Is Keeping Your Home Organized More Challenging Than Your 9-To-5 Job?. Inside the fund's portfolio are many of the world's most recognisable companies. They include , , , , , , , , and . I think investors can do well over the long term from this portfolio of businesses because of their underlying quality and track records. There's a lot to like about the IVV ETF. Here are three reasons why. The very appealing management fee is the most obvious reason to like the fund, in my opinion. When operating costs are very low, most of the fund's value and performance stay in the hands of IVV ETF investors rather than being lost to expensive management or performance fees. The low cost can make a difference in the thousands of dollars to an investor's portfolio value over the long term. How low is the cost? According to iShares, the current annual management fee is 0.04%. It's one of the cheapest fund investments on the ASX, which is great in my view. It would be a mistake to think of this fund as a US fund that is only focused on the US economy. Consider companies like Microsoft, Apple and Alphabet – these are truly global businesses with a presence in most countries around the world. McDonald's operates in around 119 countries. It's a similar story for many of these impressive companies. According to , around 29% of the total revenue generated by S&P 500 companies analysed came from non-US sources in the second quarter of 2024. Not only is earnings pleasing to see for the IVV ETF, but it also means those companies have numerous places to invest their money to try to grow earnings in the coming years and make the most substantial return. Warren Buffett is arguably one of the world's greatest-ever investors, who helped become the giant US company it is. He regularly advocates for (American) investors to choose an S&P 500 fund. In , Buffett said: Consistently buy an S&P 500 low-cost index fund. I think it's the thing that makes the most sense practically all of the time. Keep buying it through thick and thin, and especially through thin. The temptation when you see bad headlines in newspapers is to say, well, maybe I should skip a year or something. Just keep buying. American business is going to do fine over time, so you know the investment universe is going to do very well. If it's a great choice in Buffett's eyes, it's a compelling pick, in my opinion.Michigan State loses 3-star RB, program legacy in flip to Alabama09 jili 。

We are a quarter of the way through the 2024-25 NHL season, and some teams across the league have been pretty significant disappointments that have failed to meet expectations. Let's talk about four of them. Nashville Predators The Predators entered the season with sky-high expectations after a busy offseason that saw them add two 40-goal scorers (Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault) and a top-four defenseman (Brady Skjei) to a roster that made the playoffs a year ago. A return to the playoffs should have been the bare-minimum expectation. Winning a round or two should have been reasonable. Competing for the Stanley Cup was not out of the question. Just 22 games into their season, they have the second-worst record in the league (.386 points percentage, just marginally ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks) and can't seem to do anything right. They are 30th in goals per game, 21st in goals against per game and their two biggest additions (Stamkos and Marchessault) have combined for just 11 goals. The worst sign of all is that they are losing despite getting really strong goaltending from Juuse Saros, who is having a big bounce-back year. Pittsburgh Penguins After two straight non-playoff seasons, no postseason series wins since the 2018 season and with an aging core, there should not have been overly high expectations for the Penguins this season. They are still failing to meet them. Not only are the Penguins on their way to a third-straight non-playoff season, they have been one of the worst teams in the league and have the worst record in the NHL's Eastern Conference. Entering play on Tuesday their 91 goals against and 3.96 goals against per game were both the worst in the NHL, while they have developed a crushing habit of consistently blowing multiple-goal leads. They do not defend well, they have some of the league's worst goaltending ( 28th in save percentage ) and outside of captain Sidney Crosby and the occasional brilliance from Evgeni Malkin, there is simply not much here to get excited about. They were not supposed to be good. They were not supposed to be this bad. Boston Bruins The Bruins have been seemingly overdue for a decline at some point, and it finally looks like it is here. At the first quarter point of the season the Bruins find themselves on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, already fired their head coach (Jim Montgomery) and still have a lot of the same flaws that have existed for the past couple of years (specifically the lack of a true No. 1 center). They spent big money in free agency on forward Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov, and both have been underwhelming. Starting goalie Jeremy Swayman has also been off to a slow start after signing a massive eight-year, $66 million contract extension. After being one of the NHL's best teams the past two seasons, this is a sudden regression. Edmonton Oilers The Oilers were one game away from winning the Stanley Cup in 2024, have two of the best players in hockey in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and also have one of the league's best defensive pairings in Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm. The problem? They have almost nothing after those four players. At least nothing that is playing well this season. Only three forwards on the roster (McDavid, Draisaitl and Mattias Janmark) have at least 10 points this season, while their goaltending with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard is only 27th in the league in save percentage . No depth, no goaltending and a team that is reliant on just a handful of players is not going to go far.NoneDENVER (AP) — So you're the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: USA Football is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It's “America’s Got Talent” meets “American Idol,” with the stage being the field and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it’s never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it's not an easy team to make. The men's and women's national team rosters are at “Dream Team” status given the men’s side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport's national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The organization has already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% since flag football was announced as an Olympic invitational sport in October 2023 . The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. “We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport,” said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. “We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world.” Flag football was one of five new sports added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football's inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it's simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it's catching on, too. The women's team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the planet is Mexico quarterback Diana Flores . “Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That’s something to aspire to," said Stephanie Kwok , the NFL's vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn't your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There's a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado’s two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there's no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. “If a receiver is running around, I’m thinking, ‘OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,’” Daniels explained. “They’re like, ‘No, you can’t.’ I’m just like, ‘So I’m supposed to let this guy just run?!’ I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn.” The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. “I would actually love" seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who's also a personal trainer in Miami. “I’m not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, ‘I played NFL football for five years. I’m popular. I have a huge name.’ I’m still better than you and I'm going to prove it — until you prove otherwise.” Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It’s his way of working on avoiding a “defender” trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. “You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the ‘Redeem Team’ led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you're always thinking, ‘That's insane.' Obviously, you couldn't do it in your sport, because I played football," said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. "With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on." It's a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. “Everybody thinks, ‘Yeah, the U.S. just wins,’” Daniels said. “But we work hard all the time. We don’t just walk in. We don’t just get off the bus thinking, ‘We’re going to beat people.’” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL— Oct. 1, 1924: James Earl Carter Jr. is born in Plains, Georgia, son of James Sr. and Lillian Gordy Carter. — June 1946: Carter graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy. — July 1946: Carter marries Rosalynn Smith, in Plains. They have four children, John William (“Jack”), born 1947; James Earl 3rd (“Chip”), 1950; Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), 1952; and Amy Lynn, 1967. — 1946-1953: Carter serves in a Navy nuclear submarine program, attaining rank of lieutenant commander. — Summer 1953: Carter resigns from the Navy, returns to Plains after father’s death. — 1953-1971: Carter helps run the family peanut farm and warehouse business. — 1963-1966: Carter serves in the Georgia state Senate. — 1966: Carter tries unsuccessfully for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. — November 1970: Carter is elected governor of Georgia. Serves 1971-75. — Dec. 12, 1974: Carter announces a presidential bid. Atlanta newspaper answers with headline: “Jimmy Who?” — January 1976: Carter leads the Democratic field in Iowa, a huge campaign boost that also helps to establish Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus. — July 1976: Carter accepts the Democratic nomination and announces Sen. Walter Mondale of Minnesota as running mate. — November 1976: Carter defeats President Gerald R. Ford, winning 51% of the vote and 297 electoral votes to Ford’s 240. — January 1977: Carter is sworn in as the 39th president of the United States. On his first full day in office, he pardons most Vietnam-era draft evaders. —September 1977: U.S. and Panama sign treaties to return the Panama Canal back to Panama in 1999. Senate narrowly ratifies them in 1978. — September 1978: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Carter sign Camp David accords, which lead to a peace deal between Egypt and Israel the following year. — June 15-18, 1979: Carter attends a summit with Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev in Vienna that leads to the signing of the SALT II treaty. — November 1979: Iranian militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 hostages. All survive and are freed minutes after Carter leaves office in January 1981. — April 1980: The Mariel boatlift begins, sending tens of thousands of Cubans to the U.S. Many are criminals and psychiatric patients set free by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, creating a major foreign policy crisis. — April 1980: An attempt by the U.S. to free hostages fails when a helicopter crashes into a transport plane in Iran, killing eight servicemen. — Nov. 4, 1980: Carter is denied a second term by Ronald Reagan, who wins 51.6% of the popular vote to 41.7% for Carter and 6.7% to independent John Anderson. — 1982: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter co-found The Carter Center in Atlanta, whose mission is to resolve conflicts, protect human rights and prevent disease around the world. — September 1984: The Carters spend a week building Habitat for Humanity houses, launching what becomes the annual Carter Work Project. — October 1986: A dedication is held for The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta. The center includes the Carter Presidential Library and Museum and Carter Center offices. — 1989: Carter leads the Carter Center’s first election monitoring mission, declaring Panamanian Gen. Manuel Noriega’s election fraudulent. — May 1992: Carter meets with Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev at the Carter Center to discuss forming the Gorbachev Foundation. — June 1994: Carter plays a key role in North Korea nuclear disarmament talks. — September 1994: Carter leads a delegation to Haiti, arranging terms to avoid a U.S. invasion and return President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. — December 1994: Carter negotiates tentative cease-fire in Bosnia. — March 1995: Carter mediates cease-fire in Sudan’s war with southern rebels. — September 1995: Carter travels to Africa to advance the peace process in more troubled areas. — December 1998: Carter receives U.N. Human Rights Prize on 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. — August 1999: President Bill Clinton awards Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter the Presidential Medal of Freedom. — September 2001: Carter joins former Presidents Ford, Bush and Clinton at a prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington after Sept. 11 attacks. — April 2002: Carter’s book “An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood” chosen as finalist for Pulitzer Prize in biography. — May 2002: Carter visits Cuba and addresses the communist nation on television. He is the highest-ranking American to visit in decades. — Dec. 10, 2002: Carter is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” — July 2007: Carter joins The Elders, a group of international leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to focus on global issues. — Spring 2008: Carter remains officially neutral as Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton battle each other for the Democratic presidential nomination. — April 2008: Carter stirs controversy by meeting with the Islamic militant group Hamas. — August 2010: Carter travels to North Korea as the Carter Center negotiates the release of an imprisoned American teacher. — August 2013: Carter joins President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton at the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech and the March on Washington. — Oct. 1, 2014: Carter celebrates his 90th birthday. — December 2014: Carter is nominated for a Grammy in the best spoken word album category, for his book “A Call To Action.” — May 2015: Carter returns early from an election observation visit in Guyana — the Carter Center’s 100th — after feeling unwell. — August 2015: Carter has a small cancerous mass removed from his liver. He plans to receive treatment at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. — August 2015: Carter announces that his grandson Jason Carter will chair the Carter Center governing board. — March 6, 2016: Carter says an experimental drug has eliminated any sign of his cancer, and that he needs no further treatment. — May 25, 2016: Carter steps back from a “front-line” role with The Elders to become an emeritus member. — July 2016: Carter is treated for dehydration during a Habitat for Humanity build in Canada. — Spring 2018: Carter publishes “Faith: A Journey for All,” the last of 32 books. — March 22, 2019: Carter becomes the longest-lived U.S. president, surpassing President George H.W. Bush, who died in 2018. — September 18, 2019: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter deliver their final in-person annual report at the Carter Center. — October 2019: At 95, still recovering from a fall, Carter joins the Work Project with Habitat for Humanity in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s the last time he works personally on the annual project. — Fall 2019-early 2020: Democratic presidential hopefuls visit, publicly embracing Carter as a party elder, a first for his post-presidency. — November 2020:The Carter Center monitors an audit of presidential election results in the state of Georgia, marking a new era of democracy advocacy within the U.S. — Jan. 20, 2021: The Carters miss President Joe Biden’s swearing-in, the first presidential inauguration they don’t attend since Carter’s own ceremony in 1977. The Bidens later visit the Carters in Plains on April 29. — Feb. 19, 2023: Carter enters home hospice care after a series of short hospital stays. — July 7, 2023: The Carters celebrate their 77th and final wedding anniversary. — Nov. 19, 2023: Rosalynn Carter dies at home, two days after the family announced that she had joined the former president in receiving hospice care. — Oct. 1, 2024 — Carter becomes the first former U.S. president to reach 100 years of age , celebrating at home with extended family and close friends. — Oct. 16, 2024 — Carter casts a Georgia mail ballot for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, having told his family he wanted to live long enough to vote for her. It marks his 21st presidential election as a voter. — Dec. 29, 2024: Carter dies at home.

LeBron James made his Christmas debut in 2003. Victor Wembanyama was born 10 days later. That’s right: James has been featured on the NBA’s big day for longer than Wembanyama has been alive. And on Wednesday — when the league celebrates Christmas with games for the 77th time — the league’s oldest player and brightest young star will be big parts of the holiday showcase. It’s another Christmas quintupleheader, with Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visiting the New York Knicks, Minnesota going to Dallas for a Western Conference finals rematch, Philadelphia heading to Boston to renew a storied rivalry, James and the Los Angeles Lakers taking on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and Denver playing at Phoenix in the nightcap. “Very excited, of course,” Wembanyama said, the French star previewing his first Christmas game opportunity. “First of all, spending Christmas in New York, it’s going to be like the movies, I hope. Get a little snow.” His first Christmas wish came true: Light snow fell in Manhattan on Tuesday morning. James said he’s relishing another chance to share the holiday spotlight with Curry — someone he’s played against on Christmas three previous times. “Any time you get an opportunity to be on the court and compete against one of the greatest to ever play this game, you don’t take it for granted,” James — who turns 40 next week — said of facing his U.S. Olympic teammate. “I don’t know how many more opportunities we’ll get to go against each other.” The Christmas games have been looked at for decades as the time when more fans tend to start watching basketball. The NFL — which is going head-to-head against the NBA on Wednesday — is seeing its regular season winding down, and the five NBA games will all be shown nationally either on ABC or ESPN. The Spurs-Knicks game will also have a special alt-cast starring Mickey Mouse and some of his friends, the first animated presentation of an NBA game. It’ll be shown on ESPN2 and stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. “I wish there were more of our great players who had a chance to play on that stage on Christmas Day,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “It’s been an interesting turnaround from certainly my earlier days in the league when we got a lot of complaints about playing on Christmas — and now it comes the other way, which is, ‘Why aren’t we playing on Christmas?’ I wish we could accommodate even more teams.” Knicks forward Josh Hart, like just about everyone in the basketball world, raves about Wembanyama. The Spurs star is averaging 24.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.0 blocks, 3.9 assists and 3.3 3-pointers per game. “He’s an amazing player, man,” Hart said. “He does things offensively, defensively that no one that’s 7-whatever-the-heck-he-is should be doing. He’s the future of the league.” For the record, Wembanyama is officially just under 7-foot-4. The Knicks are playing their 57th Christmas game, extending their NBA record. The first Christmas game in league history was at Madison Square Garden in 1947. “Been fortunate to play on Christmas a lot of days,” Spurs guard Chris Paul said. “I’m excited.” Game time is 1:30 p.m. in Dallas, and that means it’ll be 8:30 p.m. in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Prime time, Christmas night in Luka Doncic’s homeland. The Mavericks star couldn’t be happier how that worked out. “It’s special,” said Doncic, who had a 50-point game on Christmas last year. “You have a lot of people from Europe want to watch the NBA. ... It’s a big thing. It’s going to be a special game.” Dallas beat Minnesota 4-1 in last year’s West finals. For Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, this is season No. 18 — and his second Christmas game. “It was 14 years before I got to play on it in Utah,” Conley said. “I looked forward to the opportunity. Not many people get the opportunity to play. When people are celebrating the holidays, they turn on the TV and are watching the NBA.” No teams have faced off against one another more in NBA history than defending champion Boston and Philadelphia. Same goes for Christmas rivalries: It’ll be Celtics-76ers for the 14th time on Dec. 25, by far the most in the league. Celtics guard Jrue Holiday says it’s tough to interrupt family time on Christmas — but also said it’s fun that his children can watch their father play that day. “It’s an honor to be able to play on Christmas Day,” Holiday said. “I know I was one of the kids that couldn’t wait for Christmas games to come on. So, it’s always an honor.” Curry and James have met on Christmas in 2015, 2016 and 2018, all immediately following seasons that ended with Cleveland vs. Golden State matchups in the NBA Finals. Lakers coach JJ Redick played on Christmas 11 times in his career. The significance of seeing another Steph vs. LeBron matchup on the holiday isn’t lost on him. “I think it was great to have two of the icons of this generation go head-to-head and have one, for sure, classic series and then just also some classic games and classic moments,” Redick said. “For those guys also being teammates on the Olympic stage, they just have the ultimate respect for each other.” James gets another chance to become the NBA’s all-time Christmas win leader: He’s played in 10 wins on Dec. 25, tying former teammate Dwyane Wade’s holiday record. This is James’ 19th Christmas game; Wade played in 13. Curry, if he starts, will be the seventh person in NBA history with at least 11 starts on Dec. 25, joining James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Wade, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. “Christmas spirit hopefully can bring some gifts our way with a win,” Curry said. Durant will play on Christmas for the 12th time, and only James, Bryant and Oscar Robertson have more points on Dec. 25 than he does. It’s a rematch of a 117-90 win by Denver on Monday night. “Looking forward to this next game,” Durant said. The Nuggets know the Suns will want to avenge losing by 27, plus that the holiday brings out the best in players. “Hopefully we can go into their spot on Christmas and get another win,” Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. said. “But I’m sure it’ll be a tougher game.” ___ AP Sports Writers Janie McCauley and Greg Beacham, and Associated Press Writers Dick Scanlon, Aaron Bracy, Bill Trocchi, Pat Pickens, Jeff Miller and Michael Kelly contributed to this story. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA Persistent high surf and flooding threats along California’s coast had What do Tom Brady, Taylor Swift and comedy have to LeBron James made his Christmas debut in 2003. Victor Wembanyama Two people were rescued when a California pier partially collapsed

Buffalo Bills vs. SF 49ers first-look betting preview: NFL Week 13 on Thanksgiving WeekendCaitlin Clark raised the profile of women's basketball to unprecedented levels in both the college ranks and the WNBA, and Tuesday she was named the AP Female Athlete of the Year for her impact on and off the court. After leading Iowa to the national championship game, Clark was the top pick in the WNBA draft as expected and went on to win rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers tuned in to follow her journey. Clark's exploits were far reaching, casting a light on other women's sports leagues along the way. A group of 74 sports journalists from The Associated Press and its members voted on the award. Clark received 35 votes, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was second with 25 and boxer Imane Khelif was third, getting four votes. Clark is only the fourth women's basketball player to be honored as the female athlete of the year since it was first presented in 1931, joining Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995) and Candace Parker (2008, 2021). "I grew up a fan of Candace Parker and the people who came before me and to be honored in this way, is super special and I'm thankful," Clark said in a phone interview. "It was a great year for women's basketball and women's sports." Shohei Ohtani won the AP Male Athlete of the Year on Monday for the third time. Clark broke the NCAA Division I career scoring record for both men and women finishing her career with 3,951 points while guiding Iowa to its second consecutive national championship game. After her Hawkeyes lost t South Carolina for the title, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley took the mic during her team's celebration and said, "I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport." For all the success Clark has had and the attention she has brought to women's basketball, she is often the centerpiece of debates and online toxicity towards her and other players in the league. For her part, Clark has disavowed the toxic discourse. Lobo also has been impressed with the way the 22-year-old Clark has handled the pressure and attention that has come her way. "I would say she's navigated it almost flawlessly. she hasn't had an big missteps or misspeaks at a time you're under constant scrutiny," Lobo said. "She's seemed to say and do all the right things. That's just incredible at a time when it's constant attention and scrutiny. She has not done anything to tarnish this sort of mild persona she has." As Clark handled the praise — and the backlash — during the heat of competition, it was hard for her to appreciate just what she was able accomplish over the past year. But after having time to reflect on the whirlwind tour, she appreciates those who were there alongside her for the ride. "I'm thankful for the people I got to do it with," Clark said. "A year ago I was still in the early part of my senior year in college. ... How fast things change, and now I can see how great a college season it was." Iowa sold out all of its games at home and on the road with Clark as the main attraction. That momentum continued into the pros. Her No. 22 jersey was prevalent wherever she played during her rookie season and will be retired at Iowa. "You'd be remiss not to acknowledge how crazy her fan base is and the eyes she gets with everything she does," said Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was often spotted courtside at Clark's Indiana Fever games. "It's a different type of popularity, she's one of the most popular athletes in the world. It's not just women's sports anymore. "It's really cool to see and she just handles it with such grace." Clark said she enjoys spending time with fans at games, usually taking a few minutes before and after games to sign autographs. "For me it's still really fun," she said. "Whether it's 15 seconds or 10 seconds or 5 seconds can be very impactful in a young girl and young boys life. Seeing the fans going crazy an hour before tipoff, I never take that for granted. That's super cool and I never want that to go away." After a slow start to her WNBA career, Clark eventually found her stride there too. She set the single-game assist record with 19 and also had 337 assists on the season to break that mark as well. Clark, known for her logo-distance 3-pointers, was the fastest player to reach 100 3's when she did it in 34 games which helped Indiana reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Lobo, who won the AP female athlete of the year award after lifting UConn to its first national championship, was on the court for launch of the WNBA two years later. The ESPN analyst sees Clark's ascension as something different. "She's brought unprecedented attention both in the building, but also viewership to the sport that was worthy of it but didn't have it yet," Lobo said. "There's never been anything like this. "That timeframe from 1995-97 was a baby step in the progression of it all. This is a giant leap forward. I've never seen anything like this. There's more attention then the sports ever had." The numbers have been record breaking when Clark is part of a broadcast: — TV viewership in the WNBA was up 300% thanks in large part to Clark with ABC, CBS, ION, ESPN, and ESPN2 all having record viewers when Fever games were on. — The NCAA women's championship game outdrew the men on TV for the first time in the sport's 42-year history with 18.9 million viewers tuning it to watch the event. It was the second most watched women's sporting event outside of the Olympics in the history of U.S. television. — The 2024 WNBA draft was the most-watched in league history with 2.4 million viewers. Clark credits the community of women athletes for the popularity increase of women's sports, saying "we" did this or "we" did that when asked about it. "It's fascinating, you don't always appreciate how many people 18 million is," Clark said. "You see that number against a college football game or the Masters or whatever it is as far as the biggest sporting events in our country and it puts it in perspective. We outdrew the men's Final Four."

Wall Street stocks were little changed on Thursday while Asian equities rose in thin Boxing Day trade, extending their "Santa Claus Rally" with several bourses still shut for the holiday. Japan's Nikkei index closed up 1.1 percent, boosted by comments from the Bank of Japan governor and share price gains for top-selling automaker Toyota. China's plans for massive bond issuances in 2025 also bolstered investor sentiment. "Even though many in the region are still shaking off a bit of a holiday hangover, with several markets closed for Boxing Day, Asian stocks opened higher, riding a favorable wave from China's financial bond juggernaut," said Stephen Innes from SPI Asset Management. In New York, major indices veered in and out of positive territory in a sleepy post-Christmas session. The broad-based S&P 500 finished down less than 0.1 percent. Large technology companies that have led the market in much of 2024 mostly took a breather. These included Netflix, Tesla and Amazon, all of which declined. "What's interesting today is that we're seeing small stocks bounce back a little bit," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers, noting that the Russell 2000 index put on 0.9 percent. Holiday consumer data showed a 3.8-percent increase in US retail spending from November 1 to December 24, according to a Mastercard SpendingPulse review of a key period for retailers. London Stockton, an analyst at Ned Davis Research, noted that the "Santa Claus rally could still be alive, with strong seasonality into the end of the year." Stock markets have traditionally fared well in the last five trading days of the year and the first two in the new year, a trend known as the "Santa Claus rally." Among a number of possible reasons advanced by experts include the festive holiday mood and purchasing ahead of the end of the tax year. Innes said remarks from Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda in which he refrained from signaling a potential interest rate hike next month also "influenced bullish regional sentiments." Japanese market heavyweight Toyota ended nearly six percent higher after reports in the Nikkei business daily said it aimed to double its return on equity -- a key measure of a company's financial performance. New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 43,325.80 (close) New York - S&P 500: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 6,037.59 (close) New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,020.36 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.1 percent at 39,568.06 points (close) Hang Seng: UP 1.1 percent at 20,098.29 points (Tuesday close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 3,398.08 points (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0424 from $1.0414 on Tuesday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2526 from $1.2538 Dollar/yen: UP at 158.00 yen from 157.06 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.19 pence from 83.05 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.7 percent at $69.62 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $73.26 per barrel bur-jmb/ahaBy ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department’s operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Before Biden’s commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Berman said Trump’s statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump’s rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl’s mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden’s decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.BANGKOK — The order came from the top. China's leader Xi Jinping wants the recent spree of mass killings that shocked the country not to happen again. He ordered local governments to prevent future “extreme cases." The attacks, where drivers mow down people on foot or knife-wielding assailants stab multiple victims, are not new in China. But the latest surge drew attention. Local officials were quick to vow to examine all sorts of personal disputes that could trigger aggression, from marital troubles to disagreements over inheritance. However, the increasing reach into people’s private lives raises concerns at a time when the Chinese state has already tightened its grip over all social and political aspects in the East Asian nation. Get the latest breaking news as it happens. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . 'Revenge on Society Crimes' This is how people in China label these attacks. In November alone, three took place: A man struck people at an elementary school in Hunan province, wounding 30, after suffering investment losses. A student who failed his examination stabbed and killed eight at a vocational school in the city of Yixing. The most victims, 35 people, resulted from a man mowing down a crowd in the southern city of Zhuhai, supposedly upset over his divorce. A man lights a candle near flowers placed outside the Zhuhai People's Fitness Plaza, where a man deliberately rammed his car into people exercising at the sports center, killing some and injuring others in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong province on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. Credit: AP/Ng Han Guan While pinpointing the exact motive of such attacks can be difficult, there is an overwhelming feeling of being pressured within Chinese society, experts say. “On the surface, it seems like there are individual factors, but we see there’s a common link,” Wu Qiang, a former political science professor, said. “This link is, in my personal opinion, every person has a feeling of injustice. They feel deeply that this society is very unfair and they can’t bear it anymore.” Since 2015, Chinese police have targeted human rights lawyers and non-profit advocacy groups, jailing many, while keeping tight surveillance on others, effectively destroying the civil society that had been active from the early 2000s to 2010s. Wu was fired from Tsinghua University after conducting fieldwork during the 2014 Occupy protests in Hong Kong. He says police officers have been regularly stationed outside his home in Beijing since last year. A woman prays after incense were offered near flowers placed outside the Zhuhai People's Fitness Plaza, where a man deliberately rammed his car into people exercising at the sports center, killing some and injuring others in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong province on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. Credit: AP/Ng Han Guan Keeping a tight lid on the killings A decade ago, media outlets could report an incident as it developed and even share a suspect’s name. Nowadays, it's rarely possible. During the 24 hours before the death toll was released in the Zhuhai slaying, state censors were quick to remove any videos of the incident and eyewitness accounts shared online. In the case of the Hunan elementary school attack, authorities shared the number of the wounded only after the court sentencing, nearly a month later. A tally of violent attacks can be documented in other countries; notably, the U.S. had 38 mass killings so far this year, according to an Associated Press database. But in China, a lack of public data makes it hard to decipher mass killing trends. “From 2000 to 2010, there was a lot of discussions, including how do we help these people by making structural changes to reduce these risks, but now there’s not,” said Rose Luqiu, a well-known former journalist with state-owned Phoenix Television and an associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University. Luqiu believes the government may be enforcing censorship thinking it will prevent copycats from imitating such crimes. “Things will only become more and more strict,” she predicted. For the Chinese state, “the only method to deal with it is to strengthen control.” Officials vow to ferret out hidden risks After the Zhuhai attack, Xi called on all local governments “to strengthen prevention and control of risks at the source, strictly prevent extreme cases from occurring, and to resolve conflicts and disputes in a timely manner,” according to the official Xinhua news agency. The AP found at least a dozen local government notices, from small towns to big cities, announcing actions in response. In eastern Anhui province, a ruling Communist Party leader inspected a middle school, a local police station, and even the warehouse of a chemical factory where he urged the workers to “ferret out any hidden risks.” He said they must “thoroughly and meticulously investigate and resolve conflicts and disputes,” including in families, marriages and neighborhoods. Police and prosecutors issued similar statements. The Ministry of Justice promised to curtail conflicts by looking into squabbles over inheritance, housing, land and unpaid wages. However, many expressed worry over how such disputes will be detected. “I think we’re at the beginning of a vicious cycle,” said Lynette Ong, a professor at the University of Toronto and author of “Outsourcing Repression: Everyday State Power in Contemporary China.” “If you nip the conflict in its bud, you’d imagine the system then would impose a lot of pressure ... on schools, enterprises and factories." The new announcements reminded Ong of China’s strict policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neighborhood committees, the lowest rung of government, set up fences and barriers in front of buildings to control entry and exit and broke into homes in extreme cases to disinfect the apartments of people who had caught the virus. Eventually, people protested en masse. “If we see non-sensible measures being introduced, you’ll be met by resistance and anger and grievances from the people, and it’s going to feed into this vicious cycle where more extreme measures are going to be brought,” she said.is jiliko legit 。

Last month, the film adaptation of the popular Broadway musical, “ Wicked ,” released in theaters, breaking box office records. A viral post online prompts people to share photos they took while watching the movie. “Show ur ‘wicked part 1’ photos,” the post says. Although many people are aware that video recording inside the theater is illegal, others replied to the post with photos they took in their local movie theater, sparking a discussion online about whether it’s legal to take those pictures. Movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse responded to the post calling for photos, writing “Or, don't do that.” Is it illegal to take pictures of movies at the theaters? Yes, it is illegal to take pictures of movies at the theaters. Taking photos of a movie in theaters is illegal under federal copyright laws. Movie theaters also ban the practice. United States Code 2319B states that “any person who, without the authorization of the copyright owner, knowingly uses or attempts to use an audiovisual recording device to transmit or make a copy of a motion picture or other audiovisual work protected under title 17, or any part thereof, from a performance of such work in a motion picture exhibition facility” could face up to three years in prison, fines, or both. If it's a subsequent offense, prison time can increase to up to six years. Audiovisual recording devices are defined under the law to be “a digital or analog photographic or video camera, or any other technology or device capable of enabling the recording or transmission of a copyrighted motion picture or other audiovisual work.” By that definition, cell phones or any still image camera would be included. In addition, the crime is not limited to distributing or sharing illegal work. The very act of taking the picture is in itself illegal. While the law “emerged in response to the growing threat of piracy in the digital age,” Eisner Gorin LLP says it “targets the act of recording itself, regardless of whether the recorded content is distributed or used for personal gain.” Federal law gives theater employees the authority to detain anyone suspected of violating the law. Many movie theaters have outlined in their rules that filming or taking photos during a movie is strictly prohibited. For example, Regal’s admittance policy says , “No recording devices (cameras, video recorders, sound recorders, etc.) are permitted to be used within any Regal Entertainment Group facility.” AMC Theaters has a similar policy, with its code of conduct stating , “In support of federal law, camera use is not permitted in our auditoriums”Country singer Caleb Kennedy, who competed in American Idol Season 19, has been sentenced to eight years in prison following his involvement in a 2022 car crash that killed a man in Pacolet, South Carolina. Kennedy pled guilty last week to the felony charge of driving under the influence resulting in death, according to the Greenville News . He was initially sentenced to 25 years in prison and a $25,100 fine, but he had that sentence and fine reduced to eight years and $15,100, with three of those years served in home detention. He also received credit for the nearly three years he has already served. Additionally, the singer will serve five years of probation, and he is required to attend mental health and substance abuse counseling. The legal update comes nearly three years after Kennedy, then 17, struck and killed 54-year-old Larry Duane Parris while driving his Ford F-150 on February 8, 2022. Warrants alleged that Kennedy was under the influence of marijuana at the time, and he was arrested on the DUI charge on the day of the crash. Ryan Beasley, Kennedy’s attorney, told the News that the sentencing was fair. “He’s got no record, and he was a minor when this happened,” Beasley said. “This wasn’t such an egregious act that you see most of the time, where people were drinking and driving then they hit somebody at night or going the wrong way down the road. This was a weird reaction from his prescription medicine and possibly THC.” Beasley also said that Kennedy is “very remorseful” and that the sentencing “starts the healing process for everybody involved in this situation.” (The News notes that Parris’ family wanted the maximum 25-year sentence.) Kennedy made it to the Top 7 of American Idol Season 19 but withdrew from the competition after a video of him standing next to a person wearing a Ku Klux Klan-style hood resurfaced. “I was younger and did not think about the actions, but that’s not an excuse,” Kennedy said, in part, on social media at the time. “I wanna say I’m sorry to all my fans and everyone who I have let down.” More Headlines:An Innovation Agenda for Addiction | IFP

Push to salvage climate talks after poor nations bristle at cashTrump pledges to bring back federal executions after Biden commutes death sentences for 37 inmatesTraditional Myanmar New Year Water Festival, known as the Thingyan Festival, was officially recognized as part of UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023. The proposal, submitted earlier, was approved during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage, held from 2 to 7 December in Asunción, Paraguay, with the announcement on 5 December. This recognition highlights the festival’s cultural significance and marks a proud milestone for Myanmar globally. Including the Traditional Myanmar Ata Thingyan Festival in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list would enhance global recognition of the festival while fostering the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage. It would inspire younger generations to value and carry forward these traditions, raise public awareness about safeguarding cultural practices, and spotlight unique customs like applying Thanaka. All citizens of Myanmar share the responsibility of preserving and promoting the country’s traditional cultural heritage in a modern and systematic way, ensuring its continuity for future generations. Thanks to the support of the current government, along with efforts from the Traditional Myanmar Culture Preservation Associations, ethnic literature and cultural organizations, civil society organizations, and the public, the traditional Thingyan New Year Festival has proudly gained recognition as a unique global cultural heritage. The Myanmar Thingyan Water Festival is more than a Lunar New Year celebration — it reflects deep ties to religious beliefs, cultural traditions, social customs, and environmental awareness. This meaningful event goes beyond festivities, embodying profound cultural significance. Of Myanmar’s twelve seasonal festivals, Thingyan is the most prominent and widely celebrated. People from all backgrounds, regardless of nationality or ethnicity, join the festivities with enthusiasm and unity. Recognized as a valuable intangible cultural heritage, this vibrant event showcases its universal appeal. Thingyan transcends Myanmar’s borders, symbolizing a shared respect for cultural diversity and tradition. A nation’s traditional culture is its essence, embodying the identity of its people. Ethnicity and culture are deeply connected, representing a shared heritage. To safeguard our cultural values and traditions, ensuring they remain vibrant and strong, every citizen needs to honour and protect them with patriotism. Whether at the regional, state or national level or not, it is vital to work together to elevate each unique cultural heritage to the global stage as an invaluable legacy. This is a heartfelt call to all.

Wall Street stocks were little changed on Thursday while Asian equities rose in thin Boxing Day trade, extending their "Santa Claus Rally" with several bourses still shut for the holiday. Japan's Nikkei index closed up 1.1 percent, boosted by comments from the Bank of Japan governor and share price gains for top-selling automaker Toyota. China's plans for massive bond issuances in 2025 also bolstered investor sentiment. "Even though many in the region are still shaking off a bit of a holiday hangover, with several markets closed for Boxing Day, Asian stocks opened higher, riding a favorable wave from China's financial bond juggernaut," said Stephen Innes from SPI Asset Management. In New York, major indices veered in and out of positive territory in a sleepy post-Christmas session. The broad-based S&P 500 finished down less than 0.1 percent. Large technology companies that have led the market in much of 2024 mostly took a breather. These included Netflix, Tesla and Amazon, all of which declined. "What's interesting today is that we're seeing small stocks bounce back a little bit," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers, noting that the Russell 2000 index put on 0.9 percent. Holiday consumer data showed a 3.8-percent increase in US retail spending from November 1 to December 24, according to a Mastercard SpendingPulse review of a key period for retailers. London Stockton, an analyst at Ned Davis Research, noted that the "Santa Claus rally could still be alive, with strong seasonality into the end of the year." Stock markets have traditionally fared well in the last five trading days of the year and the first two in the new year, a trend known as the "Santa Claus rally." Among a number of possible reasons advanced by experts include the festive holiday mood and purchasing ahead of the end of the tax year. Innes said remarks from Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda in which he refrained from signaling a potential interest rate hike next month also "influenced bullish regional sentiments." Japanese market heavyweight Toyota ended nearly six percent higher after reports in the Nikkei business daily said it aimed to double its return on equity -- a key measure of a company's financial performance. New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 43,325.80 (close) New York - S&P 500: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 6,037.59 (close) New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,020.36 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.1 percent at 39,568.06 points (close) Hang Seng: UP 1.1 percent at 20,098.29 points (Tuesday close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 3,398.08 points (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0424 from $1.0414 on Tuesday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2526 from $1.2538 Dollar/yen: UP at 158.00 yen from 157.06 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.19 pence from 83.05 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.7 percent at $69.62 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $73.26 per barrel bur-jmb/aha

BASE SHELF PROSPECTUS IS ACCESSIBLE, AND PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS, ON SEDAR+ AND ON EDGAR TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Profound Medical Corp. (TSX: PRN; NASDAQ: PROF) (“Profound” or the “Company”) today announced that it intends to offer and sell common shares (the “Common Shares”) in an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”). In addition, Profound expects to grant the underwriters of the Offering a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the Common Shares sold in the Offering. All of the securities in the Offering are being offered by Profound. The Offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the Offering. The net proceeds of the Offering are expected to be used: (i) to fund the continued commercialization of the TULSA-PRO® system in the United States, (ii) to fund the continued development and commercialization of the TULSA-PRO® system and the Sonalleve® system globally, and (iii) for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Offering is expected to be completed pursuant to an underwriting agreement to be entered into between the Company and Raymond James Ltd. and Lake Street Capital Markets as co-lead underwriters and joint bookrunners, and a third underwriter. The Offering is expected to take place in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, except the province of Québec, and in the United States. The Offering is expected to close on or about December 10, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. Profound will notify the Nasdaq Capital Market in accordance with the rules of that exchange. In connection with the Offering, the Company has filed a preliminary prospectus supplement (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”) and intends to file a subsequent prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) to its short form base shelf prospectus dated July 10, 2024 (the “Base Shelf Prospectus”) in each of the provinces and territories of Canada relating to the proposed Offering. The Prospectus Supplement will also be filed in the United States with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as part of the Company’s effective registration statement on Form F-10 (File no. 333-280236), as amended, previously filed under the multijurisdictional disclosure system adopted by the United States. Access to the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, and any amendments to the documents will be provided in accordance with securities legislation relating to procedures for providing access to a shelf prospectus supplement, a base shelf prospectus and any amendment. The Base Shelf Prospectus is, and the Prospectus Supplement will be (within two business days of the date hereof), accessible on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov . The Common Shares are offered under the Prospectus Supplement. An electronic or paper copy of the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement (when filed), and any amendment to the documents may be obtained without charge, from Raymond James Ltd., Scotia Plaza, 40 King St. W., 54th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5H 3Y2, Canada, or by telephone at 416-777-7000 or by email at ECM-Syndication@raymondjames.ca by providing the contact with an email address or address, as applicable. Copies of the Prospectus Supplement and the Base Shelf Prospectus will be available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov or may be obtained without charge from Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Attention: Equity Syndicate, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716, by telephone at (800) 248-8863, or by email at prospectus@raymondjames.com , and from Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC, 920 2nd Ave S - Ste 700, Minneapolis, MN 55402, prospectus@lakestreetcm.com , (612) 326-1305. The Base Shelf Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement contain important, detailed information about the Company and the proposed Offering. Prospective investors should read the Base Shelf Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement (when filed) before making an investment decision. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any province, territory, state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, territory, state or jurisdiction. About Profound Medical Corp. Profound is a commercial-stage medical device company that develops and markets customizable, incision-free therapies for the ablation of diseased tissue. Profound is commercializing TULSA-PRO®, a technology that combines real-time MRI, robotically-driven transurethral ultrasound and closed-loop temperature feedback control. Profound is also commercializing Sonalleve®, an innovative therapeutic platform that is CE marked for the treatment of uterine fibroids and palliative pain treatment of bone metastases. Forward-Looking Statements This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Profound and its business which may include, but is not limited to, the Offering, including the Offering’s timing, pricing, underwriters, size, terms, selling jurisdictions, closing, over-allotment option, and use of proceeds; the availability and timing of the final prospectus supplement; and, the expectations regarding the efficacy and commercialization of Profound’s technology. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "is expected", "expects", "scheduled", "intends", "contemplates", "anticipates", "believes", "proposes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Profound. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release, may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company, including risks regarding the medical device industry, regulatory approvals, reimbursement, economic factors, the equity markets generally and risks associated with growth and competition. Although Profound has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Additional information about the risks and uncertainties of forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based is contained in the Company’s filings with securities regulators, which are available electronically through SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov . Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Profound undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, other than as required by law. For further information, please contact: Stephen Kilmer Investor Relations skilmer@profoundmedical.com T: 647.872.4849BROOKLYN, N.Y. , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This New Year's Eve, elevate your celebrations with the world's most luxurious cookie cake: The Dank Decadence Cookie Cake , by Laced Bakes , the innovative infusion bakery redefining indulgence. Designed for the adventurous palate, this decadent treat pairs rich chocolate flavors with customizable terpenes, offering a curated experience to elevate your mood, focus, or relaxation. Available in 250mg ($145) , 500mg ($275) , and 1000mg ($550) doses, the Dank Decadence Cookie Cake is crafted for enthusiasts who demand both flavor and function. Unlike overpriced and underwhelming competitors, this cookie cake doesn't just sit pretty—it delivers tangible effects tailored to you. Customize Your Experience: Sativa (Limonene): Uplifting and energizing for creativity and focus. Hybrid (Pinene): Balanced clarity for smooth energy. Indica (Myrcene): Relaxing and stress-relieving. Hybrid (Beta-Caryophyllene): Eases discomfort while calming. Indica (Linalool): Soothing tranquility for unwinding. "Why settle for empty luxury when you can have indulgence that actually does something?" says Crystal Grant , founder of Laced Bakes. "We wanted to create a cookie that doesn't just taste amazing but elevates your entire experience—whether it's a party or a quiet night in." Pre-Order Now: Pick up your Dank Decadence Cookie Cake on December 30th and 31st to kickstart your New Year's celebration on the perfect high note. Quantities are limited—don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind treat. Coming Soon: Stay tuned for the grand opening of Laced Bakes' members-only lounge in Brooklyn , offering exclusive events, infused menu items, and a community space for food and cannabis enthusiasts alike. For more details, visit www.lacedbakes.com or follow us on social media: Instagram: @laced.bakes | TikTok: @lacedbakes | Facebook: Laced Bakes | X: @lacedbakes | Discord: @lacedbakes Elevate your indulgence with Laced Bakes. Contact: Crystal Grant , Founder of Laced Bakes, press@lacedbakes.com Location : 1096 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11221 Website : www.LacedBakes.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/laced-bakes-launches-the-dank-decadence-cookie-cake-the-ultimate-luxury-treat-that-delivers-302339021.html SOURCE Laced BakesWASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Secret Service said Thursday that the agency is “reorganizing and reimagining” its culture and how it operates following an assassination attempt against Donald Trump on the campaign trail. Members of a bipartisan House task force investigating the attempt on Trump's life pushed Ronald Rowe on how the agency’s staffers could have missed such blatant security vulnerabilities leading up to the July 13 shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. At one point, the hearing devolved into a shouting match between Rowe and a Republican congressman. Rowe promised accountability for what he called the agency’s “abject failure” to secure the rally in Butler, where a gunman opened fire from a nearby building. Trump was wounded in the ear, one rallygoer was killed and two others were wounded. Another assassination attempt two months later contributed to the agency’s troubles. That gunman waited for hours for Trump to appear at his golf course in Florida, but a Secret Service agent thwarted the attack by spotting the firearm poking through bushes. The task force has been investigating both attempts, but it was the July shooting that dominated Thursday’s hearing. Its inquiry is one of a series of investigations and reports that have faulted the agency for planning and communications failures. The agency’s previous director resigned, and the Secret Service increased protections for Trump before the Republican won the November election. Rowe was repeatedly asked by flabbergasted lawmakers how problems so obvious in hindsight were allowed to happen. Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat, said it was “just wild to me” that at a time of tech advances, the Secret Service was using text messages and emails to communicate in real time about threats. He also asked Rowe why so many things went wrong that day “yet nobody said anything.” Rowe said the agency used to have a culture where people felt comfortable speaking up. “I don’t know where we lost that,” he said. “We have to get back to that.” Rowe said the agency is putting a much stronger emphasis on training — something previous investigations found was lacking — and on doing more regular reviews of events to see what went right and where improvements can be made. “We are reorganizing and reimaging this organization," Rowe told lawmakers. He said the agency needs to identify possible leaders much earlier in their careers instead of just promoting people to command positions because they have been around a long time. The hearing was largely cordial, with members of Congress stressing the bipartisan nature of their work and praising Rowe for cooperating with their investigation even as they pushed him for explanations. But at one point, Rowe and Rep. Pat Fallon, a Texas Republican, faced off — shouting over each other as other members pleaded for order. Fallon pulled out a photo of President Joe Biden, Trump and others at this year's Sept. 11 ceremony in New York and asked Rowe why he was at the event, suggesting it was to burnish his prospects at getting the director job permanently. Trump has not yet named his pick to lead the agency. “I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11. Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe shouted. “You wanted to be visible because you were auditioning for this job that you’re not going to get!” Fallon later shot back. Rowe roared back: "You are out of line, Congressman. You are out of line!” “You're a bully,” Fallon said. This was the task force’s second public hearing and the first time that Rowe has addressed its members in public. The panel has until Dec. 13 to release its final report. Rep. Mark Green, a Tennessee Republican, said the agency’s conduct during the July shooting seemed almost “lackadaisical.” He said some of the issues that went wrong that day were ”really basic things.” “It speaks of an apathy or a complacency that is really unacceptable in an organization like the Secret Service,” Green said. The task force conducted 46 transcribed interviews, attended over a dozen briefings and reviewed over 20,000 documents. Members also visited the site of both assassination attempts and went to the FBI’s laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, to look at evidence. Rowe said Thursday that the agency's internal investigation , whose findings were released last month, identified failures by multiple employees. He noted that the quality of the advance work — the people who scope out event locations ahead of time — did not meet agency standards. He vowed accountability for those who fell down on the job. Many of the investigations have centered on why buildings near the rally with a clear line of sight to the stage where Trump was speaking were not secured in advance. The gunman, Thomas Crooks, climbed onto the roof of one of them and opened fire before being killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper. Rowe pointed to the failure to protect the building as the most glaring oversight that day. He also was asked about the morale of agents and new hires. Rowe said applications are actually up this year — the agency made a net gain of about 200 agents during the past fiscal year, meaning both new agents were hired and veteran agents retained.

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Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio delivers combative testimony in ex-cops defense

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With Donald Trump winning back the White House, his Big Lie that Jan. 6 was just an enthusiastic rally that got out of hand, rather than an insurrectionist mob he unleashed to disrupt the count of the 2020 electoral college, has new currency. A new congressional Republican report, spearheaded by MAGA lapdog Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) has recommended a criminal probe of former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) for co-chairing the House Jan. 6 investigation. Loudermilk’s report reached a through-the-looking-glass conclusion that Cheney & co. had promoted “a false, pre-determined narrative that President Trump was personally responsible for the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6 and should therefore be held accountable.” Trump is returning to the Oval Office with an explicit agenda to rewrite history — and upend convictions. He has vowed to issue “Day One” pardons to Jan. 6 criminals and defendants, whom he has called “great patriots,” “hostages,” and “warriors.” During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump referred to Jan. 6 itself as “a day of love.” And when he recently summoned tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg to Mar-a-Lago, Trump reportedly prompted his guests to rise and place their hands over their hearts, while listening to a rendition of the national anthem sung by jailed Jan. 6 defendants. It is not precisely clear whom Trump wants to pardon . But the list of Jan. 6 convicts includes many serving long sentences for serious felonies — ranging from injuring police officers to sedition. In mid-December, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., who has handled many Jan. 6 criminal cases, spoke out from the bench. District Court Judge Amit Mehta said the idea that Trump could pardon the former head of the Oath Keepers militia haunts him: “The notion that Stewart Rhodes could be absolved is frightening — and ought to be frightening to anyone who cares about democracy,” Mehta said , per a courtroom report in Politico . In 2023, Mehta handed down an 18-year sentence to Rhodes for “seditious conspiracy.” (The prison term included a terrorism enhancement.) Editor’s picks The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Asked by Rolling Stone if Trump planned to pardon Rhodes — or others imprisoned on seditious conspiracy charges, like Enrique Tarrio, the ex-honcho of the Proud Boys — the presidential transition team didn’t rule it out. “President Trump will make pardon decisions on a case-by-case basis for those who were denied due process and unfairly targeted by the justice system,” says Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. In the buildup to Jan. 6 and in its aftermath, Rhodes spearheaded militia activity that that saw Oath Keepers lieutenants stockpile weapons across the border in Virginia, creating “Quick Reaction Forces” or QFCs, that could be activated in the hoped-for scenario that Trump would invoke the Insurrection Act and summon militia groups to battle his enemies to help him cling to power. Rhodes was outside the Capitol during the rioting, but communicated with members in the building. When Rhodes received a report that members of Congress were in danger and looking to flee, he replied, per court documents, “ Fuck ‘em. ” At sentencing, Rhodes compared himself to the Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Mehta told Rhodes to his face that he was no “political prisoner” — but rather an “ongoing threat and peril to this country.” Rhodes and the Oath Keepers were tangentially linked to MAGA world — with Oath Keepers providing security for VIPs at “Stop the Steal” rallies. (The licit reason for militia members being on the ground on Jan. 6 was to beef up security at the Trump rally at the Ellipse.) Trumpworld had a tighter relationship with the Proud Boys. The fighting club’s honcho Enrique Tarrio had been the Florida director for the grassroots group, Latinos for Trump. He was also an associate of Trump ally Roger Stone — and got his picture taken with MAGA luminaries including Donald Trump Jr., Sens. Ted Cruz and Rick Scott, and former Trump aide Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who’s now the governor of Arkansas. Trump infamously called on the fight club to “Stand back and stand by” during a September 2020 debate with Joe Biden, rather than denounce them. Related Content Trump Ally Laura Loomer Says Elon Musk Is ‘Silencing’ Her Amid Immigration Spat Supreme Court Poised to Gut Bedrock Environmental Law in Oil-Train Case Musk, Ramaswamy Face MAGA Uproar After Saying Tech Firms Need Foreign Workers Trump ‘Border Czar’ Plans to Separate Families or Let Them Leave Together Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison in September 2023 — like Rhodes, on seditious conspiracy charges. Tarrio was not in Washington, D.C., for the violence of Jan. 6; he had a court order to stay out of town stemming from a previous arrest in the district. But Tarrio directed an elite Proud Boys faction called the “Ministry of Self Defense,” which “participated in every consequential breach” on Jan. 6, per court documents, including a Proud Boy deputy who smashed out the first window at the Capitol, providing a point of entry for rioters. During the violence, Tarrio posted on social media, “Don’t fucking leave.” After the violence died down, he crowed: “Make no mistake... we did this.” Trump’s first pick for attorney general, the disgraced ex-congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), had called Tarrio’s sentence “ Orwellian .” Trump’s current choice, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, is more of a cipher on Jan. 6 sentences. However, Trump’s FBI director nominee Kash Patel has written that the notion that that Jan. 6 was an insurrection is “gaslighting at its finest” — insisting: “It was NOT a coup. It was NOT an assault by domestic terrorists on our democracy.” Rhodes and Tarrio are not alone in being convicted for seditious conspiracy over Jan. 6. Their co-conspirators include many other Proud Boys and Oath Keepers deputies. Trump’s own messaging on who in the Jan. 6 crowd merits his compassion has — in typical form — been all over the place. “If somebody was evil and bad, I would look at that differently,” he said in an April Time interview. But in comments at a 2023 CNN town hall, Trump said he would “look at” the sedition convictions for Proud Boys, in particular, signaling he was open to the idea they deserved clemency: “I will say in Washington, D.C., you cannot get a fair trial. You cannot.” At a recent press conference, Trump was, once again, non-committal on the scope of his Jan. 6 pardons, but vowed that he’d move quickly once in office. He told reporters, simply, “ You’ll find out .”

Google has unveiled its new quantum computing chip, "Willow," which it claims can solve a problem in five minutes that would take the world's fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years, Reuters reported. This breakthrough, a major step forward in quantum computing, marks a new chapter in the effort to harness quantum mechanics for powerful computing. Quantum computers use the peculiar behaviours of particles to solve problems at speeds far beyond traditional machines. Google describes Willow as a key "breakthrough" that "paves the way to a useful, large-scale quantum computer." However, experts caution that Willow is still largely experimental, and a fully practical quantum computer capable of solving real-world issues is likely years — and billions of dollars — away. Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionise industries by speeding up complex processes like drug discovery, nuclear fusion design, and even improving car batteries. But its applications also raise concerns, such as its potential to break current encryption methods. Hartmut Neven, head of Google’s Quantum AI lab, referred to Willow as the "best quantum processor built to date." While he sees it as a step towards commercial applications, he emphasized that a usable quantum computer wouldn't be available before the end of the decade. Initially, the technology will be applied to problems where quantum effects are significant, such as in pharmaceuticals and energy storage. Despite its promise, quantum computing is still a work in progress. Errors in quantum chips, which increase as more qubits are added, remain a challenge. Google has made significant strides by improving error correction, a key hurdle in making quantum computers viable. Professor Alan Woodward from Surrey University warned that Willow's performance should not be overstated, noting that it was tailored to a specific task and does not represent a universal breakthrough. While Willow may not be a commercial product yet, it marks an important milestone in the development of practical quantum computing.AP News Summary at 4:21 p.m. EST

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Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Former deputy prime minister and East Hull MP John Prescott has died at the age of 86. The long-serving MP served Hull for four decades, with generations growing up in the city seeing him as their representative. In a statement, Lord Prescott's wife Pauline and sons Johnathan and David said that representing the city had been "his greatest honour". "We are deeply saddened to inform you that our beloved husband, father and grandfather, John Prescott, passed away peacefully yesterday at the age of 86," they said. "He did so surrounded by the love of his family and the jazz music of Marian Montgomery. John spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment, doing so...EDITOR'S NOTE: On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. No one wants to see any player take a vicious hit like the one that knocked Trevor Lawrence out of the game. It’s easy to agree on that point. Eliminating violent shots is the hard part. The NFL has instituted several rules to protect quarterbacks but football is a physical sport and players have to react instantly and make split-second decisions going at high speeds so injuries keep occurring. Lawrence was carted off the field in the first half of Jacksonville’s 23-20 loss to Houston on Sunday after Azeez Al-Shaair leveled the defenseless quarterback with a forearm to the facemask. The late hit put Lawrence in the fencing position — both fists clenched — and he stayed on the ground for several minutes, while a brawl ensued. Lawrence didn’t require hospitalization for his concussion but it’s unknown when he’ll return. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out/been praying for me,” Lawrence wrote on X. “I’m home and feeling better. Means a lot, thank you all.” Al-Shaair was ejected from the game and faces a fine and potential suspension after his latest unsportsmanlike penalty. The Texans' linebacker was flagged and later fined $11,255 for a late hit out of bounds on Titans running back Tony Pollard last week. He was fined earlier this year after he punched Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline in Week 2. That occurred during a scuffle that started after his hard shot on quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline that wasn’t flagged. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence slides in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair during the first half of a game on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. Lawrence was injured on the play. Al-Shaair once got away with grabbing Tom Brady by the throat on a pass rush in a game between the 49ers and Buccaneers. Outraged Jaguars players called Al-Shaair’s hit “dirty” and Texans coach DeMeco Ryans made it known he didn’t condone it. “It’s not what we’re coaching,” Ryans said. “Want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team, get a penalty there. Have to be smarter when the quarterback is going down. Unfortunate play. Not representative of who Azeez is. He’s a smart player, really great leader for us. We felt his presence not being there. His loss really affected us on the defensive side. Just not what we’re coaching. Didn’t want to see the melee and all the aftermath. That’s not what we’re about. Not representative of us. I’ll talk to Azeez, address him personally, and we’ll move forward from it.” Fox Sports color analyst Daryl Johnston, a former fullback for the Dallas Cowboys, didn’t hold back his criticism, calling it a “cheap shot.” “It’s everything you’re not supposed to do,” Johnston said. “Everything. You’ll see this in slow motion and Azeez Al-Shaair does everything you’re trying to prevent in this situation. It’s reckless. It’s disrespectful. There’s an honor that you give to your opponent on the football field and you respect him. And there’s opportunities to be physical and give big hits and play this game in that manner. And there’s other times when there’s a respect that you grant to your opponent.” Some former NFL quarterbacks blasted Al-Shaair on social media. “There is no place in the game of football for dirty hits like this one,” Robert Griffin III wrote on X. Chase Daniel called it “one of the dirtiest hits” he’s ever seen on a quarterback. Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram, right, jumps on Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after his late hit on quarterback Trevor Lawrence, bottom, during the first half of a game on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. Even defensive players struggled to defend Al-Shaair. “That was uncalled for,” Hall of Fame defensive lineman Michael Strahan said on Fox’s studio show while fellow Hall of Famer Howie Long agreed. But the play also sparked debate about the quarterback slide. Lawrence slid feet first, which signals that he’s giving himself up on the play. The NFL rulebook states: “A defender must pull up when a runner begins a feet-first slide.” But defensive players aren’t automatically penalized if they make contact with a sliding quarterback if they already committed and the contact is unavoidable. The rules state it’s a foul when “the defender makes forcible contact into the head or neck area of the runner with the helmet, shoulder, or forearm, or commits some other act that is unnecessary roughness.” Al-Shaair did that so he was penalized and will face other repercussions. Still, given the hard-hitting nature of the sport, it won’t be the last time this happens. When Caleb Williams took the field for the Chicago Bears' first regular season game against the Tennessee Titans, the anticipation for the rookie's debut game—possibly the most ever—was on full display. Despite a tough debut for the quarterback, the Bears secured a 24-17 win, a notable feat for the rookie. The victory made Williams the first #1 overall pick with a Week 1 win in over 20 years. Going forward this season, Williams is expected to eclipse C.J. Stroud's record-breaking 2023 rookie campaign with the Houston Texans. However, Stroud's success is an anomaly. Drafting a successful quarterback, especially one who is effective right away, is difficult. When teams have a high first-round draft pick, and they're coming off an unsuccessful few seasons, it's assumed that they will use their first pick on a quarterback . That player will assume the title of "the face of the franchise" and will get the central attention, win or lose. To see which quarterbacks have faced that challenge and triumphed, ATS.io compiled a ranking of the 10 best rookie quarterbacks since 1960 using data from StatHead . Rookies were defined as players who are in their first season of professional football and have not been on the roster of another professional team. Quarterbacks were ranked according to adjusted net yards per pass attempt, which quantifies efficient passing skill. Ties were broken using passer rating. Only rookie quarterbacks with at least 10 games played and 200 total passing attempts were considered. Since 1967, 130 quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round. Of those drafted, only 61 have won a playoff game as a starter, according to The Athletic, which used data from NFL Research . The biggest reason this success rate is not guaranteed is because there are differences between college and pro offensive systems. In the collegiate game, the ball is snapped at different points on the field, passing windows are wider, and defenders and linemen are not as quick, making the adjustment to the pro level more difficult. NFL scouts and general managers are gambling on what skills can be transferable and how long those adjustments might take, which is why some teams prefer redshirt quarterbacks to ease the transition. However, just because a team may not want to use their first-round pick on a quarterback, doesn't mean they can't find a diamond in the rough later in the draft. Think about Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and Dak Prescott, all of which were not first-round picks, but have gone on to make a name for themselves in the NFL. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.44 - Passer rating: 91.2 - Season stats: 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, 6 interceptions Coming out of college, Gardner Minshew was not a highly sought-after quarterback for NFL teams. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 draft—a draft that was headlined by Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, and Daniel Jones. Nonetheless, Minshew's rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars was filled with many accomplishments. He won Rookie of the Week seven times despite not winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Minshew also had the highest passer rating of any rookie quarterback that started in 2019. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.77 - Passer rating: 93.7 - Season stats: 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns, 14 interceptions Pressure was high for Baker Mayfield as the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. When he joined the Cleveland Browns, there was an expectation that once the team figured out the quarterback position, it could be playoff-ready. After trading for Jarvis Landry, a young wide receiver from the Miami Dolphins, in the offseason, the Browns were on their way. Mayfield's rookie season was filled with many firsts, and the Landry-Mayfield connection filled the stat sheet. Mayfield set the record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in 2019 with 27 surpassing prior marks from Payton Manning and Russell Wilson. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.84 - Passer rating: 98.3 - Season stats: 4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns, 10 interceptions Justin Herbert was the third quarterback selected in the 2020 NFL draft behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. As the No. 6 overall pick, expectations were high, but there was also an assumption that it would be a few years before Herbert's development would take shape. Then, Chargers starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor was accidentally punctured in the lung by a team doctor administering a painkiller before the second game of the season, and it wasn't clear what Taylor's status would be moving forward. When Herbert was given the nod to start minutes before the game, fans didn't know what to expect. Herbert shocked viewers when he threw for over 300 yards and only one interception in that game. He continued his strong rookie showing throughout the season and went on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.93 - Passer rating: 98.1 - Season stats: 2,621 yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions Ben Roethlisberger was the third quarterback selected in his draft class behind the likes of Eli Manning and Philip Rivers—though fans wouldn't have been able to tell. From the moment Roethlisberger was called up by the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in his first game—Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens—it was clear he had a special arm, gaining the nickname "Golden Arm." While the next several games were bumpy for Steelers fans, it was clear that Roethlisberger was the future of the franchise. The Steelers had a solid running game and its receiving core, led by Hines Ward, was one of the best in the league . Once Roethlisberger gained his footing a few games in, he was unstoppable. He led Pittsburgh to its best record ever: 15-1. He also started the season on an eight-game winning streak, becoming the first rookie to do so. Additionally, Roethlisberger became the first quarterback to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.01 - Passer rating: 87.7 - Season stats: 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, there were high expectations on Matt Ryan's shoulders heading to the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons were coming off back-to-back losing seasons and off-the-field legal troubles with its starting quarterback Michael Vick overshadowing the team's play. Ryan was expected to pick up the pieces. He did that immediately, leading the Falcons to an 11-5 record in his rookie season and becoming the clear favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year halfway through the season, which he went on to win. The tag team of Ryan and running back Michael Turner was one of the best offensive forces in the sport that season. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.01 - Passer rating: 100 - Season stats: 3,118 yards, 26 touchdowns, 10 interceptions Russell Wilson was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Considering Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck headlined the NFL Draft that year, it was not believed that Wilson would be a starter come Week 1, but that quickly changed. Going into the 2012 NFL Draft, Tarvaris Jackson was the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback, and the team signed NFL veteran quarterback Matt Flynn as an insurance policy on the injury-prone Jackson . It was assumed in the short term that either Jackson or Flynn would lead the franchise. Once training camp arrived, however, the Seahawks' quarterback position was uncertain. Jackson was traded to the Buffalo Bills, and Flynn was underwhelming at camp, forcing Head Coach Pete Carroll to take a gamble on his rookie quarterback, Wilson, in Week 1. Carroll, nor Wilson, ever looked back. Wilson was one of the best passing quarterbacks that season. He led the Seahawks to an 11-5 record and went on to win NFL Rookie of the Year. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.39 - Passer rating: 96 - Season stats: 2,210 yards, 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions When Dan Marino was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1983, the NFL looked very different. Running the ball was the name of the game. The quarterback would either run the football himself at the line of scrimmage or hand it off to the running back, and the offensive linemen would claw and push the pile forward as the runner powered his legs. It was not a pretty sight. However, Marino took a different approach, throwing the ball with a unique quick release for that era. He led the Dolphins to a 9-1 record after replacing David Woodley midway through his rookie season, ending with a 12-4 record. He went on to win Rookie of the Year and was the first rookie to start a Pro Bowl. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.47 - Passer rating: 100.8 - Season stats: 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, 5 interceptions When C.J. Stroud was drafted No. 2 by the Houston Texans last year, there were a lot of questions, not about his ability, but about the organization that he would be playing for. The Texans were coming off of a 3-13-1 season in 2022, finishing with the worst record in the league, and a lot of volatility in its front office. The team fired its head coach and a top executive before the draft. Weeks later, the team hired former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans as its next head coach. While Ryans is a defensive-minded coach, Stroud was seen as a key ingredient to the team's success since Ryans hired his coaching staff around the quarterback. Stroud led the NFL in yards and TD-to-interception ratio during his rookie season, which is an efficiency statistic considering he didn't get his first interception until his sixth regular-season game against the New Orleans Saints. While Stroud was a part of the league MVP conversation for most of the season, he didn't ultimately win the title. However, he was named 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and his rookie season is seen as one of the best in NFL history. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.47 - Passer rating: 102.4 - Season stats: 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns, 5 interceptions Leading into the 2012 draft, it wasn't a matter of whether Washington would pick a quarterback, it was a matter of who. After several seasons of mediocre quarterback play and losing seasons from the likes of Jason Campbell, Donovan McNabb, and Rex Grossman, it was time for a new face to lead the offense. At No. 2, Washington selected Robert Griffin III making him the second quarterback selected in the 2012 NFL draft behind Andrew Luck. Griffin started his rookie year campaign with one of the best performances football fans have ever seen. He completed 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 320 yards and 2 touchdowns, beating the New Orleans Saints. That game earned him the highest passer rating by a rookie ever, 158.3. He now shares that record with Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota. Griffin III went on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.86 - Passer rating: 104.9 - Season stats: 3,667 yards, 23 touchdowns, 4 interceptions Dak Prescott is statistically the best rookie quarterback ever, racking up the best passer rating as a rookie. After losing his first game, he led the Cowboys on an 11-game winning streak. That season, he led the team to its fourth-best season ever with a 13-3 record. Prescott was the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and became the first NFL quarterback to be drafted in the fourth round or later to start all 16 regular season games. Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Shanna Kelly. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on ATS.io and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Ali Abdou Dibba had 19 points in Southern Illinois’ 73-70 win over Southern Indiana on Saturday. Dibba added three steals for the Salukis (4-6, 0-1 Missouri Valley Conference). Jarrett Hensley added 16 points while shooting 4 for 10 (1 for 4 from 3-point range) and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line while he also had 11 rebounds. Kennard Davis finished 5 of 10 from the field to finish with 11 points. Stephen Olowoniyi finished with 24 points for the Screaming Eagles (4-5). Jayland Randall added 22 points and two steals for Southern Indiana. Jack Mielke finished with six points and six rebounds. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .A North Vancouver man has been charged on multiple counts after a bizarre stabbing incident in California. Devin Wolfgang Vandorhoef, 25, is in police custody after he was arrested by detectives with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 25. At around 10 p.m. that evening, police received multiple 911 calls that a person had been stabbed in a residential neighbourhood of Salinas, a small city about a 30-minute drive from Monterey, Calif. Upon arriving at the scene, police said they found three people with stabbing injuries. All were sent to hospital with minor to critical injuries and are expected to survive. Monterey County Sheriff Detectives said they learned that Vandorhoef and a female victim had previously met and gotten to know each other via a gaming platform. “Vandorhoef developed a year’s long obsession with the victim which led to him flying to California from Canada where he resides,” reads a statement from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. Police added that Vandorhoef was accompanied by Darius Avery Whyte, 25, who is also Canadian. Whyte has also been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. “On the date of the stabbing, Vandorhoef arrived at a residence on Bollenbacher Drive and knocked on the door while holding a package. He identified himself as a delivery driver,” police said. “Our victim’s boyfriend opened the door and Vandorhoef forced his way in and began stabbing the boyfriend with a knife resulting in multiple critical injuries. “The female grabbed a sharp metal object and began defending her boyfriend. While fighting back, the female victim was strangled and stabbed by our suspect sustaining moderate injuries. During the struggle, the suspect sustained multiple critical stab wounds,” police said. Detectives said they discovered that the package Vandorhoef was carrying when he arrived contained handcuffs, duct tape and knives. “It is unknown how these items were intended on being used,” the sheriff’s office said. According to the Monterey County in-custody log, Vandorhoef has been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit attempted murder, mayhem, stalking and burglary. His bail is set at US$2.3 million (C$3.2 million). Local broadcaster KBSW Action News 8 reported that Vandorhoef and Whyte pleaded not guilty in court on Monday. The co-accused are due to appear in court again Dec. 10.Big 12 football power rankings: After starting at the bottom, ASU finishes on top

Celebrate the Holiday Season with UBON’s PB X-116 Fast Power bank and CL-120 Earphones – The Perfect Gifts for Tech EnthusiastsHensley 4-14 5-6 15, Massey 2-4 0-0 4, Davis 5-13 4-6 16, Dibba 4-11 4-4 12, Mayo 1-7 0-0 2, Sharp 3-6 1-1 7, Aligbe 4-5 1-2 9, Sykes 3-6 0-3 7, Steffe 2-5 1-2 7. Totals 28-71 16-24 79. Batcho 4-12 8-10 16, Abram 8-13 2-2 18, Cooper 6-14 4-5 18, Newman 3-9 5-6 11, Ree 1-2 0-0 3, Green 5-12 7-7 19, Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Bates 0-0 0-0 0, Crawford 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-62 26-30 85. Halftime_S. Illinois 31-27. 3-Point Goals_S. Illinois 7-24 (Steffe 2-5, Hensley 2-6, Davis 2-7, Sykes 1-1, Mayo 0-2, Dibba 0-3), Louisiana Tech 5-20 (Cooper 2-5, Green 2-6, Ree 1-2, Abram 0-2, Newman 0-5). Fouled Out_Mayo. Rebounds_S. Illinois 43 (Davis 10), Louisiana Tech 36 (Cooper 12). Assists_S. Illinois 18 (Mayo, Sharp 4), Louisiana Tech 11 (Newman 5). Total Fouls_S. Illinois 22, Louisiana Tech 16. A_542 (7,186).Google: 2024 capital investment in NE is $930M, for a five-year tally of $4.4B

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --WuKong Education, a leading online K-12 education provider, has been named to the highly-anticipated 2025 edition of the GSV 150 : GSV's annual list of the top 150 private companies transforming digital learning and workforce skills. This recognition underscores WuKong Education's transformative role in the EdTech industry and its commitment to empowering students worldwide through AI-powered personalized learning. Out of more than 2,500 global VC- and PE-backed companies, WuKong Education was selected for the 2025 GSV 150 based on a proprietary evaluation framework, including revenue scale, growth, user reach, geographic diversification, and margin profile. The 2025 cohort of the GSV 150 collectively reaches 3B learners and generates over $25B in annual revenue. "The rapid rise of generative AI is fueling knowledge and creating opportunities we had not imagined before," says Luben Pampoulov, Partner at GSV Ventures. "Multi-modality is making education more engaging, AI tools are driving personalization and productivity, and learning is happening at the speed of light. Effectively everyone across the 2025 GSV 150 has generative AI deeply embedded in their offering." WuKong Education is revolutionizing online education for students aged 3-18 worldwide, offering courses in Chinese, Mathematics, and English Language Arts. By leveraging cutting-edge AI technology, WuKong Education empowers students from 118 countries with a unique learning journey that ignites curiosity, nurtures creativity, and sharpens critical thinking skills. Powered by AI, WuKong Education adapts to each student's unique needs, ensuring that every learner receives a personalized educational journey: This AI-driven teaching model has not only significantly improved student academic performance but also fostered the holistic development of students, earning widespread praise from students and parents around the world. "We are honored to be named to the 2025 GSV 150," said Vicky Wang , founder and CEO of WuKong Education. "This recognition affirms our ongoing commitment to revolutionizing education. By combining the expertise of our teaching and research teams with the possibilities of AI, we are setting a new benchmark for digital education to empower students globally." Earlier this year, WuKong Education was named a 2024 Cognia® School of Distinction for excellence in education by Cognia®, a globally recognized education quality certification organization, and was also listed in the AU&NZ EdTech Top 50 by HolonIQ, a global leader in impact intelligence, for the third consecutive year. These recognitions underscore WuKong Education's continued leadership in the global EdTech industry and its ongoing dedication to delivering exceptional education to learners around the world. About WuKong Education Based in Silicon Valley, WuKong Education is shaping the future of online learning for students aged 3 to 18. WuKong Education's three core programs—WuKong Chinese, WuKong Math, and WuKong English (ELA)—combine AI-driven technology, expert educators, and personalized services to deliver engaging, dynamic learning experiences. With over 400,000 families served globally, WuKong Education is empowering students to succeed and become lifelong learners in an ever-changing world. Learn more at: wukongsch.com . About GSV Founded in 2011, GSV is a global platform that drives education and workforce skills innovation. We believe that ALL people have equal access to the future, and that scaled innovations in "PreK to Gray" learning and skills are crucial to achieving this goal. The GSV platform includes the ASU+GSV Summit , hosted annually in San Diego with 7,000+ attendees; the India -based ASU+GSV & Emeritus Summit , now entering its third year; and The AI Show @ ASU+GSV , an immersive exploration of the AI Revolution in education, which welcomed 10,000+ attendees this year. GSV Ventures , GSV's investment arm founded in 2015, is a multi-stage venture fund investing in the most transformational companies across the global "PreK to Gray" landscape. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wukong-education-named-to-the-2025-gsv-150-for-leading-the-way-in-education-technology-302338883.html SOURCE WuKong EducationFormer Boise State coach Chris Petersen still gets asked about the Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma on the first day of 2007. That game had everything. Recommended Videos Underdog Boise State took a 28-10 lead over one of college football's blue bloods that was followed by a 25-point Sooners run capped by what could have been a back-breaking interception return for a touchdown with 1:02 left. Then the Broncos used three trick plays that remain sensations to not only force overtime but win 43-42. And then there was the marriage proposal by Boise State running back Ian Johnson — shortly after scoring the winning two-point play — to cheerleader Chrissy Popadics that was accepted on national TV. That game put Broncos football on the national map for most fans, but looking back 18 years later, Petersen sees it differently. “Everybody wants to talk about that Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl game, which is great how it all worked out and all those things,” Petersen said. “But we go back to play TCU (three years later) again on the big stage. It's not as flashy a game, but to me, that was an even better win.” Going back to the Fiesta Bowl and winning, Petersen reasoned, showed the Broncos weren't a splash soon to fade away, that there was something longer lasting and more substantive happening on the famed blue turf. The winning has continued with few interruptions. No. 8 and third-seeded Boise State is preparing for another trip to the Fiesta Bowl, this time in a playoff quarterfinal against No. 5 and sixth-seeded Penn State on New Year's Eve. That success has continued through a series of coaches, though with a lot more of a common thread than readily apparent. Dirk Koetter was hired from Oregon, where Petersen was the wide receivers coach. Not only did Koetter bring Petersen with him to Oregon, Petersen introduced him to Dan Hawkins, who also was hired for the staff. So the transition from Koetter to Hawkins to Petersen ensured at least some level of consistency. Koetter and Hawkins engineered double-digit victory seasons five times over a six-year span that led to power-conference jobs. Koetter went to Arizona State after three seasons and Hawkins to Colorado after five. Then when Petersen became the coach after the 2005 season, he led Boise State to double-digit wins his first seven seasons and made bowls all eight years. He resisted the temptation to leave for a power-conference program until Washington lured him away toward the end of the 2013 season. Then former Boise State quarterback and offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin took over and posted five double-digit victory seasons over his first six years. After going 5-2 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he left for Auburn. “They just needed consistency of leadership,” said Koetter, who is back as Boise State's offensive coordinator. “This program had always won at the junior-college level, the Division II level, the I-AA (now FCS) level.” But Koetter referred to “an unfortunate chain of events” that made Boise State a reclamation project when he took over in 1998. Coach Pokey Allen led Boise State to the Division I-AA national championship game in 1994, but was diagnosed with cancer two days later. He died on Dec. 30, 1996, at 53. Allen coached the final two games that season, Boise State's first in Division I-A (now FBS). Houston Nutt became the coach in 1997, went 4-7 and headed to Arkansas. Then Koetter took over. “One coach dies and the other wasn't the right fit for this program,” Koetter said. “Was a really good coach, did a lot of good things, but just wasn't a good fit for here.” But because of Boise State's success at the lower levels, Koetter said the program was set up for success. “As Boise State has risen up the conference food chain, they’ve pretty much always been at the top from a player talent standpoint,” Koetter said. “So it was fairly clear if we got things headed in the right direction and did a good job recruiting, we would be able to win within our conference for sure.” Success didn't take long. He went 6-5 in 1998 and then won 10 games each of the following two seasons. Hawkins built on that winning and Petersen took it to another level. But there is one season, really one game, no really one half that still bugs Petersen. He thought his best team was in 2010, one that entered that late-November game at Nevada ranked No. 3 and had a legitimate chance to play for the national championship. The Colin Kaepernick-led Wolf Pack won 34-31. “I think the best team that I might've been a part of as the head coach was the team that lost one game to Nevada,” Petersen said. "That team, to me, played one poor half of football on offense the entire season. We were winning by a bunch at half (24-7) and we came out and did nothing on offense in the second half and still had a chance to win. “That team would've done some damage.” There aren't any what-ifs with this season's Boise State team. The Broncos are in the field of the first 12-team playoff, representing the Group of Five as its highest-ranked conference champion. That got Boise State a bye into the quarterfinals. Spencer Danielson has restored the championship-level play after taking over as the interim coach late last season during a rare downturn that led to Andy Avalos' dismissal . Danielson received the job full time after leading Boise State to the Mountain West championship . Now the Broncos are 12-1 with their only defeat to top-ranked and No. 1 seed Oregon on a last-second field goal . Running back Ashton Jeanty also was the runner-up to the Heisman Trophy . “Boise State has been built on the backs of years and years of success way before I got here,” Danielson said. "So even this season is not because of me. It’s because the group of young men wanted to leave a legacy, be different. We haven’t been to the Fiesta Bowl in a decade. They said in January, ‘We’re going to get that done.’ They went to work.” As was the case with Danielson, Petersen and Koetter said attracting top talent is the primary reason Boise State has succeeded all these years. Winning, obviously, is the driving force, and with more entry points to the playoffs, the Broncos could make opportunities to keep returning to the postseason a selling point. But there's also something about the blue carpet. Petersen said he didn't get what it was about when he arrived as an assistant coach, and there was some talk about replacing it with more conventional green grass. A poll in the Idaho Statesman was completely against that idea, and Petersen has come to appreciate what that field means to the program. “It's a cumulative period of time where young kids see big-time games when they're in seventh and eighth and ninth and 10th grade and go, ‘Oh, I know that blue turf. I want to go there,’” Petersen said. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Insurgents reach gates of Syria’s capital, threatening to upend decades of Assad ruleBritain's leader Keir Starmer makes his first trip to the Gulf as prime minister from Sunday, seeking to attract investment from the region's oil-rich states, Downing Street announced. Starmer will first visit the United Arab Emirates and then travel to Saudi Arabia, before stopping off in Cyprus on his way back to London on Tuesday in a bid "to build closer ties and drive long term UK growth". The trip to Abu Dhabi and Riyadh comes as his Labour government pursues a free-trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council's six nations: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. "There is huge untapped potential in this region, which is why, while here, I will be making the case to accelerate progress on the Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement," Starmer said in a statement released Saturday. The meetings will also aim to "deepen our research and development collaboration" and partner on projects in areas including defence and artificial intelligence, Starmer added. The British leader will land in the UAE on Sunday evening, ahead of Monday morning talks with its president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Later Monday, Starmer will fly to Saudi Arabia to meet Riyadh's de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who last week hosted French President Emmanuel Macron. A Downing Street press release called the UAE and Saudi "some of the UK's most vital modern-day partners". The regional tour will end on Tuesday with Starmer meeting President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia, the first bilateral talks between the leaders of Britain and Cyprus in over five decades. Starmer is also due to address British troops stationed in Cyprus. Labour has staked its credibility on a promise to get Britain's sluggish economy firing again. It says a GCC agreement could boost bilateral trade, currently accounting for £55 billion ($70 bn) of UK trade, by 16 percent, "potentially adding an extra £8.6 billion a year in the long run". It hopes a deal would see Gulf sovereign wealth funds invest in a range of sectors, including energy and infrastructure, while also opening up lucrative markets to British firms. Starmer's trip comes after Britain last week rolled out the diplomatic red carpet for Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani who enjoyed a state visit to the UK. Starmer discussed trade with the royal during talks in Downing Street that coincided with Qatar announcing it will invest £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in British climate technologies. Discussing regional conflicts is expected to be "high up the agenda", including the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and renewed unrest in Syria. Starmer will also be looking to repair relations between the UK and UAE that soured under the previous Conservative government after an Abu Dhabi-backed bid to buy the Telegraph newspaper failed. The Gulf visit will be Starmer's 15th international trip since he entered Number 10 on July 5. Opponents have criticised the amount of time he has spent out of the country but allies insist the trips have been vital to get to know other world leaders. Starmer, 61, has been insisting in capitals that "Britain is back on the world stage" following rancour over its departure from the European Union. pdh/aks/jjPARIS (AP) — France’s president and prime minister managed to form a new government just in time for the holidays. Now comes the hard part. Crushing debt , intensifying pressure from the nationalist far right, wars in Europe and the Mideast: Challenges abound for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after an already tumultuous 2024. The most urgent order of business is passing a 2025 budget. Financial markets, ratings agencies and the European Commission are pushing France to bring down its deficit, to comply with EU rules limiting debt and keep France’s borrowing costs from spiraling. That would threaten the stability and prosperity of all countries that share the euro currency. France’s debt is currently estimated at a staggering 112% of gross domestic product. It grew further after the government gave aid payments to businesses and workers during COVID-19 lockdowns even as the pandemic depressed growth, and capped household energy prices after Russia invaded Ukraine. The bill is now coming due. But France’s previous government collapsed this month because Marine Le Pen’s far-right party and left-wing lawmakers opposed 60 billion euros in spending cuts and tax hikes in the original 2025 budget plan. Bayrou and new Finance Minister Eric Lombard are expected to scale back some of those promises, but the calculations are tough. “The political situation is difficult. The international situation is dangerous, and the economic context is fragile,” Lombard, a low-profile banker who advised a Socialist government in the 1990s, said upon taking office. “The environmental emergency, the social emergency, developing our businesses — these innumerable challenges require us to treat our endemic illness: the deficit,” he said. “The more we are indebted, the more the debt costs, and the more it suffocates the country.” This is France’s fourth government in the past year. No party has a parliamentary majority and the new Cabinet can only survive with the support of lawmakers on the center-right and center-left. Le Pen — Macron’s fiercest rival — was instrumental in ousting the previous government by joining left-wing forces in a no-confidence vote. Bayrou consulted her when forming the new government and Le Pen remains a powerful force. That angers left-wing groups, who had expected more influence in the new Cabinet, and who say promised spending cuts will hurt working-class families and small businesses hardest. Left-wing voters, meanwhile, feel betrayed ever since a coalition from the left won the most seats in the summer's snap legislative elections but failed to secure a government. The possibility of a new no-confidence vote looms, though it's not clear how many parties would support it. Macron has repeatedly said he will remain president until his term expires in 2027. But France's constitution and current structure, dating from 1958 and called the Fifth Republic, were designed to ensure stability after a period of turmoil. If this new government collapses within months and the country remains in political paralysis, pressure will mount for Macron to step down and call early elections. Le Pen's ascendant National Rally is intent on bringing Macron down. But Le Pen faces her own headaches: A March court ruling over alleged illegal party financing could see her barred from running for office. The National Rally and hard-right Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau want tougher immigration rules. But Bayrou wants to focus on making existing rules work. “There are plenty of (immigration) laws that exist. None is being applied," he said Monday on broadcaster BFM-TV, to criticism from conservatives. Military spending is a key issue amid fears about European security and pressure from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for Europe to spend more on its own defense. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who champions military aid for Ukraine and ramping up weapons production, kept his job and stressed in a statement Tuesday the need to face down ‘’accumulating threats'' against France. More immediately, Macron wants an emergency law in early January to allow sped-up reconstruction of the cyclone-ravaged French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean off Africa. Thousands of people are in emergency shelters and authorities are still counting the dead more than a week after the devastation. Meanwhile the government in the restive French South Pacific territory of New Caledonia collapsed Tuesday in a wave of resignations by pro-independence figures — another challenge for the new overseas affairs minister, Manuel Valls, and the incoming Cabinet. Associated Press writer David McHugh in Frankfurt contributed.

FRANCE EASED TO a 37-23 victory over an ill-disciplined Argentina at a bitterly cold Paris in their final game of the November internationals on Friday. Les Bleus claimed four tries including a superb solo effort from in-form winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Los Pumas had two players shown yellow cards in the first half, Julian Montoya and Juan Martin Gonzalez, which led to the hosts leading 30-9 at the break. France coach Fabien Galthie made four changes from last Saturday’s nerve-wracking one-point win over New Zealand as Charles Ollivon came in for the dropped Gregory Alldritt at No 8. Argentina boss Felipe Contepomi switched his scrum-half giving Gonzalo Garcia a start instead of Gonzalo Bertranou after last Friday’s loss to Ireland. Against the All Blacks, Les Bleus lost prop Tevita Tatafu to an early injury and loose-head Jean-Baptiste Gros suffered a similar fate after four minutes on Friday with a leg problem. Gros’s injury was caused by Argentina captain Montoya’s dangerous clean at a ruck and the hooker was shown a yellow card. Galthie’s side made the extra man count to open the scoring as Antoine Dupont fed lock Thibaud Flament to crash over from short range after a powerful rolling maul. Thomas Ramos slotted the easy conversion to make it 7-0 after 11 minutes. By the half hour mark the hosts lead 13-9 as Ramos traded penalty goals with Pumas fly-half Tomas Albornoz. France stretched their advantage to 20-9 as winger Gabin Villiere dived over following some dominant forward carries. Ramos added the conversion to overtake Dimitri Yachvili in third place on France’s scoring charts. Things worsened for Contepomi’s outfit as they conceded a penalty try with four minutes of the first half to play and had a second player sent to the bin. Flanker Gonzalez was shown a yellow card for palming a loose ball into touch after Dupont and Ramos showed their class with delicate chip kicks. France went into the break 30-9 ahead as Ramos slotted his third penalty of the game. Just after the interval Galthie brought 20-year-old back-rower Marko Gazzotti on for his debut. The flanker’s main intervention was to scramble onto a loose ball three metres from his own line before Les Bleus cleared with Argentina working their way back into the contest. With 24 minutes to play they were rewarded as prop Thomas Gallo benefitted from a rolling maul and Albornoz brought the score to 30-16. The Pumas’ comeback hopes were shortlived as Bielle-Biarrey scored his fourth try in three games, showing lightning speed to gather his own grubber kick. Ramos converted to make it 37-16 leaving the south Americans, fourth at last year’s World Cup, with a mountain to climb in the final quarter. The deficit was cut once again as Perpignan hooker Ignacio Ruiz, one of 10 French-based players in Argentina’s matchday squad, barreled over. Albornoz took the score to 37-23 with his two-pointer with nine minutes to play but it wasn’t enough to claim a first win over France in Paris since 2014.None

AR Rahman to Sania Mirza: Celebs who got divorced in 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — Matt Zona's 15 points off the bench led Fordham to an 87-83 victory over Albany (NY) on Saturday. Zona shot 5 for 7, including 3 for 4 from beyond the arc for the Rams (8-5). Jahmere Tripp added 14 points while shooting 5 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line while they also had six rebounds and three steals. Jackie Johnson III shot 4 for 14 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points. The Great Danes (7-7) were led by Amar'e Marshall, who recorded 24 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Albany (NY) also got 19 points, eight rebounds and two steals from Justin Neely. Byron Joshua finished with 16 points and five assists. Josh Rivera scored 11 points in the first half for Fordham, who led 46-35 at halftime. Fordham took the lead for good with 12:53 left in the second half on a 3-pointer from Zona to make it a 57-54 game. Fordham's next game is Tuesday against Saint Louis at home. Albany (NY) hosts Stony Brook on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Britain's leader Keir Starmer makes his first trip to the Gulf as prime minister from Sunday, seeking to attract investment from the region's oil-rich states, Downing Street announced. Starmer will first visit the United Arab Emirates and then travel to Saudi Arabia, before stopping off in Cyprus on his way back to London on Tuesday in a bid "to build closer ties and drive long term UK growth". The trip to Abu Dhabi and Riyadh comes as his Labour government pursues a free-trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council's six nations: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. "There is huge untapped potential in this region, which is why, while here, I will be making the case to accelerate progress on the Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement," Starmer said in a statement released Saturday. The meetings will also aim to "deepen our research and development collaboration" and partner on projects in areas including defence and artificial intelligence, Starmer added. The British leader will land in the UAE on Sunday evening, ahead of Monday morning talks with its president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Later Monday, Starmer will fly to Saudi Arabia to meet Riyadh's de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who last week hosted French President Emmanuel Macron. A Downing Street press release called the UAE and Saudi "some of the UK's most vital modern-day partners". The regional tour will end on Tuesday with Starmer meeting President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia, the first bilateral talks between the leaders of Britain and Cyprus in over five decades. Starmer is also due to address British troops stationed in Cyprus. Labour has staked its credibility on a promise to get Britain's sluggish economy firing again. It says a GCC agreement could boost bilateral trade, currently accounting for £55 billion ($70 bn) of UK trade, by 16 percent, "potentially adding an extra £8.6 billion a year in the long run". It hopes a deal would see Gulf sovereign wealth funds invest in a range of sectors, including energy and infrastructure, while also opening up lucrative markets to British firms. Starmer's trip comes after Britain last week rolled out the diplomatic red carpet for Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani who enjoyed a state visit to the UK. Starmer discussed trade with the royal during talks in Downing Street that coincided with Qatar announcing it will invest £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in British climate technologies. Discussing regional conflicts is expected to be "high up the agenda", including the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and renewed unrest in Syria. Starmer will also be looking to repair relations between the UK and UAE that soured under the previous Conservative government after an Abu Dhabi-backed bid to buy the Telegraph newspaper failed. The Gulf visit will be Starmer's 15th international trip since he entered Number 10 on July 5. Opponents have criticised the amount of time he has spent out of the country but allies insist the trips have been vital to get to know other world leaders. Starmer, 61, has been insisting in capitals that "Britain is back on the world stage" following rancour over its departure from the European Union. pdh/aks/jjTORONTO, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Element Fleet Management Corp. (TSX:EFN) ("Element" or the "Company"), the largest publicly traded, pure-play automotive fleet manager in the world announces the validation of its science-based targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), available at sciencebasedtargets.org. This milestone underscores Element’s commitment to emissions reduction, demonstrating continued leadership in sustainability within the fleet management industry. The SBTi promotes science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets for companies, aiming to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Its certification standards have become the global benchmark for corporate climate goals aligned with the Paris Agreement. With the SBTi validation, Element commits to the following near-term science-based targets: Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 63.70 per cent by 2034 from a 2019 base year. Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions from use of sold products and downstream leased assets 66.40 per cent per USD value added within the same timeframe. Scopes 1 and 2 pertain to Element’s own operations. Scope 1 includes direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by a company, such as fuel for vehicles. Scope 2 includes direct emissions from purchased electricity, heat, steam and cooling to power facilities. Scope 3 encompasses all other emissions associated with a company’s activities and value chain, for example purchased goods and services, use of sold products and downstream leased assets. “As we live our Purpose to Move the world through intelligent mobility , we are working towards a future beyond the immediate horizon. This acknowledgement by the SBTi is a testament of our strategic commitment to sustainability, reinforcing our focus on accountability and transparency. It underscores our dedication to delivering lasting value for our clients, our business, our team members, and our communities,” states David Colman, Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer. “The fleet management industry has both the opportunity and obligation to be part of the solution. The SBTi validation strengthens our commitment to measurable sustainability initiatives. Our focus remains on advancing decarbonization and electrification strategies as we drive meaningful progress towards a low-carbon future”, says Sheri McGrath, VP, Sustainability at Element. A science-based approach provides Element with a clearly defined pathway to reduce its GHG emissions, contribute to global climate goals, and help to mitigate the most severe impacts of climate change. By aligning its targets with the latest climate science, Element is taking steps to strengthen the resilience of its business and contribute meaningfully to broader climate initiatives. Element notes that commitments and targets are aspirational and may be influenced by near-term global challenges including, but not limited to, the production and availability of electric vehicles, client decisions, prevalence and availability of charging infrastructure, and government support of electrification in the regions in which we operate. Element’s 2034 goals reflect its best efforts at this point in time. The Company may reassess and update its methodologies and targets, as appropriate, and may not be able to achieve its commitments and targets, including for the reasons set forth herein. For more information on the validation and Element's sustainability initiatives, please visit www.elementfleet.com/sustainability . About Element Fleet Management Element Fleet Management (TSX:EFN) is the largest publicly traded pure-play automotive fleet manager in the world, providing the full range of fleet services and solutions to a growing base of world-class clients – corporations, governments, and not-for-profits – across North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Element’s services address every aspect of clients’ fleet requirements, from vehicle acquisition, maintenance, accidents and remarketing, to integrating EVs and managing the complexity of gradual fleet electrification. Clients benefit from Element's expertise as one of the largest fleet solutions providers in its markets, offering economies of scale and insight used to reduce fleet operating costs and improve productivity and performance. For more information, visit: https://www.elementfleet.com/sustainability About the Science Based Targets initiative The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies’ targets. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information regarding Element, its business and the fleet industry, which are based upon Element’s current expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs. In some cases, words such as “plan”, “expect”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “may”, “could”, “predict”, “project”, “model”, “forecast”, “will”, “potential”, “target, “by”, “proposed” and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur are intended to identify forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements and information in this news release may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to, among other things, the Company’s expectations regarding the fleet industry and electrification, the Company’s sustainability targets and objectives, including science based targets, Element’s and our clients’ greenhouse gas emissions, fleet electrification, and transition of client vehicles, charging access, decarbonization strategies, future climate reporting, potential climate related opportunities, diverse supplier spending, team member engagement, making a difference in the community, data governance, ethics and compliance, and other sustainability related impacts, objectives and expectations. By their nature, these statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific, which give rise to the possibility that our predictions, forecasts, projections, expectations or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that our assumptions may not be correct and that our sustainability priorities, targets (including fleet electrification and GHG reduction targets), commitments and goals will not be achieved. As we work to advance our sustainability strategy, external factors outside of Element’s reasonable control may impact our performance and ability to achieve our goals, including government policies, legislation and regulatory actions, global supply-chain disruptions, geopolitical risk, the occurrence, continuance or intensification of public health emergencies, such as the impact of post-pandemic hybrid work arrangements, the failure of third parties to comply with their obligations to us and our affiliates or associates, our ability to implement various sustainability-related initiatives internally and with our clients under expected timeframes, the availability of comprehensive and high-quality GHG emissions data and standardization of sustainability-related measurement methodologies, the need for active and continuing participation, cooperation and collaboration from various stakeholders, deployment of new technologies and industry-specific solutions, the evolution of client behaviour, varying decarbonization efforts across economies, manufacturer timing and availability, client decisions and preferences, the need for thoughtful climate policies globally, the challenges of balancing interim emissions goals with an orderly transition, and the continuing development and evolution of regulations, guidelines, principles, and frameworks internationally and Element’s compliance thereto, which could lead to us to being subject to various legal and regulatory proceedings, the potential outcome of which could include regulatory restrictions, penalties and fines. These and other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements and may require Element to adapt its initiatives and activities or adjust its commitments, metrics, targets and goals. The forward-looking statements in this news release speak only as of the date hereof and are presented for the purpose of assisting our stakeholders and others in understanding our objectives and strategic priorities and may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law. In addition, a discussion of some of the material risks affecting Element and its business appears under the heading “Risk Management” in Element’s Management Discussion and Analysis for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2023 and the three and nine-month period ended September 30, 2024, and under the heading “Risk Factors” in Element’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023, as well as Element’s other filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, which have been filed on SEDAR+ and can be accessed on Element’s profile on www.sedarplus.com .

Blame it on the food and drink?Sports For Life wants to change India’s youth sports culture and bring forth potential talent who may excel in different sports stream The startup has initially identified six core sports streams based on their popularity, high participation levels and sound commercial viability in the Indian context Sports For Life’s business model revolves around a roll-up strategy for sports academies, similar to how Cult.fit consolidated unorganised gyms into a single, branded platform India will bid for the 2030 Summer Youth Olympics and aspires to host the 2036 main event, announced youth affairs and sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya a couple of months ago. But in spite of a rising focus on games, sports and fitness, the country’s sports ecosystem struggles to produce global medallists. Although we have seen improvements in urban areas, rural and semi-urban regions remain vastly underserved. The outcome could be alarming. According to a 2023 survey by PUMA India and analytics firm Nielsen Sports, Indian kids spent 86 minutes per week on sports and fitness-related activities against WHO’s recommendation of 420 minutes or more. It was even less than the Indian adults who spent 101 minutes in these activities per week, the survey said. Globally, the scenario is quite different. In the US, the EU, Australia and similar countries, well-established funnels guide sports development from the age of three to the professional level. But India’s transformation to a true sporting nation through disruptive changes in youth sports is still a far cry. Of course, random sports academies have popped up. However, a well-structured and tech-driven pan-India initiative in the private sector is not happening at scale. Set up by former DealShare cofounder Sourjyendu Medda and former Cartesian employee Armaan Tandon, Sports For Life (SFL) wants to change India’s youth sports culture and bring forth potential talent who may excel in different sports streams. The mission is to nurture young people’s passion for various sports and create a roll-up model for private sports academies to ensure long-term viability. For context, a roll-up strategy is about acquiring smaller entities within a specific sector and turning them into a consolidated business to reduce operational costs and maximise revenue. SFL is Medda’s second entrepreneurial venture, the fruit of a long-standing connection with Tandon. The two had been acquainted for years, frequently sharing their views on various subjects, and recognised their shared vision for youth sports development. After stepping away from the day-to-day operations at DealShare (where he still retains a 7% stake), Medda began exploring new opportunities and eventually joined forces with Tandon. Sports For Life has initially identified six core sports streams based on their popularity, high participation levels and sound commercial viability in the Indian context. These include cricket, soccer, badminton, lawn tennis, table tennis and basketball. The startup may also add swimming and martial arts to its portfolio to attract a broader audience. Although headquartered in Bengaluru, SFL has strategically chosen Mumbai as its launch city, with plans to expand to Bengaluru and Delhi NCR in the next phase. It has already acquired a stake in a soccer academy and is finalising documents to part-own a lawn tennis coaching centre. Discussions are also under way regarding investments in a cricket and a basketball academy. The 10-month-old sportstech startup recently raised $1.5 Mn from a clutch of investors, including Blume Ventures, Roots Ventures and Kunal Shah’s QED Innovations Lab. It also received backing from Tandon Group chairman Manohar Lal Tandon’s family office and others. According to Medda, while professional sports leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the India Super League (ISL) have attracted the country’s largest conglomerates such as the Reliance and the Jindal groups, the youth sports segment remains unorganised and lacks adequate funding. The funnel creation for the formative years, between three to four years and 16–18, is where the real gap lies. “Take the fitness industry as an example. About eight years ago, gyms were largely unorganised. Today, we see something very similar in youth sports. There are a lot of small, unorganised academies doing good work, but there isn’t a single branded player operating at the national level. No one is offering top-tier facilities, services and technology even to the upwardly mobile urban takers who love sports and are ready to pay for a premium experience,” said Medda. “Parents today are looking for the right coaching and related expertise for their kids. The market for youth sports training and associated services is huge. In the US, it’s a $30 Bn market per annum. As for India, it currently stands at $1 Bn and is growing exponentially. I believe this market will grow to anywhere between $3–5 Bn in the next five years,” he added. India is home to around 30K sports academies for children and youth. At the top of the rung are 100–150 academies run by world-famous sports personalities such as Prakash Padukone, Pullela Gopichand and Dibyendu Barua. These academies cater to professional sportspersons performing at the district, state, or national level. However, this creamy layer only contributes 5–10% of the existing market. The long tail of this segment is the other end of the spectrum, around 25–27K smaller setups, each run by one or two coaches and training 10–50 young people. Sports For Life does not target either of these segments and only explores the mid-tier, a group of 2–3K well-established centres operating nationwide. Run by 15-30 coaches, usually former state or national players passionate about sports training but not celebrities, these academies have been well-recognised brands in their micro-catchments for the past five to 10 years. They operate two to three centres in a city and typically train 300–500 at any given time in the sports they specialise in. These mid-tier academies also generate an annual turnover of INR 2–4 Cr, contributing up to 50% of the current market. “The academy owners are often well-educated and ambitious. They understand the importance of technology and scaling but lack the resources to build it themselves,” said Medda. “So, here is SFL’s opportunity to provide advanced technology, branding and the infrastructure these academies need to expand and scale their operations on one unified platform.” As the startup provides multisport training within a city, users need not hunt for different academies for different streams. In today’s market, no single brand offers access to high-quality coaching across multiple sports in the same catchment area. Sports For Life helps cope with this issue by collaborating with leading academies in each sport and offering users a unified option for all training needs. Another key challenge the startup addresses is the lack of a digital ecosystem in existing academies. Most operate solely in physical spaces and feature no digital scheduling, communication, or feedback system. In contrast, the SFL app provides a comprehensive digital platform streamlining parent-coach interactions, class scheduling, performance tracking and financial transactions. It has also introduced value-added services from nutritionists, physiotherapists, mental health specialists and others to ensure well-rounded training sessions. Modern sports science supports an interdisciplinary approach, making these services essential for sports success. However, individual academies cannot always provide these due to budget constraints. SFL makes these accessible through its integrated platform and brings global expertise to curriculum development by collaborating with overseas sports clubs. Besides regular coaching, SFL arranges high-quality, tech-enabled tournaments, setting new standards for competition. These events will attract top teams, ensuring a high level of participation and incorporating live streaming, performance scorecards and highlight reels powered by AI. Sports For Life’s business model revolves around a roll-up strategy for sports academies, similar to how Cult.fit consolidated unorganised gyms into a single, branded platform. Cult.fit brought existing gyms under one umbrella, offering standardised experiences, a standard technology platform and a unified curriculum. SFL seeks to replicate this success in the youth sports training segment by consolidating mid-tier academies that are already delivering high-quality sports training. Simply put, the startup follows a strategic investment model, initially acquiring minority stakes in sports academies and gradually moving to controlling stakes within one to two years. This business strategy enables SFL to transform all partnering academies into fully integrated SFL Academies. For its portfolio academies, Sports For Life provides growth capital to help them achieve scale and stay in the black. Most organisations struggle to expand beyond two or three centres that have opened over the years. However, SFL’s investment enables them to open multiple centres within a brief period, facilitating citywide and statewide growth, claimed Medda. “The academies under SFL’s portfolio are inherently profitable, boasting 50% or more gross margins. To achieve EBITDA-level profitability, they need to scale their revenues by 1.5–2x, a milestone we plan to achieve within the first year of operational collaboration with academy founders. Beyond that, we aim to grow each academy by 7–10x its current scale in five years,” he added. Meanwhile, the startup has a multifold revenue stream in place. It earns a part of the coaching and value-added service fees from its portfolio academies and generates revenue from its digital management platform and merchandise sales. Additionally, it earns participation and hospitality fees from the tournaments it arranges. SFL designs these tournaments as high-quality and tech-enabled popular sports meets, which can attract top-tier teams and lucrative corporate sponsors as these culminate into state- and national-level events. The startup also partners with educational institutions and corporations to offer sports training and recreational activities, earning fees from these affiliations. In addition, it collaborates with housing societies and live-stream programmes for a fee. Sports For Life has ambitious plans and is keen to meet success halfway to ensure quick culmination and growth. Although the founders would not comment on this, the startup’s strategy to explore mid-tier academies underscores tapping into talent without delay and gaining financial leverage at the earliest. Understandably, sports coaching at the grassroots level will be out of bounds for a single private sector organisation. To make the best of the available facilities, SFL plans to acquire at least one high-quality academy for each sport in Mumbai, providing young users easy access to trusted and well-managed academies in their city. It will expand its operations to the top 30 Indian cities in the next five years, democratising access to excellent coaching/sports training. The growing market for sports training will be an added fillip to SFL and its ilk, leading to a substantial opportunity for sports academy roll-up in India. Although the India market projections for the next decade are not immediately available, globally, the sports training market is estimated to reach $50.7 Bn by 2035, from $27.8 Bn in 2023. Plus, there will be further scope for growth. A significant portion of India’s sports fan base is Gen Z, who engage in soccer and hockey or traditional games like kabaddi and kho-kho. This shift in fandom also underscores a large, untapped market for new and emerging sports leagues. It means more discipline, increasing coaching opportunities and better monetisation across multiple sports streams. Whether Sports For Life can rise to the occasion and utilise an evolving market remains to be seen. [Edited by Sanghamitra Mandal]

increasingly dominated by people of advanced age. This follows a presidential cycle that, for the first half, was dominated by speculation about President Joe Biden's cognitive and physical fitness to run for a second term and the transparency with which his administration presented his health to the public, which culminated in his leaving the race, and President-elect Donald Trump, also approaching his 80s, facing allegations of even worse cognitive deficits. This is far from just a problem with the presidency, Sykes wrote — it is pervasive throughout the federal government. ALSO READ: Why ABC settled a case they knew they would win — and why the Lincoln Project didn't "As the Granger story reminds... Matthew Chapman

jiliko bet ph Patiala: Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale , who has been recently booked for rape and murder in a 2012 case, is not new to controversies. In Aug 2020, Akal Takht , the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had ordered his boycott, directing the Sikh community across the world not to attend his congregation, listen to him, or share his videos on social media until he apologised for his remarks. The direction had come after its five-member sub-committee formed to probe his alleged objectionable comments against Sikh Gurus and principles of Sikhism submitted its report under its then coordinator Chamkaur Singh that Dhadrianwale did not turn up for clarification despite several efforts. In Sept 2021, he faced a defamation case after Gurpreet Singh Randhawa, Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee member from Fatehgarh Sahib, filed a criminal defamation case against him in the sessions court. This was in response to his alleged objectionable remarks during public speeches against him and his father Hari Singh Randhawa, terming them as “Gapaur Sankh” (gossiper) and misleading masses about Sikhism. Gurpreet had then claimed that his father was a Sikh preacher and, after 10 years of dedication, wrote the “Steek” (translation with meaning) of Guru Granth Sahib. He had alleged that Dhadrianwale had defamed him and other Sikh preachers who were students of his father. H S Dharni, Gurpreet’s counsel, said, “The criminal complaint was filed on Sept 17, 2021, and the case is in the arguments stage, with a hearing fixed this week.” Dhadrianwale, who has been advocating logical and scientific philosophy rather than preaching according to Sikh practices, has built gurdwara Parmeshar Dwar Sahib at Sheikhupur village of Patiala on the Patiala–Sirhind bypass. Earlier, Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma landed in a conflict with him over the difference in ideology of narration of Sikh history and interpretation of Gurbani. On May 17, 2016, an attempt on Dhadrianwale’s life was made in which his fellow Sikh preacher Bhupinder Singh was killed. On July 5, 2021, Dhadrianwale appeared for over three hours before a SIT in Patiala in relation to the Kotkapura firing case, in which he is also one of the prime witnesses. The Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing case took place on Oct 14, 2015, when two Sikh activists died while some others were injured after police opened fire on people sitting in protest against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib that took place in Bargari on Oct 12, 2015. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Enter Lord Woodward, the man tasked with spearheading the reform efforts at Manchester United. With a background in business and a reputation for being a shrewd negotiator, he was heralded as the man who would bring stability and success back to the club. However, his tenure at the helm has been anything but smooth sailing. Despite his best efforts, the decisions made under his leadership have only served to deepen the crisis at the club.

The news of Wilcox temporarily taking over Ashworth's work has been met with mixed reactions from colleagues and readers alike. Some see it as a bold move that demonstrates the newspaper's commitment to upholding journalistic integrity, while others question the decision to replace a seasoned journalist like Ashworth with someone relatively new to the team. However, supporters of Wilcox point to his track record of breaking important stories and his dedication to serving the public interest as reasons to be optimistic about the newspaper's future under his leadership.Iconic muscle car goes on sale in UK with right-hand drive for first time – & could be yours for same price as a BMW M4AGNC INVT 1000 DR REP 1 SRS F PRF declares $0.3828 dividend

As the year comes to a close, a refreshing trend is emerging among the younger generation – a shift towards embracing a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. Gone are the days of endless hustle and burnout; it seems that young people are now gravitating towards a more wholesome way of living. This shift towards a healthier mindset is perhaps best exemplified by the increasing popularity of the concept of "banwei," a term that roughly translates to "homely taste" in English.The U.N. Climate Conference in Azerbaijan wraps up Friday. And as questions swirl about the role of the U.S. in climate negotiations ahead of Donald Trump's second term, a California delegation has been there weighing in. On Thursday, LAist 89.3 fill in host Julie Slater spoke with California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, who was one of the leaders of that delegation. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. LAist: I want to start with the main goal of this year's conference, to fund developing countries who are on the front lines of the climate crisis. What's going on? Wade Crowfoot: Well, I'll just give you a little background first. You know, the United Nations is a really important platform for climate change action because, of course, this is a global challenge, right? We all share the same atmosphere. And so every year, the U. N. brings virtually all the countries in the world together to update the treaty that it's organized to combat climate change. This year, one of the primary areas of focus is finance. In other words, how does the world help fund countries in the Global South that really need to make a lot of changes, both to reduce pollution and protect their people, but don't have the resources. So that is a very big topic and, when I was there for several days, there were promising conversations about shifting resources to those countries, but no agreement as of yet. LAist: Donald Trump will soon return to the White House. Of course, last time he was in office, he pulled out of the Paris Agreement. Joe Biden rejoined when he took office. What is the role of the U.S. in this climate conference? WC: The world has definitely taken notice of the U.S. election and what it means for climate action in the United States. And I think most around the world anticipate that the incoming president will do something similar [to what] he did the first time around, as you mentioned. So it's really important that California and other American states were there with other countries and other people around the world. And our main message is [that] America is still in. 24 states have governors and legislatures that are driving forward on climate action, really led by California. We represent 55% of the population and 60% of our national GDP. And so the message we have for folks is there's still going to be plenty of action to combat climate change, despite this incoming president. LAist: What can California do on the world stage to push for climate action, even if U.S. policy looks like it will soon pull it back? WC: First of all, we're a pretty important proof point. We're a big economy. We would be the fifth largest economy in the world measured by our GDP. We're also one of the most ambitious in terms of reducing pollution and actually achieving our climate targets. So a lot of what we do at this international conference is share what we've done in California and what's working. Now, it's not to say everything's perfect in California. Far from it. And of course, we have challenges around making this transition. But we have a good news to tell, which is we've been able to cut carbon pollution while growing clean energy jobs. And that economic message is particularly important because other countries around the world want to make this transition, but they want to do it in a way that works for their economy. And in California, we can demonstrate that actually these climate policies have brought new industries, growing industries to California. And that's important. LAist: Would you say overall that you thought there was forward momentum? Is there something positive coming out of the climate conference from your opinion? WC: Definitely, progress is being made with this UN effort. You're seeing more renewables come online across the world and certainly across the U. S. You're seeing some really interesting technologies expand in transportation. You're seeing more electric vehicles and zero emission vehicles on the road. You're also seeing a lot of action to restore nature, which is a key part of stabilizing our climate. I think the big question is how quickly are we moving versus how quickly do we have to move? And the fact is that most of the world is not on track to meet the commitments they've already made. And given accelerating climate change, that's a real problem. So my mantra is we have to move further and faster and we have no time to waste.

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At the summit of the Opta Club Power Rankings sits Liverpool, the reigning English Premier League champions. Under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp, the Reds have shown exceptional form and resilience, particularly in their attacking prowess and solid defense. With players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Virgil van Dijk leading the charge, Liverpool's dominance in both domestic and international competitions is evident.

Moving to the picturesque Lake Como, the setting for events such as alpine skiing, snowboarding, and freestyle skiing, athletes will have the opportunity to compete against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains and crystal-clear waters. The challenging terrain promises to push competitors to their limits, resulting in some truly unforgettable performances.One of the defining characteristics of Alonso's playing style was his ability to control the tempo of a match with his precise passing and intelligent positioning. Whether spraying long diagonal balls to the wings or orchestrating the midfield with his deft touches, Alonso was a master of his craft, a conductor leading his team to glory.

ATLANTA (AP) — Even the woeful NFC South, where no team has a winning record, can't hide the Atlanta Falcons' offensive shortcomings. Three straight setbacks, including an ugly 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, has left the Falcons 6-6 and feeling the pressure. Only a tiebreaker advantage over Tampa Bay has kept the Falcons atop the division. Now the Falcons must prepare to visit streaking Minnesota, which has won five straight . Veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett knows the Falcons must solve the flaws which have been exposed in the losing streak. “It’s now or never,” Jarrett said. “You have to flip the mindset fast.” Kirk Cousins threw four interceptions in the loss, matching his career high. Coach Raheem Morris said he didn't consider playing rookie Michael Penix Jr. against the Chargers and won't think about benching Cousins this week. Morris acknowledged the Falcons can't expect to win when turning the ball over four times. It was the latest example of Atlanta's offensive decline. In the three-game losing streak, Cousins has thrown six interceptions with no touchdowns. The Falcons were held under 20 points in each loss. What’s working If not for the rash of interceptions which has contributed to the scoring problems, more attention would be devoted to the surge of big plays on defense. The defense forced two fumbles and set a season high with five sacks, including two by Arnold Ebiketie. The Falcons ranked last in the league with only 10 sacks before finding success with their pass rush against Justin Herbert. Herbert was forced to hold the ball while looking for an open receiver, so some credit for the pass-rush success belongs to Atlanta's secondary. The Falcons gave up only two first downs in the second half and 187 yards for the game. What needs help Cousins, 36, was expected to be the reliable leader on offense after he signed a four-year, $180 million contract. The four interceptions were his most since 2014 with Washington. Cousins now will be in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as he returns to Minnesota, his NFL home from 2018-23. Cousins has thrown 13 interceptions, one shy of his career high set in 2022. His passer rating of 90.8 is his lowest since his 86.4 mark as a part-time starter in 2014 with Washington. “Certainly when you haven’t played at the standard you want to a few weeks in a row, you know, you do want to change that, turn it around,” Cousins said. Stock up Running back Bijan Robinson had his busiest day of the season, perhaps in an attempt to take heat off Cousins. Robinson's 26 carries set a career high. He ran for 102 yards with a touchdown, his third 100-yard game of the season. He also was heavily involved as a receiver with six catches for 33 yards. With 135 yards from scrimmage, Robinson has eight games this season with more than 100 yards combined as a rusher and receiver, the second-most in the league. Stock down Tight end Kyle Pitts had no catches on only two targets. He has only six catches in the last four games after appearing to establish momentum for a big season with two seven-catch games in a span of three weeks in October. Morris noted the Falcons have “so many people that we've got to get the ball to” but noted he'd like to see Pitts more involved. Injuries Younghoe Koo's hip issues were such a concern that kicker Riley Patterson was signed to the practice squad on Friday and added to the active roster Saturday. Patterson was on the inactive list as Koo was good on two of three field goals, missing from 35 yards. Koo has made 21 of 29 attempts this season. He did not have more than five misses in any of his first five seasons with Atlanta. Key number 70 — WR Drake London had nine receptions for 86 yards, giving him 70 catches for the season. London, a 2022 first-round draft pick, is the first player in team history with at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. While Ray-Ray McCloud III led the team with a career-best 95 yards on four catches against the Chargers and Darnell Mooney has had some big games, London has been the most consistent receiver. Next steps The Falcons face a difficult test Sunday in their visit to Minnesota (10-2), which has five straight wins and is 5-1 at home. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Charles Odum, The Associated Press

The collaboration between Marvel and NetEase has been a key driver of the game's success, with both companies bringing their unique strengths to the table. Marvel's extensive catalogue of iconic characters and narratives provides a solid foundation for the game's content, while NetEase's experience in developing high-quality mobile games ensures a polished and immersive gaming experience for players.Steris PLC stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors(The Center Square) - Prominent Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, D-Calif., urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to include Tesla in the governor’s plans for a California electric vehicle credit — which Newsom said would not include Tesla. Earlier on Monday, Newsom announced his plan to create a California credit if the Trump administration follows through with plans to nix the $7,500 federal EV credit. “Tesla makes over 550,000 vehicles in Fremont in my district & employs over 20,000,” said Khanna on X. “Let's not play politics with keeping manufacturing in California. It would be foolish to exclude Tesla. Have we learned nothing from snubbing [Elon Musk] at the Biden EV summit?” In 2021, President Joe Biden held an electric vehicle summit at the White House, notably not inviting Elon Musk, whose Teslas were half of electric vehicles sold in the U.S. at the time. After Trump’s re-election, Musk responded to a video of Biden telling General Motors CEO Mary Barra she “led” and “electrified the entire automobile industry." “You will not find a better friend than me, nor a worse enemy,” said Musk on X. The Wall Street Journal reported Musk’s snubbing at the EV summit was a headline factor in Musk's decision to oppose Democrats and back Trump. According to the IRS, the current $7,500 federal EV credit is income limited to individual earners making up to $150,000, heads of households making up to $225,000, and married couples making up to $300,000 per year. The vehicles also have a price limit of $55,000 for a sedan, or under $80,000 for a SUV or truck, and must be assembled in the US and meet battery and mineral requirements to qualify for the full $7,500 nonrefundable tax credit.

In Guangdong, a hub for manufacturing and exports, SpeedSell's investment promotion events focused on encouraging factory owners and suppliers to join the platform as sellers. The events emphasized the advantages of direct selling to international markets through SpeedSell's cross-border e-commerce services, showcasing successful cases of Guangdong-based businesses that have achieved global success.Taylor Swift, known for her chart-topping hits and captivating performances, embarked on a worldwide tour to promote her latest album. Fans eagerly awaited the chance to see their idol in person, and they spared no expense to make their concert experience truly unforgettable. From purchasing VIP tickets to buying exclusive merchandise, Swifties across the globe opened their wallets to show their support for the beloved singer.Liverpool FC is on the cusp of securing their spot in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 as they prepare to face off against FC Porto in a crucial fixture tomorrow. The Reds currently sit at the top of Group B with an unbeaten record and have the opportunity to secure their passage to the knockout stages with a victory at Anfield.

Following the screening, a Q&A session was held with the director, cast, and crew, providing insights into the creative process and the challenges of bringing such a monumental project to fruition. Peter Jackson, known for his meticulous attention to detail and visionary approach to filmmaking, shared his thoughts on the film's themes and the significance of the battle of Rohan in the larger narrative of the Middle-earth saga.

Hours after a "breakthrough" was reported between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the federal government to defuse the current political escalation amid PTI’s civil disobedience threat, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has made it clear that no formal discussions with the former ruling party have started. “No meeting took place between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq at the latter's residence," the minister said, speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath on Wednesday. The minister's clarification comes following the "icebreaker" meeting between the NA speaker and top PTI leaders including Asad Qaiser, Omar Ayub and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza at the Speaker House in Islamabad earlier today. Following the key meeting, embattled PTI and the government expressed willingness to sit together on the negotiation table without any preconditions ahead of the former’s civil disobedience movement, the insiders said. The meeting was held following a telephonic contact between Qaiser and Sadiq, the sources added. In his television interview today, Tarar noted that Asad Qaiser was not present at the NA Speaker’s residence when PM Shehbaz visited to offer condolences on the passing of the Speaker’s sister. He further explained that while informal exchanges occur occasionally, official discussions have not begun between the two sides, adding that neither have communication channels been restored with the Imran Khan-led party nor have committees commenced negotiations. The PML-N politician stressed the need for the PTI first to express remorse and apologise for incidents on May 9 and November 26, accusing them of fabricating a false narrative to damage the state’s reputation. He questioned who would trust the PTI and who would guarantee their credibility. “They’re looking to dodge their political failures. How can anyone trust the PTI or their guarantees?” he questioned. Mentioning the PTI's "do-or-die" march that was launched on November 24, Tarar also pointed out that the party was told they could not assemble at D-Chowk in Islamabad, adding that all evidence of the opposition party's actions is available with the government. Tarar also criticised the former ruling party for using provincial resources to attack the federal government, adding that they had backtracked on their stance during the 26th Constitutional Amendment discussions.

As Americans are beyond burned out, Tricia Hersey’s Nap Ministry preaches the right to restAs the gaming industry continues to evolve and expand, platforms like XGP play a crucial role in shaping the future of interactive entertainment, providing players with access to a wealth of creative and immersive experiences. The recognition of XGP games at the 2024 TGA awards is a testament to the platform's dedication to excellence and its ability to showcase some of the best talent in the industry.

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Vertiv Holdings Co's Anand Sanghi sells $4.37 million in stock💰 Tonight's Mega Millions drawing is worth 970 million dollars 💰 The jackpot is the 8th largest ever 💰 Winner of 1.2 billion dollar jackpot from March is from NJ and claimed the prize Tonight's 970-million-dollar Mega Millions jackpot is the 8th largest ever. Talk about a gift from Santa! If it seems like it's been a while since we've heard about a winner, that's because the last jackpot was won back in September. That jackpot was 800 million dollars. Those aren't the only jackpots that have been in the news. Someone in New Jersey won just over a billion dollars in March of this year. Up until now, no one has come forward to claim the prize. However, the New Jersey Lottery announced that someone finally claimed the prize. The jackpot was worth 1.2 billion dollars and was purchased at ShopRite Liquor in Neptune. The winning numbers were 7 , 11 , 22 , 29, and 38 with the gold Mega Ball 4 and a multiplier of 2x. When you stop and think about it, you do need to have a lot of luck to win. Many things have to fall just right if you're going to win the big prize. That said, someone has to win. Why not us? If you were wondering if your significant other won and isn't telling you, the New Jersey Lottery won't give them up. The person who won the jackpot has chosen to remain anonymous. In some states, including New Jersey, lottery winners may choose to remain anonymous. According to the New Jersey Lottery, Players claiming Lottery prizes worth $600.00 or more must still provide their identity to Lottery officials in order to claim a prize. The New Jersey Lottery is still required by law to withhold state and federal taxes from certain prizes awarded. The New Jersey Lottery also shares the identity of winners with other State agencies, and claims are reviewed for collection of unpaid obligations such as child support, student loan arrearages, and back taxes. The New Jersey lottery says that the winner of the 1.2 billion dollar prize will walk away with $537.5 million before state and federal taxes are taken. Source: NJ Lottery NJ Scratch Off Tickets with the Best Chance of Winning These are the games that have the most prizes still available to win as of Nov 2024 Gallery Credit: Steve McKay/Townsquare Media Here's What Makes Ocean City So Special You told us about the place or thing that makes Ocean City, NJ special to you Gallery Credit: Eddie Davis

LeBron James Comments on Bronny's ProgressVerstappen captures 4th F1 championship after Mercedes sweep of Las Vegas Grand Prix LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen cruised to a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship Saturday night by finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Verstappen needed only to finish ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to give Red Bull a fourth straight driver championship. The Dutchman started fifth but was already up to second by the 10th lap around the street circuit that includes the famed Las Vegas Strip. Norris, who had to score at least three points more than Verstappen to extend the championship fight, finished sixth. Verstappen needed only to finish higher than Norris to win the title, which he did with two races remaining on the season. Dartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living." The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!” Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE is missing. Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. The Israeli prime minister’s office said that Zvi Kogan has been missing since noon Thursday. It said that against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country. Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. State-run media in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Officer kills pet dog mistaken for a coyote in Massachusetts town. The owner says it was unnecessary An animal control officer shot and killed a pet dog in a Massachusetts town after mistaking it for a coyote in an incident local police are describing as a sad mix-up. Police in Northbridge, Massachusetts, say the shooting happened on Tuesday after police received a call of a report of a coyote in a residential backyard. Police say the animal control officer went into the woods to look for the coyote and found what they thought was the animal in a threatening position and shot it. The incident happened as communities around Massachusetts and the country have dealt with an uptick in interactions between coyotes and people. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Michael B. Jordan uses timeout at women's college basketball game to sign smoldering photo LOS ANGELES (AP) — Snoop Dogg strolled in wearing a jacket with JuJu Watkins’ name and number on the front and back. Michael B. Jordan thrilled a USC female fan with an impromptu autograph during a timeout. The stars came out to the showdown between third-ranked Southern California and No. 6 Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish won 74-61 to remain undefeated in the nationally televised game. The woman held up a smoldering magazine photo of the actor and he indicated he'd sign it. With the arena DJ egging her on, she climbed out of the stands and met Jordan at his seat. He leaned in to ask her name, signed and they shared an embrace.

Talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt have stalled since the truce expired on December 1, with Israel escalating its actions and refusing to end its aggression. On November 23, 2023 , Qatar announced that a deal was reached between Israel and Hamas, following numerous rounds of negotiations brokered by Doha and Cairo. The deal, which took effect on November 24 last year, was originally set for four days but was extended twice, ultimately lasting a total of seven days. Throughout the deal’s phases, Hamas released 109 Israelis out of some 240 captured during the surprise October 7 attack—widely known as Al-Aqsa Flood. Under the same deal, Israel released 240 Palestinians from its prisons, predominantly women and children. Israel was quick to resume its genocide on the Gaza Strip the moment the truce expired on the morning of December 1, in what marked only the beginning of its intensified war and escalated regional tensions. By the time of the deal’s expiration, Israel had killed more than 15,000 Palestinians . A year on, the figure has nearly tripled with more than 44,000 killed by Israel—although it is believed to be an undercount with thousands more still missing or trapped under the rubble. State of released prisoners Israel has carried out violations against the Palestinians released under last year’s deal, ranging from targeted killings to re-arresting them. Data obtained by Doha News from Ramallah-based Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association reveal that Israel has re-arrested 27 of those released since the deal expired. A total of 19 out of those re-arrested remain in detention, including six women and 13 minors. Qassam Iyad Nasrallah, a minor, has also been under house arrest since April 8, with his next court session scheduled for April 9, 2025. Two Palestinians are still under trial despite their release, including Fadwa Hamada and 17-year-old Nufouz Hammad, Addameer told Doha News. Hammad was first detained in 2021 from her school in occupied East Jerusalem at the age of 14 after being accused of stabbing an Israeli settler. In August, Israeli forces killed three of the minors released, including Tareq Dawood, Wael Musha, and Jibreel Ghassan Jibreel. Prolonged stalemate and assassinations The talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt have witnessed a prolonged stalemate since the truce expired on December 1, with Israel only carrying out more escalatory moves as it refuses to end its aggression. Its backer and main ally, the United States, has also blocked four out of 14 ceasefire resolutions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). In an effort to revive negotiations, a meeting between the relevant parties took place in Poland in December, which saw a proposal for a “humanitarian pause” was discussed. This would involve the release of Israeli captives from Gaza in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. However, the talks ended without a breakthrough as Israel escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip. The same month saw Egypt present a three-phased deal that had involved a month-long pause in exchange for the release of at least 40 captives and Palestinians from Israeli prisons. The proposal, which Israel rejected, also included the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and eventually an end to the war. In a major escalation on January 2 , Israel killed senior Hamas official Saleh Al-Arouri in a drone strike on Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh. This marked the first Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital since the 2006 war. Hopes for a deal resurfaced again between late January and early February following talks in Paris, after Doha and Washington confirmed receiving a response from Hamas on a deal. Hamas’s reply outlined a three-stage plan, each lasting 45 days: releasing all Israeli captives and the bodies of those who died in Gaza, lifting the Gaza blockade, and reconstructing the territory. Netanyahu rejected the proposal yet again as the U.S. used its veto power for a third time to block a UNSC ceasefire resolution on February 20 . In April, Israel killed the children and grandchildren of former Hamas leader Haniyeh, but he insisted on continuing negotiations until a ceasefire was reached. Days later , Hamas presented mediators with a new three-phase proposal, each lasting 42 days, to pave the way for a ceasefire. On May 6, Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposed by Qatar and Egypt, but Israel rejected it and proceeded with its invasion of the Rafah Crossing. In June, U.S. President Joe Biden proposed a new plan that included the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad expressed their willingness to negotiate for an agreement. Qatar suspends mediating role Talks have continued to stall until Israel obstructed all efforts by assassinating Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31 , fueling escalations with Iran. The following month, Hamas then reiterated its demand that Israel commit to what was agreed upon in the July 2 proposal, which was based on a framework deal presented by Biden and supported by the UNSC. However, Israel further increased regional tensions by bombarding Lebanon’s capital and assassinating Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on September 27. This prompted Iran to retaliate by launching a barrage of missiles on lands occupied by Israel. Israel then killed Haniyeh’s successor, Yahya Sinwar, on October 16 in Rafah, southern Gaza. The talks resumed in Doha by October 27, but ended without breakthrough as Israel intensified its brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Weeks without progress, Qatar announced on November 10 that its mediation stalled until both sides show a willingness to negotiate. Hamas leaders are also not present in the Gulf state, which has hosted the movement since 2012 at Washington’s request for mediation purposes. However, Qatar noted that the office has not been permanently closed. 0 0

NoneLukaku scores against his former club and Napoli beats Roma 1-0 to reclaim Serie A lead

NonePope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has opened the great Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony kicks off the 2025 Holy Year. It's a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. And it will test the pope’s stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. This begins the Christmas Eve Mass. The ceremony inaugurates the once-every-25-year tradition of a Jubilee. Francis has dedicated the 2025 Jubilee to the theme of hope. Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas Eve during the war in Gaza BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is marking another somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza. Manger Square lacked its usual festive lights and crowds of tourists on Tuesday. Instead, the area outside the Nativity Church was quiet. The church was built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The war, the violence in the occupied West Bank it has spurred and the lack of festivities has deeply hurt Bethlehem's economy. The town relies heavily on Christmas tourism. The economy in the West Bank was already reeling because of restrictions placed on laborers preventing them from entering Israel during the war. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about one hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by an issue with a vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled. Middle East latest: Israel expels patients from a hospital in Gaza TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli soldiers raided a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcing all the patients and most of the doctors to leave. The Israeli military confirmed its troops had entered the Indonesian Hospital in the town of Jabaliya on Tuesday, as part of an operation searching for Hamas fighters. Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian city of Bethlehem was marking a somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza, with most festivities cancelled and crowds of tourists absent. Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women's sports Caitlin Clark has been named the AP Female Athlete of the Year after raising the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both college and the WNBA. She led Iowa to the national championship game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers followed her journey on and off the court. Clark's exploits also put other women's sports leagues in the spotlight. A group of 74 sports journalists from AP and its members voted on the award. Other athletes who received votes included Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and boxer Imane Khelif. Clark’s only the fourth women’s basketball player to win the award since it was first given in 1931. Major storm pounds California's central coast, blamed for man's death and partially collapsing pier SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A major storm has pounded California’s central coast bringing flooding and high surf that was blamed for fatally trapping a man beneath debris on a beach and later partially collapsing a pier, tossing three people into the Pacific Ocean. The storm was expected to bring hurricane-force winds and waves up to 60 feet Monday as it gained strength from California to the Pacific Northwest. Some California cities have ordered beachfront homes and hotels to evacuate early Monday afternoon. Forecasters have warned that storm swells would continue to increase throughout the day. Medellin Cartel victims demand truth and justice as cartel boss Fabio Ochoa walks free in Colombia BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — The return of the notorious drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia, following his deportation from the United States, has reopened old wounds among the victims of the Medellin cartel, with some expressing their dismay at the decision of Colombian authorities to let the former mafia boss walk free.Some of the cartel victims said on Tuesday that they are hoping the former drug lord will at least cooperate with ongoing efforts by human rights groups to investigate one of the most violent periods of Colombia’s history, and demanded that Colombian prosecutors also take Ochoa in for questioning. Man arraigned on murder charges in NYC subway death fanned flames with a shirt, prosecutors say NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors say a man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, causing her to become engulfed. The suspect, identified by police as Sebastian Zapeta, was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court on Tuesday. He faces murder charges that could put him in prison for life. Federal immigration officials say 33-year-old Zapeta is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally after being deported in 2018. The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on a stationary F train at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Amsterdam court sentences 5 men over violence linked to Ajax-Maccabi soccer game THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An Amsterdam District Court has issued sentences of up to six months in jail against 5 men who were involved in violent disorder after a soccer match between the Dutch club Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in November. The riots caused an international outcry and accusations of deliberate anti-Semitic attacks. The violence following a UEFA Europa League match left 5 people in hospital. More than 60 suspects were detained. The court on Tuesday sentenced one man to 6 months in prison, another to 2 1/2 months, two to 1 month and one to 100 hours of community service.

NEW YORK (AP) — An early rebound for U.S. stocks petered out by the end of the day, leaving indexes close to flat. The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% Thursday, coming off one of its worst days of the year after the Federal Reserve said it may deliver fewer cuts to interest rates in 2025 than earlier thought. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up by less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1%. Treasury yields were mixed in the bond market following reports showing the U.S. economy may be stronger than expected, but manufacturing may be contracting again. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are stabilizing Thursday following one of their worst days of the year . The S&P 500 rose 0.2% in late trading, a day after tumbling 2.9% when the Federal Reserve said it may deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than earlier thought. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 136 points, or 0.3%, with less than an hour remaining in trading, following Wednesday’s drop of more than 1,100 points. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Wednesday’s drop took some of the enthusiasm out of the market, which critics had already been warning was overly buoyant and would need everything to go correctly for it to justify its high prices. But indexes remain near their records , and the S&P 500 is still on track for one of its best years of the millennium . Traders are now expecting the Federal Reserve to deliver just one or maybe two cuts to interest rates next year, according to data from CME Group. Some are even betting on none. A month ago, the majority saw at least two cuts in 2025 as a safe bet. Wall Street loves lower interest rates because they give the economy a boost and goose prices for investments, but they can also provide fuel for inflation. Darden Restaurants, the company behind Olive Garden and other chains, helped lift the market after leaping 15.1%. It delivered profit for the latest quarter that edged past analysts’ expectations. The operator of LongHorn Steakhouses also gave a forecast for revenue for this fiscal year that topped analysts’. Accenture rose 6.7% after the professional services company likewise topped expectations for profit in the latest quarter. CEO Julie Sweet said it saw growth around the world, and the company raised its forecast for revenue this fiscal year. Amazon shares added 1.8%, even as workers at seven of its facilities went on strike Thursday in the middle of the online retail giant’s busiest time of the year. Amazon says it doesn’t expect an impact on its operations during what the workers’ union calls the largest strike against the company in U.S. history. They helped offset a tumble for Micron Technology, which fell 16.7% despite reporting stronger profit than expected. The computer memory company’s revenue fell short of Wall Street’s forecasts, and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said it expects demand from consumers to remain weaker in the near term. It gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that fell well short of what analysts were thinking. Lamb Weston, which makes French fries and other potato products, dropped 22.6% after falling short of analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue in the latest quarter. It also cut its financial targets for the fiscal year, saying demand for frozen potatoes is continuing to soften, particularly outside North America. The company replaced its chief executive. In the bond market, yields were mixed a day after shooting higher on expectations that the Fed would deliver fewer cuts to rates in 2025. Reports on the U.S. economy came in mixed. One showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The economy has remained remarkably resilient even though the Fed held its main interest rate at a two-decade high for a while before beginning to cut them in September. A separate report showed fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, an indication that the job market also remains solid. But a third report said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region is unexpectedly contracting again despite economists’ expectations for growth. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.57% from 4.52% late Wednesday and from less than 4.20% earlier this month. But the two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for action by the Fed in the near term, eased back to 4.31% from 4.35%. The rise in longer-term yields has put pressure on the housing market by keeping mortgage rates higher. Homebuilder Lennar fell 4.8% after it reported weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Stuart Miller said that “the housing market that appeared to be improving as the Fed cut short-term interest rates, proved to be far more challenging as mortgage rates rose” through the quarter. “Even while demand remained strong, and the chronic supply shortage continued to drive the market, our results were driven by affordability limitations from higher interest rates,” he said. A report on Thursday may have offered some encouragement for the housing industry. It showed a pickup in sales of previously occupied homes. In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 fell 1.1% after the Bank of England paused its cuts to rates and kept its main interest rate unchanged on Thursday. The move comes as inflation there moved further above the central bank’s 2% target rate, while the British economy is flatlining at best. The Bank of Japan also kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged, and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.7%. Indexes likewise sank across much of the rest of Asia and Europe. ___ AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Stan Choe, The Associated Press

Michel Barnier is facing a as polls show more than half of the nation back a no-confidence vote in France’s new prime minister. According to a survey published on Saturday in La Tribune Dimanche, 53 per cent of respondents want to oust the just months after he was appointed. “It’s a return to square one,” said Brice Teinturier, deputy CEO of polling company Ipsos. “We find ourselves in the same situation as five months ago, the day after the second round of the legislative elections. The lines are not moving.” As an Alpine mountaineer accustomed to scaling summits, “le Savoyard”, as the lanky 73-year-old is known, is facing a Mont-Blanc of domestic difficulties as he to avoid financial meltdown amid spiralling French deficit and debt. To make matters worse, French unions have called strikes and demonstrations across various sectors starting this week. , unfair competition and an impending EU trade deal with South American countries, were the first to act. Militant union Coordination Rurale dumped manure in front of state buildings, blocked the Spanish border and the port of Bordeaux with tractors and threatened to “starve Toulouse”. It took a personal phone call from Barnier to their leader promising instant action for pressure to drop. More industrial action is threatened in the festive season among railway workers, teachers, civil servants, airline pilots, flight attendants and company employees amid a wave of redundancies. Meanwhile, this week threatened to plant “the kiss of death” on Mr Barnier’s fragile coalition government by joining the opposition Left in a no-confidence vote if her National Rally (RN) party’s cost-of-living concerns were not incorporated into the 2025 budget. “We will not accept that the purchasing power of the French be once again hit. This is a red line and if this red line is crossed, we will vote no-confidence,” Ms Le Pen told RTL radio. After Emmanuel Macron’s disastrous decision to hold snap legislative elections in July, parliament has been split into three blocs - a Left-wing coalition called the New Popular Front, Ms Le Pen’s populists and a third containing centrist pro-Macron MPs in a fractious alliance with Right-wing Republicans. on the proviso his government receive Ms Le Pen’s tacit blessing. The Eurosceptic agreed to offer the Gaullist a stay of execution as part of her drive to depict herself and her RN party as a responsible and constructive opposition force. Mr Barnier took up his post by promising to stem state profligacy that has shaken market confidence in the eurozone’s second-largest economy and seen borrowing costs approach those of Greece and Italy. “If we don’t act, our country will be on the brink,” he warned last month, announcing plans to save €60 billion by slashing spending by €40 billion mainly in central and local government, and slapping some €20 billion in new taxes on businesses and the wealthy. is set to hit 6.2 per cent of GDP in 2025 - the eurozone’s highest after Romania. Despite a string of concessions and sweeteners, his unpopular plans for tax hikes and spending cuts have twice been blocked in the National Assembly. As a result, Mr Barnier conceded he will “probably” have to use the nuclear option of ramming the budget bill through the legislature without a vote. That would inevitably trigger a no-confidence vote that the RN and the Left could use to bring down the government. “He’ll fall between 15 and 21 December,” predicted , firebrand figurehead of the France Unbowed party that dominates the Left-wing parliamentary alliance. Some analysts have suggested could accelerate her plans to bring down the government. Last week, prosecutors called for an obligatory five-year ban from public office for her alleged role in embezzling EU funds. She denies the allegations. If judges convict Ms Le Pen early next year and uphold the sentence, she would be barred from running in the 2027 presidential election which polls suggest she could win. However, there are other reasons to jettison Mr Barnier, say RN insiders, who point to two polls out this week, one suggesting 73 per cent of RN supporters disapprove of the Barnier government, another showing that 61 per cent back a no-confidence vote. They warn there is a danger the RN could become tarred by the Barnier brush and lose ground to the Left in the battle to claim the mantle of France’s main opposition force. “Our electorate is revolutionary; they want us to censor the government,” one party leader told Le Figaro. They are also uneasy at allowing Bruno Retailleau, Mr Barnier’s hardline interior minister, to steal their thunder on immigration, law and order. But the Barnier camp question whether RN would run the risk of appearing as the harbingers of chaos by bringing the government down at this delicate juncture. Jean-Noel Barrot, the French foreign minister, told CNews: “Those who would topple the government will deprive the country of a budget and create disorder and ‘chienlit’ [a term used by General de Gaulle meaning havoc or chaos].” Edouard Philippe, President Macron’s former prime minister, offered a similarly stark assessment. “If we don’t stabilise the political situation, we’ll have a serious crisis that won’t just be political. Given the state of our finances, I guarantee that a political crisis will trigger a financial crisis,” he warned. Breaking his silence over the issue, Mr Macron called for “stability” while on tour in South America. Mr Barnier may offer Ms Le Pen concessions by cutting a rise in electricity prices when the pair meet next Monday. Jordan Bardella, her protégé and RN party chairman, has said the no-confidence decision will depend on whether the final cut of the budget reflects their demands. Even if the government is toppled, analysts say no other force is in a position to forge a parliamentary majority, meaning that the President may be forced to simply reinstate Mr Barnier and his cabinet and carry on. The only other option would be a technical government. Reportedly weary and frustrated after weeks of fruitless efforts to secure a budget bill, Mr Barnier remained sanguine about his political future. “I’m ready to leave tomorrow. I’m 73 today. I’ll be 76 in 2027. I don’t need to be reminded of my age,” he said this week.MENLO PARK, Calif., Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sight Sciences , Inc. (Nasdaq: SGHT) (“Sight Sciences,” or the “Company”), an eyecare technology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative, interventional technologies that elevate the standard of care, today announced the results of a Budget Impact Analysis (“BIA”) of the TearCare ® System (“TearCare”) for the treatment of MGD-associated dry eye disease (“DED”) in the United States. A BIA estimates the fiscal impact of adopting a new technology or treatment within a specific provider environment or patient population – in this case, identifying the health savings associated with increased adoption of TearCare as compared to prescription dry eye medications for patients with DED.* The analysis, projected over a two-year period, focused on moderate to severe MGD- associated DED in U.S. patients over 18 years of age. It compared the financial impact of TearCare to commonly prescribed dry eye medications, including Restasis 0.05% branded and generic, and Xiidra 5%. Key findings indicated that a 20% increase in market share of TearCare compared to prescription dry eye medications would yield an estimated annual savings of $36.87 per member per year (“PMPY”) in a hypothetical health plan with one million covered lives. The study showed a direct relationship between increased utilization of TearCare in place of prescription medications and total costs savings from a US payer perspective. “In addition to the strong clinical efficacy of TearCare shown in the SAHARA and OLYMPIA randomized controlled trials, this budget impact analysis reported that increased adoption of TearCare treatments for patients with MGD-associated DED was estimated to result in meaningful cost savings. We believe the combination of the strong clinical data from the SAHARA RCT and the findings of this budget impact analysis create a compelling case for payors to cover treatments performed with TearCare at an appropriate reimbursement level,” said Paul Badawi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sight Sciences. “Pioneering market access to interventional dry eye treatments with TearCare on behalf of patients and the eye care providers who care for them is a core component of our strategy and this milestone represents progress towards delivering this innovative technology to a portion of the 17.9 million patients diagnosed with dry eye disease in the U.S.” Authors and affiliations : Phoenix Riley, PharmD, MSc (AESARA, Inc.); Cristina Masseria, PhD (AESARA, Inc.); Chad Patel, PharmD (AESARA, Inc.); Roberta Longo, PhD (AESARA, Inc.); Lorie Mody, PharmD (AESARA, Inc.), and Thomas Chester, OD, FAAO (Cleveland Eye Clinic). *The BIA was developed in accordance with established ISPOR guidelines, but it was based upon various assumptions, including with respect to cost of treatments, respective usage and market uptake of prescription drops and TearCare, efficacy (including duration of effect), safety and similar factors. These assumptions may not be consistent with actual clinical and market conditions, and changes in one or more of these assumptions could cause individual health plan results to differ. Paper Reference: Chester, T., Longo, R., Masseria, C., Riley, P., Patel, C., & Mody, L. (2024). Budget impact analysis (BIA) of the TearCare System for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)-associated dry eye disease (DED) in the United States (US). Expert Review of Ophthalmology , DOI: 10.1080/17469899.2024.2444930. About Sight Sciences Sight Sciences is an eyecare technology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative and interventional solutions intended to transform care and improve patients’ lives. Using minimally invasive or non-invasive approaches to target the underlying causes of the world’s most prevalent eye diseases, Sight Sciences seeks to create more effective treatment paradigms that enhance patient care and supplant conventional outdated approaches. The Company’s OMNI ® Surgical System is an implant-free glaucoma surgery technology (i) indicated in the United States to reduce intraocular pressure in adult patients with primary open-angle glaucoma; and (ii) CE Marked for the catheterization and transluminal viscodilation of Schlemm’s canal and cutting of the trabecular meshwork to reduce intraocular pressure in adult patients with open-angle glaucoma. Glaucoma is the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness. The Company’s SION ® Surgical Instrument is a bladeless, manually operated device used in ophthalmic surgical procedures to excise trabecular meshwork. The Company’s TearCare System technology is 510(k) cleared in the United States for the application of localized heat therapy in adult patients with evaporative dry eye disease due to Meibomian Gland Disease (“MGD”) when used in conjunction with manual expression of the meibomian glands, enabling clearance of gland obstructions by eyecare providers to address the leading cause of dry eye disease. For more information, visit www.sightsciences.com . Sight Sciences, the Sight Sciences logo, TearCare, SmartHub and SmartLids are trademarks of Sight Sciences registered in the United States. OMNI and SION are trademarks of Sight Sciences registered in the United States, European Union and other territories. © 2024 Sight Sciences. All rights reserved. Forward-Looking Statements This press release, together with other statements and information publicly disseminated by the Company, contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and includes this statement for purposes of complying with these safe harbor provisions. Any statements made in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation statements regarding estimated costs savings associated with use of the TearCare System; and the belief that the findings of this budget impact analysis create a compelling case for payors to cover treatments performed with TearCare at an appropriate reimbursement level. These statements often include words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “suggests,” “plan,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimates,” “targets,” “projects,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “will,” “forecast” and other similar expressions. We base these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, plans and assumptions that we have made in light of our experience in the industry, as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances at such time. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions at the time they are made, you should be aware that many factors could affect our business, results of operations and financial condition and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to and involve numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as may be updated from time to time in subsequent filings, and you should not place undue reliance on these statements. These cautionary statements are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Media contact pr@SightSciences.com Investor contact: Philip Taylor Gilmartin Group 415.937.5406 Investor.Relations@Sightsciences.com

At around 9:00 p.m. Monday evening, South Bruce OPP responded to a collision along Bruce Road 4 in the Municipality of Brockton. Officers found a single vehicle in the ditch upon arrival at the scene – with two people inside, who were in contravention of their release conditions. Not only that, police seized a quantity of suspected cocaine, a Taser, and ammunition. A 36-year-old from Barrie faces several charges including unauthorized possession of a weapon, careless driving, possession of a scheduled I substance, and more. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. Editor's Picks 10 Family Calendars And Planners That'll Help You Keep Track Of Everything In The New Year Our Guide To The Best Winter Boots You Can Get In Canada 16 Cozy Home Essentials That Cost Less Than $100 Home Our Guide To The Best Snow Shovels In Canada In 2024 (And Where To Get Them) 14 Of The Best Home Security Devices You Can Find Online Right Now (And They've Got The Reviews To Prove It) 13 Of The Best Fidget Toys For Adults Gifts The Clock Is Ticking — Shop These 25 Last-Minute Amazon Prime Gifts Now If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 70+ Crowd-Pleasing Gifts Will Still Arrive Before Christmas If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 50 Brilliant Stocking Stuffers Will Still Arrive Before Christmas Beauty 20 Products Your Dry, Dehydrated Skin Will Thank You For Ordering 14 Hydrating Face Masks That’ll Save Your Skin This December 12 Budget-Friendly Products To Add To Your Winter Skincare Routine Deals 50+ Of The Best Amazon Canada Boxing Day Sales, Deals, And Discounts For 2024 The Altitude Sports Boxing Day Sale Has Begun — Here's What We're Shopping For PSA: The Michael Kors Boxing Week Sale Is Happening Right Now London Top Stories 'It’s a surprise': Shoebox Project gives women impacted by homelessness a Christmas gift London fire on scene of Wellington Road collision, containing fuel leak OPP issue drug and traffic charges following single vehicle collision near Hanover Looking to squeeze in some last minute shopping? Here's what's open over the holidays in the Forest City Huron OPP looking to identify theft suspect Over the holidays, the gift you can give yourself is taking care of your mental health London Ont. outreach workers say encampments are 'necessary' amid lack of shelter spaces LGBTQIA+ community expresses concern over bus advertisements CTVNews.ca Top Stories Hong Kong police issue arrest warrants and bounties for six activists including two Canadians Hong Kong police on Tuesday announced a fresh round of arrest warrants for six activists based overseas, with bounties set at $1 million Hong Kong dollars for information leading to their arrests. U.S. president-elect's son shares post on X of Donald Trump buying Canada on Amazon U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and those in his corner continue to send out strong messages about Canada. What is flagpoling? A new ban on the practice is starting to take effect Immigration measures announced as part of Canada's border response to president-elect Donald Trump's 25 per cent tariff threat are starting to be implemented, beginning with a ban on what's known as 'flagpoling.' Trudeau sends Christmas greetings. Read his full message Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued his Christmas message on Tuesday. Here is his message in full. Heavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Economists say more room to fall as Canadian dollar continues downward trend Experts say the next few months are going to be rough for the Canadian dollar as it appears set to continue its downward trend. How much is too much alcohol over the holidays? A doctor explains The holidays are here, as are the parties, happy hours and other get-togethers that often offer abundant mixed drinks, beer and wine. Storms to continue rolling through B.C.'s South Coast over Christmas Day The tempestuous weather that descended on southern B.C. Monday afternoon will linger for the next few days, with a storm forecast for Christmas Day. The Santa Awards: Ranking the best (and most ridiculous) Father Christmases ever to grace our screens Behold, for your festive perusal, some of the most beloved, cherished and out-there onscreen renditions of dear old Saint Nick. Kitchener What’s open and what’s closed over the holidays A detailed guide to what’s open and closed between Dec. 25 and New Year's Day. Police investigating after vandalization of Pride crosswalk in Waterloo Waterloo Regional Police are investigating after a Pride crosswalk was vandalized in Waterloo on Sunday. Trudeau sends Christmas greetings. Read his full message Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued his Christmas message on Tuesday. Here is his message in full. Barrie Live trackers await Santa Claus and his reindeer crew, special track underway in Simcoe County The spirit of Christmas is in the air as Santa Claus begins his lasting journey to deliver presents to children around the region. No parking on Barrie streets on Christmas Eve Barrie crews will work tonight to clear the snow from its streets. Canada Post delivers the international goods As of Monday, Canada Post is delivering international mail. Windsor WECHU warning of positive avian influenza cases The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is working to alert the public of the dangers of avian influenza after waterfowl in the area tested positive. Chatham police aware of physical incident between two children going viral on social media The Chatham-Kent Police Service said it is aware of a video going viral on social media, showing a physical incident between two children in the area. Restaurant staff aid in rescue of two men that fell into the frigid waters of the Detroit River Windsor police say that shortly before 9:00 p.m. on Dec. 20, officers were called after a man fell into the water while standing too close to the marina wall. A second man jumped in to help him. Northern Ontario Norad crew waiting for Santa to fly over Canada as annual holiday track underway Departing from the North Pole while we were all sleeping, Santa Claus' journey around the world bringing presents and Christmas cheer for all of the good boys and girls who believe is underway. Fatal snowmobile crash in northern Ont. near Parry Sound A 30-year-old has died following a snowmobile crash near Parry Sound on Sunday. U.S. president-elect's son shares post on X of Donald Trump buying Canada on Amazon U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and those in his corner continue to send out strong messages about Canada. Sault Ste. Marie Norad crew waiting for Santa to fly over Canada as annual holiday track underway Departing from the North Pole while we were all sleeping, Santa Claus' journey around the world bringing presents and Christmas cheer for all of the good boys and girls who believe is underway. Northern Ont. hospital to close emergency department for Christmas and Boxing Day A physician shortage is again forcing the closure of the emergency department at the Thessalon Site of the North Shore Health Network – this time for more than 48 hours over the holidays. Suspect charged with headbutting their parent, confining them to a chair in Thessalon, Ont. A member of the family in the northern Ontario community of Thessalon is charged with a vicious assault and forcibly confining their parent. Ottawa Traffic dispute threatens to dampen holiday spirit on Taffy Lane A visit to Ottawa's Taffy Lane in Orléans is a staple this time of year, but a dispute amongst neighbours over traffic congestion is threatening to dim the magic of the holidays for one neighbour. PART 1 | Ottawa mayor speaks on transit funding, federal turmoil in year-end interview Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe spoke with CTV News on a variety of issues, including transit, the city budget and political turmoil on Parliament Hill in a year-end interview. House to Home organization in Ottawa helps newcomers set up their lives Refugees and some immigrants who arrive in Ottawa can come with nothing, and a local organization is working to help them build new lives by providing everything they need. Toronto Trudeau could stay or go. Either way, Canadians should brace for a spring election Canada appears to be barrelling toward a spring election now that the NDP is vowing to vote down the government early next year -- whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stays on or not. Woman seriously injured after stabbing in Moss Park: paramedics A stabbing in Toronto’s Moss Park neighbourhood Tuesday morning has left a woman with serious injuries as police search for a suspect. Police in York Region thwart alleged car theft in Stouffville, Ont. A suspect from Quebec who was allegedly trying to steal a luxury car in Stouffville, Ont. last Friday was caught with a key fob programmer, police say. Montreal Snowfall in Quebec leads to multiple road accidents Quebecers travelling on Christmas Eve should do so with caution as snow continues to flurry in the early morning. Quebec doing better job at retaining immigrants, Atlantic Canada still struggling Immigrants are increasingly choosing to stay in Quebec, according to a new report from Statistics Canada, but the same isn't true in the Atlantic region, which continues to lose newcomers to the rest of the country. What's open and closed in Montreal during the holidays Here's a list of what's open and closed for the holidays in Montreal. Atlantic RCMP investigating break, enter and theft at business in Janeville, N.B. RCMP in New Brunswick are investigating after a business in Janeville was broken into and a number of items were stolen. CTV's Katie Kelly solves decades old mystery involving 'anchor' tattoo It’s been almost two decades since a 21-year-old man from New Glasgow, N.S., got a tattoo of CTV’s Bruce Frisko, but it’s a piece of Maritime history that hasn’t been forgotten. 'Can I taste it?': Rare $55,000 bottle of spirits on sale in Moncton A rare bottle of Scottish whisky is for sale in downtown Moncton, with a price tag reading $55,000. Winnipeg Manitoba to receive more equalization money, but the increase is smaller than in 2024 The Manitoba government is set to receive $337 million more in equalization payments from the federal government in the next fiscal year. ‘Choosing your own adventure’: Winnipeg’s Select Start readies Exchange District for brand new ‘barcade’ experience A new ‘barcade’ in the heart of the Exchange District is hoping to be a successful launch title for a new generation of players. 'Stop postponing our bucket list': Churchill continuing to grow as Manitoba's hotspot The province of Manitoba prides itself on being the heart of Canada, and as the heart, it has many arteries just waiting to be explored. Calgary Glenmore Trail closed for several hours due to serious crash involving crane truck Calgary police shut down Glenmore Trail Monday night and into Tuesday morning for a crash between a car and a crane truck. Skier seriously injured in avalanche near Revelstoke, B.C. A skier was seriously injured after an avalanche near Revelstoke, B.C., over the weekend. Motorcyclist killed in Lethbridge crash A 36-year-old man is dead after the motorcycle he was riding collided with an SUV in Lethbridge on Monday. Edmonton 'Serious safety issues': Edmonton building where security guard was killed evacuated An apartment building where a security guard was killed earlier this month has been evacuated. Warrants issued for 'dangerous' Edmonton man in sexual assault case The Edmonton Police Service is looking for a 58-year-old man in connection with a sexual assault that happened earlier this year. A look back at the most-read stories for Edmonton and northern Alberta in 2024 From the wildfire in Jasper to Danielle Smith and the United Conservative government and its policies to alleged and confirmed professional misconduct of police officers, teachers and doctors, these are the top 10 news stories for 2024. Regina 'A nice way to connect': Christmas card exchange between Sask. friends spans 60 years What started out as a little holiday fun between two Regina friends has turned into a tradition that now spans six decades. Dog lost in Saskatchewan during cross-country trip reunited with family A family moving from Ontario to Alberta in November had a scare when their family dog got loose during a stop in Dafoe, Sask. and ran away. More drivers opt for personalized plates in Sask. — and behind every one there's a story You may have noticed a few more vanity plates on Saskatchewan roads in recent years, and every one of them comes with a personal story. Saskatoon More drivers opt for personalized plates in Sask. — and behind every one there's a story You may have noticed a few more vanity plates on Saskatchewan roads in recent years, and every one of them comes with a personal story. 'People prop the doors open': Saskatoon resident concerned as people shelter in her stairwell With the number of homeless people in Saskatoon at an unprecedented high, it’s no surprise people are looking for places to warm up. Saskatoon-born comedian Brendan Flaherty returns for to ask, 'what'd I miss?' As a Saskatoon-born comedian pursuing a career in the Six, Brendan Flaherty says he often hears the same question from friends back home. Vancouver B.C. friends nab ‘unbelievable’ $1M lotto win just before Christmas Two friends from B.C’s lower mainland are feeling particularly merry this December, after a single lottery ticket purchased from a small kiosk landed them instant millionaire status. Storms to continue rolling through B.C.'s South Coast over Christmas Day The tempestuous weather that descended on southern B.C. Monday afternoon will linger for the next few days, with a storm forecast for Christmas Day. Year-end interview: B.C. Premier David Eby reflects on nail-biting 2024 election It was a year that saw David Eby elected B.C. premier for the first time, and lead his party to government for a third consecutive term. Vancouver Island B.C. woman sentenced for impaired driving crash that killed retired Mountie A Vancouver Island woman who was high on drugs when she crashed a car into a pickup truck, killing a retired Mountie and injuring his two passengers, "did not realize what was happening and took no steps to avoid the accident" a B.C. Supreme Court judge found. 5 rescued after avalanche triggered north of Whistler, B.C. RCMP say Emergency crews and heli-skiing staff helped rescue five people who were caught up in a backcountry avalanche north of Whistler, B.C., on Monday morning. Cleanup underway after rockslide derails train in B.C. No injuries were reported after a rockslide derailed a freight train, sending railcars into British Columbia's Fraser River, on Sunday night. Stay Connected( MENAFN - EIN Presswire) WILMINGTON, NEW CASTLE, DE, UNITED STATES, December 20, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- Allied market Research published a report, titled, "Data Center construction Market Size , Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report, by Construction Type, By Tier By Data Center Size By industry Vertical : Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast, 2024-2032. The global data center construction market was valued at $212.6 billion in 2023, and is projected to reach $416.4 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2024 to 2032. Prime determinants of growth As digital transformation accelerates across industries across the globe, fueled by the proliferation of mobile devices, rise in internet penetration, and adoption of cloud-based applications, there is a huge demand for robust infrastructure capable of handling vast amounts of data. Hyperscale data centers, characterized by their immense scale and efficiency, are uniquely positioned to meet this escalating demand. These facilities offer unparalleled computing power, storage capacity, and networking capabilities, enabling organizations to leverage advanced technologies such as AI, IoT, and big data analytics to drive innovation and gain competitive advantage. These factors are contributing to the growth of the data center construction market globally. Get Research Report Sample Pages : Key Takeaways : The data center construction market study covers 20 countries. The research includes a segment analysis of each country in terms of value ($Billion) for the projected period 2023-2032. Several product literatures, industry releases, annual reports, and other such documents of major energy storage system industry participants along with authentic industry journals, trade associations' releases, and government websites have been reviewed for generating high-value industry insights. The study integrated high-quality data, professional opinions and analysis, and critical independent perspectives. The research approach is intended to provide a balanced view of global markets and to assist stakeholders in making educated decisions to achieve their most ambitious growth objectives. Segment Highlights Businesses are increasingly turning to colocation facilities rather than maintaining their own data centers. Colocation providers provide shared data center space with secure infrastructure, allowing businesses to scale their IT requirements without the need to build and operate their own facilities. Additionally, the volume of data generated globally is rapidly increasing, thanks to technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) , artificial intelligence (AI) , and big data analytics. This ever-increasing data requires greater storage and processing capacity, necessitating the construction of additional data centers thereby propelling the growth of the market. Similarly, hyperscalers and colocation providers are expanding into new locations to serve increasing local markets. This regional diversity necessitates the establishment of data centers in important places around the world. Moreover, businesses globally are undergoing digital transformation, resulting in a greater reliance on cloud-based services and data-driven applications. This digital revolution demands a strong data center infrastructure to accommodate the new technologies. These factors are further contributing to the growth of the global data center construction market. Regional Outlook Based on region, the data center construction market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. North America accounted for the highest share in 2023. North America has appropriate infrastructure due to the presence of prime vendors in nations such as the United States and Canada, leading in an increase in demand for smart artificial intelligence-powered equipment in this region. Procure Complete Research Report Now : Leading Market Players : Cisco Systems Inc IBM Corporation Oracle Corporation ABB Hitachi Ltd Equinix, Inc. Schneider Electric Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Fujitsu Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP. The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global data center construction market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new development, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Inquire Before Buying : Recent Development : On April 29, 2024, AdaniConneX, announced its plans to construct a sustainability-linked financing data center. Adani Enterprises and EdgeConnex entered into a joint venture with an investment of US$ 1.44 billion for the construction of the data center. On April 24, 2024, BSNL, an Indian telecommunication provider, and Tata Communications partnered for building multiple data centers across India. The partnership is aimed to expand the data centers capacity across the country. On April 10, 2024, an investment of US$ 1 billion was announced by Google for constructing a data center in Kansas City. The investment was made by Google to expand its data center presence in the Midwest. On March 4, 2024, Zoho Corporation, announced the opening of the first two Middle East data centers in Saudi Arabia to ensure local data is stored within the geographical boundaries of the Kingdom, in line with Personal Data Protection Laws (PDPL) Read More Reports : Influencer Marketing Market Co-working Space Market Storage as a Service Market Virtual Event Platforms Market Automation Testing Market About us : Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. David Correa Allied Market Research +1 800-792-5285 email us here Visit us on social media: Facebook X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "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 author above. MENAFN19122024003118003196ID1109014945 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.NEW YORK (AP) — An early rebound for U.S. stocks on Thursday petered out by the end of the day, leaving indexes close to flat. The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% following Wednesday’s tumble of 2.9% when the Federal Reserve said it may deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than earlier thought. The index had been up as much as 1.1% in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 15 points, or less than 0.1%, following Wednesday’s drop of 1,123 points, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1%. This week’s struggles have taken some of the enthusiasm out of the market, which critics had been warning was overly buoyant and would need everything to go correctly for it to justify its high prices. But indexes remain near their records , and the S&P 500 is still on track for one of its best years of the millennium with a gain of 23%. Traders are now expecting the Federal Reserve to deliver just one or maybe two cuts to interest rates next year, according to data from CME Group. Some are even betting on none. A month ago, the majority saw at least two cuts in 2025 as a safe bet. Wall Street loves lower interest rates because they give the economy a boost and goose prices for investments, but they can also provide fuel for inflation. Micron Technology was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500 Thursday. It fell 16.2% despite reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. The computer memory company’s revenue fell short of Wall Street’s forecasts, and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said it expects demand from consumers to remain weaker in the near term. It gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that fell well short of what analysts were thinking. Lamb Weston, which makes French fries and other potato products, dropped 20.1% after falling short of analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue in the latest quarter. It also cut its financial targets for the fiscal year, saying demand for frozen potatoes is continuing to soften, particularly outside North America. The company replaced its chief executive. Such losses helped overshadow a 14.7% jump for Darden Restaurants, the company behind Olive Garden and other chains. It delivered profit for the latest quarter that edged past analysts’ expectations. The operator of LongHorn Steakhouses also gave a forecast for revenue for this fiscal year that topped analysts’. Accenture rose 7.1% after the professional services company likewise topped expectations for profit in the latest quarter. CEO Julie Sweet said it saw growth around the world, and the company raised its forecast for revenue this fiscal year. Amazon shares added 1.3%, even as workers at seven of its facilities went on strike Thursday in the middle of the online retail giant’s busiest time of the year. Amazon says it doesn’t expect an impact on its operations during what the workers’ union calls the largest strike against the company in U.S. history. In the bond market, yields were mixed a day after shooting higher on expectations that the Fed would deliver fewer cuts to rates in 2025. Reports on the U.S. economy came in mixed. One showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The economy has remained remarkably resilient even though the Fed held its main interest rate at a two-decade high for a while before beginning to cut them in September. A separate report showed fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, an indication that the job market also remains solid. But a third report said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region is unexpectedly contracting again despite economists’ expectations for growth. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.57% from 4.52% late Wednesday and from less than 4.20% earlier this month. But the two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for action by the Fed in the near term, eased back to 4.31% from 4.35%. The rise in longer-term yields has put pressure on the housing market by keeping mortgage rates higher. Homebuilder Lennar fell 5.2% after reporting weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Stuart Miller said that “the housing market that appeared to be improving as the Fed cut short-term interest rates, proved to be far more challenging as mortgage rates rose” through the quarter. “Even while demand remained strong, and the chronic supply shortage continued to drive the market, our results were driven by affordability limitations from higher interest rates,” he said. A report on Thursday may have offered some encouragement for the housing industry. It showed a pickup in sales of previously occupied homes. All told, the S&P 500 slipped 5.08 points to 5,867.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 15.37 to 42,342.24, and the Nasdaq composite lost 19.92 to 19,372.77. In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 fell 1.1% after the Bank of England paused its cuts to rates and kept its main interest rate unchanged on Thursday. The move comes as inflation there moved further above the central bank’s 2% target rate, while the British economy is flatlining at best. The Bank of Japan also kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged, and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.7%. Indexes likewise sank across much of the rest of Asia and Europe. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

By Tony Leys | KFF Health News GLENWOOD, Iowa — Hundreds of people who were separated from society because they had disabilities are buried in a nondescript field at the former state institution here. Disability rights advocates hope Iowa will honor them by preventing the kind of neglect that has plagued similar cemeteries at other shuttered facilities around the U.S. The southwest Iowa institution, called the Glenwood Resource Center, was closed this summer in the wake of allegations of poor care . The last of its living residents were moved elsewhere in June. But the remains of about 1,300 people will stay where they were buried on the grounds. The graveyard, which dates to the 1800s, covers several acres of sloping ground near the campus’s brick buildings. A 6-foot-tall, weathered-concrete cross stands on the hillside, providing the most visible clue to the field’s purpose. On a recent afternoon, dried grass clippings obscured row after row of small stone grave markers set flat in the ground. Most of the stones are engraved with only a first initial, a last name, and a number. “If somebody who’s never been to Glenwood drove by, they wouldn’t even know there was a cemetery there,” said Brady Werger, a former resident of the facility. During more than a century of operation, the institution housed thousands of people with intellectual disabilities. Its population declined as society turned away from the practice of sequestering people with disabilities and mental illness in large facilities for decades at a time. The cemetery is filled with residents who died and weren’t returned to their hometowns for burial with their families. State and local leaders are working out arrangements to maintain the cemetery and the rest of the 380-acre campus. Local officials, who are expected to take control of the grounds next June, say they’ll need extensive state support for upkeep and redevelopment, especially with the town of about 5,000 people reeling from the loss of jobs at the institution. Hundreds of such places were constructed throughout the U.S. starting in the 1800s. Some, like the one in Glenwood, served people with disabilities, such as those caused by autism or seizure disorders. Others housed people with mental illness. Most of the facilities were built in rural areas, which were seen as providing a wholesome environment. States began shrinking or closing these institutions more than 50 years ago. The shifts were a response to complaints about people being removed from their communities and subjected to inhumane conditions, including the use of isolation and restraints. In the past decade, Iowa has closed two of its four mental hospitals and one of its two state institutions for people with intellectual disabilities. After closures in some other states, institutions’ cemeteries were abandoned and became overgrown with weeds and brush. The neglect drew protests and sparked efforts to respectfully memorialize people who lived and died at the facilities. “At some level, the restoration of institutions’ cemeteries is about the restoration of humanity,” said Pat Deegan, a Massachusetts mental health advocate who works on the issue nationally . Deegan, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, sees the neglected graveyards as symbolic of how people with disabilities or mental illness can feel as if their individual identities are buried beneath the labels of their conditions. Deegan, 70, helped lead efforts to rehabilitate a pair of overgrown cemeteries at the Danvers State Hospital near Boston, which housed people with mental illness before it closed in 1992. More than 700 former residents were buried there, with many graves originally marked only with a number. The Massachusetts hospital’s grounds were redeveloped into a condominium complex. The rehabilitated cemeteries now have individual gravestones and a large historical marker, explaining what the facility was and who lived there. The sign notes that some past methods of caring for psychiatric patients seem “barbarous” by today’s standards, but the text portrays the staff as well-meaning. It says the institution “attempted to alleviate the problems of many of its members with care and empathy that, although not always successful, was nobly attempted.” Deegan has helped other groups across the country organize renovations of similar cemeteries. She urges communities to include former residents of the facilities in their efforts. Iowa’s Glenwood Resource Center started as a home for orphans of Civil War soldiers. It grew into a large institution for people with disabilities, many of whom lived there for decades. Its population peaked at more than 1,900 in the 1950s, then dwindled to about 150 before state officials decided to close it. Werger, 32, said some criticisms of the institution were valid, but he remains grateful for the support the staff gave him until he was stable enough to move into community housing in 2018. “They helped change my life incredibly,” he said. He thinks the state should have fixed problems at the facility instead of shutting it. He said he hopes officials preserve historical parts of the campus, including stately brick buildings and the cemetery. He wishes the graves had more extensive headstones, with information about the residents buried there. He would also like to see signs installed explaining the place’s history. Two former employees of the Glenwood facility recently raised concerns that some of the graves may be mismarked . But officials with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which ran the institution, said they have extensive, accurate records and recently placed stones on three graves that were unmarked. Department leaders declined to be interviewed about the cemetery’s future. Spokesperson Alex Murphy wrote in an email that while no decisions have been made about the campus, the agency “remains committed to ensuring the cemetery is protected and treated with dignity and respect for those who have been laid to rest there.” Glenwood civic leaders have formed a nonprofit corporation that is negotiating with the state over development plans for the former institution. “We’re trying to make the best of a tough situation,” said Larry Winum, a local banker who serves on the new organization’s board. Tentative plans include tearing down some of the existing buildings and creating up to 900 houses and apartments. Winum said redevelopment should include some kind of memorial sign about the institution and the people buried in the cemetery. “It will be important to us that those folks be remembered,” he said. Activists in other states said properly honoring such places takes sustained commitment and money. Jennifer Walton helped lead efforts in the 1990s to properly mark graves and improve cemetery upkeep at state institutions in Minnesota . Some of the cemeteries are deteriorating again, she said. Activists plan to ask Minnesota legislators to designate permanent funding to maintain them and to place explanatory markers at the sites. “I think it’s important, because it’s a way to demonstrate that these spaces represent human beings who at the time were very much hidden away,” Walton said. “No human being should be pushed aside and ignored.” Related Articles Health | Washington power has shifted. Here’s how the ACA may shift, too Health | CDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes Health | New rule allows HIV-positive organ transplants Health | Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans Health | Do not wash your turkey and other Thanksgiving tips to keep your food safe On a recent day, just one of the Glenwood graves had flowers on it. Retired managers of the institution said few people visit the cemetery, but amateur genealogists sometimes show up after learning that a long-forgotten ancestor was institutionalized at Glenwood and buried there. Former grounds supervisor Max Cupp said burials had become relatively rare over the years, with more families arranging to have deceased residents’ remains transported to their hometown cemeteries. One of the last people buried in the Glenwood cemetery was Kenneth Rummells, who died in 2022 at age 71 after living many years at the institution and then at a nearby group home overseen by the state. His guardian was Kenny Jacobsen, a retired employee of the facility who had known him for decades. Rummells couldn’t speak, but he could communicate by grunting, Jacobsen said. He enjoyed sitting outside. “He was kind of quiet, kind of a touch-me-not guy.” Jacobsen helped arrange for a gravestone that is more detailed than most others in the cemetery. The marker includes Rummells’ full name, the dates of his birth and death, a drawing of a porch swing, and the inscription “Forever swinging in the breeze.” Jacobsen hopes officials figure out how to maintain the cemetery. He would like to see a permanent sign erected, explaining who is buried there and how they came to live in Glenwood. “They were people too,” he said.None

Benchmark reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of AZEK ( NYSE:AZEK – Free Report ) in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $55.00 target price on the stock. Several other brokerages have also weighed in on AZEK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on AZEK from $52.00 to $48.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of AZEK from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of AZEK from $47.00 to $43.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of AZEK from $52.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on AZEK from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, AZEK has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $49.24. View Our Latest Research Report on AZEK AZEK Stock Performance Hedge Funds Weigh In On AZEK Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in AZEK during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AZEK by 183.1% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 753 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 487 shares during the last quarter. Paladin Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of AZEK during the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AZEK by 106.4% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 931 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of AZEK by 5,452.2% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,277 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 1,254 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.44% of the company’s stock. About AZEK ( Get Free Report ) The AZEK Company Inc engages in the design, manufacturing, and selling of building products for residential, commercial, and industrial markets in the United States and Canada. It operates through two segments: Residential and Commercial. The Residential segment designs and manufactures engineered outdoor living products, such as decking, railing, trim and molding, siding and cladding, pergolas and cabanas, and accessories under the TimberTech, AZEK Exteriors, VERSATEX, ULTRALOX, StruXure, and INTEX brands. Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than AZEK How to Most Effectively Use the MarketBeat Earnings Screener Vertiv’s Cool Tech Makes Its Stock Red-Hot What Makes a Stock a Good Dividend Stock? MarketBeat Week in Review – 11/18 – 11/22 What Are the FAANG Stocks and Are They Good Investments? 2 Finance Stocks With Competitive Advantages You Can’t Ignore Receive News & Ratings for AZEK Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AZEK and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .None

SAN DIEGO , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group (Cetera), the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub, announced strategic leadership appointments aimed at enhancing growth and advancing its advisor-centric platform. These executive changes reflect Cetera's continued commitment to delivering exceptional service and innovation for financial professionals and their clients. Todd Mackay has been appointed President of Cetera Wealth Management, succeeding Tom Taylor , who will retire at the end of the year. In this role, Mackay will drive organic growth strategies across all of Cetera's Channels and Communities, while continuously advocating for and innovating on the products and services needed in order to meet the evolving needs of advisors and their clients. Effective January 1, 2025 , Mackay will continue reporting to Mike Durbin and serving on Cetera's executive leadership team. Additionally, Christian Mitchell will join Cetera as President of Cetera Solutions. A former executive at Northwestern Mutual, Mitchell will lead strategic growth initiatives focused on enhancing digital products, platforms, and investment solutions to deliver superior advisor and client experiences. Mitchell will join Cetera later in January as a member of Cetera's executive leadership team, reporting to Mike Durbin . "At Cetera, we are committed to equipping our advisors with the best tools, technology, and support systems to help them thrive," said Mike Durbin , CEO of Cetera. " Todd Mackay and Christian Mitchell are exceptional leaders whose expertise and vision will drive our Wealth Hub's evolution and strengthen our ability to meet advisors' dynamic needs." Mackay expressed his enthusiasm for the new role, stating, "I am honored to lead Cetera Wealth Management and advance our mission of enabling advisors to build thriving businesses through our unique Wealth Hub model. Our Channels and Communities are at the heart of what makes Cetera unique. I am passionate about strengthening our value proposition while continuing to make the big feel small by fostering deep, personalized relationships across our advisor network." Mitchell added, "Joining Cetera is a tremendous opportunity to build on a foundation of success driven by a talented leadership team. I am excited to shape innovative solutions that empower advisors and elevate the client experience." These leadership appointments reinforce Cetera's long-term strategic vision centered on growth, innovation, and industry leadership. With a focus on operational excellence and technological advancement, Cetera is well-positioned for continued success in the evolving financial services landscape. About Cetera Cetera Financial Group, which is owned by Cetera Holdings (collectively, Cetera), is the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub where financial advisors and institutions optimize their control and value creation. Breaking away from a commoditized and homogenous IBD model, Cetera offers financial professionals and institutions the latest solutions, support, and services to grow, scale, or transition with a merger, sale, investment, or succession plan. Cetera proudly serves independent financial advisors, tax professionals, licensed administrators, large enterprises, as well as institutions, such as banks and credit unions, providing an established and repeatable blueprint for scalable growth. Home to approximately 12,000 financial professionals and their teams, Cetera oversees more than $545 billion in assets under administration and $235 billion in assets under management, as of September 30, 2024 . In a recent advisor satisfaction survey of nearly 35,000 reviews, Cetera's Voice of Customer (VoC) program vigorously measures advisor experience and satisfaction 24/7. Currently, it's ranked 4.8 out of 5 stars. Visit www.cetera.com , and follow Cetera on LinkedIn , YouTube , X , and Facebook . "Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser, and the following FINRA/SIPC members: Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. Located at: 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego , CA 92101. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cetera-strengthens-executive-leadership-to-propel-strategic-growth-and-innovation-302336466.html SOURCE Cetera Financial GroupAZEK ( NYSE:AZEK – Free Report ) had its price target lifted by Barclays from $53.00 to $58.00 in a report released on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the stock. A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of AZEK in a report on Friday, August 9th. Loop Capital cut shares of AZEK from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $47.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, October 4th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of AZEK from $52.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. DA Davidson raised their target price on shares of AZEK from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of AZEK from $52.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $49.24. Read Our Latest Analysis on AZEK AZEK Trading Up 2.3 % Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in AZEK by 33.8% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 14,224,410 shares of the company’s stock worth $665,702,000 after buying an additional 3,595,863 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AZEK by 57.9% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,811,591 shares of the company’s stock worth $318,782,000 after acquiring an additional 2,497,074 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in shares of AZEK during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $86,719,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in AZEK by 66.8% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,466,145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,631,000 after acquiring an additional 587,107 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Interval Partners LP increased its stake in AZEK by 162.4% in the second quarter. Interval Partners LP now owns 742,749 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,292,000 after acquiring an additional 459,664 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.44% of the company’s stock. AZEK Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) The AZEK Company Inc engages in the design, manufacturing, and selling of building products for residential, commercial, and industrial markets in the United States and Canada. It operates through two segments: Residential and Commercial. The Residential segment designs and manufactures engineered outdoor living products, such as decking, railing, trim and molding, siding and cladding, pergolas and cabanas, and accessories under the TimberTech, AZEK Exteriors, VERSATEX, ULTRALOX, StruXure, and INTEX brands. Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than AZEK What does consumer price index measure? Vertiv’s Cool Tech Makes Its Stock Red-Hot What is the Hang Seng index? MarketBeat Week in Review – 11/18 – 11/22 What Are Dividend Champions? How to Invest in the Champions 2 Finance Stocks With Competitive Advantages You Can’t Ignore Receive News & Ratings for AZEK Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AZEK and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Smuggling Secrets Unveiled! Nvidia’s AI Chips Slip Through Borders.

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2024-- Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE: FC), a leader in organizational performance improvement, announced today that the conference call to review the Company’s first quarter fiscal 2025 financial results will take place on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. MT). The Company’s financial results are expected to be released after the close of the market on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Interested persons may access a live webcast at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/gk9ap76y or may participate via telephone by registering at https://register.vevent.com/register/BIe59413e64e764817b6ae5c75d8008324 . Once registered, participants will have the option of 1) dialing into the call from their phone (via a personalized PIN); or 2) clicking the “Call Me” option to receive an automated call directly to their phone. For either option, registration will be required to access the call. A replay of the conference call webcast will be archived on the Company’s website for at least 30 days. About Franklin Covey Co. Franklin Covey (NYSE: FC) is the most trusted leadership company in the world with operations in over 150 countries. We transform organizations by partnering with our clients to build leaders, teams, and cultures that get breakthrough results through collective action, which leads to a more engaging work experience for their people. Available through the Franklin Covey All Access Pass®, our best-in-class content and solutions, experts, technology, and metrics seamlessly integrate together to ensure lasting behavior change at scale. This approach to leadership and organizational change has been tested and refined by working with tens of thousands of teams and organizations over the past 30 years. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219219776/en/ CONTACT: For Further Information: Stephen D. Young Chief Financial Officer 801-817-1776 KEYWORD: UTAH UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CONSULTING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TRAINING HUMAN RESOURCES EDUCATION SOURCE: Franklin Covey Co. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/19/2024 04:03 PM/DISC: 12/19/2024 04:03 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219219776/enNew Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) Domestic telecom gear maker HFCL inaugurated its defence equipment manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, the company said on Tuesday. The new facility will produce defence technologies, including HFCL's indigenously developed thermal weapon sights, electronic fuzes, high-capacity radio relay (HCRR) systems and surveillance radars. "HFCL is proud to inaugurate this advanced defence equipment manufacturing facility in Hosur, which symbolises our unwavering dedication to innovation, excellence, and national progress. This facility will allow us to deliver world-class defence technologies to armed forces, enabling them to operate with greater efficiency and confidence in critical missions," HFCL Managing Director Mahendra Nahata said. The facility has the capacity to manufacture up to 5,000 thermal weapon sights, 250,000 electronic fuzes, 1,000 units each of high-capacity radio relays and ground surveillance radars annually, the statement said. HFCL's thermal weapon sights are compatible with small arms, such as rifles, light machine guns (LMGs), and rocket launchers, and offer features like high-resolution imaging etc. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

After institutions for people with disabilities close, graves are at risk of being forgotten

jiliko info Trump's Diverse Cabinet Picks: Breaking New Ground in Representation

[Source: rugby.com.au] Former England coach Stuart Lancaster remains under pressure as Racing 92 director of rugby after Jordan Uelese crossed in Montpellier’s 21-17 win over the Parisians. It’s Racing’s fourth defeat in five games across all competitions as former Wallaby Feleti Kaitu’u was one of three players yellow carded in the loss. Former England No 8 Billy Vunipola claimed his first try for Montpellier, opening their account in the 15th minute. Nolann Le Garrec kept Racing in the game with a quartet of penalties. However, Uelese’s try just after half time helped Montpellier take the lead after Racing went down to 13 players. It was the former Rebels’ second try in two games after crossing in their Challenge Cup win over Ospreys Elsewhere, Bayonne centre Sireli Maqala moved clear as the French Top 14’s leading try scorer on Saturday crossing in his side’s 27-21 win at Vannes. Fiji’s Maqala claimed his ninth league try of the season, one more than Lyon scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud, as his Basque outfit moved up to fourth in the table. The 24-year-old was joined on the scoresheet with tries from hooker Lucas Martin, Argentina back-rower Rodrigo Bruni as well as 12 points from the boot by fly-half Joris Segonds. Vannes remain bottom of the standings after their ninth loss in 12 games of their maiden campaign in the top-flight. Toulon are up to third thanks to a 56-25 hammering of Pau as France winger Gabin Villiere claimed a double. Last season’s losing finalists Bordeaux-Begles went above Toulouse to top spot holding off Castres for a 13-3 victory as ex-Ireland fly-half Joey Carbery kicked eight points in torrential rain. “The score isn’t great but what’s important is that we’ve won at Castres,” Bordeaux-Begles centre Yoram Moefana told Canal+. “The team was solid, and stayed together, we’re very happy,” he added. On Sunday, record 23-time champions Toulouse face Lyon without their Olympic seven gold medallist Antoine Dupont as the scrum-half is rested following two weeks of Champions Cup action.

Yields rise as equities sell off heading in to New YearAlmost three quarters of Scottish businesses are confident about their prospects next year, a survey has suggested. The Bank of Scotland’s business barometer poll showed 73% of Scottish businesses expect to see turnover increase in 2025, up from 60% polled in 2023. Almost a quarter (23%) of businesses expect to see their revenue rise by between six and 10% over the next 12 months, with just over a fifth (21%) expecting it to grow by even more. The poll found that 70% of businesses were confident they would become more profitable in 2025, a two per cent increase when compared with the previous year. Revenue and profitability growth was firms’ top priority at 52%, though 40% said they will be targeting improved productivity, and the same proportion said they will be aiming to enhance their technology – such as automation or AI – or upskill their staff (both 29%). More than one in five (22%) want to improve their environmental sustainability. Other areas businesses are hoping to build upon AI-assisted technology (19%), and 24% will be investing in expanding into new UK markets and 23% plan to invest in staff training. The business barometer has surveyed 1,200 businesses every month since 2002, providing early signals about UK economic trends. Martyn Kendrick, Scotland director at Bank of Scotland commercial banking, said: “Scottish businesses are looking ahead to 2025 with stronger growth expectations, and setting out clear plans to drive this expansion through investments in new technology, new markets and their own teams. “As we enter the new year, we’ll continue to by their side to help them pursue their ambitions and seize all opportunities that lie ahead.”