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There have been rumors Andrew Cuomo is going to throw his hat in the ring and run for mayor of NYC. It's incredibly tone deaf given the political heat he's facing for his handling of COVID and other scandals that plagued his time as governor. We're sure this post was meant to endear him to voters but, hoo boy, is it tone deaf and callous: Hope everyone has a wonderful day surrounded by loved ones. From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍁 pic.twitter.com/Pnx6j82Egt Back in September, this writer told you about Cuomo testifying before Congress about his handling of COVID nursing home policies and deaths, and the fact that Cuomo himself not only altered death numbers but lied about it . The House COVID panel recommended charges. It's incredibly insensitive of Cuomo to post that, seeing as there are a lot of families missing loved ones this Thanksgiving thanks to his policies and lies. Because of you my mother died alone and it was illegal to have funeral Mass. This will always be a sore spot for this writer. Her father died during COVID of an unrelated illness and her family couldn't hold a proper funeral. a LOT of families have empty seats at the table becuase YOU forced illness into their lives. face that. live with that, you horrible, horrible ghoul. Ghoul is too kind. Unless they don't have loved ones due to dying from your policies during covid. Self aware much? Zero self-awareness. @andrewcuomo How many grandparents + mothers and fathers + mothers were sent to their death and died alone because of you? You killed all of those people during Covid because of your terrible policies & failure to serve the citizens that you actually represent, instead of your... Far too many. You are still one of the worst human beings on the planet. And you have blood on your hands. We will pummel you if you attempt to run for anything again. We certainly hope so. Nice to see your kids still have a grandma...my kids don’t. RIP to my mom 9/14/2021 We are truly sorry for your loss. Ahhh isn’t that lovely you are pictured with your mother. Would have you put her in a nursing home with Covid patients Not a chance. Oh boy. That’s kinda messed up considering what you did. Really, really messed up. How fortunate for him. https://t.co/cuOTmObqGZ Janice lost both of her in-laws thanks to Cuomo's COVID policies. You killed our loved ones’, so no... https://t.co/hHv3vloUcS Yeah, a hard no for a lot of NYC residents. Hey, remember when you forced COVID patients into nursing homes, resulting in thousands of unnecessary deaths? The survivors of those deceased loved ones remember. So does everyone else. https://t.co/ocXY92HKOU We'll never forget.

UConn announced a two-year contract extension for head football coach Jim Mora on Saturday, just before the team took the field for the Fenway Bowl against North Carolina. Mora’s contract extension will run through 2028 and will pay him $10 million through the remaining four years, with the opportunity to earn more in incentives. The 63-year-old coach is set to make $1.7 million next season, $1.9 million in 2026 and $2.3 and $2.4 million in 2027 and 2028, respectively. UConn then went out and thrashed North Carolina, 27-14, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. “I am forever grateful. I’m grateful to (athletic director) David (Benedict) and (school president) Radenka (Maric) and the Board of Trustees, but this is about what the (UConn players) did today,” Mora said when asked about the extension in the postgame press conference. In a statement released by UConn ahead of the game, Mora said: “I’d like to thank David Benedict, Radenka Maric and the University of Connecticut leadership for their trust in me and their commitment to our football program. When I first got here, I talked about where we wanted this program to go and we have shown great progress but we still have plenty of work to do. The commitment and dedication from the university and the athletic department has me excited about the future for our football team.” “Three years ago, I tasked Jim Mora with the challenge of leading our football team back to success and through his experience, energy and leadership he has done just that,” UConn athletic director David Benedict said in a statement. “He has taken our program to post season bowl games twice and just guided our team to one of the best seasons in UConn football history, building a momentum to keep this program moving forward. I look forward to his leadership of our football team in the years ahead.” Mora is coming off one of the most successful seasons in UConn football history, having led the team to an 8-4 record and an appearance in the Fenway Bowl. It’s the Huskies’ second bowl appearance in three years. UConn’s eight wins is the most for the program since 2010, and the Huskies had their first winning season since that year, too. A win Saturday would give UConn nine wins for just the third time in program history, with the last two such seasons coming in 2003 and 2007. UConn quarterbacks coach Brad Robbins is heading to Tulsa as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, according to a report from CBS Sports. Robbins was part of a coaching staff that helped the offense produce its most prolific attack since the 2009 season and fifth-most in program history (32.3 points per game). Robbins worked at FCS Tennessee Tech and Division II North Greenville before joining Jim Mora’s staff in spring 2023. Get local news delivered to your inbox!You have questions. I have some answers. Q: I heard there will be another season of “Gentleman Jack.” Is this true, or has the series been canceled? A: The series based on the life of Anne Lister, a lesbian landowner in England in the 1830s, ran for two seasons and 16 total episodes on HBO, which co-produced the series with the BBC. Reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Still, HBO dropped out of production before a third season could be made. The BBC reportedly sought a new producing partner for the third season, but so far without success. You can find the two seasons on Max. And, if you’re wondering what the title meant, it was an insulting nickname from Lister’s neighbors: “gentleman” referring to Lister’s masculine look and “jack” to her love for women. Q: In 1964 (approximately) there was a half-hour show called “Hank” about a young man attempting to gain knowledge from college classes but who was not registered at the school. It didn’t run for long. Can I find it anywhere? A: “Hank” originally aired for 26 episodes on NBC in 1965-66. Dick Kallman — an award-winning stage actor and singer — played the title character. As you remembered, Hank was an orphaned young man dropping into college classes — and running various businesses to support himself and his sister (Katie Sweet). While the series was not a hit, it has enough admirers for a DVD release of the series, which is for sale on Amazon. There’s also “Dick Kallman Drops in as Hank,” an album of Kallman singing, on music streaming services including Spotify. And you TV loving readers may also remember “Hank,” a Kelsey Grammer comedy with a different premise than the ‘60s show, which had a short run in 2009. Q: I’ve been a lover of trains since I was a little boy. I remember watching a 30-minute show called “Casey Jones” about the famous locomotive engineer. I believe Alan Hale Sr. starred in the title role. Do you have any information about the availability of some or all of the episodes? A: “Casey Jones” originally aired in 1957-58 (and my memory of it as a kid suggests it was rerun for a lot longer). Alan Hale Jr. – later famous as the Skipper on “Gilligan’s Island” starred. Alan Hale Sr., his father, was a renowned character actor who passed away in 1950. As for “Casey Jones,” you can find episodes on YouTube. Q: While I usually watch a lot of PBS or history channels, I have started watching “Murder in a Small Town” on Fox. Please tell me it will be back! A: The drama based on books by L.R. Wright ended its first season after eight episodes in November. I’ve not seen an official announcement of a second season, but various published interviews have included the producers’ plans for another run, and work on new scripts. Q: I’ve been unsuccessful in trying to find the movie “The Tango Lesson.” When I search my streaming services from time to time, the response I get is that it is currently unavailable. Even looking for a DVD copy is frustrating. There are copies of dubious quality, and it’s not clear they are playable in North America. Any suggestions? A: Written and directed by Sally Potter (who also starred), “The Tango Lesson” is a 1997 drama about a filmmaker who becomes fascinated with the tango — and a dancer. Reviews were mixed — it’s at 50% on Rotten Tomatoes — but it can be found on digital. Fandango at Home has it for rent for $3.99 and for sale for $13.99; Apple TV has it for the same rental price and a $12.99 purchase.

Illawarra beach takes centre stage in national surf safety ad campaignIt will surprise no one that CD Projekt has been thinking long and hard about how not to repeat the mistakes of Cyberpunk 2077 with its upcoming Witcher game, currently codenamed Project Polaris. Speaking to Eurogamer , joint CEO of CD Projekt Michał Nowakowski said part of that was being "smarter in how we want to announce and kick off marketing campaigns" in the future. "To be honest," he said, "when we were kicking off the marketing campaign officially with pre-orders, which was the Keanu on stage [moment, at E3 in June 2019], the plan was actually to launch roughly one year later. It just didn't really work. So we didn't really plan for like a two-year campaign, and I still think that one year would really be fine [in terms of] time for a promotional campaign of that game." While the company has said The Witcher 4 is now in full production, it won't be revealing much more about it in a hurry, having learned to "announce the date when you're like really, really sure of it. And now I think we have much better tools to be sure of that date, which we—on a smaller scale—proved to ourselves with Phantom Liberty." Cyberpunk 2077's well-received expansion had a release date that allowed for six months' worth of marketing. Nowakowski said that, "for a new game, we would still expect a slightly longer—but not two-year—lasting campaign". That said, CD Projekt won't be completely silent on The Witcher 4 until its release date is announced. It just won't be the full-on blitz of trailers and demonstrations we saw before Cyberpunk 2088. "Because the marketing campaign," Nowakowski clarified, "slightly earlier before the launch of the game, that's different than the actual, say, 'mass attack'. Mass attack is when you announce the date, you start collecting the pre-orders and it really is that race from that point, that moment, to the moment you launch the game." So between now and whenever CD Projekt is ready to announce a release date for The Witcher 4, expect the occasional light dusting of promotion rather than a full-blown storm. As Nowakowski puts it, "we want to drop the crumbs here and there so that people—and the media as well—can, you know, pick up on it and try to figure out what it is we're trying to say this time." The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

Men Line up at 'Settlement Center' for Former Assad Regime Members in Daraa

Giants' 10th straight loss showed once again that they need a young QBAwaLife unveils Portable as brand ambassadorSimeon Boikov has been variously described as a misinformation spreader, serial pest and Russian pawn or signup to continue reading But he may prove a "useful idiot" for the Australian government in securing the freedom of captured Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins. Mr Boikov has been holed up in the Russian consulate in Sydney's eastern suburbs since December 2022, after being charged with assaulting an elderly man at a pro-Ukraine protest in Sydney's CBD. While the self-styled "Aussie Cossack" is seeking asylum with the Russians of his own accord and is not a prisoner of the Australian judicial system, opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said he could be used in an exchange to secure Mr Jenkins' release. "If he potentially proves himself to be, shall I say, a useful idiot in terms of a possibility for a Christmas swap, well that is something for the government to consider as it looks at ways to potentially bring an Australian free and break him from Russian custody," Senator Birmingham told ABC Radio on Tuesday. Mr Boikov volunteered himself to be exchanged with Mr Jenkins in a video posted on social media platform Telegram. "I'm sure the Russians will be happy to accept," Mr Boikov said. "We should bring him home, he shouldn't have been in Ukraine. "Let's do a deal." In a video posted to Russian social media on Sunday, Mr Jenkins is repeatedly slapped and interrogated by a Russian-speaking man assumed to be his captor. The man asks Mr Jenkins how it was he came to be in Kramatorsk, a town 700km east of Kyiv in the Donbas region, near the Russian-Ukrainian frontline. Standing in a forest and dressed in army fatigues, Mr Jenkins tells the man he wanted to help Ukraine. The footage was disturbing, Senator Birmingham said. "Obviously, all Australians would want to see and have confidence that this Australian citizen is going to be treated humanely, fairly, in accordance with the type of rules that should apply to prisoners of war," he said. Parading prisoners of war on social media is a breach of the , which dictates that they must at all times be protected against insults and public curiosity. The Australian government was making representations to Russia about Mr Jenkins, acting foreign affairs minister Mark Dreyfus said. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was yet to determine his whereabouts but was first made aware about concerns for Mr Jenkins' wellbeing in November, the ABC reported. People close to the 32-year-old have not known his whereabouts for months. "If that's the case, then what steps has Australia taken to try to ascertain his whereabouts and seek to ensure his well being?" Senator Birmingham said. While Mr Jenkins is believed to be the first Australian captured while fighting against Russia in Ukraine, at least seven Australians are believed to have died in the conflict. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Nationals leader David Littleproud have both implored Australians not to go over. "This isn't some great adventure," Mr Littleproud told Nine's Today Show. "I had to bring back the remains of a young man from my own electorate, Jed Danahay, who was over there as a medic helping Ukrainians in the war zone and was tragically killed. "I never forget the look and the anguish and the pain in his mother's eyes when I handed back his ashes to her." Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementMONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J., Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. ("OPT" or "the Company") OPTT , today announced preliminary financial results for the second quarter ended October 31, 2024 (Q2FY25). The preliminary results included in this press release are subject to change and have not been audited or reviewed by our independent auditor. The Company expects to file its second quarter financial results and update in mid‐December. Preliminary Q2FY25 Financial Highlights (All figures are preliminary, unaudited, and subject to finalization): Revenue : Estimated to be greater than $2 million, compared to $0.9 million for the same period last year, representing a more than 2x increase. Net Loss : Anticipated net loss of approximately $4 million, compared to $7.2 million in the prior year period and representing a year-over-year decrease in net loss of more than 40%. Operating expenses have been reduced by approximately 40%, including reduced external expenditures leading to a material reduction in third party spend. Cash Used in Operating Activities : Estimated to be less than $4.7 million, compared to $7.5 million in the prior-year period and representing a year-over-year decrease of approximately 40%. Business and Operational Highlights During Q2FY25, the Company completed the second set of exercises of the previously announced follow-on contract as a subcontractor to EpiSci and successfully deployed several WAM-V autonomous surface vehicles during the Mission Autonomy Proving Grounds (MAPG) as part of Project Overmatch. Project Overmatch is a United States Navy initiative aimed at achieving a seamless and highly integrated warfighting capability by leveraging advanced data networks, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. Under this contract, OPT continues to ruggedize and enhance the operational capability of its autonomous maritime technologies to support the U.S. military and its allies. The first set of exercises was concluded over the summer and the completion of these most recent exercises contributed to the revenue recognition noted above. The Company delivered several vehicles to customers in Latin America for commercial survey services. The Company signed its first service contract for multi-year support services for vehicles. Since the end of the quarter, OPT has received the final permits to install the previously announced PowerBuoy equipped with AT&Ts 5G equipment in Monterey Bay. The Company reaffirms its previously issued guidance that it believes it will reach profitability (excluding unanticipated extraordinary expenses) during the fourth quarter of calendar 2025. Performance to date reflects strong demand for products, effective cost management, and progress in strategic initiatives. Recent achievements, including recently announced partnerships and operational milestones regarding successful exercises and continued customer deliveries, further support the Company's trajectory toward achieving this stated objective. Philipp Stratmann, OPT's CEO and President, stated "We believe our preliminary results underscore the success of our strategic initiatives, such as focusing on national security and critical infrastructure solutions, coupled with targeted international expansion and our ability to execute for our customers. We have seen a recent uptick in demand for our services domestically and overseas and will continue to convert our pipeline to bookings and ultimately to revenue through future deliveries and additional opportunities to deploy our assets, and we remain committed to delivering long-term value for our shareholders. The success of our most recent quarter leads us to reconfirm our pathway to profitability in late calendar 2025." CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST INFORMATION A conference call to discuss OPT's financial results will be held on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 9:00 AM EDT. Philipp Stratmann, CEO, and Bob Powers, CFO will host the call. The dial-in numbers for the conference call are 877-407-8291 or 201-689-8345. Live webcast: Webcast | Ocean Power Technologies FY2025 Q2 Earnings Conference Call (choruscall.com) Call Replay: Call replay will be available by telephone approximately two hours after the call's completion. You may access the replay by dialing 877-660-6853 from the U.S. or 201-612-7415 for international callers and using the Conference ID 13748550. Webcast Replay: The archived webcast will be on the OPT investor relations section of its website. INDIVIDUAL MEETING INFORMATION In an effort to increase relations with institutional investors, OPT management has dedicated time to hosting individual meetings with portfolio managers and analysts. If you are interested in scheduling a meeting with OPT management, please contact: Email: InvestorRelations@oceanpowertech.com , or Call: 609-730-0400 x401 ABOUT OCEAN POWER TECHNOLOGIES OPT provides intelligent maritime solutions and services that enable safer, cleaner, and more productive ocean operations for the defense and security, oil and gas, science and research, and offshore wind markets, including Merrows, which provides AI capable seamless integration of Maritime Domain Awareness Systems across platforms. Our PowerBuoy® platforms provide clean and reliable electric power and real-time data communications for remote maritime and subsea applications. We also provide WAM-V® autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) and marine robotics services. The Company's headquarters is in Monroe Township, New Jersey, with an additional office in Richmond, California. To learn more, visit www.OceanPowerTechnologies.com . FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release may contain forward-looking statements that are within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are identified by certain words or phrases such as "may", "will", "aim", "will likely result", "believe", "expect", "will continue", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "contemplate", "seek to", "future", "objective", "goal", "project", "should", "will pursue" and similar expressions or variations of such expressions. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations about its future plans and performance. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions and estimates that could be inaccurate and subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary materially from those anticipated or expressed in any forward-looking statement made by the Company. Please refer to the Company's most recent Forms 10-Q and 10-K and subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for further discussion of these risks and uncertainties. The Company disclaims any obligation or intent to update the forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release or to provide further interim updates in the future. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

LAS VEGAS — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. "As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It's an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world's premier racing series, and we're committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM's engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level." The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. "We're excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. "Together, we're assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world." Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. "The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team," Michael Andretti posted on social media. "I'm very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!" The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti's dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years, and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA. The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they've already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti's application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1's current grid. "General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. "Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024," F1 said in a statement. "Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. "With Formula 1's continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Dayle Haddon, an actor, activist and trailblazing former “Sports Illustrated” model who pushed back against age discrimination by reentering the industry as a widow, has died in a Pennsylvania home from what authorities believe was carbon monoxide poisoning. Authorities in Bucks County found Haddon, 76, dead in a second-floor bedroom Friday morning after emergency dispatchers were notified about a person unconscious at the Solebury Township home. A 76-year-old man police later identified as Walter J. Blucas of Erie was hospitalized in critical condition. Responders detected a high level of carbon monoxide in the property and township police said Saturday that investigators determined that “a faulty flue and exhaust pipe on a gas heating system caused the carbon monoxide leak.” Two medics were taken to a hospital for carbon monoxide exposure and a police officer was treated at the scene. As a model, Haddon appeared on the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Esquire in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1973 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She also appeared in about two dozen films from the 1970s to 1990s, according to IMDb.com, including 1994’s “Bullets Over Broadway,” starring John Cusack. Haddon left modeling after giving birth to her daughter, Ryan, in the mid-1970s, but then had to reenter the workforce after her husband’s 1991 death. This time she found the modeling industry far less friendly: “They said to me, ‘At 38, you’re not viable,’” in 2003. Working a menial job at an advertising agency, Haddon began reaching out to cosmetic companies, telling them there was a growing market to sell beauty products to aging baby boomers. She eventually landed a contract with Clairol, followed by Estée Lauder and then L’Oreal, for which she promoted the company’s anti-aging products for more than a decade. She also hosted beauty segments for CBS’s “The Early Show.” “I kept modeling, but in a different way,” she told The Times, “I became a spokesperson for my age.” In 2008, Haddon founded WomenOne, an organization aimed at advancing educational opportunities for girls and women in marginalized communities, including Rwanda, Haiti and Jordan.’ Haddon was born in Toronto and began modeling as a teenager to pay for ballet classes — she began her career with the Canadian ballet company Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, . Haddon’s daughter, Ryan, said in a social media post that her mother was “everyone’s greatest champion. An inspiration to many.” “A pure heart. A rich inner life. Touching so many lives. A life well lived. Rest in Light, Mom,” she said. The Associated Press

#acegame888 As the two teams prepare to face off in this highly anticipated clash, football fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the outcome. Will Real Madrid be able to overcome the challenge posed by Inter Milan, or will the Italian giants prove too strong for the Spanish side?

Staffers at political news site The Hill ‘freaked out’ over layoff plan and editor’s possible departure

BASE SHELF PROSPECTUS IS ACCESSIBLE, AND PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS, ON SEDAR+ NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES EDMONTON, Alberta, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capital Power Corporation (TSX: CPX) (“Capital Power” or the “Company”) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters co-led by TD Securities and Scotiabank (collectively the “Underwriters”), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal basis, 5,960,000 common shares of Capital Power (“Common Shares”) at an offering price of $58.80 per Common Share (the “Offering Price”) for total gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $350 million (the “Offering”). The Underwriters have also been granted an option (the “Over-Allotment Option”) to purchase up to an additional 894,000 Common Shares at the Offering Price. The Over-Allotment Option is exercisable, in whole or in part, at any time for a period of 30 days following the closing of the Offering. If the Over-Allotment Option is exercised in full, total gross proceeds to the Company from the Offering will be approximately $403 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to fund future potential acquisitions and growth opportunities and for general corporate purposes. “North American power demand is undergoing unprecedented and multi-faceted growth, highlighting the need for reliable generation. Amid this backdrop, we are focused on opportunities to enhance our strategically positioned asset base but remain disciplined and focused on achieving our stated investment return thresholds. This financing, together with our recent renewable sell-down transaction, augments our strong balance sheet and positions us well to fund future growth opportunities,” said Avik Dey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Power. The Common Shares will be offered in all provinces and territories of Canada by way of a prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) to Capital Power’s base shelf prospectus dated June 12, 2024 (the “Base Shelf Prospectus”). The Prospectus Supplement will be filed with the securities commissions or securities regulatory authorities in all the provinces and territories of Canada on or before December 12, 2024. The Common Shares will also be offered on a private placement basis to “qualified institutional buyers” pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”). Completion of the Offering is subject to customary conditions, including requirements of the TSX. Closing of the Offering is anticipated to occur on December 17, 2024. All references to dollar amounts contained herein are to Canadian dollars. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This announcement does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States, nor may any securities referred to herein be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder. The securities referred to herein have not and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws, and except pursuant to exemptions from registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws, there is no intention to register any of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Such securities may be offered in the United States only to “qualified institutional buyers” (as defined in and in reliance on Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act). 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 the System for Electronic Data Analysis and Retrieval + (“SEDAR+”) at www.sedarplus.ca. 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 TD Securities at 1625 Tech Avenue, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5P5 Attention: Symcor, NPM, or by telephone at (289) 360-2009 or by email at sdcconfirms@td.com by providing the contact with an email address or address, as applicable. 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. Forward-looking Information Forward-looking information or statements included in this press release are provided to inform the Company’s shareholders and potential investors about management’s assessment of Capital Power’s future plans and operations. This information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The forward-looking information in this press release is generally identified by words such as will, anticipate, believe, plan, intend, target, and expect or similar words that suggest future outcomes. This press release includes forward-looking information and statements pertaining to the expected amount and intended use of the net proceeds of the Offering, any exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, the expected closing date of the Offering, North American power demand, the renewable sell-down transaction, and opportunities available to the Company. These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Capital Power considering its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate including its review of purchased businesses and assets. The material factors and assumptions used to develop these forward-looking statements relate to: (i) electricity natural gas, other energy and carbon prices, (ii) performance, (iii) business prospects and opportunities, (iv) the status of and impact of policy, legislation and regulations and (v) effective tax rates. Whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to Capital Power’s expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from Capital Power’s expectations. Such material risks and uncertainties include: (i) changes in electricity, natural gas and carbon prices in markets in which Capital Power operates and Capital Power’s use of derivatives, (ii) regulatory and political environments, including changes to environmental, climate, financial reporting, market structure and tax legislation, (iii) disruptions or price volatility within Capital Power’s supply chains, (iv) generation facility availability, wind capacity factor and performance, including maintenance expenditures, (v) ability to fund current and future capital and working capital needs, (vi) acquisitions, dispositions and developments, including timing and costs of regulatory approvals and construction, (vii) changes in the availability of fuel, (viii) the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and dispositions, (ix) limitations inherent in Capital Power’s review of acquired assets, (x) changes in general economic and competitive conditions, including inflation and the potential for a recession and (xi) changes in the performance and cost of technologies and the development of new technologies, and new energy efficient products, services and programs. See Risks and Risk Management in Capital Power’s Integrated Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2023, prepared as of February 27, 2024, and Capital Power’s interim Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, under Capital Power’s profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), and other reports filed by Capital Power with Canadian securities regulators. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the specified approval date. The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by applicable securities laws. Territorial Acknowledgement In the spirit of reconciliation, Capital Power respectfully acknowledges that we operate within the ancestral homelands, traditional and treaty territories of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, or North America. Capital Power’s head office is located within the traditional and contemporary home of many Indigenous Peoples of the Treaty 6 region and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4. We acknowledge the diverse Indigenous communities that are located in these areas and whose presence continues to enrich the community. About Capital Power Capital Power (TSX: CPX) is a growth-oriented power producer with approximately 9,300 MW of power generation at 32 facilities across North America. We prioritize safely delivering reliable and affordable power communities can depend on, building clean power systems, and creating balanced solutions for our energy future. We are Powering Change by Changing PowerTM. For more information, please contact :

One key indicator of the labor force burden is the dependency ratio, which measures the number of non-working individuals (children and elderly) supported by the working-age population. In Yunnan, the dependency ratio is calculated to be lower than the national average, indicating that the province has a lighter burden in terms of supporting non-working individuals. This low dependency ratio is a significant advantage for Yunnan as it implies a relatively larger working-age population available to contribute to economic growth and development.

Bulawayo-Gweru Road stray livestock accidents spikeIn the end, football is a game of unpredictable twists and turns, where the tides can change in an instant. As Real Madrid and Inter Milan lock horns in a battle of wills, one thing is certain – only one team will emerge victorious, while the other will be left to ponder what could have been. For football fans around the world, this clash of titans promises to be a spectacle full of drama, passion, and unforgettable moments. Let the games begin!

As United gear up for the business end of the season, the return of key players like Lindelof, Evans, and Shaw will be pivotal in their pursuit of success on multiple fronts. With crucial fixtures on the horizon in both domestic and European competitions, having a fully fit squad will be essential for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he looks to guide his team to glory.Nvidia Chipmaker, Three Breakouts Among Five Stocks To Watch

It’s never a good sign when a months-old commercial is getting a warmer embrace than a ballyhooed new rebranding campaign. And yet, that’s exactly where British luxury car manufacturer Jaguar has found itself, after critics dredged up a September ad for another car maker, Volvo, that is now going viral again. For the unaware, Jaguar found itself smack-dab in the middle of a waning culture war — and promptly appeared . As the world — as seen by the election of conservative leaders like President-elect Donald Trump and — collectively tilted back toward some semblance of normalcy, Jaguar felt compelled to do anything but. If anything, the now-beleaguered car company doubled down on woke, leftist ideology with one of the more tone-deaf and poorly timed rebranding campaigns in recent memory. You can watch the video, filled with men in dresses and other scenes of androgyny run amok, below: Copy nothing. — Jaguar (@Jaguar) “Copy nothing,” says the multi-billion dollar car company that is literally following in the footsteps of every multi-billion dollar, out there. The rebrand campaign, unsurprisingly, was vilified and mocked as being horrifically out of touch with what the average person wants these days, which is just peace, quiet and normalcy — none of which is found in the above advertisement. Interestingly enough, peace, quiet and normalcy were all things found in a September Volvo ad that’s very explicably gone viral again, all thanks to Jaguar’s idiocy. You can watch the Volvo ad for yourself below: The ad begins powerfully enough, especially for any father who’s been in this position before, as a woman tells her live-in boyfriend that she’s pregnant. The (shockingly heterosexual) couple respond to that news with genuine joy and emotion and happiness, which is a far cry from whatever it is that Jaguar was trying to pull off. The father-to-be then calls his mom to open up about all of his excitement and fears about becoming a dad. Interspersed in the future father’s dialogue are scenes of him, his girlfriend (he mentions that the incoming child would finally be what gets them to tie the knot), and his daughter in various phases of life: Happier times growing up, the inevitable pains of adolescence, and the void of an empty nest. If you’re wondering what any of this has to do with a car, you’re not alone, but the commercial does eventually crescendo to a woman very nearly running over the expectant mother with her car — but stops just short, thanks to the safety features of a Volvo. Look, is this Volvo ad perfect? Of course not — why couldn’t the baby be born wedlock, for instance? But the generally pro-family message it conveys is so much better than whatever it is Jaguar is trying to gurgle out as it’s choking on a rainbow during this rebrand. And social media agrees. One particularly viral X post, which included the full Volvo ad and has been seen over 11 million times according to X’s public metrics, lauded Volvo’s ad for breaking all the rules and “copying nothing.” “Volvo posted a 3 min and 46 second ad on Instagram, shot by Hoyte Van Hoytema, the cinematographer of Interstellar and Oppenheimer,” the . “It goes against every single rule you can think about as a social lead. Length. Format. Over-produced. “Every comment under the ad said it immediately put Volvo in their consideration set. It’s f***ing fantastic.” And the best comment under that X post? Jaguar brand designers punching the air rn — Mike Rundle (@flyosity) “Jaguar brand designers punching the air [right now],” the post read. They probably are ... assuming they still have their jobs to begin with. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. .

NoneDexter: Original Sin will take audiences back in time to find out how the man became the monster — er, the monster-slayer — in the Showtime thriller. The prequel series, which premieres on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday, December 13, takes place 15 years before we first met Dexter (then played by Michael C. Hall , who still narrates the new series) in the original Dexter . Taking over the title role in this iteration is Patrick Gibson , who has the character’s steely-eyed stares and smug sauntering style down to a science. With new characters being introduced in some familiar settings, the new series will bring some new details about Dexter’s past to light, but it will also inevitably retread some familiar territory from the first show, which had ample flashbacks. Here’s what to remember about Dexter ‘s past before Dexter: Original Sin . Dexter didn’t find out until he was a fully grown serial murderer that he had a big brother who was also running around slaughtering people. The Ice Truck Killer who stalked Dexter was actually Brian Moser, his slightly older brother who was not adopted (or even mentioned) by Harry. Dexter only found out about Brian because the Ice Truck Killer left clues that were tailored to catch his attention — reminding him of scenes from his past as part of the Morgan family. Laura Moser was the single mother to Brian and Dexter and worked as a confidential informant for Harry and the Miami-Metro Police Department against the Colombian cartel. She was brutally dismembered right in front of Brian and Dexter, who were left wading in her blood inside a shipping container. Harry adopted Dexter as his own upon finding him in the container, but Brian was sent into the foster system. In flashbacks in Dexter , it became clear that he was not a normal teenager with typical feelings or tendencies. In fact, he had an innate bloodlust that his father recognized and tried to quell with hunting trips, to the exclusion of his daughter Debra. Harry wanted to protect Dexter from himself — particularly his self-destructive impulses. Though Harry tried to find other ways for Dexter to quench his thirst for blood, so to speak, he soon gave in and encouraged him to kill someone when he discovered Nurse Mary was poisoning Harry and other patients in the hospital after his heart attack. Once Dexter began to kill, Harry worked hard to create a framework for his adoptive son to work within that, if he followed it to the letter, would keep his morality and freedom intact. The rules included being certain that the mark was worthy of being murdered and leaving no trace of evidence behind. Even after Harry’s death, Dexter worked to strictly adhere to this code in every kill. Randy Tepper/Showtime Dexter repeatedly revealed that he felt empty on the inside, and it was Harry who taught him to feign normal human feelings and social interactions around others — even if it meant faking a smile in his own family photos. Little by little throughout Dexter , we learn that Harry Morgan had several affairs while married to Doris, including with Laura Morgan and another confidential informant. Though Harry is definitely the most common star of Dexter’s flashback memories, his adoptive mother Doris is also a fixture of his past. She died when Deb was 16 and didn’t know about Dexter’s violent tendencies, even if she didn’t totally understand him at times. Dexter: Original Sin , Series Premiere, Streaming, Friday, December 13, Paramount+ with Showtime, Sunday, December 15, 10/9c, Paramount+ with Showtime More Headlines:

Is Joel Farabee part of the Flyers' future, or could he end up as trade bait?Imagine interacting with a product that doesn’t require instructions or guesswork, a tool that feels so intuitive it seems to speak your language. This is the promise of the BEHAVIORAL (instincts) series, a collection of four small appliances designed to bridge instinct and usability. By merging familiar behaviors with innovative design, these products create experiences that are not only functional but also memorable. Designer: and The form of the speaker takes inspiration from the humble doorknob, an object universally associated with control and access. Just as turning a doorknob opens a door, rotating REVOLVE adjusts the sound. This tactile design not only feels natural but also invites a sense of exploration. Equipped with silicone pressure pads, the speaker can attach to walls, creating a unique echo chamber effect. REVOLVE isn’t just a tool for listening, it’s an invitation to shape how sound interacts with your environment, turning a simple speaker into a doorway to new auditory experiences. Spin is a supplementary battery that reimagines the charging experience with a nod to the nostalgic charm of cassette tapes. The battery device features a rotating disk that moves as electricity flows, visually representing the direction of the charge. This dynamic motion is both functional and engaging, transforming a mundane activity into a sensory experience. By merging analog familiarity with modern technology, SPIN bridges the gap between past and present, creating a product that doesn’t just charge your devices but also sparks a moment of joy in the process. Inspired by the mechanics of a tape measure, this torch light allows users to adjust brightness intuitively. Stretching the cable feels as natural as measuring a length of fabric or wood, with the brightness increasing as the wire extends. This clever design not only simplifies light control but also makes it engaging and satisfying. Whether you need a subtle ambiance or a bright workspace, EXTEND lets you tailor your lighting with the ease of a familiar motion, turning illumination into an interactive and creative act. ROTATE reinvents the conventional extension cord by borrowing from the design of a gas valve. Instead of a standard switch, the valve rotates to open or close the circuit, visually communicating the flow of electricity. This intuitive design makes managing power both simple and tactile. By integrating a motion many users already understand, ROTATE transforms a routine task into a moment of control and mastery, reminding us that even the most utilitarian tools can offer a sense of satisfaction. The BEHAVIORAL (instincts) series exemplifies how thoughtful design can enhance the user experience, creating products that go beyond functionality to leave lasting impressions. Each product taps into familiar behaviors and sensory engagement, making interactions intuitive and enjoyable. By prioritizing the intersection of instinct and learning, these tools demonstrate that great design doesn’t just solve problems, it enriches daily life.

FARMVILLE, Va. (AP) — Keishon Porter had 20 points in North Carolina Central's 77-70 win against Longwood on Saturday. Porter also contributed three steals for the Eagles (5-8). Po'Boigh King scored 16 points while shooting 6 for 10, including 3 for 6 from beyond the arc. Kelechi Okworogwo finished 4 of 4 from the floor for eight points. Colby Garland led the Lancers (9-3) with 15 points, six assists and four steals. Michael Christmas added 14 points and six rebounds. Elijah Tucker scored 13. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

'We are on it': US official seeks to allay drone sighting concerns

Yunnan, known for its diverse ethnic groups, rich culture, and abundant natural resources, has a population of over 48 million. The demographics of the province show a relatively young population, with a large proportion of working-age individuals compared to dependents, such as children and the elderly. This demographic composition is advantageous for economic development as it signifies a larger labor force relative to the number of non-working individuals who rely on them for support.

Evans, in particular, has been a key figure in United's defense this season, and his absence has been keenly felt by both his teammates and the fans. The experienced center-back's leadership and organization skills have been sorely missed, and his return to full fitness cannot come soon enough for the Red Devils.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Then-President Donald Trump looks to Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as she speaks during a Jan. 11, 2018, prison reform roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Brooke Rollins, assistant to the president and director of the Domestic Policy Council at the time, speaks during a May 18, 2020, meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Rollins, speaking on the Christian talk show “Family Talk" earlier this year, said Trump was an “amazing boss” and confessed that she thought in 2015, during his first presidential campaign, that he would not last as a candidate in a crowded Republican primary field. “I was the person that said, ‘Oh, Donald Trump is not going to go more than two or three weeks in the Republican primary. This is to up his TV show ratings. And then we’ll get back to normal,’” she said. “Fast forward a couple of years, and I am running his domestic policy agenda.” Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. Brooke Rollins speaks at an Oct. 27 campaign rally for then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York. Evan Vucci, Associated Press President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Josh Funk and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. George Walker IV, Associated Press Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Derik Hamilton Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Matt Rourke, Associated Press The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Matt Kelley, Associated Press Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. Andy Cross, The Denver Post via AP President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Evan Vucci Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. AP Photo/Evan Vucci Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. John Bazemore, Associated Press Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Matt Rourke, Associated Press Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Jonathan Newton - pool, ASSOCIATED PRESS Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Paul Sancya, Associated Press Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Oded Balilty, Associated Press Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. John Bazemore, Associated Press Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Matt Rourke, Associated Press Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Evan Vucci, Associated Press photos Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Jose Luis Magana, Associated PressAMMAN — The Jordan Europe Business Association (JEBA), on Sunday called for enhancing economic ties between Jordan and the European Union, describing these relations as a "key driver for advancing trade and investment cooperation." Mohammad Smadi, board member and promotion director of JEBA, highlighted Jordan's strategic position as a gateway for European access to regional markets, noting that this "unique" role offers significant opportunities in vital sectors such as trade, renewable energy and technology, according to the Jordan news Agency, Petra. He highlighted Jordan's reputation as a stable and secure partner, making it an attractive destination for European investment, particularly in strategic industries. Despite regional geopolitical challenges, the Kingdom has maintained its position as a "reliable hub" for foreign investors, he added. Smadi noted that the European Union is Jordan's second largest trading partner, where trade volume reached JD3.2 billion in 2023, pointing out that Jordan's main exports to Europe include phosphates, fertilisers and pharmaceuticals. He also acknowledged that there are still some challenges hindering Jordanian-EU trade, including high transport costs and the "stringent" standards required by European markets. Smadi estimated that untapped opportunities under existing agreements, such as the Jordan-EU Partnership Agreement, amount to some $777 million. To address these challenges, Smadi called for increased efforts to capitalise on these agreements and boost trade. He pointed to Jordan's Economic Modernisation Vision, which focuses on increasing exports to Europe by improving product quality, training small and medium-sized enterprises, promoting the green economy and upgrading logistics infrastructure to reduce transport costs. In addition, digital transformation is seen as a "key enabler" for Jordanian companies to enter European markets more effectively. "Jordan is not only a gateway to Europe, but also to regional markets such as the Gulf, Iraq and Syria," said Smadi. He added that initiatives such as the Jordanian Railway Project and the Clean Energy Corridor will improve connectivity between Jordan, the region and Europe, creating even greater opportunities for economic cooperation. To further boost trade ties, Smadi suggested specialised training programmes to help Jordanian companies meet European standards and developing joint digital platforms to streamline trade and reduce customs barriers. He emphasised the crucial role of SMEs, which make up 95 per cent of Jordan's economy, in the Kingdom's modernisation efforts. Smadi noted that JEBA plays a key role in fostering partnerships between the Jordanian and European private sectors by organising investment forums, conferences and providing consultancy services to facilitate market entry. He also announced JEBA's plans to host the first Jordan-European Forum under the theme "Digital and Green Jordan", urging European countries to increase their investments in the Kingdom's strategic and vital sectors in a bid to enhance the Kingdom's role as a regional and international economic hub.super ace 888 。

HONG KONG: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Saturday that global cooperation in technology will continue even if the incoming US administration imposes stricter export controls on advanced computing products. US President-elect Donald Trump, in his first term in office, imposed restrictions on the sale of US technology to China citing national security - a policy continued under President Joe Biden. The curbs forced Nvidia, the world’s leading maker of chips used for artificial intelligence applications, to change its product lineup in China. “Open science in global collaboration, cooperation across math and science has been around for a very long time. It is the foundation of social advancement and scientific advancement,” Huang told media during a visit to Hong Kong. Cooperation is “going to continue. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the new administration, but whatever happens, we’ll balance simultaneously compliance with laws and policies, continue to advance our technology and support and serve customers all over the world.” The head of the world’s most valuable company was speaking in the financial hub after receiving an honorary doctorate in engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. During the visit, Huang participated in a fireside chat with the university’s Council Chairman Harry Sham in front of an audience of students and academics. Asked about the huge energy requirements of graphics processing units - chips behind artificial intelligence - Huang said, “If the world uses more energy to power the AI factories of the world, we are a better world when that happens”. Huang said “the goal of AI is not for training, the goal of AI is for inference”. He said AI can discover, for instance, new ways to store carbon dioxide in reservoirs, new wind turbine designs and new materials for storing electricity. He said people should start thinking about placing AI supercomputers slightly off the power grid and let them use sustainable energy and in places away from populations. “My hopes and dreams is that in the end, what we all see is that using energy for intelligence is the best use of energy we can imagine,” Huang said. Earlier on Saturday, Huang told graduates that “the age of AI has started” in a speech after receiving the honorary degree. “A new computing era that will impact every industry and every field of science.” Huang, 61, also told graduates that he wished he had started his career at this time. “The whole world is reset. You’re at the starting lines with everybody else. An industry is being reinvented. You now have the instruments, the instruments necessary to advance science in so many different fields,” Huang said. “The greatest challenges of our time, unimaginable challenges to overcome in the past, all of a sudden seem possible to tackle.” — ReutersGrain-based plants miss the mark on eco impact, saye expertsLasertec Co. ( OTCMKTS:LSRCF – Get Free Report )’s stock price traded down 0.2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $95.20 and last traded at $96.67. 632 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 5% from the average session volume of 603 shares. The stock had previously closed at $96.90. Lasertec Stock Down 0.2 % The firm has a fifty day moving average of $123.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $167.49. Lasertec Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Lasertec Corporation engages in the designing, manufacturing, and sale of inspection and measurement equipment in Japan and internationally. The company offers semiconductor related products, which includes mask related systems for extreme ultraviolet and deep ultraviolet solutions, and wafers inspection and review systems; and FPD photomask inspection systems. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Lasertec Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lasertec and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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By Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times (TNS) Every day millions of people share more intimate information with their accessories than they do with their spouse. Wearable technology — smartwatches, smart rings, fitness trackers and the like — monitors body-centric data such as your heart rate, steps taken and calories burned, and may record where you go along the way. Like Santa Claus, it knows when you are sleeping (and how well), it knows when you’re awake, it knows when you’ve been idle or exercising, and it keeps track of all of it. People are also sharing sensitive health information on health and wellness apps , including online mental health and counseling programs. Some women use period tracker apps to map out their monthly cycle. These devices and services have excited consumers hoping for better insight into their health and lifestyle choices. But the lack of oversight into how body-centric data are used and shared with third parties has prompted concerns from privacy experts, who warn that the data could be sold or lost through data breaches, then used to raise insurance premiums, discriminate surreptitiously against applicants for jobs or housing, and even perform surveillance. The use of wearable technology and medical apps surged in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, but research released by Mozilla on Wednesday indicates that current laws offer little protection for consumers who are often unaware just how much of their health data are being collected and shared by companies. “I’ve been studying the intersections of emerging technologies, data-driven technologies, AI and human rights and social justice for the past 15 years, and since the pandemic I’ve noticed the industry has become hyper-focused on our bodies,” said Mozilla Foundation technology fellow Júlia Keserű, who conducted the research. “That permeates into all kinds of areas of our lives and all kinds of domains within the tech industry.” The report “From Skin to Screen: Bodily Integrity in the Digital Age” recommends that existing data protection laws be clarified to encompass all forms of bodily data. It also calls for expanding national health privacy laws to cover health-related information collected from health apps and fitness trackers and making it easier for users to opt out of body-centric data collections. Researchers have been raising alarms about health data privacy for years. Data collected by companies are often sold to data brokers or groups that buy, sell and trade data from the internet to create detailed consumer profiles. Body-centric data can include information such as the fingerprints used to unlock phones, face scans from facial recognition technology, and data from fitness and fertility trackers, mental health apps and digital medical records. One of the key reasons health information has value to companies — even when the person’s name is not associated with it — is that advertisers can use the data to send targeted ads to groups of people based on certain details they share. The information contained in these consumer profiles is becoming so detailed, however, that when paired with other data sets that include location information, it could be possible to target specific individuals, Keserű said. Location data can “expose sophisticated insights about people’s health status, through their visits to places like hospitals or abortions clinics,” Mozilla’s report said, adding that “companies like Google have been reported to keep such data even after promising to delete it.” Related Articles A 2023 report by Duke University revealed that data brokers were selling sensitive data on individuals’ mental health conditions on the open market. While many brokers deleted personal identifiers, some provided names and addresses of individuals seeking mental health assistance, according to the report. In two public surveys conducted as part of the research, Keserű said, participants were outraged and felt exploited in scenarios where their health data were sold for a profit without their knowledge. “We need a new approach to our digital interactions that recognizes the fundamental rights of individuals to safeguard their bodily data, an issue that speaks directly to human autonomy and dignity,” Keserű said. “As technology continues to advance, it is critical that our laws and practices evolve to meet the unique challenges of this era.” Consumers often take part in these technologies without fully understanding the implications. Last month, Elon Musk suggested on X that users submit X-rays, PET scans, MRIs and other medical images to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, to seek diagnoses. The issue alarmed privacy experts, but many X users heeded Musk’s call and submitted health information to the chatbot. While X’s privacy policy says that the company will not sell user data to third parties, it does share some information with certain business partners. Gaps in existing laws have allowed the widespread sharing of biometric and other body-related data. Health information provided to hospitals, doctor’s offices and medical insurance companies is protected from disclosure under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act , known as HIPAA, which established federal standards protecting such information from release without the patient’s consent. But health data collected by many wearable devices and health and wellness apps don’t fall under HIPAA’s umbrella, said Suzanne Bernstein, counsel at Electronic Privacy Information Center. “In the U.S. because we don’t have a comprehensive federal privacy law ... it falls to the state level,” she said. But not every state has weighed in on the issue. Washington, Nevada and Connecticut all recently passed laws to provide safeguards for consumer health data. Washington, D.C., in July introduced legislation that aimed to require tech companies to adhere to strengthened privacy provisions regarding the collection, sharing, use or sale of consumer health data. In California, the California Privacy Rights Act regulates how businesses can use certain types of sensitive information, including biometric information, and requires them to offer consumers the ability to opt out of disclosure of sensitive personal information. “This information being sold or shared with data brokers and other entities hypercharge the online profiling that we’re so used to at this point, and the more sensitive the data, the more sophisticated the profiling can be,” Bernstein said. “A lot of the sharing or selling with third parties is outside the scope of what a consumer would reasonably expect.” Health information has become a prime target for hackers seeking to extort healthcare agencies and individuals after accessing sensitive patient data. Health-related cybersecurity breaches and ransom attacks increased more than 4,000% between 2009 and 2023, targeting the booming market of body-centric data, which is expected to exceed $500 billion by 2030, according to the report. “Nonconsensual data sharing is a big issue,” Keserű said. “Even if it’s biometric data or health data, a lot of the companies are just sharing that data without you knowing, and that is causing a lot of anxiety and questions.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Chimezie's late layup lifts Boston University past Maine 59-56NEW YORK (AP) — never expected to hit all the notes. But finding the breath of was enough to bring things out of Jolie that she didn’t even know were in her. “All of us, we really don’t realize where things land in our body over a lifetime of different experiences and where we hold it to protect ourselves,” Jolie said in a recent interview. “We hold it in our stomachs. We hold it in our chest. We breathe from a different place when we’re nervous or we’re sad. “The first few weeks were the hardest because my body had to open and I had to breathe again,” she adds. “And that was a discovery of how much I wasn’t.” In Pablo Larraín’s which Netflix released in theaters Wednesday before it begins streaming on Dec. 11, Jolie gives, if not the performance of her career, then certainly of her last decade. Beginning with 2010’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” Jolie has spent recent years while prioritizing raising her six children. “So my choices for quite a few years were whatever was smart financially and short. I worked very little the last eight years,” says Jolie. “And I was kind of drained. I couldn’t for a while.” But her youngest kids are now 16. And for the first time in years, Jolie is back in the spotlight, in full movie-star mode. Her commanding performance in “Maria” seems assured of bringing Jolie her third Oscar nomination. (She won supporting actress in 2000 for “Girl, Interrupted.”) For an actress whose filmography might lack a signature movie, “Maria” may be Jolie’s defining role. Jolie’s oldest children, Maddox and Pax, worked on the set of the film. There, they saw a version of their mother they hadn’t seen before. “They had certainly seen me sad in my life. But I don’t cry in front of my children like that,” Jolie says of the emotion Callas dredged up in her. “That was a moment in realizing they were going to be with me, side by side, in this process of really understanding the depth of some of the pain I carry.” Jolie, who met a reporter earlier this fall at the Carlyle Hotel, didn’t speak in any detail of that pain. But it was hard not to sense some it had to do with her lengthy and ongoing divorce from Brad Pitt, with whom she had six children. Just prior to meeting, a judge allowed Pitt’s remaining claim against Jolie, over the French winery Château Miraval, to proceed. On Monday, a judge ruled that Pitt must disclose documents Jolie’s legal team have sought that they allege include “communications concerning abuse.” Pitt has denied ever being abusive. The result of the U.S. presidential election was also just days old, though Jolie — special envoy for the United Nations Refugee Agency – wasn’t inclined to talk politics. Asked about , she responded, “Global storytelling is essential,” before adding: “That’s what I’m focusing on. Listening. Listening to the voices of people in my country and around the world.” Balancing such things — reports concerning her private life, questions that accompany someone of her fame — is a big reason why Jolie is so suited to the part of Callas. The film takes place during the American-born soprano’s final days. (She died of a heart attack at 53 in 1977.) Spending much of her time in her grand Paris apartment, Callas hasn’t sung publicly in years; she’s lost her voice. Imprisoned by the myth she’s created, Callas is redefining herself and her voice. An instructor tells her he wants to hear “Callas, not Maria.” The movie, of course, is more concerned with Maria. It’s Larrain’s third portrait of 20th century female icon, following (with Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy) and (with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana). As Callas, Jolie is wonderfully regal — a self-possessed diva who deliciously, in lines penned by screenwriter Steven Knight, spouts lines like: “I took liberties all my life and the world took liberties with me.” Asked if she identified with that line, Jolie answered, “Yeah, yeah.” Then she took a long pause. “I’m sure people will read a lot into this and there’s probably a lot I could say but don’t want to feed into,” Jolie eventually continues. “I know she was a public person because she loved her work. And I’m a public person because I love my work, not because I like being public. I think some people are more comfortable with a public life, and I’ve never been fully comfortable with it.” When Larraín first approached Jolie about the role, he screened “Spencer” for her. That film, like “Jackie” and “Maria,” eschews a biopic approach to instead intimately focus on a specific moment of crisis. Larraín was convinced Jolie was meant for the role. “I felt she could have that magnetism,” Larraín says. “The enigmatic diva that’s come to a point in her life where she has to take control of her life again. But the weight of her experience, of her music, of her singing, everything, is on her back. And she carries that. It’s someone who’s already loaded with a life that’s been intense.” “There’s a loneliness that we both share,” Jolie says. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think people can be alone and lonely sometimes, and that can be part of who they are.” Larraín, the Chilean filmmaker, grew up in Santiago going to the opera, and he has long yearned to bring its full power and majesty to a movie. In Callas, he heard something that transfixed him. “I hear something near perfection, but at the same time, it’s something that’s about to be destroyed,” Larraín says. “So it’s as fragile and as strong as possible. It lives in both extremes. That’s why it’s so moving. I hear a voice that’s about to be broken, but it doesn’t.” In Callas’ less perfect moments singing in the film, Larraín fuses archival recordings of Callas with Jolie’s own voice. Some mix of the two runs throughout “Maria.” “Early in the process,” Jolie says, “I discovered that you can’t fake-sing opera.” Jolie has said she never sang before, not even karaoke. But the experience has left her with a newfound appreciation of opera and its healing properties. “I wonder if it’s something you lean into as you get older,” Jolie says. “Maybe your depth of pain is bigger, your depth of loss is bigger, and that sound in opera meets that, the enormity of it.” If Larraín’s approach to “Maria” is predicated on an unknowingness, he’s inclined to say something similar about his star. “Because of media and social media, some people might think that they know a lot about Angelina,” he says. “Maria, I read nine biographies of her. I saw everything. I read every interview. I made this movie. But I don’t think I would be capable of telling you who she was us. So if there’s an element in common, it’s that. They carry an enormous amount of mystery. Even if you think that you know them, you don’t.” Whether “Maria” means more acting in the future for Jolie, she’s not sure. “There’s not a clear map,” she says. Besides, Jolie isn’t quite ready to shake Callas. “When you play a real person, you feel at some point that they become your friend,” says Jolie. “Right now, it’s still a little personal. It’s funny, I’ll be at a premiere or I’ll walk into a room and someone will start blaring her music for fun, but I have this crazy internal sense memory of dropping to my knees and crying.” Jake Coyle, The Associated Press

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The United Arab Emirates has achieved a significant milestone by securing the fifth position in the Quality Infrastructure for Sustainable Development (QI4SD) Index, an ascent of six places from its previous ranking. The index, first launched by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in June 2022, placed the UAE in the 'L' group, alongside countries such as Switzerland, South Africa, Singapore, and Finland. A comprehensive framework, the QI4SD Index evaluates the readiness of national quality infrastructure (QI) systems to advance sustainable development goals. The UAE's rapid growth in this index is a testament to the foresight of its leaders, highlighted by substantial improvements driven by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and its stakeholders in areas such as regulations, standards, and market surveillance. This recognition reaffirms international trust in the UAE's Quality Infrastructure, pivotal for economic diversification and supply chain resilience. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, emphasized that this achievement aligns with Operation 300bn, a robust strategy aiming to enhance industrial investments and facilitate trade by eliminating technical obstacles. (With inputs from agencies.)Share this Story : Confederation Line trains held on Sunday afternoon Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links News Local News Confederation Line trains held on Sunday afternoon Shortly before 4 p.m., OC Transpo issued an alert saying trains were being held and more information would follow. Get the latest from Marlo Glass straight to your inbox Sign Up Author of the article: Marlo Glass Published Dec 29, 2024 • Last updated 3 minutes ago • 1 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. A file photo of a train on the Confederation Line LRT system. Photo by Errol McGihon / Postmedia Article content OC Transpo says trains are being held along the Confederation Line on Sunday afternoon. Shortly before 4 p.m., OC Transpo issued an alert saying trains were being held and more information would follow. As of 4:30 p.m., there was no train service between Tunney’s Pasture and uOttawa stations, and replacement buses were running between Tunney’s Pasture and Hurdman stations. OC Transpo did not immediately say what was causing the disruption. More to come. Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Recommended from Editorial Ottawa weather forecast calls for fog, rain 4.1 magnitude earthquake in northwest Quebec felt in Ottawa Advertisement 2 Advertisement This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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Trending World juniors: Reinforcements on way as Canada moves forward from devastating loss to Latvia World Juniors GameDay: Ottawa Senators face brilliant goalie they gave away, Minnesota Wild Ottawa Senators 4.1 magnitude earthquake in northwest Quebec felt in Ottawa News Canadian military fears maintenance issues will plague equipment sent to Latvia Defence Watch World Juniors: Easton Cowan assumes ownership of Canada's failure to score more World Juniors Read Next Latest National Stories Featured Local Savings

Revealed! NDIC begins selling properties after Nigerian banks shut downAnother big-time college football quarterback has entered the transfer portal. Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah is reportedly entering the transfer portal when it officially opens on Monday, according to multiple reports, including ESPN's Pete Thamel . The redshirt freshman should be among the top signal callers in the portal, given his production and three seasons of eligibility remaining. REQUIRED READING: Alabama, ACC headline winners and losers from College Football Playoff bracket reveal A first-year starter in 2024, Mensah beat out former blue-chip Oregon quarterback Ty Thompson, a junior in his first season with the Green Wave . The 6-foot-3 quarterback completed 189 of 287 passes (65.9%) for 2,723 yards with 22 touchdowns to six interceptions, adding 132 rushing yards and a touchdown. Mensah led Tulane to the American Athletic Conference championship game on Friday, which it lost to Army 35-14. Overall, Tulane finished 9-4 on the season with two losses to Power Four programs in Kansas State and Oklahoma, both of which he performed well against. In fact, Mensah's career-high in passing yards is 342, which came against the Wildcats after he nearly led Tulane to an upset win after completing 19 of 29 passes with two touchdowns to an interception. Mensah finished 14 of 32 passing for 166 yards with a touchdown to an interception against the Sooners ' stout defense in nonconference play. The San Luis Obispo, California, native is not yet ranked by 247Sports' Composite transfer rankings, however, he will likely be ranked much higher than out of high school, when he was a 2-star recruit tabbed the nation's No. 2289 player overall and No. 135 quarterback. Tulane and Idaho State were reportedly the schools to make him offers, with the former obviously being his choice. Mensah joins other high-end transfer portal quarterbacks like Texas A&M's Conner Weigman, USC's Miller Moss, Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold and Liberty's Kaidon Salter, with presumably many more additions to come when the transfer portal officially opens Monday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar , while speaking on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, stressed that the primary concern is to stop the mounting death toll, and stressed the need for achieving an "immediate ceasefire," paving more humanitarian assistance, and facilitating the return of hostages. He further reiterated India's continuous contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and asserted that the country will continue to do so. Jaishankar was speaking at the 20th IISS Manama Dialogue panel on 'Whither Regional Strategic Cooperation', alongside Bahrainian Foreign Minister, Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and Czech Republic National Security Advisor, Tomas Pojar in Bahrain. READ | Iran, Israel tensions source of concern, says Jaishankar "Right now I think the issue is of the ceasefire, the issue is of humanitarian assistance, return of the hostages. The issue is the stopping of deaths. We have been contributing to UNRWA. We will continue to do so," he said. "In recent years we have increased our contribution. We have supplied relief material, particularly medicines because we are a prolific producer of medicines. We have provided medicines to Gaza through Egypt, through the Palestinian authorities, separately to Lebanon, to the government of Lebanon," he added. Jaishankar also highlighted the impending demographic crunch that will impact numerous societies worldwide in the next decade and emphasised that India is addressing this reality through migration and mobility partnerships established with several countries "Yes, I do think that, in the next decade, the demographic crunch is really going to impact a lot of societies, some very unexpected ones. Today, when we look at power projection, you know, which country is going to be where a lot of this is a business in itself? The demographic variable is going to be increasingly critical because many societies are going to see a very, very sharp dip as early as the beginning of the next decade," he said. "So, we feel it's a reality that needs to be addressed. Some countries like to do it as part of a formal multilateral or bilateral understanding. We have something called migration and mobility partnerships, which we have established, I think, with several countries now, many of them in Europe, Japan, and Australia," he added. Further, the Foreign Minister noted that India is a supporter of the Abraham Accords, and affirmed hope that the 'I2U2' grouping will grow in the coming days. 'I2U2' is a strategic partnership group between four nations -- India, Israel, the US and the UAE. "For us, when we speak about the region, the region is important itself, the society, the culture, the history, the civilization, the people. The 60 million who live in the Gulf, the 500 million who live in the MENA region beyond. And most of all, I think this region has had in history a great ideational impact on the wider world. And I think even today, a lot of what happens here and around here, I think resonates around the world," he said. READ | ‘No interest in weakening dollar', says Jaishankar "There is a second aspect, which is, in a sense, the economic one, the resources, especially, but not only energy, including, I should say when we look a little bit beyond the horizon, non-fossil energy as well. I mean, this is going to be a crucial region(for green hydrogen, for green ammonia. It's going to be part of green corridors," he added. External Affairs Minister called the Gulf region crucial for India and the wider world, stating that it has always been a 'bridge' between Europe and Asia. He talked about the region's importance in today's scenario. Notably, the I2U2 Grouping was conceptualized during the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the four countries held on 18 October 2021. Each country also has Sherpa-level interactions regularly to discuss the possible areas of cooperation. I2U2 is aimed to encourage joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It intends to mobilize private sector capital and expertise to help modernize the infrastructure, low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar offered prayers at Shreenath Ji temple in Manama, describing it as a "true symbol of the longstanding friendship" between India and Bahrain. Sharing the experience on X, Jaishankar wrote, "Started the day by visiting the 200-year-old Shreenathji Temple in Manama. A true symbol of the longstanding India - Bahrain friendship." EAM Jaishankar arrived in Manama on Saturday to participate in the Manama Dialogue. He was received by Bahrain's Foreign Minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. EAM Jaishankar is on an official visit to Qatar and Bahrain from December 6-9.Maupay also had a dig at Everton when he departed on loan to Marseille in the summer and his latest taunt has further angered the Premier League club’s supporters. The 28-year-old said on X after Sean Dyche’s side had lost 2-0 to Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park on Sunday: “Whenever I’m having a bad day I just check the Everton score and smile.” Whenever I’m having a bad day I just check the Everton score and smile 🙂 — Neal Maupay (@nealmaupay_) December 29, 2024 Former boxer Tony Bellew was among the Toffees’ supporters who responded to Maupay, with the ex-world cruiserweight champion replying on X with: “P****!” Maupay endured a miserable spell at Everton, scoring just one league goal in 29 appearances after being signed by the Merseysiders for an undisclosed fee in 2022. He departed on a season-long loan to his former club Brentford for the 2023-24 season and left Goodison for a second time in August when Marseille signed him on loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent. After leaving Everton in the summer, Maupay outraged their fans by posting on social media a scene from the film Shawshank Redemption, famous for depicting the main character’s long fight for freedom.Mikel Arteta is a huge fan of Viktor Gyokeres - but refuses to even say the Sporting Lisbon sensation’s name. The Swedish striker has been in scintillating form since arriving in Portugal from Coventry just under 18 months ago. He has scored 67 goals in just 69 appearances in all competitions for Sporting. And that form has earned admiring glances from elsewhere. Manchester United have been linked and are expected to target him after swooping for his former manager Ruben Amorim . Premier League rivals Manchester City and Arsenal are also among those reportedly interested. And while the Gunners will be aiming to tempt him to the Emirates Stadium in the future, their task is to keep the striker quiet during this week’s Champions League showdown. Arteta has praised Gyokeres but refused to conduct a detailed analysis of his abilities, potentially in an attempt to keep his cards close to his chest. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said: “I would like to talk about the team, about the coaches and how phenomenal they have been. “The run they are in is incredible. I understand the question but they have a lot of individual qualities. And yes in the specific position they have great players.” Away from Arsenal, there have already been a number of hints dropped regarding a potential move to United in the future. Ahead of his own switch to Old Trafford, Amorim confirmed a swoop for his former star was not on the immediate agenda. Where should Viktor Gyokeres go? Share your thoughts in the comments below He said: “If I start joking about this Gyokeres situation I'll get in trouble. This is my city, this is my country, so I'll respect it. Viktor has to stay until the end of the season and then his life will probably go somewhere else.” Gyokeres has also spoken out on his future. He confirmed that he had not spoken to Amorim regarding a potential reunion in Manchester. Speaking to Fotboll Skanalen, the striker said: “He probably has some strikers there already, so we'll see. 'No, he hasn't [asked me to join him]. It's fun but nothing I attach any importance to because it's talk and nothing concrete.” Gyokeres is not the only current Sporting star that United have been linked with since Amorim’s move. The Red Devils are also eyeing wonderkid Geovany Quenda , while Ousmane Diomande is also reportedly on their shortlist. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sutton Foster and Ana Gasteyer are holding space for the weird “Wicked” memes. The “Wicked” press tour has been full of viral moments but none more so than when an Out reporter told Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande that fans have been “taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that and feeling power in that.” The journalist’s observation elicited an emotional response from Erivo as Grande reached over to comfort her, taking hold of just one of her fingers. The moment quickly spread on social media — even making its way to Broadway. On Sunday, Foster, Gasteyer and their “Once Upon a Mattress” co-star Michael Urie recreated the moment in a hilarious TikTok. “I don’t know if you heard this, but people have been taking the lyrics of ‘Shy’ and really holding space with them,” Urie, 44, told the two women backstage, referencing one of the show’s big musical numbers. The “Saturday Night Live” alum, 57, then turned to Foster, 49, and asked, “Will you pull my finger?” As Foster grabbed her hand, Gasteyer made a farting sound, prompting the three to burst into laughter. “Holding space for all the shy girls today,” the comedian captioned her TikTok. Gasteyer notably played Elphaba in the 2005 Chicago production of “Wicked.” She reprised her role one year later on Broadway, replacing Eden Espinosa. The original interview was posted on X last week, garnering over 60 million impressions in just four days. While some people responded with confusion, others embraced the phrase “holding space,” jokingly using it in unrelated instances. Grande and Erivo — who play Glinda and Elphaba, respectively — have yet to comment on the viral moment. The Jon M. Chu film also features Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage and Michelle Yeoh. However, we’re told the early stages of development looked a lot different. Last week, sources familiar with the project told Page Six that “The Crown” director Stephen Daldry was originally slated to head the film before things fell through. We’re told Daldry wanted Lady Gaga to play the lead and the pair even met a few times to flesh things out. Shawn Mendes was also in talks to star as Fiyero in the film, which ultimately went to Bailey. While Daldry was announced as the movie’s director in 2016, he exited the project four years later, opening the door for Chu. Everything seemingly worked out in the end as “Wicked” dominated the box office and scored rave reviews following its Nov. 22 release — with both Erivo and Grande in Oscars talks. However, fans will have to wait until Nov. 21, 2025, for part two.Investors say they know how to trade Trump 2.0 SINGAPORE: Investors dusted off their trade war playbooks on Tuesday, confident their portfolios were better-prepared for Donald Trump this time after the US President-elect took to social media and pledged new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. Muscle memory, formed over years of gyrating to Trump’s tweets and threats in his first term, sent the dollar surging and the peso, loonie and yuan sinking within moments of his posts on the Truth Social app about tariffs he would implement from day one of his presidency. Yet, as traders drew breath, they saw little in Trump’s announcements to shift expectations about either his policies or his bluster, including a negotiating style that investors feel better-placed to navigate than they were eight years ago. “The 25 per cent tariff headlines ... are not policies as yet but a good indication that under a Trump presidency they will no longer tolerate the relocation of export manufacturing from China to the US Nafta partners by Chinese companies,” said George Boubouras, head of research at K2 Asset Management. Trump, who takes office on Jan 20, said he would immediately impose 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico until they clamped down on drugs and migrants crossing the border. He pledged an additional 10 per cent tariff on Chinese goods, which he also linked to drugs -- particularly fentanyl. The dollar jumped more than 2.0 per cent on the Mexican peso and about 1.4 per cent on the Canadian dollar, before settling around 1.0 per cent higher on each.The dollar hit a four-month high on China’s yuan although share indexes in Hong Kong and China were mostly steady, as investors took Trump’s linking of tariffs with drug traffic as reinforcing expectations he was opening a negotiation. “China already has a template to deal with tariffs in reference to Trump 1.0,” said Simon Yu, vice general manager at Panyao Asset Management in Shanghai.“Regarding other clampdowns such as tech-related sanctions, China may accelerate the process of self-reliance and import substitution.” China said it had told the US of progress in anti-narcotics enforcement and that “no one will win a trade war or tariff war”. TIME WARP Mexico’s tariff hit seemed to catch markets most off guard and was behind selling in automakers and other manufacturers across Asia that have plants in the United States’ southern neighbour. Trump’s proposal appears to violate the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade.Shares in Honda, which sends 80 per cent of its Mexico production to the US, fell more than 2.0 per cent to a 4-1/2 month low, while other car and component makers’ stocks fell. The world’s biggest electronics contract manufacturer, Foxconn, which is building a server factory in Mexico with Nvidia, saw the biggest one-day drop in its share price in two months, although expectations of negotiations limited the selling. “Any finalised package could be quite different from starting positions,” said Robert St Clair, head of investment strategy at Fullerton Fund Management in Singapore, which is positive on both US and Chinese equity markets. “President Trump is anti-inflation and seeks to improve the competitiveness and growth of US manufacturing. These objectives dictate that tariffs on US imports cannot be too widespread nor too extreme.” To be sure, the reminders of Trump’s unpredictability and his negotiation-by-media style added a new source of background volatility and unease to the financial markets -- although investors may feel there is not much they can do about that beyond hedging currencies. “There are no obvious trades but a lot of headline risk in the coming months in the lead-up to Trump taking office,” said Jon Withaar, who manages an Asia special situations hedge fund at Pictet Asset Management. “These social media comments create a lot of nervousness as to what is next.”To some degree, that is already in the price as currency volatility and options-implied volatility have been rising for a few months and traders only need to draw on memories from a few years ago to remember the plays. “It feels like we’ve just had a time warp back to 2016,” said Jason Wong, strategist at BNZ in Wellington, New Zealand.“The market is going to be twitchy ... but this is how he operates.”Buchanan scores 28 off the bench, Boise State downs South Dakota State 83-82

Tweet Facebook Mail Half a century of rule by the Assad family in Syria crumbled with astonishing speed after insurgents burst out of a rebel-held enclave and converged on the capital, Damascus, taking city after city in a matter of days. Opposition forces swept across the country and entered Damascus with little or no resistance as the Syrian army melted away. President Bashar Assad, Syria's ruler for 24 years — succeeding his father, Hafez Assad — fled the country. Russian state media reported that he was in Moscow. It's a stunning development in Syria's devastating 13-year conflict. Anti-government protests in 2011 met with a brutal crackdown, escalating into a civil war that has killed more than half a million people and displaced half of Syria's prewar population of 23 million. READ MORE: US could 'absolutely' leave NATO, Trump says  Syrians celebrate the fall of Bashar Assad's government in the town of Bar Elias, Lebanon. (AP) Assad, backed by Iran and Russia, gradually regained control of more than two-thirds of Syria, leaving the rebels with one stronghold in the north-west of the country. And there the conflict remained, largely frozen, for years until late November. Here's a look at a seismic two weeks for the Middle East. Wednesday, November 27: Rebel offensive begins Armed opposition groups launch a large-scale attack on areas controlled by government forces in northwestern Syria and claim to have wrested control of over 15 villages from government forces in northwestern Aleppo province. The government and its allies respond with airstrikes and shelling in an attempt to halt the insurgent advances. The offensive is led by the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Formerly the Syrian branch of al-Qaida and known as the Nusra Front, HTS later distanced itself from al-Qaida, seeking to market itself as a more moderate group. It is classed as a terrorist group by Australia , the United Nations, and the US. The attack on Aleppo follows weeks of simmering low-level violence, including government attacks on opposition-held areas. Turkey, a main backer of Syrian opposition groups, says the rebels began a limited offensive to stop the attacks, but it expanded as government forces began to retreat. READ MORE: FBI offers $50k reward in hunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Government soldiers and allies sit on the ground as they are taken into custody by opposition fighters. (AP) Thursday, November 28: The offensive expands The offensive expands to reach the countryside of Idlib province amid reports government troops are retreating. Friday, November 29: Rebels enter Aleppo The insurgents enter Aleppo, Syria's largest city, for the first time since they were pushed out in 2016 after a grueling military campaign by Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran. They meet with little resistance. Saturday, November 30: Aleppo falls under insurgent control The rebels say they control Aleppo, raising a flag over the city's citadel and occupying the international airport. The Syrian armed forces claim to have redeployed troops and equipment in preparation for a counterattack. By evening, the insurgents have seized at least four towns in the central Hama province and claim to have entered the provincial capital. READ MORE: At least three killed in Netherlands apartment explosion An opposition fighter steps on a broken bust of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad in Damascus. (AP) Sunday, December 1: The government fights back The Syrian military launches a counterattack with troops and airstrikes on Idlib and Aleppo. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visits Damascus, telling Assad that Tehran will support the counteroffensive. But Assad receives little, if any, help from his allies. Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular airstrikes. Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a year-long conflict with Israel. Syrian President Bashar Assad. (AP) Monday, December 2-Wednesday, December 4: Fighting rages near Hama The insurgents push south, advancing to within 10km of Hama, the country's fourth-largest city and a key crossroads in central Syria, about 200km north of Damascus. State media reports fierce fighting in the province, and both state media and a UK-based observer group say government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, have recaptured some territory. Turkey urges Assad to hold talks with the opposition. READ MORE: South Korean president apologises for martial law attempt A group of people take a family photo while sitting on a couch in a hall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's presidential palace in Damascus. (AP) Thursday, December 5: Insurgents capture Hama After several days of fighting the rebels sweep into Hama. Dozens of jubilant fighters are seen firing into the air in celebration in Assi Square, the site of massive anti-government protests in the early days of the uprising in 2011. The Syrian army says it has redeployed to positions outside the city to protect civilians. Friday, December 6: Rebels advance on Homs Rapidly advancing now, the rebels seize two towns on the outskirts of Homs, Syria's third-largest city. About 40km south of Hama, Homs is the gateway to Damascus and the location of one of Syria's two state-owned oil refineries. Capturing it would cut the link between Damascus, Assad's seat of power, and the coastal region where he enjoys wide support. The government denies reports that its military has withdrawn from the city. Top diplomats from countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Russia, hold talks on Syria in the Qatari capital, Doha. Abu Mohammed al-Golani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. (AP) Saturday, December 7: Homs falls and Assad's grip weakens Opposition forces take Homs after government forces abandon it. The insurgents say they have encircled Damascus and are carrying out the "final stage" of their offensive. The UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, seeks urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an "orderly political transition," as Syrian state media denies Assad has fled the country. Sunday, December 8: Assad is toppled Syrian state television airs a video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar Assad has been overthrown and all prisoners have been set free. How an iconic TV show unlocked a 60-year-old mystery View Gallery HTS commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani visits the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and calls Assad's fall a victory for "the Islamic nation." Russian officials and Iranian state TV say Assad has left Syria. Russian state news agencies later report he and his family are in Moscow and were granted asylum. Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali says Syria's government is ready to "extend its hand" to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government. The Russian agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source on Assad and his family being given asylum in Moscow, his longtime ally and protector. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but contacted the Kremlin for comment. RIA also said Moscow had received guarantees from Syrian insurgents of the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria. Assad reportedly left Syria early Sunday, and Syrians have been pouring into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule . DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .

MTN Nigeria Communications PLC (MTN Nigeria), the nation’s largest mobile network operator, saw its market capitalisation soar by N388.42 billion after news surfaced that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is considering an upward review of telecom tariffs 10 years after telcos began lobbying. MTN Nigeria, with 80.38 million subscribers, closed trading with a market cap of N3.69 trillion on Friday. By Monday, this rose to N3.74 trillion, reaching N4.07 trillion on Tuesday. Its share price followed suit, climbing from N175.50 to N178 and N194. Trading volume fluctuated, rising from 2.55 million to 3.32 million before falling to 1.58 million. “After that update about a potential price increase, investors have swung to action immediately,” tweeted Rufybaba, an investment manager. However, Airtel Africa Plc, with 54.45 million subscribers, experienced no movement in its stock price over the same period, staying flat at N2,156.90 per share with a market cap of N8.11 trillion. It is important to note that the telco is in the middle of a share buyback program. Sector Challenges The telecom sector has struggled with foreign exchange fluctuations and a harsh operating environment. Both telcos have reported losses due to FX volatility. In 2023, MTNN and Airtel recorded a combined N1.29 trillion in FX losses. For the nine months ending October 2024, MTN Nigeria reported a N514.93 billion loss despite a 33.7 percent growth in service revenue to N2.37 trillion. It declared negative earnings per share (EPS) of N24.51 kobo in the period. Airtel’s revenue for the same period fell 46.9 percent to $755 million. Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, described the sector as being in crisis. “Investments will not continue to come. No one will put in a dollar and continue to get 66 cents... We are in a big crisis,” he said. Read also: MTNN raises N72.18bn from CP issuance as offer sees 144% subscription MTN and Airtel have cut back on network infrastructure investments due to mounting operational costs and FX exposure. Between January and September 2024, MTN’s core capital expenditure (capex) dropped 27.79 percent to N217.64 billion, while Airtel’s capex fell by 36.59 percent to $149 million. This decline has left Nigerians grappling with unreliable networks. To adjust, telcos have advocated for increased tariff prices, especially as their average revenue per user (ARPU) continues to fall. The ARPU of telecom companies declined by 40.87 percent to $1.85 in the quarter ending September 2024, compared to $3.12 in the same period in 2023. MTN’s ARPU dropped from $3.24 to $2.09, while Airtel’s fell from $3 to $1.60. “There should be no delusion; if the tariff doesn’t go up, we will shut down,” Toriola of MTNN emphasised. Following months of lobbying, Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has finally acknowledged the need for price adjustments, stating, “We think there may be a need for that” in a December 20 interview on Arise TV. A report by TechCabal suggests that the NCC is likely to approve new tariffs for calls, SMS, and internet bundles, with changes expected to take effect in January 2025. While the exact figures remain unclear, a 2022 proposal by telcos requested a 40 percent hike. “This is a critical moment for the industry,” Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), emphasized the importance of a review. “It will be a very good development, and by this, the Government has been able to rescue the sector from imminent collapse. It is the best for the progress of the industry and our digital economy,” Despite this, the NCC is reportedly cautious about the financial burden on Nigerians, who are already dealing with record-high inflation of 34.6 percent as of November. Adebayo noted that while operators are aware of the financial stress Nigerians are facing, a price review is imperative for improved network quality. “We fully understand and appreciate the financial stress that Nigerians are experiencing today. Prices will need to rise, but action needs to be measured through sustainable conversations and partnerships with the government. It is time to address this head-on,” he added.(The Center Square) – Although it remains unclear how many Democratic Senators will vote for the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, some House members in the party have explained why they voted yes, despite a provision restricting military-funded transgender surgeries for minors. The nearly $900 billion bill passed the House 281-140 Wednesday, with 200 Republicans and 81 Democrats voting in favor versus 124 Democrats and 16 Republicans voting against it. Most of the NDAA consists of bipartisan agreements, such as pay raises for service members, strengthened ties with U.S. allies, and funding of new military technology. But a critical point of contention is a Republican addition that would prohibit the military’s health program from covering any gender dysphoria treatments on minors that could "result in sterilization.” The must-pass bill is so critical that nearly 40% of House Democrats voted in favor–but not without expressing their disappointment. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., condemned Republican colleagues who, she said, “chose to sully this bill with political culture wars;” nevertheless, she voted in favor. “While it doesn't address everything we asked for and consider important, including the full ability of parents to make their own decisions about healthcare for their children, it marks a rare moment of productive bipartisan agreement on what is arguably the most crucial legislation we take up as a body each year,” Houlahan said. The bill’s provision does not forbid service members’ children from receiving transgender therapy. It forbids the military’s health insurance provider, TRICARE, from covering treatments on minors that “may result in sterilization.” Reps. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, and Terri Sewell, D-Ala., also voted in favor of the bill despite their displeasure at the ban. “The NDAA is a hugely important bill. We had to pass it, which is why I voted yes,” Landsman posted on X Friday. “However, the anti-trans language that was attached to it was mean and awful and should never have been included.” “I have serious concerns about some remaining provisions that were placed in the bill for political purposes,” Sewell said Wednesday. “Still, the responsibility to support our service members and provide for our national security is one that I do not take lightly, which is why I ultimately chose to support the bill.” Besides the importance of annual military funding, another reason some House Democrats assented to the legislation is because they were successful in axing other House Republican amendments, such as a plan to eliminate reimbursements for service members who travel to obtain abortions. The Senate is expected to pass the bill within the next few days, after which President Joe Biden is expected to sign it into law.y888 。

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Three African politicians seeking to head the African Union detailed their plans on Friday for regional security amid conflicts and political coups while strongly advocating for inter-Africa trade among other issues. Raila Odinga of Kenya, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar are seeking to be elected as chairperson for the 55-member state African Union. They participated in a two-hour debate Friday in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in which they all advocated for two permanent seats for African countries in the U.N. Security Council to effectively represent the continent with the youngest population. Odinga said that two permanent seats with veto power were “a must for Africa” and that this was “only fair” since the continent has more than 50 countries. Randriamandrato urged member states to cease the opportunity and “speak with one voice on the choice of who will represent Africa in the UNSC.” The three are seeking to convince most African countries before the February election to succeed African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki, who has served for two terms. The African Union has faced several challenges that include conflict in member countries and political coups that have seen five member states expelled from the union, making regional security a major theme in Friday’s debate. Youssouf said that regional security could be enhanced if the resources for a regional standby force were increased to reduce the overreliance on foreign partnerships for resources. “When there is no unity of purpose among neighboring countries peace will be compromised,” Youseff said. Randriamandrato encouraged countries to take charge of their internal security while cautioning that foreign military bases should be “a thing of the past” because they “could be a source of conflict.” Despite the continent’s young population of 1.3 billion that is set to double by 2050, regional trade has faced challenges that were addressed in the Friday debate. Odinga said that Africa had a “huge domestic market” that it could leverage on for economic transformation by opening up opportunities for trade between African countries. Youssouf proposed a payment compensation system that would ensure countries don't lose out while trading in different currencies adding, “are we going to have a single currency, why not?” Randriamandrato said that regional economic blocs like the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa had a huge role to play in easing inter-Africa trade. The African Union has several proposed reforms on its structure and leadership aimed at achieving its purpose, and all candidates promised to implement the reforms if elected. Youssouf said that key reforms in the union were facing a funding bottleneck and that “it has to change,” adding that he wouldn't impose it on member states but would “advocate for it.”

India News | Rajasthan CM Reviews Development Projects with MLAs from Udaipur, Bharatpur, and Jodhpur DivisionsBy Stephanie Lai and Hadriana Lowenkron, Bloomberg News Donald Trump says he is selecting venture capitalist David Sacks of Craft Ventures LLC to serve as his artificial intelligence and crypto czar, a newly created position that underscores the president-elect’s intent to boost two rapidly developing industries. “David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness. David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas,” Trump said Thursday in a post on his Truth Social network. Trump said that Sacks would also lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. In Sacks, Trump is tapping one of his most prominent Silicon Valley supporters and fundraisers for a prime position in his administration. Sacks played a key role in bolstering Trump’s fundraising among technology industry donors, including co-hosting an event at his San Francisco home in June, with tickets at $300,000 a head. He is also closely associated with Vice President-elect JD Vance, the investor-turned-Ohio senator. Sacks is a venture capitalist and part of Silicon Valley’s “PayPal Mafia.” He first made his name in the technology industry during a stint as the chief operating officer of PayPal, the payments company whose founders in the late 1990s included billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and investor Peter Thiel. After it was sold to eBay, Sacks turned to Hollywood, where he produced the 2005 satire Thank You for Smoking. Back in Silicon Valley, he founded workplace communications company Yammer, which was bought by Microsoft Corp. in 2012 for $1.2 billion. He founded his own venture capital firm, Craft Ventures, in 2017 and has invested in Musk-owned businesses, including SpaceX. Sacks said on a recent episode of his All-In podcast that a “key man” clause in the agreements of his venture firm’s legal documents would likely prevent him from taking a full-time position, but he might consider an advisory role in the new administration. A Craft spokeswoman said Sacks would not be leaving Craft. In his post, Trump said Sacks “will safeguard Free Speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship.” Protecting free speech is a keen interest of Sacks. He regularly speaks about “woke” interests that try to muzzle unpopular opinions and positions. The new post is expected to help spearhead the crypto industry deregulation Trump promised on the campaign trail. The role is expected to provide cryptocurrency advocates a direct line to the White House and serve as a liaison between Trump, Congress and the federal agencies that interface with digital assets, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Trump heavily campaigned on supporting crypto, after previously disparaging digital assets during his first White House term, saying their “value is highly volatile and based on thin air.” The president-elect on Thursday said Sacks would “work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.” During the campaign, Trump spoke at a Bitcoin conference, accepted crypto campaign donations and met with executives from Bitcoin mining companies and crypto exchanges multiple times. Trump’s desire to give priority to the digital asset industry is also reflected in his close allies and cabinet selections, including his Commerce secretary pick, Howard Lutnick, and Treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent. On the AI front, Sacks would help Trump put his imprint on an emerging technology whose popular use has exploded in recent years. Sacks is poised to be at the front lines in determining how the federal government both adopts AI and regulates its use as advances in the technology and adoption by consumers pose a wide array of benefits as well as risks touching on national security, privacy, jobs and other areas. The president-elect has expressed both awe at the power of AI technology as well as concern over the potential harms from its use. During his first term, he signed executive orders that sought to maintain US leadership in the field and directed the federal government to prioritize AI in research and development spending. As AI has become more mainstream in recent years and with Congress slow to act, President Joe Biden has sought to fill that void. Biden signed an executive order in 2023 that establishes security and privacy protections and requires developers to safety-test new models, casting the sweeping regulatory order as necessary to safeguard consumers. A number of technology giants have also agreed to adopt a set of voluntary safeguards which call for them to test AI systems for discriminatory tendencies or security flaws and to share those results. Trump has vowed to repeal Biden’s order. The Republican Party’s 2024 platform dismissed Biden’s executive order as one that “hinders AI Innovation, and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology.” Sacks can be expected to work closely with Musk, the world’s richest person and one of the president-elect’s most prominent supporters. Musk is also a player in the AI space with his company xAI and a chatbot named Grok — efforts which pit him against Silicon Valley’s giants — and he stands to wield significant influence within the incoming administration. The appointment won’t require Sacks to divest or publicly disclose his assets. Like Musk, Sacks will be a special government employee. He can serve a maximum of 130 days per year, with or without compensation. However, conflict of interest rules apply to special government employees, meaning Sacks will have to recuse himself from matters that could impact his holdings. Sacks’s Craft Ventures is known more for enterprise software investing than for crypto, but it has made a few crypto investments, including BitGo and Bitwise. Still, Sacks has firm opinions on the sector. Speaking last month on All-In, Sacks praised a bill on crypto regulation that had passed in the U.S. House but not the Senate earlier this year. The Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act would regulate certain types of digital assets as a commodity, regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. “The crypto industry basically wants a really clear line for knowing when they’re a commodity and they want commodities to be governed, like all other commodities, by the CFTC,” he said on the November podcast. He also disparaged some of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s positions on crypto under its chair, Gary Gensler. “The days of Gensler terrifying crypto companies,” he said. “Those days are about to be over.” Earlier this week, Trump nominated crypto advocate Paul Atkins to lead the SEC. With assistance from Zoe Ma, Bill Allison, Sarah McBride, Anne VanderMey and stacy-marie ishmael. ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(BPT) - Consumers are facing increasing costs on virtually every purchase these days and auto insurance is no exception. While skyrocketing costs of this auto-related expense can be attributed to everything from parts replacement to service — even health costs as a result of accidents — consumers can better manage these increases with thoughtful study and attention to detail. Some of the common causes for higher insurance rates are Inflation, car accidents, extreme weather conditions such as hail, hurricanes and wind, along with increased vehicle theft claims. Mercury Insurance has partnered with financial literacy influencer Sam Jarman to highlight specific ways consumers can address these rising costs. "Your car is the second biggest expense for most people, right behind your home, and car insurance is a big part of that," said Jarman. "Checking rates and coverage with your Mercury Insurance agent makes sense along with choosing a car with low maintenance costs." According to Consumer Price Index data released earlier this year, car insurance rates are up almost 21% year-over-year for the 12 months which ended in February. The last time car insurance rates rose that much on an annual basis was 1976. Here are some auto insurance statistics recently released from Forbes : "Our goal is to help our customers get the best rates possible because we know that every dollar counts." said Justin Yoshizawa, Director, Product Management, State. "We encourage consumers to build a close relationship with their agent and discuss what discounts they may be eligible to receive. The answer might be surprising." Mercury offers the following tips for lowering your insurance costs: Review your deductibles with your insurance agent – It is recommended that you review your coverage and deductible with your Mercury agent at least once a year. Their wisdom and experience can help you make wise decisions regarding your insurance. Explore car insurance discounts – In addition to bundling your home and auto insurance, Mercury offers discounts for multi-car, good drivers, good students and auto pay. Your agent may have additional discounts to offer. Let Your Insurer Track Your Driving – Most insurers offer discounts for customers who install telematics. This technology allows your insurance company to collect information regarding your mileage and driving habits. This can also provide valuable information regarding your driving as well as saving you money. Drive a safe car with low repair costs – According to Bankrate , some of the cheapest cars to insure are the Subaru Outback, Honda CR-V and Honda Pilot. Also, look for cars with lower repair costs such as the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius and Tesla Model 3. Doing some research before you purchase a vehicle can save you money over the length of ownership. Install an anti-theft device on your car – Drivers may receive an additional discount on your auto insurance if you install an anti-theft device on your car. Before you buy a car, compare insurance costs – You can get a fast and easy quote from your Mercury Insurance agent. To receive a quote, you can reach us at 844-514-2893. To learn more about common types of auto insurance discounts, visit https://www.mercuryinsurance.com/resources/auto/understanding-types-of-auto-insurance-discounts.html . For more information on your auto insurance, you can reference the Insurance Information Institute .FORT PROVIDENCE, NT , Dec. 6, 2024 /CNW/ - The federal government is contributing $7.18 million through the Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative (ISTHI), towards a new emergency shelter for Indigenous women, their children and 2SLGBTQI+ persons fleeing gender-based violence in Fort Providence . A subsidy from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is also being provided for ongoing operations and support. The announcement was made by Michael McLeod , Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories and Michael Vandell , Chief of Deh Gáh Got'ı̨ę First Nation. The shelter will have 20 units and 60 beds. It will also have services available designed to foster overall well-being and improve long-term outcomes for residents. They also announced federal funding of $4.9 million for three infrastructure projects in Fort Providence , Simpson Island and Yellowknife . One will help build a new water treatment facility and a drinking water reservoir for Fort Providence , which will replace the aging system. The camp will include one-bedroom and family cabins, a main lodge with kitchen and dining areas, a firepit with seating, and an arbor gathering area by the water. Finally, a new chiller unit for is being installed in the Legislative Assembly in Yellowknife . Quotes: "We know that the experiences of Indigenous women and gender-diverse individuals experiencing homelessness are unique and different, and so they require a more compassionate and tailored experience for their well-being. The federal government recognizes these distinct needs and has committed to supporting inclusive and equitable solutions, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of gender identity, have access to safe resources and services. Additionally, we will continue to invest in infrastructure to eliminate the gaps in services that northerners experience. Today's announcement will ensure continued and improved water quality and access for residents in Fort Providence , a much needed gathering camp for the Metis community in Fort Resolution to be able to connect with their culture, and improved air quality for all who work in and visit our Territorial Legislative Assembly. We will continue to work with northerners on their priorities for their communities." – Michael McLeod , Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories , on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities "Everyone deserves to live free from violence. Yet, far too often, Indigenous women, their children, and 2SLGBTQI+ people face disproportionate risks simply because of their gender or identity. That's why the opening of Providence Shelter is so important. With 60 rent-free beds, this shelter will offer a safe haven for those escaping violence, providing critical support in times of need. This project reflects our plan to address the national tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people. It's a step toward healing, undoing generational harms, and ensuring that everyone has the safety and dignity they deserve." – The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services "These investments in our NWT communities show a commitment from all levels of government to provide clean, sustainable drinking water, and supports shelters for those in need. Cultural camp funding builds our communities and strengthens our residents by providing a venue for traditional activities. We will continue to find unique investments that meet the needs of our communities, and our residents." – Vince McKay , Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Government of the Northwest Territories "Infrastructure Canada's Investment funding program has provided an opportunity for enhancements to the communities dated and deteriorated system for treating and distribution of drinking water. Providing a dependable water source and upgrades to the Water Treatment Plant ensures safe drinking water for all Hamlet of Fort Providence residents for many years to come." – His Worship Danny Beaulieu, Mayor of Hamlet of Fort Providence "Today's announcement marks a significant step forward for our resilient community. The shelter will serve as a safe haven, addressing the unique needs of Indigenous women, children, and the 2SLGBTQ+ community. By empowering and supporting our most vulnerable members, we strengthen the entire community. Together, we are dedicated to creating an environment where everyone feels protected, supported, and inspired to thrive." – Michael Vandell , Chief of Deh Gáh Got'ı̨ę First Nation Quick facts: Funding for today's announcement is as follows: Providence Shelter project: $7,183,279.78 from the federal government through the Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative (ISTHI) delivered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The Fort Providence Water Treatment Plant and Reservoir: $3,580,875 from the federal government through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). the Simpson Islands Métis All-Season Cultural Gathering Camp: $1,083,05 from the government through the ICIP. the Legislative Assembly Chiller Unit project: $305,578 from the federal government through the ICIP. Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $115+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home. The NHS is built on strong partnerships between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and continuous engagement with municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private housing sectors. It was created after consultations with Canadians from all walks of life, including those who have experienced housing need. All NHS investments delivered by the federal, provincial and territorial governments will respect the key principles of NHS that support partnerships, people and communities. The $420 million Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative (ISTHI) was launched in November 2021 to support the construction of additional shelters and transitional homes for Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals fleeing gender-based violence, including in urban areas and in the North. The funding is part of the $724.1 million budget for a comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy, as announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, of which: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is allocating $420 million over 5 years to support the construction of new shelters and transitional housing. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is investing $304 .1 million over five years, and $96 .6 million annually to support the operational costs of new shelters and transition homes and expand funding for culturally relevant violence prevention activities. CMHC and ISC sought input from Indigenous organizations and subject matter experts to form committees and develop the evaluation process. Eligible applications are evaluated by Indigenous-led committees comprised of representatives from CMHC, ISC, Indigenous organizations, subject matter experts in shelters and housing delivery, as well as people with lived experience. This ensures selected projects are culturally appropriate and meet the needs of clients. The committees provide overall direction and prioritization, as well as review and score proposals. The Federal Pathway is Canada's contribution to the broader 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan developed in partnership with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous Peoples, survivors, families, and Indigenous women's organizations in response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Call for Justice 4.7, 16.19 and 18.25 of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls call for all governments to support the establishment and funding of shelters, safe spaces, transition homes, second-stage housing, and services for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Crisis Line is available to provide emotional support and crisis referral services to individuals impacted by the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Call the toll-free Crisis Line at 1-844-413-6649. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Associated Links: Visit Canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of Canada housing information. As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC's aim is that everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on X , Instagram , YouTube , LinkedIn and Facebook . To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit: www.placetocallhome.ca . More information about the Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative can be found here: ISTHI Visit Housing for Indigenous Peoples for more information on Programs and subsidies that support the building and management of housing for Indigenous Peoples Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding Initiatives Map to see affordable housing projects that have been developed across Canada. Information on the Family Violence Prevention Program is available at: Family Violence Prevention Program (sac-isc.gc.ca) More information about the Government of Canada's work with partners to end violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people can be found here: Backgrounder: Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People The Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls SOURCE Government of Canada View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2024/06/c7355.html © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Getting smart about car insurance can provide cost savings and peace of mindNot every day, coaches who are days away from a bowl game advise their opposition. Still, South Carolina coach Shane Beamer did precisely that when speaking to local media ahead of the Citrus Bowl against Illinois New Year's Eve. Beamer revealed Mike Shula would oversee play-calling duties in place of Dowell Loggains. It was a rather easy decision based on Beamer's meeting with Loggains, who was hired as the new coach at Appalachian State earlier this month. "Mike [Shula] is the offensive coordinator and will be calling everything in the game," Beamer said, per 247Sports . "I just felt like the longer it went, the more Dowell was away from Columbia, the less beneficial it was for both sides to call (the game)," Beamer said. "Ever since we found out we were playing Illinois, coach Shula and the rest of the offensive staff [have] been putting the game plan together. Dowell hasn't been in Columbia." Beamer added Illinois will have some game-planning to do defensively, which likely means containing quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Sellers has thrown for 2,274 yards and 17 touchdowns thus far , guiding South Carolina to a 9-3 record and entering the game having won six straight. "Illinois can look at mid-2000s Alabama offense," Beamer said. "Cam Newton [on the] Carolina Panthers' offense – it's about one thing a day where I gotta go to [Shula] and ask him, 'What is this?'" Bielema is no stranger to challenges, much less coaching prominent programs. He was not only a Big Ten alumnus, starring at Iowa, but served as coach at Wisconsin from 2006-2012. In his first season in Madison, Bielema guided the Badgers to a Capital One Bowl victory against Arkansas, 17-14. The Badger defense shut down then-Razorbacks quarterback Casey Dick to under 100 yards, forcing an interception. Capping off the season with 10 wins validates Bielema's ability to win bowl games in Champaign and serves as a reminder that the former SEC coach knows how to turn back the clock. The game marks Illinois' first bowl appearance since the ReliaQuest Bowl , which concluded the 2022-23 season. Meanwhile, South Carolina attempts to win its first postseason game since 2021.

12 Predictions For 2025 That Will Shape Our FutureThe Federal Railroad Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has awarded $49.7 to support the proposed high-speed train across the Pacific Northwest, a group of Washington legislators announced in a press release last week. The long-discussed rail project would provide train service between Portland, Oregon, Seattle, and Vancouver, British Columbia, at speeds reaching 250 mph. In the press release, state legislators said passengers would be able to travel between Seattle and Portland in under an hour. "The Cascadia corridor is home to 10 million people and growing—bringing high speed rail speed to the region will be transformative, allowing Washingtonians to travel much faster and more easily between Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, and communities in between," Senator Patty Murray stated in the press release. While the award is a boon for the project, it will only cover the planning phase. "This federal award is an important step forward for the Cascadia High-Speed Rail project and will support critical planning, community engagement, and initial design activities," Murray stated. Still, a Washington State Department of Transportation spokesperson said the funding will go a long way towards making the project a reality. "I think it gives it a strong likelihood, as long as the programs continue to be supported, and there's a lot of support," WSDOT Cascadia High-Speed Rail and Interstate 5 Program Administrator Ron Pate told McClatchy in a phone call. According to the press release, the money from the award will be used to determine the best route for the railroad, identify long-term construction projects that it would require and fund community outreach efforts. Officials will now begin working with residents of the region, including tribes, to come up with a plan for the high-speed rail. "This funding will enable the state to work with locals to develop the best possible high-speed passenger rail route and someday give Washingtonians the option to skip the highway and reach their destination faster," Sen. Cantwell stated in the press release. According to DOT's Pate, the funding will allow the project to move to its second phase. "First, we were awarded in the [Corridor Identification and Development] program, $500,000 to work through step one. And in step one, you develop the scope, schedule and budget to do the service development plan, to really look at how this system would function in two countries and two states," Pate said. With the new funding, Pate said the team working on the project can start developing the plan itself. "The service development plan work can start now, we've obligated those funds," Pate said. "So our team is getting ready to go right after the first of the year to start doing a project management plan for that, and then work through the tasks that FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) has required for a service development plan." While Pate said there isn't a set timeline for the project as a whole, he estimates that this next step will take four to five years. While the goal of the project is to connect the Portland, Seattle and Vancouver metropolitan areas, it would also include "points between and beyond," according to WSDOT. Cascadia Rail, a nonprofit that advocates for the project, mentions potential stops in Kelso, Centralia, Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, Mount Vernon and Bellingham in its preliminary map of the project. In the meantime, there are other train options currently in the region, though they don't run as quickly or go as far. Amtrak Cascades features six stops between Portland and Seattle — Vancouver, Kelso-Longview , Centralia, Olympia-Lacey, Tacoma and Tukwila. It also stops in Edmonds, Everett, Stanwood, Mount Vernon and Bellingham on the way to British Columbia. The high-speed rail would presumably have fewer stops in order to ensure faster travel speeds, although some of those areas will likely see stops as well. Commuter train Sound Transit features 12 Sounder light rail stops between Everett and Lakewood, including Seattle, Puyallup and Tacoma. In addition to making travel more convenient, proponents of the project argue that it would increase economic activity and travel across different parts of the Pacific Northwest, while reducing carbon emissions and traffic along I-5. "Connecting the Cascadia region with modern, efficient transportation will create jobs, boost economic growth, and reduce emissions, all while making travel faster and more convenient," Congresswoman Suzan DelBene stated in the press release. A 2019 WSDOT analysis estimated that the rail line would serve between 1.7 and 3.1 million riders a year once it opens, while creating $355 million in economic growth for the region in the long run and reducing carbon emissions by six million metric in its first four decades. According to reporting in the Urbanist, polling indicates that the project has relatively widespread support although it does have some opponents who are worried about its cost. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

Scott Maxwell: A young man with cerebral palsy, a senior who uses her sewing skills to help the downtrodden and a tiny church that makes a huge impact were all honored by Orlando's Christian Service Center

The best Maelstrom loadout in Black Ops 6 makes the most of the fact that the game finally has a fully automatic shotgun. Fully-auto shotguns are best used with a fast-paced run-and-gun build where you try to get in the face of your enemies as much as possible, because as is the case with most shotguns, you don’t have much range. However, the Maelstrom is one of the best shotguns in the game if you can manage this, thanks to how quickly it fires, so our build is mostly geared around increasing the damage range and accuracy as much as possible. We also want to enable fast-paced movement and handling with the stock and laser attachments. So without further ado, here’s the best Maelstrom loadout in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and how to unlock the gun to begin with in Season 1 Reloaded. Table of Contents How to unlock the Maelstrom in Black Ops 6 Best Maelstrom loadout in Black Ops 6 Best Maelstrom class in Black Ops 6 How to unlock the Maelstrom in Black Ops 6 To unlock the Maelstrom in Black Ops 6 , you need to complete the Merry Mayhem event in Season 1 Reloaded. This involves earning a total of 600,000 XP during the event, which runs until Thursday, Dec. 19th . Earning this much XP will mean you’ve unlocked all the rewards, of which the Maelstrom is the very final one. Alternatively, if you don’t have the time to commit between now and then, you can also buy the Bad Manners bundle from the in-game store. This costs 1,800 COD Points and will grant you the Party Etiquette blueprint for the Maelstrom, which unlocks the gun for you to level up. Best Maelstrom loadout in Black Ops 6 Here is the best Maelstrom loadout in Black Ops 6 : Muzzle: Modified Choke Barrel: Reinforced Barrel Rear Grip: Ergonomic Grip Stock: Balanced Stock Laser: Strelok Laser The most important thing to note with the Maelstrom is that you ideally want to be aiming down the sights when you’re firing, thanks to the Modified Choke , which reduces the pellet spread considerably but only when ADSing. It’s a minor inconvenience for a major buff as it almost guarantees all of your pellets will land. Finally, there’s the Strelok Laser , which is all about buffing your hipfire to ADS accuracy. It makes the laser visible when aiming down the sights, but it’s a small price to pay since you don’t want to be walking everywhere while aiming, you want to just pull the gun up quickly when in combat. (If you opt to not use the Modified Choke, you can also replace the Strelok Laser with the Fast Motion Laser for better hipfire accuracy.) Best Maelstrom class in Black Ops 6 The Reinforced Barrel is essential for that small damage range buff, and since this is a shotgun, bullet velocity also comes into play due to the short range, as opposed to weapons like assault rifles where bullet velocity usually isn’t that important to consider. Then on the mobility side of things we have the Ergonomic Grip to buff your slide to fire, dive to fire, and ADS speeds, while the Balanced Stock buffs the following speeds too: Strafing movement, movement, hipfire movement, and aim walking movement. That’s a lot of moving. Here is the best class to use with the Maelstrom in Black Ops 6 : Pistol: Grekhova Melee: Knife Tactical: Stim Shot Lethal: Combat Axe Field Upgrade: Sleeper Agent Perk 1: Dexterity Perk 2: Assassin Perk 3: Double Time Wildcard: Perk Greed Perk 4: Ghost As is the case with most weapons, you’ll want the Grekhova as your trusty sidearm thanks to how quickly you can switch to it and mow enemies down with its fire rate. The Knife is always the best melee choice to go with this. When it comes to equipment, since you’ll be sprinting and diving constantly, the Stim Shot is essential to keep you alive, as it heals your wounds and refreshes tactical sprint. Meanwhile, the Combat Axe is a helpful tool to quickly throw at any enemies you don’t manage to kill with one magazine of the Maelstrom. Since you’ll be behind enemy lines often, the Sleeper Agent field upgrade is one of the most situational tools in the game but it can be very effective here as it disguises you as a member of the enemy team. On the perk front, you’ll want all red perks for the Enforcer specialty, as this grants a temporary buff to both your movement speed and health regen rate whenever you kill enemies. The three best red perks to opt for are: Dexterity for the improved accuracy when moving and reduced fall damage; Assassin to stop enemies from getting kill streaks (though take note that neither this or Bruiser are great options, Assassin is just the better choice of the two for this class); and Double Time to allow you to sprint pretty much constantly. For the wildcard, we’d recommend Perk Greed alongside Ghost as this combo will keep you invisible to enemy radar effects. (You could also opt for Ninja to move quieter, Flak Jacket to protect you from incoming explosives, or Tac Mask to protect from tactical grenades.) If you don’t want to run Perk Greed, choose Gunfighter, and as one of your extra attachments, make sure you pick a bigger magazine — that’s the one weakness this gun has currently. Elsewhere, we have multiplayer explainers on the best guns , maps , and Double XP , campaign guides for safehouse puzzles and safe code locations , and the Liberty Falls vault code in Zombies. Black Ops 6 guides Guides PC PlayStation XboxHOUSTON — Houston Texans receiver Tank Dell will miss the remainder of the season after dislocating a knee and tearing an ACL in a loss to Kansas City on Saturday. Coach DeMeco Ryans revealed the details of his injury Monday before announcing that Dell would have season-ending surgery for a second straight year. He fractured his fibula in Week 13 against the Broncos as a rookie last season and had surgery on it the following day. “He dislocated the knee, he tore the ACL, other things there he’ll have to get repaired," Ryans said. “So he’ll be out for the year.” Ryans didn't have a date for Dell's surgery for this injury, but said it would be soon. Dell was injured on a 30-yard touchdown catch in Houston’s 27-19 loss Saturday. He was coming across the back of the end zone and made the spectacular catch on a pass from C.J. Stroud before colliding with Houston teammate Jared Wayne on the way to the ground. Dell immediately grabbed at his knee and Wayne signaled for team trainers, who spent several minutes working on the wide receiver while teammates waited anxiously. People are also reading... Dell was eventually placed on a stretcher and driven in a covered medical cart off the field, and then he was taken to the hospital. He stayed in the hospital overnight before flying back to Houston on Sunday. Stroud, who is so close to Dell that he considers him a brother, cried the entire time the receiver was down on the field and for a while after he was taken away. “It was just not easy for me to sit there and be emotional,” Stroud said Monday. “But it’s something that we all go through in life and it’s easy to be a fake tough guy. It’s easy to go through life acting like everything doesn’t affect you, but deep down we all know we’re going through something.” Some criticized Stroud for crying. But he believes a display of emotion such as that was important to remind people of the human aspect of this game and the toll it can take on players. “It’s good for young men and women out there, kids who are brought up — and I was taught this too as a kid, not from my parents but just from the world, don’t let anybody see you emotional,” he said. “Don’t let anybody see you down and yeah there’s some truth to that in in certain aspects, but there’s also life and I think it was good for people to see me in that light and knowing that there is still a human factor to me and I’m a normal person.” Rodgers acknowledges Jets' run may end Aaron Rodgers is still contemplating his playing future. The star quarterback knows if he returns to the field, it might be out of hands whether it's with the New York Jets. The 41-year-old Rodgers said last week that he'll take some time after this season, his 20th in the NFL, to determine what he wants to do next. On Monday, he suggested a decision on whether he'll return with the Jets could be made for him the day after the team's regular-season finale. “I think there’s a world where they just say, ‘Hey, thank you, we’re going to go in another direction’ on Jan. 6,” Rodgers said during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “That’s a possibility,” he added. "I think there’s also a possibility we’re going to wait and see who the new staff is.” Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Fox News senior national correspondent Aishah Hasnie and senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram join 'Special Report with Bret Baier' to preview President-elect Trump's second term and uncertainty around House speaker fate. Opinion columnists for The Hill called on Congress to invoke the 14th Amendment disqualification to block President-elect Donald Trump from taking office next month. In a column published Thursday , Evan A. Davis and David M. Schulte argued that the 14th amendment enables Congress to object to the electoral votes since they consider Trump, in their words, "an oath-breaking insurrectionist." TRUMP RETURN: WASHINGTON PREPARES FOR A SECOND TERM Article 3 of the 14th Amendment bars former officeholders who "engaged in insurrection" or has "given aid or comfort to the enemies" from holding public office again. The restriction can be removed by a two-thirds vote in each House. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump looks on during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 22, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images) Citing this disqualification, Davis, a former editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review and Schulte, former editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal, claimed that Trump is ineligible to be president. The pair called on Congress to take action when they meet in a joint session to formally count the electoral votes next week. "Disqualification is based on insurrection against the Constitution and not the government. The evidence of Donald Trump’s engaging in such insurrection is overwhelming," they argued. "The matter has been decided in three separate forums, two of which were fully contested with the active participation of Trump’s counsel." The authors cited Trump's second impeachment trial, the Jan. 6 Capitol attack probe by Congress and the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling to disqualify the former and incoming president from appearing on the state's ballots in 2024 as reasons for his ineligibility. "On Jan. 13, 2021, then-President Trump was impeached for ‘incitement of insurrection’...inciting insurrection encompasses ‘engaging in insurrection’ against the Constitution ‘or giving aid and comfort to the enemies thereof,’ the grounds for disqualification specified in Section 3," they claimed. "The inescapable conclusion of this evidence is that Trump engaged in insurrection against the Constitution." The Colorado state ruling to kick Trump off the ballot on the basis of the 14th amendment disqualification, which was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, found that there was "clear and convincing evidence that President Trump engaged in insurrection as those terms are used in Section Three," Davis and Schulte wrote. President-elect Trump at AmericaFest in Arizona. (Rick Scuteri) But the decision was appealed and the Supreme Court ruled in Trump's favor , concluding that "states have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency." Still, Davis and Schulte griped that the "court did not address the finding that Trump had engaged in insurrection," insisting that the Supreme Court's decision in this case does not preclude Congress from rejecting electoral votes when they convene on January 6. ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE MOVES TRUMP ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS OFFICIALLY BECOMING PRESIDENT "Counting the Electoral College votes is a matter uniquely assigned to Congress by the Constitution. Under well-settled law this fact deprives the Supreme Court of a voice in the matter, because the rejection of the vote on constitutionally specified grounds is a nonreviewable political question," they claimed. The columnists urged Congress to reject the electoral vote using the Electoral Count Act, which allows for an objection only if "the electors from a state were not lawfully certified or if the vote of one or more electors was not 'regularly given.'" "A vote for a candidate disqualified by the Constitution is plainly in accordance with the normal use of words ‘not regularly given,'" they claimed. "Disqualification for engaging in insurrection is no different from disqualification based on other constitutional requirements such as age, citizenship from birth and 14 years’ residency in the United States." An objection under the Count Act requires a petition signed by 20 percent of the members of each House. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The dome of the U.S. Capitol building is seen from a perch in Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital) "If the objection is sustained by majority vote in each house, the vote is not counted and the number of votes required to be elected is reduced by the number of disqualified votes. If all votes for Trump were not counted, Kamala Harris would be elected president," they wrote. "The unlikelihood of congressional Republicans doing anything that might elect Harris as president is obvious," they concluded. "But Democrats need to take a stand against Electoral College votes for a person disqualified by the Constitution from holding office unless and until this disability is removed. No less is required by their oath to support and defend the Constitution." The column garnered swift and fierce backlash online, with critics accusing the authors of "endorsing insurrection." "Oh, look. Democrats want to steal the election and invalidate the will of the American people.Threat to Democracy," Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote on X. "You people are sick," Eric Trump replied. " Sounds like @thehill is endorsing insurrection. Yes, try blocking the inauguration of a President who won the popular vote and the electoral college. Let’s see how that goes for y’all," anti-woke activist Robby Starbuck said. This article constitutes a conspiracy to overturn the 2024 election," Senior Counsel at the Article III Project, Will Chamberlain, posted. Political comedian Tim Young weighed in, "@thehill In fantasy land, democrats at The Hill think they can stop Trump from taking office." Kevin and Keith Hodge, known as the Hodgetwins, responded, "This is a real insurrection against the will of the people." "This sounds very insurrection-y," journalist Ian Miles Cheong agreed. "Warrants were served on people who said far less than this about Biden in 2021," conservative commentator John Cardillo posted . "This is the kind of nonsense Democrats must reject Trump won in a fair democratic process," former presidential candidate John Delaney wrote . "Democrats should be either working with him when it is in the best interest of the nation or their constituents or standing firm when it's not. Americans don't want pure obstructionists." Yael Halon is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to yael.halon@fox.com .Longstanding SFUSD volunteer nears end of era

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As the day wore on, the group huddled together, sharing what little food and water they had brought with them. Some attempted to flag down passing vehicles, while others simply sat in stunned silence, wondering how they had ended up in such a precarious predicament. Hours turned into nightfall, and still no help arrived.GDIN Successfully Supports Establishment of 10 New Joint Ventures in 2024 Alone

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Moreover, the focus on structural reforms will play a vital role in enhancing economic resilience and competitiveness. Governments are expected to prioritize reforms that address structural bottlenecks, boost productivity, and promote innovation. These reforms will not only help unlock growth potential but also ensure long-term sustainability and resilience in the face of future shocks.Moreover, the plan includes an emphasis on safety measures to ensure that users can navigate their local environments with confidence. Gaode Maps has introduced real-time updates on crowded locations, COVID-19 testing centers, vaccination sites, and other essential information to help users make informed decisions about their daily routines. By providing reliable and up-to-date information, Gaode Maps empowers users to stay informed and safe in a rapidly changing environment.New café focused on supporting local businesses opens in Cambridgeshire village

The reform and restructuring of village and town banks have been ongoing for several years, with the aim of addressing issues such as poor governance, weak risk management, and low profitability. By granting approval for the dissolution of these banks, regulators are signaling their commitment to promoting a healthier and more sustainable banking system in rural areas.Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login The speculative retail frenzy, the relentless AI disruption, the out-of-this-world crypto rally. In a year full of shocks and surprises, global markets offered investors opportunities to flourish — or flop — in equal measure. Leveraged trades in August briefly blew up. Wall Street’s big gamble on Donald Trump paid off. Hedge funds with complex strategies took hits. Investors who kept it simple — in cash or tech stocks — proved smart. Bloomberg Wealth Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. Fetching latest articles

One of the key factors contributing to TikTok's success in social commerce is its highly engaged user base. With over 1 billion active users worldwide, TikTok provides a massive audience for brands and retailers looking to promote their products and drive sales. The platform's algorithm also plays a significant role in driving conversions, as it is adept at recommending products to users based on their interests and preferences.

In the latest developments of the football world, the annual best XI team has been unveiled, sparking debates and discussions among fans and experts alike. However, one notable absence from the lineup is Lionel Messi, raising eyebrows and speculation about the reasons behind his exclusion.GDIN CEO Jongkap Kim: "By matching technology needs with local markets, we create long-lasting joint ventures with multiple exit opportunities." SEOUL, South Korea , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Digital Innovation Network (GDIN), led by CEO Jongkap Kim, proudly announced the major achievements of its 2024 Joint Venture Program. This program, which supports the establishment of joint ventures between South Korean companies and international partners, is designed to lower market entry barriers and create sustainable growth opportunities through local collaborations. Since the launch of the program in 2021, GDIN has supported the establishment of 44 joint ventures across various regions. This year alone, 10 joint ventures were successfully launched in 8 countries including the United States , Canada , Japan , India , Singapore , Vietnam , UAE, and Uganda . The Joint Venture Program was created to address a common challenge faced by early-stage tech companies: while they may have products and services that meet market demand, they often lack the resources and workforce to enter international markets. Through this program, GDIN helps companies increase their chances of success by facilitating strategic market entry via local partnerships. In addition to the 44 joint ventures established so far, 47 partnership agreements are in the pipeline for future joint ventures. The program's success is largely attributed to GDIN's extensive global network of partners, which includes government organizations, multinational corporations, and international agencies such as the World Bank, Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Investment Turkey etc. GDIN has organized multiple technology matching and investor relations events to introduce Korean companies and their innovative technologies to potential international partners. At the year-end performance report event, held on December 19 , GDIN recognized companies that successfully established joint ventures. Changsoft I&I, a digital construction management system company, was highlighted for its success in establishing joint ventures in Japan and Vietnam . CFO Jongeun Park of Changsoft I&I shared, "We were facing stagnating revenue growth, and expanding into new markets was critical. With GDIN's support, we were able to establish joint ventures in Japan and Vietnam , allowing us to tailor our products to local market needs." Other companies that successfully established joint ventures in 2024 include Medicos Biotech, Bloomsbury Lab, Arbaim, Eucast, Pixelro, Hansol root one, Eco-Peace, and IESG. GDIN CEO Jongkap Kim commented, "Unlike simple joint investments or distribution networks, these technology-driven joint ventures are based on market demand, ensuring their long-term sustainability. If these joint ventures achieve success in the local markets and even go public, they could offer multiple exit opportunities, creating a strong growth model for all involved." About GDIN Global Digital Innovation Network (formerly known as Born2Global Centre), registered under the Ministry of Science & ICT, is an independent foundation that promotes and fosters collaboration between next-level innovative companies from South Korea and the world. Since 2013, we have established over 160 international partnerships, supported over 3,000 tech companies, conducted over 20,000 consulting services, and helped companies raise $3.6 billion USD in investments. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gdin-successfully-supports-establishment-of-10-new-joint-ventures-in-2024-alone-302337060.html SOURCE GDIN

NEW YORK — The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence, a senior police official said Thursday. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York in an interview Thursday that investigators have uncovered evidence that Luigi Mangione had prior knowledge UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference in New York City. Mangione also mentioned the company in a note found in his possession when he was detained by police in Pennsylvania. Suspect Luigi Mangione is taken into the Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday in Hollidaysburg, Pa. "We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So that's possibly why he targeted that company," Kenny said. UnitedHealthcare is in the top 20 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization but is not the fifth largest. It is the largest U.S. health insurer. Mangione remains jailed without bail in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday after being spotted at a McDonald's in the city of Altoona, about 230 miles west of New York City. His lawyer there, Thomas Dickey, said Mangione intends to plead not guilty. Dickey also said he had yet to see evidence decisively linking his client to the crime. Mangione's arrest came five days after the caught-on-camera killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was arrested on December 9, 2024, after a six-day manhunt and charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. His arrest has sparked a viral social media movement, with many hailing him as a symbol of resistance against systemic healthcare failures. The #FreeLuigi movement gained significant traction, with his social media profiles amassing over 100,000 new followers before being suspended. Despite this, the movement continues to trend, highlighting public discontent with the U.S. healthcare system. Some social media users argue that Mangione's radicalization stemmed from the struggles faced by millions in obtaining necessary healthcare, and not from his university education. Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald's in Altoona led to the seizure of a "ghost gun," a suppressor, fake IDs, and a manifesto criticizing the healthcare system. While the manifesto seems to admit guilt, some users question Mangione's responsibility, pointing out discrepancies in surveillance photos. The fascination with Mangione has only intensified, with discussions about his attractiveness and comparisons to characters in Ryan Murphy's productions. The phenomenon is reminiscent of society's long-standing obsession with infamous criminals, blurring lines between horror and hero worship. Former FBI agent Rob D’Amico noted that Mangione is seen by some as a "Robin Hood" figure fighting against corporate greed, which complicates the investigation. Police say the shooter waited outside the hotel, where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, early Dec. 4. He approached Thompson from behind and shot him before fleeing on a bicycle through Central Park. Mangione is fighting attempts to extradite him back to New York so that he can face a murder charge in Thompson's killing. A hearing was scheduled for Dec. 30. The 26-year-old, who police say was found with a " ghost gun " matching shell casings found at the site of the shooting, is charged in Pennsylvania with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Luigi Mangione was arrested Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in what law enforcement has called a "targeted attack." Mangione is from a prominent Maryland family with extensive business interests. The Mangione family is known for developing real estate and running businesses. Relatives expressed shock over the arrest and offered condolences to Thompson’s family. Mangione faces multiple charges, including murder, firearm possession, and forgery, in New York and Pennsylvania. Mangione is an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family. In posts on social media, Mangione wrote about experiencing severe chronic back pain before undergoing a spinal fusion surgery in 2023. Afterward, he posted that the operation was a success and that his pain improved and mobility returned. He urged others to consider the same type of surgery. On Wednesday, police said investigators are looking at his writings about his health problems and his criticism of corporate America and the U.S. health care system. Kenny said in the NBC interview that Mangione's family reported him missing to San Francisco authorities in November. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.Cop hits mountain lion with patrol car — and poses with body in Texas. ‘Tasteless’s888 games 。

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], December 15 (ANI): TDP MP Kesineni Sivanadh (Chinni) donated 10 drones to the NTR District Police as part of an initiative to enhance policing through technology. The donation was part of a larger effort, with additional drones contributed by philanthropists. The drones were distributed at a ceremony held at the Police Command Control, attended by Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu and other dignitaries. Also Read | Anura Kumara Dissanayake's India Trip: In First Foreign Visit After Assuming Office, Sri Lankan President Lands in Delhi, Will Hold Bilateral With PM Narendra Modi (Watch Video). According to an official statement, "MP Kesineni Sivanadh (Chinni) donated 10 drones to NTR District Police. An additional 14 drones were donated by other philanthropists. A drone distribution program was organized today at the Police Command Control under the leadership of Police Commissioner S.V. Rajasekhar Babu, IPS, for all police stations within the NTR Police Commissionerate." "Speaking on the occasion, the Police Commissioner emphasized that NTR District Police is set to become a milestone in India by introducing the innovative 'Cloud Patrolling' concept. This initiative involves significant effort, contributions from philanthropists, and a strong commitment to enhancing policing standards," the statement added. Also Read | EVM Tampering Row: Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah Tells Congress To Accept Poll Results, Stop Whinging About Electronic Voting Machines. The release further mentioned, "He recalled the Chief Minister's vision for making Andhra Pradesh the 'Drone Capital of India' and integrating drone technology into policing for better surveillance, crime prevention, and disaster management." Speaking on drone applications in policing, the statement said, "Cloud Patrolling: Drones autonomously patrol designated areas and capture high-resolution images and videos. They act as 'virtual beat constables' by continuously monitoring sensitive zones." Further, the statement added, "Automatic Drone Surveillance: Drones follow pre-assigned GPS waypoints, monitoring large areas for security and environmental surveys. Eve-teasing Surveillance: Drones monitor schools and colleges to prevent eve-teasing incidents. Disaster Management: During floods, drones helped locate stranded individuals, assess damages, and guide rescue teams safely. Traffic Management: Drones regulate traffic by monitoring busy junctions, reducing congestion through real-time surveillance. Crime Scene Monitoring: Drones capture aerial views of crime scenes, assisting in evidence collection and investigations." "Search Operations: Drones are used to locate missing persons and suspects in crowded and remote areas. Narcotics Surveillance: Drones identify areas where illegal activities like drug consumption and sale occur. Sand Mining Surveillance: Drones monitor sand stockyards, checkpoints, and illegal sand transport routes. Crowd Management: Drones ensure safety during public gatherings and festivals by monitoring crowds for potential disturbances," the statement added. Additionally, it noted, "Target Tracking: Drones can track suspicious vehicles and individuals, providing real-time updates to authorities." According to the official release," MP Kesineni Sivanadh has donated 10 drones, while Kudravelli Venkata Narasayya contributed 2 drones. K Pavan Kumar and Raja from Vatsavai each donated 1 drone. Additionally, three donors from Jaggayyapet collectively donated 3 drones, and several other donors contributed a total of 10 drones." Citing MLA Gadde Ramamohan, the statement read,expressed happiness over the use of drones to combat crime, especially to address issues like drug abuse in the constituency. He announced donating one drone on behalf of his team. Further citing MLA Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao, the statement added, "He appreciated the Commissioner for reducing the crime rate and requested focused surveillance in crime-prone areas like Singh Nagar and Kandrika. He announced donating two drones." "He urged for measures to reduce traffic congestion in the city and announced donating four drones for police stations in his constituency." Municipal Commissioner Dhyan Chand highlighted the use of drones in monitoring mosquito control measures and waste management in the city, the statement quoted. As per the statement, MLA Vasantha Krishna Prasad further expressed support for the initiative. Citing MP Kesineni Sivanadh, the statement read, "He expressed pride in transforming Vijayawada into a 'Drone City' and assured continued support for the police and city development." Additionally, the statement added, "Drone Training for Women Police: Over 500 women police secretaries are being trained in drone piloting, with 100 already certified. This initiative enhances policing efficiency while promoting women's empowerment in the police force." The event concluded with the ceremonial distribution of drones to 28 police stations by the Police Commissioner and the MP. All donors were honored with traditional shawls in appreciation of their contributions, the statement stated. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)The lawmaker representing Ilorin South in the Kwara State House of Assembly (KWSHA), Yusuf Maryam Aladi, on Sunday supported and empowered over 1,000 residents, including widows and artisans. She put the monetary worth of the exercise at well over N20 million. The lawmaker gave out 20 grinding machines, 20 chest freezers, 20 dryers, 20 catering equipment, 100 hair clippers, generating sets, 20 welding machines, 20 solar panels, 20 sewing machines, and cooking gas to male and female artisans. At the event held at the Bishop Smith Secondary School, Ilorin, the legislator also supported over 500 widows with cash and food items, including semovita, salt, and N10,000 each, as part of her widow support. According to her, no fewer than 100 pupils benefit from her education scholarships with due support and encouragement from Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. The guest speaker, Lawal Olohungbebe, urged the youths to be wary of their contributions to the nation’s economy. Speaking on the title “Contributions of artisans to nation building,” Olohungbebe charged artisans to utilize the trending technology to enhance their productivity. According to him, networking should be encouraged among artisans, as well as improved customer-relationship practices. “Your integrity in business is unequalled and unparalleled; it is supposed to be the pride of every artisan,” he urged, adding that promptness and dedication to duty matter in business activities. The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sunday Fagbemi, while commending Aladi, said it is not always easy to give back to the source, describing the beneficiaries as the source. Fagbemi advised the beneficiaries not to sell the items, saying: “Please don’t, for the sake of the ravaging economic hardship, sell these items. Empower yourselves with them; the donor has good intentions for you to break the shackles of poverty.”The extension of loan terms means that borrowers will have more time to repay their loans, reducing the immediate financial burden and allowing for better planning and management of cash flow. This move is expected to benefit businesses that are facing temporary cash crunches or unexpected expenses, providing them with the breathing room they need to navigate through challenging times. By extending loan terms, the government is acknowledging the importance of supporting businesses in a sustainable manner, encouraging long-term growth and stability in the economy.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — When Dan Quinn left the Dallas Cowboys after three years as their defensive coordinator to coach the Washington Commanders, it looked as if he was leaving a perennial playoff contender for a rebuilding project. Instead, Quinn's Commanders are in the thick of the playoff race even after consecutive losses provided something of a speed bump, while the Cowboys' season has fallen apart . Dallas (3-7) visits Washington (7-4) on Sunday in a franchise role reversal for the NFC East rivals. "For me and for the guys, man, it’s Washington-Dallas Week, let’s get down," Quinn said. “I don’t make one (game) too often bigger than another. I just think they’re all really important, and we absolutely go after it as hard as we can.” Quinn, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and a handful of former Dallas players have been part of Washington's turnaround, including pass rusher Dante Fowler, defensive end Dorance Armstrong, center Tyler Biadasz and receiver Noah Brown, who famously caught rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' Hail Mary toss for the game-winning touchdown last month to beat Chicago . Armstrong has followed the Cowboys' downfall since leaving in free agency, saying simply, “It’s not good.” And that was before a piece of their stadium's roof fell Monday night before their fifth consecutive loss , a 34-10 blowout by Houston . Injuries, including starting QB Dak Prescott's torn hamstring that led to season-ending surgery, have been the backdrop for Dallas' forgettable year. Coach Mike McCarthy, who's approaching the end of his contract and possibly his tenure, said he and his staff are “going to stay the course” and play who's available. That means Cooper Rush again getting the nod in place of Prescott, though McCarthy said a package of plays could open up to get 2021 No. 3 pick Trey Lance into the game. “Cooper’s been there for a little minute, so he knows the system really good," said Fowler, who leads the Commanders with 8 1/2 sacks. "Trey Lance is really good with his legs, and he’s a dynamic quarterback, as well. You don’t want to go out there half-stepping against those guys because they do play good football, as well.” The Commanders have played far better football than the Cowboys so far this season, so much that the home team is a 10 1/2-point favorite on BetMGM Sportsbook. Washington has never been more than a nine-point favorite against Dallas in any game going back to at least 2003, according to BetMGM. The Cowboys could get a bit of a spark with the anticipated return of receiver Brandin Cooks, who has seen way too much sorrow around him since he last played in Week 4. “Get guys playing at a high level, playing fun, playing free, and having a great time out there,” Cooks said. “That’s what I’m not seeing right now. I think we can go out there and be more joyful in our process.” There's plenty of joy in Washington, with the playoffs still on the line, unlike Dallas. “It’s definitely cool to be in that type of position rather than being on the other side," Fowler said. “Just cool to see what Coach Quinn has just done since he came here with this team and getting a group of guys to come together and play as one.” A rib injury knocked Daniels out of a rout of Carolina on Oct. 20, and while he did not miss a game, the 23-year-old has not been as dangerous or effective since. The No. 2 pick out of LSU and reigning Heisman Trophy winner has completed 59.5% of his passes the past four games after 75.6% before getting injured, and he has had his average rushing yards cut nearly in half from 53.1 to 27.5. Quinn insists Daniels is not injured and pinned the regression on a lack of practice time in recent weeks. Daniels also said he's good to go after some extra rest following a 26-18 loss at Philadelphia on Thursday, Nov. 14. “The mini bye, I think it just helps everything, just to reset your mind and get ready for the second half of the season,” Daniels said. “I was able to reset and refocus, restart.” The offensive line has been a problem all season for the Cowboys. Now it’s a major injury concern. Perennial All-Pro right guard Zack Martin and promising young left guard Tyler Smith sustained ankle injuries on the same drive in the fourth quarter for the Cowboys against the Texans. Martin, who is also dealing with a shoulder issue, is doubtful. Smith is questionable while also working through a knee injury. T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman were the replacements at guard against the Texans. The Cowboys could start four linemen 25 or younger, although veteran tackle Chuma Edoga could make his season debut. Edoga was the projected starter at left tackle before injuring a toe in training camp. He is listed as questionable. “With Zack, he’s a keystone for our offensive line," McCarthy said. "That will be a big one. But it’s more opportunity for these young players who haven’t played a lot and are getting a lot of work." McCarthy said the Cowboys “took a step backward, clearly” running the ball against Houston after making progress the previous couple of games. Rico Dowdle, now the clear lead back after ineffectiveness and off-field drama from Ezekiel Elliott, had just 28 yards on 10 carries, and the Cowboys finished with 64 yards. They allowed 141 yards, including 109 and three touchdowns by Joe Mixon, and have the NFL's second-worst rushing defense. Washington's Brian Robinson Jr. has already set a career high with seven TD runs and could be in for a lot of carries. “I look forward to running the ball any time,” Robinson said. “I’m prepared, I’m ready and if it happens like that, I’m ready for it." AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon in Frisco, Texas, contributed. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflThe discovery of these wooden tablets has sparked great interest among archaeologists and historians, as it offers a rare glimpse into the cultural exchanges and influences between Korea and China in ancient times. The use of Chinese characters on the tablets reflects the strong cultural ties between the two countries and highlights the importance of Chinese language and writing in the region during that era.

Head coach Ryan Day looked a little shell-shocked as police were pepper spraying athletes in the aftermath of the Michigan Wolverine's upsetting his No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 13-10 on Saturday. Day has a 1-4 record against Michigan. The Wolverines have won four consecutive games in the series, with the Buckeyes' last win over Michigan coming in 2019. This loss for Ohio State feels different in 2024, as Jim Harbaugh wasn't on the opposite sideline of Day. The Wolverines entered the contest with a 6-5 record in an otherwise disappointing season. The Buckeyes blew an opportunity to clinch a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game with a win over their rival on Saturday. Now they must wait for help. Following the game, Michigan brought a team flag onto the field. Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer didn't like the gesture and would rip the flag away from the Wolverines as a brawl would break out at Ohio Stadium. Video on the field showed Sawyer talking to a member of Ohio State's staff, passionately yelling that Michigan wouldn't plant a flag on their field again. Ryan Day just appeared to stand in silence watching the scene unfold. A passionate Jack Sawyer after Michigan players attempted to plant their flag on the “Block O”. pic.twitter.com/t5XKLY0NeI Former Texas Longhorns and NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho called out Day on social media for his inaction during the situation. "Ryan Day, the HEAD coach, just stands there and does nothing as his senior Captain, Jack Sawyer, devastatingly cries out: “THEY’RE NOT (expletive) PLANTING A FLAG ON OUR (expletive) FIELD AGAIN” When coaches must lead, Coach Day freezes in the midst of Chaos," Acho posted . Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Many fans agreed in the comments. "Day should get fired and that team should sit out the CFP for this. Embarrassing," wrote a fan. "Day was caught up in the fog of war," posted another. Related: Fans Demand Justice After Michigan Player Was Unfairly Pepper Sprayed By PoliceSay cheese: Vancouver cheese shop increasing security over rise in theft

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In conclusion, the recognition of Dr. Zhang Jun and Dr. Li Wei as two of Nature's top ten scientific personalities is a momentous occasion that exemplifies the pinnacle of scientific achievement and excellence. Their dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to advancing the frontiers of knowledge have made them true trailblazers in their respective fields. Let us continue to celebrate and support the remarkable contributions of scientists worldwide, as they continue to inspire and drive innovation for the betterment of society and the world at large.

Police say suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing wasn't a client of the insurer

Alongside his daughter's driving endeavors, Li Xiang's husband, Wang Yuelun, made headlines for a grand gesture that raised eyebrows across the internet. It was revealed that Wang Yuelun, known for his successful acting career, had gifted his daughter a lavish car as a graduation gift. The luxurious present, a top-of-the-line sports car, instantly became the talk of the town, with netizens expressing mixed feelings about such an extravagant gift for a teenager.The images of the prisoners' laughter and joy serve as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity for hope even in the darkest of circumstances. Their smiles are a testament to the strength of the human will to survive, to overcome, and to embrace life with open arms.

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Not long ago gold seemed to have lost its lustre. In the decades after President Richard Nixon abandoned the gold standard in 1971, the yellow metal fell out of favour with central banks, which hoarded their reserves in dollars instead. In the 1980s and 1990s investors and households grew weary of its miserly returns. Goldbugs were dismissed as eccentric doom-mongers. Gold was alluring when forged into a shiny bauble and useful in specialist manufacturing, but it was hardly a serious financial asset. How it glitters now. Its price has soared by a third since the end of 2023, reaching an all-time high of almost $2,750 per troy ounce. The rush has been fuelled by war, inflation and fiscal profligacy around the world, which have drawn in family offices and Costco shoppers. Yet perhaps no buyers have been as voracious as the world’s central banks, which have hoovered up hundreds of tonnes of the stuff over the past two years. Gold now makes up 11% of their reserves, up from 6% in 2008. This shift brings with it important consequences for America’s dominance of the global financial system. Even as the dollar remains unchallenged as the world’s reserve currency, its power is diminishing. For some central banks, the interest in gold reflects anxiety about the state of the world. Others have a narrower concern: that their reliance on the dollar, always uncomfortable and annoying, has become dangerous. Buying has been enthusiastic in China, India and Turkey, and it began to ratchet up in the spring of 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, and America and its allies sought to cripple Russia financially, using sanctions. These included freezing some $280bn in state assets held overseas, and kicking Russian banks off swift, an interbank messaging service crucial for making cross-border payments. Visa and Mastercard, American firms which process debit- and credit-card transactions in almost every country in the world, pulled out of Russia, too. Hence the search for sanctions-proof alternatives to the dollar. Some central banks are buying physical bars of gold and attempting to ship them to vaults at home, suggesting that they want to protect themselves from economic warfare. Countries worried about America’s power are also trying to trade in their own currencies. According to the Federal Reserve, the share of Chinese goods trade invoiced in the yuan has shot up to a quarter, from a tenth in 2020. Officials in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—which met this week at a BRICS summit in Kazan, on the Volga—are working towards a new set of cross-border payment rails that would circumvent the dollar-based correspondent-banking system which dominates today. A few years ago the idea that central banks might be able to issue tokens and use these to settle cross-border transactions quickly and cheaply would have been a pipe-dream. But the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the central bank for central banks, has been developing such a system. It is being used for live test transactions. The BIS payments mechanism was not designed for the BRICS, but it could serve as a template for a new system. What does all this mean for the mighty greenback? Ever since China emerged as an economic force, worries have swirled that the dollar would be displaced as a reserve currency, much as it itself supplanted sterling a century ago. But you need only look at central bankers’ actions over the past few years to see that there is no reserve currency of second resort. Central banks worried about sanctions are turning to gold, not the yuan. Rather than devising a whole new payments system, the bricS could have simply agreed to use one of their currencies for trade between them. They have not done so. Chinese manufacturers may be invoicing in yuan, but bilateral trade between Brazil and India is not going to be settled via Beijing. The dollar will therefore not be dislodged as the world’s reserve currency. The technology might be ready, but to scale up new cross-border payment rails requires a degree of co-operation and trust between the BRICS that may not yet exist. Even if it did, many of the dollar’s privileges—greater purchasing power, lower yields—would remain. Nevertheless, the power that has been conferred on the dollar by its reserve-currency status is diminishing. Central-bank reserves held in physical gold are out of Uncle Sam’s reach. As more countries settle more of their transactions without passing through the American banking system, sanctions will become less effective. Clarification note (October 25th 2024): An earlier version of this article said the BIS payments system was ready to enter operation. It is being used for live transactions, but to become operational would require participants to agree to launch it. Subscribers to The Economist can sign up to our new Opinion newsletter , which brings together the best of our leaders, columns, guest essays and reader correspondence. © 2024, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.comReport: Iowa CB Jermari Harris opts out of rest of season

The Grok web version was officially announced so that users can access the Elon Musk-owned xAI's chatbot through a dedicated URL, i.e., Grok.com. With the launch of the Grok website, many new features were rolled out in the chatbot for the users. Grok.com was also introduced for "Free" users, but with limitations. It has features like support for uploading six files, a dedicated PDF viewer, light mode, the option to go back to the previous conversation, an image slider allowing access to four results seamlessly, etc. The website lets users browse in incognito mode and access dark and light modes. Grok.com Now Live: Elon Musk’s xAI Launches Grok Web Version to Allowing Users To Access Services via URL Offer Multiple Modes, Services Coming Soon. Grok Web supports uploading 6 Files: pic.twitter.com/sNlk0d9qiS — Tech Dev Notes (@techdevnotes) December 24, 2024 Grok Web has PDF Viewer! pic.twitter.com/JJ1uhkRbKj — Tech Dev Notes (@techdevnotes) December 24, 2024 Grok Chat Modes on Web: https://t.co/hiLKQgyVsX pic.twitter.com/IcrTKc8KDq — Tech Dev Notes (@techdevnotes) December 24, 2024 Grok Incognito Mode on Web: https://t.co/t6jR3w3cys pic.twitter.com/yGWSe86AiE — Tech Dev Notes (@techdevnotes) December 24, 2024 The Dark Mode looks amazing for the Grok Standalone app ...! but Light mode looks shit — Tech Dev Notes (@techdevnotes) December 24, 2024 Grok Image Slider on Web: https://t.co/t6jR3w3cys pic.twitter.com/dOrM9qgAOJ — Tech Dev Notes (@techdevnotes) December 24, 2024 Grok Web Light Mode: https://t.co/EbOYrBxWM3 pic.twitter.com/Mqpdb4n2lA — Tech Dev Notes (@techdevnotes) December 24, 2024 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter (X), Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)Telecom troubles PTA’s says foreign investment in local telecom sector has been declining despite jump in broadband subscribers While over 91 per cent of the country now has access to cellular services and broadband subscribers have increased by around 14 million people, things are still looking tough for the country’s telecoms sector. According to the PTA’s annual report for the 2023-24 fiscal year, foreign investment in the local telecom sector has been declining despite the jump in broadband subscribers and access to cellular services. Total FDI to the telecom sector came in at $46 million in FY2023-24, an over 20 per cent decline from the previous fiscal which saw $58 million in FDI. The dollar inflow in FDI was also less than the dollar outflow, which reached around $90 million, in 2023-24. However, the dollar outflows were even higher in 2022-23, ranging around $280 million. The telecom sector’s overall investment also declined by $5 million to $765 million in 2023-24. And while the overall number of mobile subscribers might have grown, average revenue per user has declined in dollar terms compared to other comparable countries. The challenges in terms of attracting foreign investment and lifting revenues per user could prove to be particularly problematic as the country and the world begin the transition to 5G mobile networks. This transition will require substantial investments in terms of upgrading existing networks and expanding infrastructure, imposing a significant financial burden on Pakistan’s telecom operators. There is also the country’s digital divide to consider, with the growth in telecom services thus far having been highly uneven when one compares urban and rural areas. The former has generally seen higher and faster adoption of new telecom technologies than the latter. The PTA report notes that the digital divide also constitutes a significant barrier to the country’s 5G rollout, with rural and/or remote areas at a higher risk of missing out due to the steep costs and logistical challenges involved in bringing 5G to areas where the population is relatively lower and poorer and there is less developed infrastructure. These challenges will likely only grow with time given the rapid rate of urban migration in the country. However, even bringing 5G to urban areas will probably not be smooth sailing. Those who recall the 4G rollout will remember that Pakistan was quite late in adopting this standard and was stuck at 3G while other countries surged ahead. As things stand, it is unclear if telecom operators will be able to find the capital to ensure that the adoption of 5G goes better and where this capital will come from. Without growing FDI and declining or stagnant overall investment, raising prices for existing consumers might seem like the most obvious course, but this will be tricky since customers have become used to rates that are relatively cheaper in global terms and the increasing price sensitivity among people after years of brutal inflation. The decline in FDI for the telecom sector should also worry government officials and urge them to reflect on where telecom policy has gone wrong and what can be done to restore investor confidence. For a start, a country where the internet is prone to hours- or even days-long disruptions, access to social media platforms is restricted, internet speeds are slow and one always has to be wary of what state officials might think of some type of digital content is not exactly an attractive investment. While security and political stability are important concerns, they should not come at the expense of a vibrant and financially successful digital landscape.

ROME (AP) — Romelu Lukaku scored against his former club and Napoli beat struggling Roma 1-0 on Sunday to reclaim the Serie A lead and spoil Claudio Ranieri’s debut with the Giallorossi. Napoli moved one point ahead of Atalanta, Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio.

With Trump as president elect, some are grieving and others are ecstatic, but a few who voted for him are already becoming nervous as he chooses his cabinet.Much is written about why so many people picked him. Some have Fox News on all day long, although Fox admitted they lie for profit to keep viewers. [...]Analysts Claim That Ethereum's (ETH) and Dogecoin's (DOGE) Declines Are Just Temporary – New Token Yields Over 440% ROIs

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The retired NFL star stopped by the North Carolina college's homecoming weekend to belt out the '80s power ballad Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Fans shouldn't miss out on "Total Eclipse of the Heart ( 's Version)." In a now-viral shared by user @mad.is.onnn, Jason, 37, can be seen belting out during a tailgate at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. "Nothing like a snowy Homecoming at App State, especially when Jason Kelce brings the house down with a live rendition of 'Total Eclipse of the Heart’ at the tailgate!!!" the TikTok user captioned the video shared on Nov. 23. The Philadelphia Eagles alum sported a pair of gold and black striped overalls over a black hoodie and a winter hat. Amid flurries in the air, students gathered around Jason at a microphone as he sang the '80s power ballad. The former center went for it, hitting the high notes and embracing the song's passionate words. At one point, he forgot the lyrics, but finished strong. Kevin Sabitus/Getty Related: Fans were quick to comment on the TikTok, praising Jason's skills. "I’m [losing] count of all of Jason's side quests since lol," one user said. "I’ll never skip a Jason video," another wrote, while a third person chimed in, "He’s a national treasure." Others commented on his multitasking, pointing out his grip on two beers in one hand and a cup in the other. "Man does not need to say Hold my Beer. He just does the thing holding 3 beers!!" someone joked. The TikTok account for Jason's podcast which he cohosts with brother — also commented on the clip, writing, "He WENT for it 😂." Kevin Sabitus/Getty Related: The broadcaster's singing skills go beyond this impromptu tailgate performance. Jason is part of the with Eagles players and . The group released their third holiday album, , on Nov. 22, with profits benefitting local charities in Philadelphia. The album features Jason called and "Santa Drives an Astrovan," performed with . , 35, and Jason's wife are also featured.

Students who have been blocking academic faculties at the University of Belgrade for weeks staged a protest on December 22 to demand accountability for the collapse of a canopy at the train station in Novi Sad that killed 15 people. Streets near Slavija Square in central Belgrade were closed to traffic as thousands gathered for the protest, filling the square and beyond as farmers, actors, and educators joined the student-led protest. The demonstration began at 4:30 p.m. local time with 15 minutes of silence for the victims of the collapse on November 1, which seriously injured two people in addition to killing 15. Many of the participants turned their mobile phone lights on and held them high. The 15 minutes of silence was followed by 30 minutes of participants blowing whistles and vuvuzelas. The organizers demanded the government identify and prosecute the people who allegedly attacked demonstrators during protests that swept across Serbia in the days following the collapse of the canopy. The organizers also called for the release of activists detained during earlier protests and an end to legal proceedings against them. Serbians have protested regularly over the accident to demand accountability. Some of the protests turned violent, but there was no violence reported during the demonstration in Belgrade on December 22. The collapse of the canopy has turned into a political headache for President Aleksandar Vucic as more than 50 academic faculties at four state universities, the offices of several university rectors, and dozens of high schools remain blocked in solidarity with the protests. Students also have taken part in daily protests in which traffic stops for 15 minutes in cities across Serbia. The accident occurred after the railway station had been renovated twice in recent years by a Chinese-led consortium of four companies. Serbian Railways insisted that the renovation didn’t include the concrete overhang, but some experts disputed that. The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced on November 21 that 11 people had been arrested after being found responsible for the collapse. Among them were former Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Minister Goran Vesic and the ex-director of railway infrastructure Jelena Tanaskovic. They face up to 12 years in prison if they are found guilty of charges of committing criminal acts against public security, endangering the public, and irregular construction work. Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin on December 22 with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, one of the few European leaders with whom Putin has maintained ties since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. Fico arrived in Russia on a "working visit" and met with Putin one-on-one, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti. According to Peskov, the meeting was to focus on "the international situation" and was likely to also touch on Russian natural gas deliveries. Fico, whose views on Russia's war on Ukraine differ sharply from those of most European leaders, returned to power last year after his leftist party Smer (Direction) won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. Since then, he has ended his country's military aid for Ukraine, hit out at EU sanctions on Russia, and vowed to block Ukraine from joining NATO. The visit by the leader of the NATO- and EU-member country had not been previously announced. It is Fico's first visit to Moscow since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Russia in July after his country took over the rotating EU presidency, drawing condemnation from Kyiv and European leaders. Michal Simecka, leader of Progressive Slovakia, described Fico's trip to meet Putin as a "shame for Slovakia and a betrayal of national interests." "If the prime minister actually cared about gas transit, he should have negotiated with Ukraine rather than turning Slovakia into a tool of Putin's propaganda," Simecka said on X. Peskov said it could be "presumed" that supplies of Russian gas would be discussed during Fico's meeting with Putin. Slovakia and Hungary, which rely on Russian gas, raised concerns about the prospect of losing supplies after Ukraine said it would not renew a contract that runs out on December 31 allowing the transit of Russian gas through its territory. Ukraine appeared to soften its stance earlier this week when President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv could consider continued transit of Russian gas on the condition that Moscow does not receive payment for the fuel until after the war. "We will not give the possibility of additional billions to be earned on our blood, on the lives of our citizens," Zelenskiy told a news conference on December 19 during a European Union summit in Brussels. But he added that if Russia would provide the gas but not require payment until the end of the war, "then it's a possible potentiality. We can think about it," he said. Zelenskiy lambasted Fico, who has claimed that his country will face an economic hit if it loses cheap gas from Russia. "To be honest, during war, it's a bit shameful to talk about money, because we are losing people," Zelenskiy said. Zelenskiy said he told Fico that Ukraine would be open to carrying another country's gas through its pipeline infrastructure to reach Europe, but it would need assurances that the gas was not merely relabeled Russian fuel. "We have to know that we will only transit gas if it's not coming from Russia," Zelenskiy said. The European Commission has said it is ready for the current contract to expire, and all countries receiving Russian fuel via the Ukraine route have access to alternative supplies. Russian forces executed five Ukrainian prisoners of war according to the latest war crime allegation against Russian troops raised by Ukraine's ombudsman for human rights. Dmytro Lubinets said on December 22 that Russian troops shot the five unarmed soldiers at point-blank range after they had surrendered. He gave no details but said on Telegram that a Ukrainian military unit had released a video showing the alleged shooting. "I will report this fact to the UN and the ICRC," he said . "Russian war criminals who shoot Ukrainian prisoners of war should be brought before an international tribunal and punished with the most severe punishment provided for by law," Lubinets added. Russia did not immediately comment on the accusation but has previous denied committing war crimes. Lubinets said earlier this month that there had been 177 confirmed cases of executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian military since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Andriy Kostin in October called the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian soldiers a deliberate policy of the Russian Federation. Kostin said in a statement on October 15 that torture and executions without trial and investigation are used as weapons of war, intimidation, and destruction. "We can prove that these cases are not isolated incidents but an organized and targeted policy," Kostin said. The Institute for the Study of War reported in October it had observed an increase in Russian forces executing Ukrainian POWs, adding that "Russian commanders are likely writ large condoning, encouraging, or directly ordering the execution of Ukrainian POWs." A Ukrainian open-source intelligence project reported on October 13 that Russian forces executed nine Ukrainian POWs near the village of Zeleny Shlyakh in the Kursk region on October 10. Lubinets condemned those executions as a serious violation of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of POWs and stated that he sent letters to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding the case. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called on Syrians to resist the emerging rebel-led government after the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad, saying the uprising was orchestrated by the West. Speaking in an address on December 22, Khamenei said Syrians, especially the country's youth, "should stand with strong will against those who designed and those who implemented the insecurity." Assad left the country in the late hours of December 8 after the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies -- some of whom are linked with Turkey -- overran government forces in a blitz offensive. While Assad was granted political asylum in Russia by President Vladimir Putin after more than five decades of iron-fisted rule by his family, the HTS has since moved quickly to establish an interim government, and its leader, Riad al-Asaad, has said he is confident the factions that helped topple Assad will unite as one force. HTS and the transitional government have insisted the rights of all Syrians will be protected, but Khamenei said he believes a group aligned with the Islamic republic's government would end up prevailing in Syria. However, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on December 22. Details of the meeting were not immediately released, but Turkey has long been seen as a backer of HTS as it looked to remove Assad. The toppling of Assad was seen by many as another blow to Tehran, which has seen regional groups aligned with it -- parts of the so-called axis of resistance -- suffer major setbacks in the past 14 months. Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, has been decimated by Israel, which launched a war against the group in the Gaza Strip and Hamas fighters in October 2023 crossed into Israel and killed 1,200 people while taking another 250 hostage. That conflict spread to Lebanon, home of the Tehran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. Israel has severely weakened Hezbollah -- killing its longtime leader and many of its top officials -- after the group launched attacks on Israel that it said was in support of Hamas. A U.S.-brokered deal to end hostilities in Lebanon took effect last month. Khamenei downplayed the links to Iran, saying they have fought against Israel on their own beliefs. "They keep saying that the Islamic republic lost its proxy forces in the region. This is another mistake. The Islamic republic does not have a proxy forces," he said. “If one day we plan to take action, we do not need proxy force,” he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed revenge over Kyiv's attack a day earlier on high-rise buildings in Kazan , the capital of Russia's oil-rich republic of Tatarstan, as Russia launched a massive drone attack at Ukraine on December 22. More than the 100 drones that Russia launched in the December 22 attack were shot down, according to Ukraine's military. Businesses and apartment buildings were damaged in the Russian attacks, though at this point, the military said, "without casualties." The regions of Kherson, Mykolayiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv all saw drones fired in their direction, with 52 of the total 103 shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force reported . Russia has stepped up its air attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy saying on December 21 that Moscow has launched more than 550 guided bombs, almost 550 drones, and 20 missiles over the past week. Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine's civilian and energy infrastructure since the start of the war, stepping up attacks especially at the onset of the cold season, causing maximum difficulties and lengthy power cuts for Ukrainians for the third winter in a row. It has also been accused by Kyiv of targeting residential buildings, which Moscow denies. Russia's massive attack comes a day after Ukraine struck high-rise buildings in Kazan , the capital of Russia's oil-rich republic of Tatarstan. Putin vowed to bring more "destruction" to Ukraine in retaliation for the drone attack on Kazan. "Whoever tries to destroy something here will face many times more destruction on their own territory and will regret what they are trying to do in our country," Putin said during a televised meeting. On December 22, Ukraine appeared to again strike inside Russian territory. Andrey Klychkov, the head of Oryol region near the border with Ukraine, said a fire broke out at a fuel infrastructure facility in the village of Stalnoy Kon after the area came under a drone attack, the second in a week. Kyiv has not commented on the accusation, but footage on social media showed what appeared to be explosions in the area. Ukraine has been investing heavily in drone production in part to compensate for its shortage in manpower on the battlefield. Ukraine's Defense Ministry said earlier this month that it had transferred 1.2 million drones to the armed forces through the first 11 months of 2024, including more than 6,000 deep strike drones. Ukraine's drone production is now close to parity with Russia, experts have said. Kyiv has used its long-range drone capacity to hit objects crucial to Russia's war effort, such as weapons and energy facilities. It has tried to avoid civilian targets in part amid concern about backlash from its Western backers. Kazan, one of the wealthiest cities in Russia, is approximately 800 kilometers east of Moscow. Several Russian pensioners were allegedly tricked by scammers into carrying out risky stunts in crowded places in Moscow and St. Petersburg on December 21, police said. A number of the pensioners have been detained, the police said. Law enforcement is still searching for at least one of the suspects. It is unclear who is behind the scam. One incident took place at the Fort shopping center in northeastern Moscow. The building was evacuated following a small explosion in the public services center located there. One woman was treated for injuries after she fell amid the rush for the doors. Meanwhile, a shopping center and a post office in the suburban Moscow towns of Korolev and Khimki, respectively, were evacuated the same day on similar grounds. In Korolev, the explosion blew out several windows and triggered a fire that damaged the shopping center’s ceiling. In the Fort incident, police detained a pensioner who allegedly detonated a firecracker on the instructions of unknown individuals who had extorted 120,000 rubles ($1,200) from her. The 64-year-old suspect in the Korolev incident allegedly tried to detonate pyrotechnics at the police station as well. A 70-year-old woman was detained in connection with the explosion at the post office in Khimki. The same day, two retired women in St. Petersburg allegedly tried to set fire to a police car at the direction of telephone scammers. They have been detained and a case has been opened against them on terrorist charges. Also in St. Petersburg, an explosion occurred at an ATM location belonging to Sberbank, Russia’s largest lender. No injuries were reported. Local media reported that an elderly woman poured a flammable liquid inside the ATM before the explosion. A similar incident at an ATM occurred the night before in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, RFE/RL’s Siberia.Realities reported. This time the suspect was a teenager. Police said the 19-year old girl was duped into carrying out the attack by scammers. She received second-degree burns and is being treated at a hospital. Pakistani militants carried out a daring early-morning raid near the northwestern border with Afghanistan, killing over a dozen officers in the latest attack of 2024 -- a year already marked as one of the deadliest in the region. Laddha Police Deputy Superintendent Hidayat Ullah told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that 16 security officers were killed when militants opened fire at a security checkpoint in South Waziristan at 2 am on December 21. He said eight more officers were wounded. Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which claimed responsibility for the attack, said it killed 35 Pakistani security officers. Radio Mashaal could not independently confirm the number of officers killed. Neither side said how many militants were killed during the attack. There has been a steady increase in TTP attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province since the Taliban regained control of Kabul in August 2021. The TTP seeks to impose Shari'a law in Pakistan. The latest attack came as the elders of Dre Maseed in the Sur Rogha area of South Waziristan held a meeting on December 20 to demand that the security forces change tactics. Sherpao Maseed, a leader of the assembly, told Radio Mashaal that Pakistani defense forces are targeting militants with artillery and mortar shells , putting civilians in danger. The Pakistan Center for Conflict and Security Studies said in its most recent report that more than 240 people were killed in "terrorist incidents" in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in November The death toll included 68 security officers, the highest in a single month this year. Meanwhile, the Army Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) claims to have killed dozens of suspected militants in operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this month. The governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan say they are committed to wiping out the TTP. BUDAPEST -- Hungary's right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's recent reported proposal for NATO members states to increase their defense spending would cripple the Hungarian economy. According to recent reports in Britain's Financial Times and The Telegraph, Trump's team informed European officials that the president-elect was expecting the United States' NATO allies to raise their defense expenditure to 5 percent of national gross domestic product (GDP). Speaking at his year-end press briefing on December 21, Orban said that Hungary has already sweated blood to reach the current 2 percent target, and "if the 2 percent has to be increased, that would shoot the Hungarian economy in the lungs." "We would prefer to not spend even 2 percent of GDP on weaponry...but the world is going in the opposite direction," he said. Orban, who has been accused at home and abroad of democratic backsliding, also said he had not discussed this with Trump, adding that, if the increase is inevitable, then he believes it should be gradual. Hungary budgeted to spend 2.1 percent of GDP in 2024 on defense. Orban is one of Trump's main allies in Europe and, on December 9, he met with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Throughout the Ukraine war, Orban has maintained friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been critical of EU aid for Ukraine, and has obstructed the bloc's sanctions regime against Moscow. NATO Spending Targets During his time as president between 2016 and 2020, Trump regularly called for NATO members to meet the required 2 percent level of defense spending, goals that most have since met. NATO leadership has also called for member nations to boost spending following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has triggered the largest war in Europe since World War II. Before leaving office, former Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance's members would "have to be willing to pay the price for peace" and said that the current 2 percent target was "no longer enough to keep us safe." And in Budapest in November, the current NATO secretary-general, Mark Rutte, said at the European Political Community summit that member states would have to pay more. "It will surpass the 2 percent greatly more. I am quite clear about that," Rutte said. The United States contributes around 16 percent to NATO's common-funded budget, which is the joint largest share alongside Germany. The United States will also spend roughly $967 billion on defense in 2024. While that accounts for around two-thirds of what all NATO members will spend on defense combined this year, it represents about 3 percent of GDP. The United States last spent 5 percent of GDP on defense in the late 2000s and early 2010s amid the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. During the Cold War, the United States spent between 5 and 11 percent of GDP on defense . Experts said that Trump's proposal is likely a starting point for negotiations with NATO members. Spat With Poland The Hungarian prime minister also defended Budapest's decision to grant political asylum to Marcin Romanowski, a Polish lawmaker from the right-wing Law and Justice party, who is wanted for alleged corruption during his tenure in Poland's previous government. Orban said he didn't think the case involving a Polish politician would be the last. He added, however, that he wanted to keep "conflicts with Poland at a manageable level," and would refrain from commenting on the country's rule-of-law situation. The Hungarian prime minister's office made the announcement on December 19, arguing that the Polish government was persecuting its political rivals. Warsaw has called the move a "hostile act" and has summoned Hungary's ambassador to Poland. KARACHI, Pakistan -- Pakistani military courts have sentenced 25 people for their part in attacks on military facilities in May 2023. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan's armed forces, said in a statement on December 21 that 25 defendants were given sentences ranging from two to 10 years. On May 9, 2023, following the arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in a fraud case, supporters of Khan's party, Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI), attacked and damaged military installations, mosques, and government buildings in cities across Pakistan. Several people were killed and dozens injured in the unrest. In its statement, the military's media wing described the sentences as an "important milestone in dispensation of justice to the nation." It added that May 9, 2023 was a sad day for the country, and it would be officially commemorated every year. In response to the verdicts, PTI wrote on the X social network that the military courts have violated the defendants' constitutional and human rights. Khan's party has said the judicial process is not transparent and about 80 people have been in military custody since the unrest, their fundamental rights violated. Supporters of the imprisoned former prime minister, who is accused of inciting attacks against the armed forces, have expressed concerns that military rather than civilian courts are trying some of the cases. They have staged months of protests to demand Khan's release. PTI says its members and supporters did not attack military or government buildings on May 9, 2023. Last year, Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled that civilians should be tried in civilian courts, not military courts. However, on December 13, the Supreme Court suspended the decision and allowed military courts to hear civilian cases. Others charged over the violence are being tried in anti-terrorism courts. PTI regularly campaigns against corruption and nepotism in Pakistan but has been accused of populism and authoritarian tendencies centered around its charismatic leader Khan. KVIV -- An air-raid warning has been declared in all regions of Ukraine due to possible ballistic missile strikes, Ukrainian military authorities said. Russia continued its regular attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure overnight, launching 113 drone attacks, according to the Ukrainian Air Force on December 21. Of those drones, 57 were shot down, and 56 others were unable to reach their targets, the air force said. The Ukrainian Air Force also said Russia had fired one surface-to-air S-400 missile at central Ukraine, but it did not cause any damage or casualties. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reported that in the eastern Ukrainian Zaporizhzhya and Kharkiv regions downed drones damaged apartment buildings, causing casualties. Ukraine was under a general air-raid alert for several hours on December 20 as Russia launched missile and drone attacks against the capital, Kyiv, and several other regions around the country. Russian Advance The latest attacks come as Ukrainian forces are struggling to stop Russia's rapid advance in the east of the country. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on December 21 that Russian forces had taken control of the village of Kostyantynopolske in the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk region. The claim about the village, called Ostrovsky by Russia, could not be independently confirmed by Reuters. Meanwhile, Reuters quoted Aleksandr Khinshtein, the acting governor of Russia's Kursk region, as saying that six people, including one child, were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on December 20 on the town of Rylsk. Ukraine seized territory in the Kursk region in an incursion in August but has since given up about half its territorial gains. Drones, thought to be from Ukraine, hit high-rise buildings in Kazan , the capital of Russia's republic of Tatarstan, with the attacks causing the city's airport to temporarily suspend flights. No casualties were reported. KAZAN, Russia -- Ukraine struck high-rise buildings in Kazan, the capital of Russia's oil-rich republic of Tatarstan, in the latest display of its growing drone capabilities. The December 21 attacks came in three waves between 7:40 a.m. and 9:20 a.m., the Russian Defense Ministry said. The ministry said the drones were of Ukrainian origin. Western experts said they appeared to be Ukraine's Lyitiy model , a light, aircraft-like drone. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the strike. The press service of Rustam Minnikhanov, the leader of Tatarstan, said in a statement that eight drones attacked the city. According to the statement, six struck luxury residential buildings, one struck an industrial facility, and one was shot down over a river. In a post on its Telegram channel, Kazan mayor’s office said the drones struck targets in three districts of the city. Two drones slammed into the upper floors of a 37-story luxury skyscraper, according to videos posted on social media. The strikes, which were about 30 minutes apart, hit the glass-and-metal building in roughly the same spot. Schools Evacuated RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reported that pupils were evacuated from schools in the Soviet district of Kazan and that sirens could be heard in the city. There were no casualties, local authorities said. According to Interfax reports, Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin said that people had been evacuated from the affected buildings and were being provided with accommodation and food. The mayor said that all large events in the city would be canceled over the weekend. Kazan, one of the wealthiest cities in Russia, is approximately 800 kilometers east of Moscow. In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said that a "Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed over the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan by the air defense forces on duty." Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said in a statement that "temporary restrictions were imposed at Kazan Airport on the morning of December 21 in order to ensure the safety of civilian flights. Both arrivals and departures are suspended." The ban has since been lifted. Ukrainian drone attacks have previously targeted Russian military and industrial locations in Tatarstan. Local authorities on May 15 shut down two major airports -- one in Kazan and another in the city of Nizhnekamsk -- for several hours "for security reasons" following a drone attack. The Russian Defense Ministry said that "a Ukrainian drone" was shot down over Tatarstan. In April, Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery in Tatarstan and a dormitory in the Alabuga special economic zone in Yelabuga, which hosts more than 20 industrial enterprises, including chemical, mechanical engineering, and metal treatment factories. It also reportedly houses a facility producing drones. Drone Surge Ukraine has been investing heavily in drone production in part to compensate for its shortage in manpower on the battlefield. Ukraine's Defense Ministry said earlier this month that it had transferred 1.2 million drones to the armed forces through the first 11 months of 2024, including more than 6,000 deep strike drones . Ukraine's drone production is now close to parity with Russia, experts have said. Kyiv has used its long-range drone capacity to hit objects crucial to Russia's war effort, such as weapons and energy facilities. It has tried to avoid civilian targets in part amid concern about backlash from its Western backers. In the summer of 2023, Ukrainian drones twice struck the floors of a high-rise building in Moscow's business district housing Russian government ministries. Experts speculated whether the skyscraper in Kazan that was struck twice was home to someone connected with Russia's war effort. Zelenskiy said that Ukraine will continue to target military objects in Russia with drones and missiles. "We will definitely continue to strike Russian military facilities - with drones and missiles, and increasingly Ukrainian ones, at precisely those military bases, at precisely that Russian military infrastructure that is used in such terror against our people," he said in his regular nightly video address to the nation. In the meantime, Russia has continued its regular attacks against Ukraine, including civilian targets. Russia's armed forces launched 113 drone attacks against Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian Air Force on December 21. Of those drones, 57 were shot down, and 56 others were unable to reach their targets, the air force said. At least two people were killed and more than 60 injured after a car drove at high speed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, German officials said on December 20. The car plowed into the market in what authorities suspect was an intentional act in the city in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. “This is a terrible event, particularly now in the days before Christmas," Saxony-Anhalt Governor Reiner Haseloff said. The driver of the car was arrested. Haseloff told reporters that the suspect is a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who first came to Germany in 2006. He had not been on law enforcement's radar as a known Islamist, security sources told the dpa news agency. "From what we currently know he was a lone attacker, so we don't think there is any further danger for the city," Haseloff said. Haseloff said the two people confirmed dead were an adult and a toddler, and he couldn’t rule out further deaths. Police evacuated the area as they suspected there could be a bomb still in the car that was driven into the market. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he plans to visit the city on December 21. “The reports from Magdeburg suggest something terrible is to come. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours,” Scholz said on X. French President Emmanuel Macron also reacted on X. “Deeply shocked by the horror that struck the Magdeburg Christmas market in Germany this evening. My thoughts are with the victims, the injured, and their loved ones and families. France shares the pain of the German people and expresses its full solidarity,” he said . Magdeburg, a city of about 240,000 residents west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt. The suspected attack came eight years after an Islamic extremist plowed into a Christmas market in Berlin. killing 13 people and injuring dozens more. The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Italy. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said in its final report on the October 26 parliamentary elections in Georgia that numerous issues “negatively impacted" the elections and eroded public trust. The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) issued the final report on December 20. The OSCE said shortly after the October 26 elections that it had recorded instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation. The final report reiterates the organization's concerns and offers recommendations to improve elections in Georgia. “Numerous issues noted in our final report negatively impacted the integrity of these elections and eroded public trust in the process,” said Eoghan Murphy, who headed the ODIHR’s 2024 election observation mission to Georgia. Murphy urged authorities in Georgia to urgently address all concerns about the elections, which gave the ruling Georgian Dream party more than 54 percent of the vote, enough to maintain control of the government. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze acknowledged that the final report contains "critical remarks," including on the suppression of votes. "In 76 percent of the polling stations where it observed, OSCE/ODIHR did not identify any irregularities at all," he said at a briefing, adding that in other cases there were "isolated irregularities" that were identified. "These were related to incorrect ballot entry, improper arrangement of the polling station, so-called leaks, video recording, etc." According to Kobakhidze, the Georgian Dream government is ready to cooperate with the OSCE to implement its recommendations. The report refers to the passage of a "foreign agents" law modeled on a similar Russian law, earlier in the year, saying the election took place amid “serious concerns about the impact of recently adopted legislation on fundamental freedoms and civil society.” The law, which mandates that organizations receiving significant foreign funding register as “foreign agents,” took effect on August 1, sparking significant backlash from international and domestic actors. The final report also cites pressure on voters and election day practices that “compromised the ability of some voters to cast their vote without fear of retribution.” In addition, there was an overall lack of response to complaints in the post-election period, the report said, saying the ODIHR “found that cases were not considered sufficiently, limiting legal remedies.” The report reiterates the negative impact of the “polarized and instrumentalized media” and limited campaign finance oversight. It notes that candidates were generally able to campaign freely, and candidates across 18 party lists competed, but a "significant imbalance in financial resources contributed to the uneven playing field.” Demonstrators began gathering in central Tbilisi soon after the elections as criticism mounted over voting irregularities. The protests intensified after Kobakhidze announced that Tbilisi was suspending until 2028 talks with Brussels on Georgia's bid to join the European Union. The ODIHR notes that some protests were violently dispersed, resulting in numerous arrests and allegations of brutality toward protesters and journalists. The ODIHR said that the suppression of protests by force and numerous arrests “caused grave concerns about compliance with international commitments to freedom of peaceful assembly.” Poland has summoned Hungary's ambassador over Budapest's decision to grant political asylum to a Polish opposition politician who is wanted for alleged corruption during his tenure in Poland's previous government. Warsaw was outraged by Hungary's decision to grant political asylum to Marcin Romanowski. The decision, announced the Hungarian prime minister's office on December 19, accused the Polish government of persecuting its political opponents. Poland called the move a "hostile act" that runs counter to the principle of loyal cooperation among members of the European Union. "In response to this action, the Hungarian ambassador to Poland will be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, where he will receive an official protest note," the ministry said on December 20. The ministry also said that if Hungary fails to comply with its EU obligations, Poland will ask the European Commission to respond. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government says it has opened the door for prosecutors to investigate suspected wrongdoings committed during the tenure of the nationalist Law and Justice party, which ruled the country for eight years until 2023 and which have been covered up. Tusk said he was dismayed by Hungary's decision to shelter a man being sought on suspicions of defrauding the state of millions of zlotys. “I did not expect corrupt politicians escaping justice would be able to choose between [Belarusian authoritarian leader Alyaksandr] Lukashenka and [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orban,” Tusk said on December 20. His reference to Lukashenka was apparently linked to the case of a Polish judge who fled to Belarus. Romanowski was detained during the investigation but released in July. He denies the charges against him. Through his lawyer he has argued that he is the victim of political retribution by Tusk's government. Gergely Gulyas, head of Orban's office, said the decision of the Hungarian authorities was in line with both domestic and European Union legislation. He said Romanowski's arrest raised serious concerns about fair treatment and political bias in Polish judicial proceedings. Polish opposition lawmakers, including Romanowski, accused Tusk's government of conducting a politically motivated witch-hunt against them. Romanowski told Polish broadcaster TV Republika that he thinks the fact that Hungary has granted him asylum confirms that "we are dealing with political persecution in Poland." Prosecutors and judges in Poland are politically controlled, he said. A spokesman for the European Commission declined to comment on the specific case but emphasized that EU member states are obligated to enforce European arrest warrants. Stefan de Keersmaecker said at a briefing in Brussels on December 20 that the obligation means that Hungary should send Romanowski back to Poland to face justice. The spokesman added that all EU member states maintain a high level of protection for fundamental rights and freedoms, making them all safe countries for asylum seekers. But an asylum application from a national of another EU member state can only be accepted under exceptional circumstances. The Georgian government has pledged to amend its controversial "foreign agents" law following discussions with the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset. Berset announced at a press briefing in Tbilisi on December 20, wrapping up a three-day visit, that a working group including Georgian representatives, the Council of Europe, and the Venice Commission will be formed to draft necessary changes to the legislation. "The government of Georgia promised to modify the content of the 'Foreign Influence Transparency' law. This working group will determine the specific changes required. I hope similar collaborative processes can extend to other areas, such as equality, anti-discrimination, electoral reform, and reforms in penitentiary and probation systems," Berset said. The law, modeled on a similar Russian law, mandates that organizations receiving significant foreign funding register as "foreign agents." Passed by the Georgian parliament in May despite a presidential veto, it came into force on August 1, sparking significant backlash from international and domestic actors. Georgian NGOs began appearing on the "foreign agent" registry in October, raising concerns about their ability to operate freely. Critics, including the European Union, have warned that the law could derail Georgia's aspirations for EU membership. While Moscow praised the Georgian government for adopting the law, Western countries, including the United States and Britain, condemned it as a tool for undermining democracy. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, however, reiterated Georgia's openness to discussions about the law. "If anyone proves there's something harmful in this legislation, we're ready to address it and work with relevant structures of the Council of Europe," Kobakhidze said. Berset's visit comes amid heightened political tensions in Georgia, marked by public polarization, high-level violence, and allegations of electoral misconduct. Addressing the situation, Berset emphasized: "Georgia is at a critical juncture. The country is filled with political tension, polarized public debate, and high levels of violence," adding that the country "deserves stability and democracy." "I am not here to legitimize elections; that is the responsibility of other competent institutions," Berset said, stressing that his primary goal was "to support Georgia and its people." He also said that resolving the political crisis depends on "upholding democracy, human rights, and the rule of law." During his visit, Berset held multiple meetings with government officials, including Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and opposition representatives. His visit is seen as an effort to mediate amid deep divisions within Georgian society. On December 19, the United States imposed sanctions on Georgia's Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and Special Tasks Department Deputy Director Mirza Kezevadze under the Global Magnitsky Act. Hours earlier, Britain had sanctioned Gomelauri and four other senior officials. These sanctions reflect growing Western dissatisfaction with Georgia's political trajectory. Despite this, Kobakhidze assured that the government would "compensate any losses" incurred by sanctioned individuals and announced plans to award honors to the Interior Ministry's leadership following the presidential poll in February 2025 and inauguration of Georgia's next president, whose legitimacy is contested by the opposition and the current President Salome Zurabishvili. Georgia's "foreign agents" law has become a focal point in the country's strained relations with the West. The government's decision last month to delay European Union accession talks until 2028 also sparked protests in the country and criticism in the West. Moreover, economic hardship and the threat of backsliding from the Euro-Atlantic course have created a sense of urgency and fertile ground for unrest. International partners are apprehensive that Georgia's adoption of tactics similar to those used by Moscow could undermine its democratic progress and EU aspirations. Russia's top Islamic body has approved a religious edict that allows Muslim men to practice polygamy, which contradicts Russian law that prohibits individuals from entering multiple registered marriages simultaneously. The Council of Islamic Clerics of Russia's Spiritual Administration of Muslims (DUM), issued a fatwa on December 18 that allows a Muslim male to enter up to four marriages at the same time as long as certain conditions are met. Russia's Family Code explicitly prohibits a person from entering a registered marriage with someone who is already married. But it comes as the Russian authorities are grappling with a dire demographic situation amid a population decline exacerbated by emigration, low birthrates, and high mortality. While the full text of the fatwa has yet to be published, reports from Russian news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti revealed key provisions in it that allow Muslim men to enter into multiple religious marriages. The fatwa stipulates that a man can engage in polygamy only if he ensures equitable treatment for all wives. This includes equal material provision, separate housing for each wife, and spending equal time with them according to an agreed schedule. If a man cannot meet these requirements, he is prohibited from entering multiple religious marriages unless a bride "voluntarily waives" her rights to them. Other circumstances under which polygamy is permitted by the DUM include cases where the first wife cannot conceive due to health issues, lack of desire, or age; in situations of "sexual incompatibility" between spouses; or when a man wishes to provide social and financial support to a single woman and her children. The DUM has acknowledged that women in purely religious marriages lack legal protections, which critics argue may leave women in polygamous religious marriages vulnerable. The conditions for such a marriage, they say, place a significant burden of proof on religious institutions or individuals to ensure compliance. How these provisions align with Russia's secular legal framework and broader societal norms is yet to be determined. Russian officials have yet to comment on the fatwah. The government, however, has been looking for ways to spur Russians to have more children as the declining population ages, a problem worsened by the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, which experts say has seen hundreds of thousands of Russian men die. The Russian government has actively promoted policies to encourage women to have more children, with financial incentives for larger families and efforts to discourage abortions. The Russian Orthodox Church has been assisting the government to promote such policies. Ukraine launched a deadly missile attack on the Russian region of Kursk on December 20, just hours after Russia carried out a massive air assault on Kyiv during rush hour that killed one person and damaged a historic cathedral and other buildings in the capital, including six embassies. Russia's Investigative Committee said an unspecified number of people were killed in the attack on Kursk involving U.S.-supplied HIMARS rockets on the town of Rylsk. According to Mash Telegram channel , at least five people have been killed, and 26 others injured. The attack has destroyed several critical pieces of social infrastructure, including a pedagogical college, a cultural center, and a school. The attack came shortly after Russian launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Kyiv and several other regions around Ukraine. The whole of Ukraine was under a general air-raid alert for several hours as Russia launched eight missiles -- including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles and Iskander/KN-23 ballistic missiles -- on Kyiv alone, Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, reported . Ukrainian cities and infrastructure continue to sustain regular Russian drone and missile strikes while outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian forces are facing difficulties in staving off Russia's increasingly rapid advance in the east. One person was killed by a strike in Kyiv's Holosiyiv district, while eyewitnesses reported several blasts in the city. The U.S. State Department condemned the missile attack, which damaged a building hosting several diplomatic missions. "Any attack against diplomats or diplomatic facilities anywhere is unacceptable," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on X. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko separately reported that falling debris from downed Russian drones fell on four of the capital's districts -- Holosiyiv, Solomyansk, Shevchenkivsk, and Dniprovsk -- wounding at least two people. Kyiv restaurateur Nadir Ahundov voiced his outrage at the Russian strike that completely destroyed his restaurant. "These subhuman [Russians], to drop such bombs on residential buildings," Ahundov told RFE/RL. "I put my heart, my soul into [creating] this," he said, pointing to the trees outside the restaurnat. "These trees were small when I planted them. Look at them now -- those monsters knocked them down." In Kherson, a 60-year-old man was killed in a Russian strike and two others, including an 86-year-old man, were wounded, regional Governor Roman Mrochko reported on Telegram. Late on December 19, a Russian missile struck and badly damaged a two-story apartment building in the southeastern city of Kryviy Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown, wounding five people, including two pulled alive from under the rubble, officials said. The attack also crippled the power supply in parts of the city of 600,000 and damaged a hospital, regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said. In a statement on Telegram, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that the strikes on December 20 were "in response" to Ukrainian attacks on Russian targets using Western-supplied weapons. The latest wave of attacks from both sides came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested at his highly choreographed annual press conference a "high-tech duel" over Kyiv to prove that Russia's new hypersonic ballistic missile, dubbed Oreshnik, cannot be shot down by Western-supplied air defenses. "It would be interesting for us.... Let's conduct this experiment, this technological duel, and see the results. I think it would be useful for both us and the Americans," Putin said. In reaction, Zelenskiy posted a message on X calling Putin a "dumbass." "People are dying, and he thinks it’s 'interesting'... Dumbass," Zelenskiy wrote. The United States and the United Kingdom have announced sanctions on Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and other senior officials in the ministry in response to their alleged role in a violent crackdown on journalists, opposition figures, and anti-government protesters. The United States also imposed sanctions on Mirza Kezevadze, deputy head of the special forces department in the Georgian Interior Ministry, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement on December 19. The Treasury Department said it was taking the action in coordination with Britain, which on December 19 imposed sanctions on Gomelauri and four other officials of the Interior Ministry for alleged human rights violations. A U.S. Treasury Department official said the reasons cited by the two governments for imposing the sanctions were similar. “In the wake of Georgia’s election, key officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs engaged in a severe and vicious crackdown against their own people, including the intentional targeting of journalists and use of violence,” Acting Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith said in the statement. Any assets owned by Gomelauri and Kezevadze in U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, making their business operations more difficult, the Treasury Department statement said. In addition to Gomelauri, Britain imposed sanctions on deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, Sulkhan Tamazashvili, Zviad Kharazishvili, and Mileri Lagazauri, according to a U.K. government statement. Thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi again on the night of December 19. It was the 22nd consecutive day of protests against the government's decision to effectively halt the country's EU accession talks. The protesters have questioned the legitimacy of the victory of the Georgian Dream party in the election that took place at the end of October. The demonstrations intensified after Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Tbilisi was suspending until 2028 talks with Brussels on Georgia's bid to join the European Union. “Security forces from the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Special Task Department responded to protests with disproportionate violence to suppress dissent and discourage protesters,” the U.S. Treasury Department’s statement said. Georgia's pro-Europe president, Salome Zurabishvili, has said the October 26 election was rigged with the help of Moscow and has vowed not to leave office even when her successor -- selected by what protesters say is an illegitimate parliament -- is scheduled to be sworn in on December 29. Zurabishvili has condemned the "brutal and disproportionate attacks on the Georgian people and media," comparing the crackdown to "Russian-style repression." Demonstrations have repeatedly been violently broken up, activists have been detained, and opposition politicians and media representatives attacked. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, and according to surveys, a majority of Georgians support EU membership. Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened to punish political opponents, whom he accuses of being behind violence that has occurred at the protests. Georgia’s relations with Brussels soured with the adoption of a Russian-style "foreign agent" law that critics say threatens media and civil society groups by accusing them of "serving" outside powers. One lawmaker was killed and another injured in a shooting at the de facto parliament in Georgia's Abkhazia, a breakaway region supported by Russia. According to local media reports, Adgur Kharazia and Kan Kvarchia, lawmakers operating under the self-proclaimed government, were meeting on December 19 over a proposal to ban the mining of cryptocurrency when a disagreement boiled over. Kharazia, a former mayor of the region's capital, Sukhumi, has a history of violent incidents and reportedly pulled out a firearm and began shooting. Vakhtang Golandzia, a fellow lawmaker who was trying to intervene, was fatally shot. Kvarchia was shot in the arm and taken to hospital. The Health Ministry confirmed the incident while acting Interior Minister Robert Kiut said in a statement that "Kharazia managed to flee the scene and police are searching for him. A special investigative group has been sent to detain him." The shooting comes weeks after Abkhazia's parliament rejected a controversial investment deal with Russia on December 3. The shooting also underlines the region's instability, with presidential elections scheduled for February 2025. The agreement, signed in Moscow on October 30, was widely criticized as 'exploitative' by opposition figures and civil society groups who felt it would grant undue economic advantages to Russian investors while undermining Abkhazia's sovereignty. The political aftermath of the deal also provoked mass protests, forcing the de facto leader, Aslan Bzhania, to resign on November 19. He was replaced by acting leader Badra Gunba, yet the region remains in a state of political instability. The December 19 shooting further indicated the deep division within Abkhazia's leadership and the uncertainty within its political climate. Kvarchia, the injured legislator, has actively opposed the now-shelved Russian investment agreement. In the parliamentary session on December 3, he said the deal was "enslaving for Abkhazia." He accused the executive branch of trying to push the agreement through despite a public outcry. His opposition to the current administration's move has made him one of the key figures in the opposition movement that successfully rallied public dissent against the current administration's policies. Kharazia has a controversial history. In 2020, he was detained for allegedly causing grievous bodily harm and illegally possessing firearms after reportedly injuring an administrative official. His involvement in the December 19 shooting has once again raised questions about accountability within Abkhazia's separatist leadership and broader security mechanisms. The incident has piled on the pressure on acting leader Badra Gunba, who held an emergency meeting following the shooting. Gunba has already been under pressure from opposition groups demanding accountability for the mishandling of the Russian investment deal. The protests that led to Bzhania's resignation underlined deep-seated discontent with Abkhazia's governance and fragile dependence on Russia. The political crisis in Abkhazia reflects a struggle in the region to balance its reliance on Moscow for economic and military support with growing public unease about over-dependence on Moscow. While Russia recognized Abkhazia's independence after the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, most international community still views the region as part of Georgia. A court in Romania has accepted an appeal filed by controversial Internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother and sent his case on human trafficking and other charges back to prosecutors. The Bucharest Court of Appeals said on on December 19 that it found "irregularities" in the indictment issued by the Prosecutor-General's Office. The prosecutors can now bring forth new evidence to back up their charges or amend the existing ones. The ruling is a blow to Romania's anti-organized crime prosecuting unit DIICOT, which filed charges against Tate, his brother Tristan Tate, and two Romanian women after they were arrested in December 2022 on suspicion of human trafficking. They were formally indicted last year, and the Bucharest Tribunal ruled earlier this year that a trial could start but did not set a date. All four deny the charges. Andrew Tate, 38, and Tristen Tate, 36, are dual British-U.S. citizens and former kickboxers. Andrew Tate has amassed more than 10 million followers on the social media platform X but has been kicked off other platforms, including Facebook and TikTok over accusations of posting hate speech and misogynistic comments. Eugen Vidineac, one of the Tate brothers’ lawyers, said the decision was “a significant legal victory” that “rightly determined that there is insufficient basis to proceed with the case.” Mateea Petrescu, a spokeswoman for Andrew Tate, said the court's review "revealed significant procedural flaws and raised serious concerns about the integrity of the investigative process, further undermining the credibility of the prosecution’s case.” Andrew Tate complained bitterly about the case in a statement issued after the ruling. "They’ve had years to build their case -- years to tear apart my life, target everyone I know, and even subpoena the mother of my child," Tate said. "And yet, they have nothing." DIICOT has not commented on the ruling. The Bucharest Court of Appeal judges said in their decision that they had identified problems in "the manner of presenting the factual situation and describing the constitutive elements in the case" against the two female suspects. The judges also said Andrew Tate's right to a defense was violated in the way he was informed of the accusation of human trafficking regarding one of the alleged victims. Andrew Tate in August was placed under house arrest and Tristan Tate under judicial control for 30 days after they were interrogated by Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors as part of an investigation into new allegations against them. During the criminal investigation, prosecutors said they identified seven women who were sexually exploited "forcibly, in order to obtain significant financial benefits" for the defendants from people who accessed content on social media. Prosecutors accused the Tate brothers of recruiting their victims using the so-called "lover boy" method, seducing them and claiming to want a relationship or marriage. The victims were then taken to properties outside Bucharest, where they were sexually exploited through physical violence and psychological intimidation as they were forced to produce pornographic content, the prosecutors said. Romanian investigators carried out the interrogations and fresh searches at the brothers’ residences as part of the investigation into the new charges. DIICOT said at the time that the new accusations included charges of forming an organized crime group, trafficking of minors, a sexual act with a minor, influencing statements, and money laundering. The brothers said through a spokesperson that the fresh accusations were “not fully clarified." They have been barred from leaving Romania as the proceedings against them continue but are set to be extradited to Britain once their case in Romania concludes. They face further allegations of rape and human trafficking in Britain, where a court ruled on December 18 that police can seize more than 2.6 million pounds ($3.3 million) to cover years of unpaid taxes. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court said what appeared to be a “complex financial matrix” was actually a “straightforward cheat of the revenue.” Andrew Tate said in a statement that the ruling “is not justice” and claimed it was a “coordinated attack on anyone who dares to challenge the system.” The Tate brothers have stated that they do not want to be extradited from Romania, which they said they consider their home. A court in Moscow charged Uzbek citizen Ahmat Qurbanov on December 19 with terrorism and other charges in the high-profile killing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who headed Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces. In addition to terrorism, Qurbanov has been charged with murder and the illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. Qurbanov, born in 1995, has been accused of detonating a self-made explosive device concealed in a scooter parked near a residential building in Moscow on December 17. The blast killed Kirillov and his assistant. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Qurbanov shortly after the attack in cooperation with the Interior Ministry and the Investigative Committee. Investigators claimed Qurbanov was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services. The Russian authorities released a video in which a man speaking poor Russian introduced himself as Ahmad Qurbanov from Uzbekistan and "confessed" to having committed the attack. The circumstances in which the video was recorded remain unknown. During the court hearing on December 19, Qurbanov requested a translator due to his limited command of the Russian language. The Uzbek Embassy in Moscow has been actively involved in the case. It commented on Qurbanov's arrest on Telegram, saying that it was in contact with Russian law enforcement agencies. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev discussed cooperation in the fight against terrorism in a phone call on December 19, the Kremlin said. Mirziyoev expressed his condolences for the death of Kirillov and his assistant, according to the Kremlin. The FSB said in a statement on December 18 that the suspect had been recruited and trained by Ukraine's special services and promised money to carry out the attack. While there has been no formal claim of responsibility for the killing, a source at Ukraine's SBU security service told RFE/RL that the blast was the result of a special operation by the Ukrainian agency. Ukraine had accused Kirillov of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops. Moscow has denied the accusation. Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev has praised the Czech Republic after it adopted a resolution recognizing the deportation of Crimean Tatars by Soviet authorities in 1944 as genocide. In a December 18 vote, 70 of 74 senators supported the resolution, making the Czech Republic the seventh country to recognize the genocide, joining Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine. "This decision morally supports Crimean Tatars and Ukraine and encourages other countries to follow suit," Mustafa Dzhemilev, the national leader of the Crimean Tatar people and a member of Ukraine's parliament, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service in an interview after the vote. Eighty years ago, over three days from May 18 to May 20, 1944, Soviet security forces rounded up at least 200,000 Tatars on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and brutally sent them into exile in Central Asia. Tens of thousands died during the deportation and under the harsh conditions of their first years in exile. Soviet demographers in 1949 estimated there had been nearly 45,000 “excess deaths” among Crimean Tatars in the previous five years, while Crimean Tatar sources put the losses far higher. Dzhemilev said the recognition means even more than usual for Crimean Tatars since it comes while Russia occupies Crimea -- it illegally annexed the peninsula in 2014 -- and continues its ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched almost three years ago. "This is a really important event, especially for the Crimean Tatars, who are currently under occupation. This is moral support for them. And at the same time, this is moral support for Ukraine, which is currently in a state of war with our not very good neighbor," Dzhemilev said. Dzhemilev noted the Czech government's readiness to use its influence to urge other countries to pass similar resolutions, especially those in Russia's traditional sphere of influence. The deportation of the Crimean Tatars -- like those of several other Soviet ethnic populations around the same time -- was ordered by dictator Josef Stalin and overseen by notorious secret police head Lavrenty Beria. It was followed by a campaign of de-Tatarization in Crimea, during which the culture of the Turkic, Muslim people was virtually wiped out on the peninsula. Although most of the persecuted ethnic groups were allowed to return to their homelands after Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev condemned the population transfers in 1956, Crimean Tatars were not. Only in the late 1980s, after more than four decades of exile, did the Soviet government condemn the deportation as a crime and lift the ban on their return. With Crimea occupied again, Dzhemilev said he understands Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's recent statement that Kyiv currently lacks the military strength to retake Crimea by force. Still, he hopes European countries such as Germany and France will convince the United States, which will see an administration change in January when President-elect Donald Trump moves into the White House, to continue its support for Ukraine in repelling Russian forces, including from Crimea. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is nearing its primary goal in the war against Ukraine and challenged the United States to a missile "duel" involving Russia's new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile. Speaking at an annual news conference used in large part to show his control over almost every aspect of Russia's political and economic spheres, Putin boasted about the country's economy, glossing over the impact of severe sanctions imposed by the West for the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine . The tightly controlled question-and-answer session on December 19, a live broadcast on state TV that lasted almost 4 1/2 hours, focused on domestic issues at the start before turning to foreign policy, namely the war in Ukraine. Putin, in power for almost a quarter of a century, said Russian forces were advancing along the front line of Ukraine and were moving toward achieving their primary goals . He didn't specify what he meant, but previously he has said peace will be possible after the "denazification, demilitarization, and a neutral status" of Ukraine. Russia has falsely claimed Ukraine is run by "radical nationalist" and neo-Nazi groups. Later in the broadcast, Putin said he was ready for "negotiations and compromises" in possible peace talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and that he had no conditions for starting such talks. Putin has previously ruled out making any major territorial concessions to end the war, while it has also insisted Kyiv abandon its ambitions to join the NATO military alliance. "Soon, those Ukrainians who want to fight will run out, in my opinion. Soon there will be no one left who wants to fight," he said. "We are ready, but the other side needs to be ready for both negotiations and compromises." However, Putin also admitted he could not say when Russia would regain full control of the western region of Kursk, where Ukraine launched a shock offensive in August and still occupies territory. "We will absolutely kick them out. Absolutely. It can't be any other way. But the question of a specific date, I'm sorry, I cannot say right now," Putin said. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on December 19 that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had spoken by phone the day before with his Swiss counterpart, Ignazio Cassis, about the conflict in Ukraine. The ministry said Lavrov "explained in detail the Russian position on the settlement of the situation" and outlined Putin's conditions. Well-known military analyst Michael Kofman at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said on a podcast earlier this month that he was skeptical that Russia would agree to an early cease-fire and suspected that Moscow could try to tie up the United States in "envoy diplomacy" for months. "I'm sure they'll be happy to schedule a summit in Geneva or perhaps some other place in Europe, all the while intending to make gains on the battlefield. And they've done this before," said Kofman. Kofman added that if Ukraine can maintain its front lines and prevent a breakthrough over the next several months, Russia's negotiating hand will weaken as military resources and economic problems become more acute. Russia has been trending toward authoritarianism since the beginning of Putin's tenure. But since an election in 2018, that trend has been more firmly entrenched than ever. The already marginalized opposition has been crushed. Earlier this year, Aleksei Navalny, Putin's most prominent critic, died while in a Siberian prison. A raft of constitutional amendments imposed in 2020 enabled Putin to seek two additional six-year terms, the first of which he secured with a landslide victory in March in balloting the international community called a "sham" and not "free and fair." The 72-year-old Putin, who is set to surpass Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s nearly 30-year reign by the end of his new term to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than two centuries, could conceivably hold power until 2036. Putin struck a defiant tone when the subject of weaponry came up during the broadcast. In an apparent trolling of Washington, he suggested a "21th-century high-tech duel." "Let them determine some target for destruction, say in Kyiv: Concentrate all their air defense and missile defense forces there, and we will strike there with Oreshniks and see what happens," he said. "We are ready for such an experiment, but is the other side ready?" Russia launched the so-called Oreshnik ballistic missile against Ukraine on November 21 in a strike targeting the city of Dnipro. Putin said at the time it was part of Moscow's response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil with U.S.-supplied ATACMS and British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. Analysts have voiced skepticism about the Oreshnik, saying the launching of the new intermediate-range missile was as much about political messaging as it was about military might. Putin has been raising the specter of a nuclear strike since long before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and analysts said the Russian leader chose the Oreshnik to send a different signal to Washington. "It's the kind of signaling you engage in when you can't, in fact, escalate in the way you've been threatening," Ruth Deyermond, senior lecturer in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, wrote on X of the November 21 missile strike.Lil Wayne, GloRilla, Camila Cabello to perform at College Football National ChampionshipShares of MRS Oil Nigeria Plc (CHEVRON) have increased by over 36% month-to-date on the Nigerian stock exchange, bringing its year-to-date performance to 71.42%. On October 29, the company released its third-quarter earnings report, showing a pre-tax profit of N6.2 billion—an increase of 108.9% from N3 billion in 2023. Revenue rose by 141.90% to N169.5 billion, contributing to a year-to-date total of N248.7 billion, with sales of Premium Motor Spirit representing over 85% of the revenue. Related Stories Weekly Market Wrap: Nigerian stock market soars 1.76% as All-Share surpasses N61 trillion, MRS Oil and ETERNA PLC lead gains Nigerian All-Share shatters 100,000 barrier as MRS (Chevron) and WAPIC top gainers Following the earnings announcement, the stock experienced a period of stagnation throughout November, with little notable price movement. However, on December 12, bullish activity resumed, leading to four consecutive days of gains and positioning MRS Oil Nigeria Plc among the top advancers on the Nigerian Exchange for the third week of December. Market trend MRS Oil began 2024 on a positive note, continuing the momentum from the previous year. The stock opened in January at N105 per share and rose to N126, with a trading volume of 2 million shares. February saw further gains, closing at N135 as it entered the N130 range. However, from March to November, the stock experienced limited price movement, reflecting decreased market activity in the second and third quarters. In mid-December, the stock gained traction again, closing strongly for four consecutive days, which resulted in a month-to-date trading volume of 4.1 million shares as of December 20, 2024. Several key factors likely contributed to the bullish price movements of MRS Oil in late 2024. Notably, the release of the earnings report on October 29 was likely a catalyst, revealing a pre-tax profit of N6.2 billion—a remarkable 108.9% increase from N3 billion in 2023. This impressive financial performance was driven by a 141.90% growth in revenue for the quarter, consisting mainly of Premium Motor Spirit sales, which accounted for 85% of the total nine-month revenue of N248.7 billion. Moreover, the recent successful completion of the Federal Government’s inaugural oil bid under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 further bolstered the company’s prospects. MRS Oil, alongside other major players like TotalEnergies and Sifax, secured Petroleum Prospecting Licenses, outbidding NNPC. These licenses empower the company to explore, develop, and extract hydrocarbons from both onshore and deep offshore oil blocks, likely contributing to the surge in its stock price during the latter part of Q4. MRS Oil recently slashed the pump price of petrol to N935 in its outlets in Lagos, as against the N1,000 sold in early December.