections and that resulted in a broken hip and pelvis. He was back teaching Sunday school at the Maranatha Baptist Church two weeks after he fractured his pelvis. He told the congregation at the time that since doctors told him in 2015 that cancer had spread to his brain, he had been “absolutely and completely at ease with death.”Title: A Glimpse of China in the Global Economic Landscape - Q&A on the Current Chinese Economy (Part Eight)Guangzhou Metro Customer Service Responds to New Security Measures: Routine Measures Unchanged

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Jimmy Carter had the longest post-presidency of anyone to hold the office, and one of the most active. Here is a look back at his life. 1924 — Jimmy Carter was born on Oct. 1 to Earl and Lillian Carter in the small town of Plains, Georgia. 1928 — Earl Carter bought a 350-acre farm 3 miles from Plains in the tiny community of Archery. The Carter family lived in a house on the farm without running water or electricity. 1941 — He graduated from Plains High School and enrolled at Georgia Southwestern College in Americus. 1942 — He transferred to Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. 1943 — Carter’s boyhood dream of being in the Navy becomes a reality as he is appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. 1946 — He received his naval commission and on July 7 married Rosalynn Smith of Plains. They moved to Norfolk, Virginia. 1946-1952 — Carter’s three sons are born, Jack in 1947, Chip in 1950 and Jeff in 1952. 1962-66 — Carter is elected to the Georgia State Senate and serves two terms. 1953 — Carter’s father died and he cut his naval career short to save the family farm. Due to a limited income, Jimmy, Rosalynn and their three sons moved into Public Housing Apartment 9A in Plains. 1966 — He ran for governor, but lost. 1967 — Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s fourth child, Amy, is born. 1971 — He ran for governor again and won the election, becoming Georgia’s 76th governor on Jan. 12. 1974 — Carter announced his candidacy for president. 1976 — Carter was elected 39th president on Nov. 2, narrowly defeating incumbent Gerald Ford. 1978 — U.S. and the Peoples’ Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations. President Carter negotiates and mediates an accord between Egypt and Israel at Camp David. 1979 — The Department of Education is formed. Iranian radicals overrun the U.S. Embassy and seize American hostages. The Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty is signed. 1980 — On March 21, Carter announces that the U.S. will boycott the Olympic Games scheduled in Moscow. A rescue attempt to get American hostages out of Iran is unsuccessful. Carter was defeated in his bid for a second term as president by Ronald Reagan in November. 1981 — President Carter continues to negotiate the release of the American hostages in Iran. Minutes before his term as president is over, the hostages are released. 1982 — Carter became a distinguished professor at Emory University in Atlanta, and founded The Carter Center. The nonpartisan and nonprofit center addresses national and international issues of public policy. 1984 — Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter volunteer one week a year for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that helps needy people in the United States and in other countries renovate and build homes, until 2020. He also taught Sunday school in the Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains from the mid-’80s until 2020. 2002 — Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 2015 — Carter announced in August he had been diagnosed with melanoma that spread to his brain. 2016 — He said in March that he no longer needed cancer treatment. 2024 — Carter dies at 100 years old. Sources: Cartercenter.org, Plains Historical Preservation Trust, The Associated Press; The Brookings Institution; U.S. Navy; WhiteHouse.gov, GallupBy Elizabeth Ayoola, NerdWallet The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. Kids are often pretty good at being consumers. If you’re a parent with a small business, you have the opportunity to show your kids firsthand what it means to be a producer. Small Business Saturday, which takes place on Nov. 30 this year, may be a great time to do just that. Small Business Saturday was established by American Express in 2010 and encourages consumers to patronize their local stores as a way to keep dollars circulating within their community. Here are three reasons you should consider getting your kids involved in Small Business Saturday, according to two mompreneurs. Ronne Brown is the owner of HERLISTIC, a plant-derived beauty and feminine care brand in Washington, D.C. She’s been participating in Small Business Saturday since she established her business in 2020. The entrepreneur gets her kids (ages 24, 18 and 12), plus her bonus daughter, 10, to help out on Small Business Saturday and beyond. Brown’s kids help with customer service, shipping and fulfillment tasks. That could include counting inventory, quality control or packaging boxes. Other times, help looks like Brown’s 12-year-old daughter keeping her up-to-date with TikTok trends and influencers in the beauty field. “I just want them to understand the price and the value of a dollar and what it actually costs to make it,” Brown says. The mompreneur also hopes her kids learn the benefits of commitment and hard work. “What I want to show them is that you have to work hard every day. And there are gonna be moments where you’re gonna be tired, you’re gonna be exhausted, and you’re not gonna want to do things, and you’re going to have to push through,” she says. Hiring your kids to do legitimate work during Small Business Saturday provides a chance for them to learn pillars needed for a strong financial foundation: earning money , saving money and investing. That said, before hiring kids, it’s critical to understand the child labor laws for your state in addition to the IRS’ rules around hiring kids. Related Articles Brown says she pays all of her children, including her 24-year-old son who is on payroll. Additionally, she teaches them about investing in the stock market. “I want them to understand the importance of making money, but also investing the money that they’re making,” she says. “Because when I pay them, I always ask them, ‘so what are you gonna do to double this money?’” If you hire your minor kids, they could get a headstart on investing by putting some of their income into a custodial Roth IRA , which requires earned income to open. You could also open them a custodial brokerage account. Another perk of your kids earning income by working for you is that they may be exempt from paying federal income taxes if they earn less than the standard deduction . In 2024, that threshold is $14,600. Having your kids add helping hands, whether it be doing administrative tasks or helping customers, can ensure you keep up with a potential increase in sales. A 2024 NerdWallet holiday spending report found that 16% of 2024 holiday shoppers plan to shop on Small Business Saturday this year. Lisset Tresvant, owner of Glow Esthetics Spa in Hollywood, Florida, has been participating in Small Business Saturday since the genesis of her business in 2019. “I do tend to sell more because people are usually more inclined to purchase because of the sales, and it gives them a reason to support us,” she says. To help with the demand, Tresvant’s daughter, 12, and son, 9, fill her skincare products, add labels and help prep items for shipping. Tresvant says she decided to let her kids get involved in her business so they have a better understanding of what she does. Looking beyond Small Business Saturday, hiring your child can also help with succession planning , which is about planning for your departure from your business. Tresvant hopes to pass hers down to her kids one day. “They understand that I’m building this legacy just for not myself, but for them as well,” says Tresvant. More From NerdWallet Elizabeth Ayoola writes for NerdWallet. Email: eayoola@nerdwallet.com. The article 3 Reasons to Involve Your Kids in Small Business Saturday originally appeared on NerdWallet .

He is not yet in power but President-elect Donald Trump rattled much of the world with an off-hours warning of stiff tariffs on close allies and China -- a loud hint that Trump-style government by social media post is coming back. With word of these levies against goods imported from Mexico, Canada and China, Trump sent auto industry stocks plummeting, raised fears for global supply chains and unnerved the world's major economies. For Washington-watchers with memories of the Republican's first term, the impromptu policy volley on Monday evening foreshadowed a second term of startling announcements of all manner, fired off at all hours of the day from his smartphone. "Donald Trump is never going to change much of anything," said Larry Sabato, a leading US political scientist and director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "You can expect in the second term pretty much what he showed us about himself and his methods in the first term. Social media announcements of policy, hirings and firings will continue." The first of Trump's tariff announcements -- a 25 percent levy on everything coming in from Mexico and Canada -- came amid an angry rebuke of lax border security at 6:45 pm on Truth Social, Trump's own platform. The United States is bound by agreements on the movement of goods and services brokered by Trump in a free trade treaty with both nations during his first term. But Trump warned that the new levy would "remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country" -- sowing panic from Ottawa to Mexico City. Seconds later, another message from the incoming commander-in-chief turned the focus on Chinese imports, which he said would be hit with "an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs." The consequences were immediate. Almost every major US automaker operates plants in Mexico, and shares in General Motors and Stellantis -- which produce pickup trucks in America's southern neighbor -- plummeted. Canada, China and Mexico protested, while Germany called on its European partners to prepare for Trump to impose hefty tariffs on their exports and stick together to combat such measures. The tumult recalls Trump's first term, when journalists, business leaders and politicians at home and abroad would scan their phones for the latest pronouncements, often long after they had left the office or over breakfast. During his first four years in the Oval Office, the tweet -- in those days his newsy posts were almost exclusively limited to Twitter, now known as X -- became the quasi-official gazette for administration policy. The public learned of the president-elect's 2020 Covid-19 diagnosis via an early-hours post, and when Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on Trump's order, the Republican confirmed the kill by tweeting a US flag. The public and media learned of numerous other decisions big and small by the same source, from the introduction of customs duties to the dismissal of cabinet secretaries. It is not a communication method that has been favored by any previous US administration and runs counter to the policies and practices of most governments around the world. Throughout his third White House campaign, and with every twist and turn in his various entanglements with the justice system, Trump has poured his heart out on Truth Social, an app he turned to during his 20-month ban from Twitter. In recent days, the mercurial Republican has even named his attorney general secretaries of justice and health via announcements on the network. "He sees social media as a tool to shape and direct the national conversation and will do so again," said political scientist Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University professor. cjc/ft/dw/bjt

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From bank vaults to coffee cups, historic Delmont building reopens as cozy coffee shopA voting machine firm suing Fox News now wants to probe Murdoch family trust fightThrikkakara Congress MLA Uma Thomas is in serious condition after sustaining head and spinal injuries, reportedly after falling from a gallery at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium here on Sunday evening. The severely bleeding MLA was rushed to a private hospital near the stadium by volunteers and others. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Hospital sources told PTI that her condition is critical, and she has been placed on ventilator support . Medical personnel are closely monitoring her situation. She reportedly hit her head on the concrete ground after falling from the gallery, sources said. Uma Thomas had arrived at the stadium to attend a dance programme inaugurated by Culture Affairs Minister Saji Cherian , the sources added. Inputs from PTI (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

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