magical ocean Xylo Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:XYLO) Sees Significant Drop in Short InterestYoon Seok-yeol, a former prosecutor general who led high-profile investigations into corruption scandals involving high-ranking officials, has now found himself at the center of a criminal probe. The National Assembly's request for his immediate arrest comes amidst allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of justice during his time as a prosecutor. The decision to pursue his arrest has sparked a heated debate within the political sphere, with supporters of Yoon arguing that he is being unfairly targeted for his anti-corruption efforts, while his critics point to a potential abuse of power during his tenure as prosecutor general.

Despite lingering concerns about the ongoing health crisis and its impact on global economic growth, investors appeared reassured by the proactive measures taken by policymakers to support the economy and financial markets. The rally in stock index futures served as a strong signal of investor confidence, with many market participants expressing optimism about the path ahead.

As Salah looks to maintain his impressive form in the coming months, Liverpool fans can take pride in knowing that they have a player of his caliber leading the charge. With his skill, determination, and unwavering commitment to success, Salah continues to set the bar high for himself and his team, driving them forward in pursuit of silverware.WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump selected Charles Kushner, who Trump pardoned during his first term, to serve as U.S. Ambassador to France on Saturday. Charles Kushner is the father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump. “I am pleased to nominate Charles Kushner, of New Jersey, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to France,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday. “He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests." Charles Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a New York based real estate company. He t tax returns, retaliating against a cooperating witness, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission in 2005. He served more than 16 months of a two-year sentence in federal prison and a halfway program before he was released in 2006, Trump saying at the time that Kushner was devoted to philanthropic organizations and causes. "This record of reform and charity overshadows Mr. Kushner’s conviction and 2 year sentence for preparing false tax returns, witness retaliation, and making false statements to the FEC," Trump's office said at the time. Charles Kushner New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a vocal Trump critic who ran in the 2024 Republican primaries and later dropped out. In a 2019 interview, Christie called Charles Kushner's actions “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes" he prosecuted as the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. The elder Kushner to seduce a brother-in-law and have their sexual encounter videotaped. Kushner then sent the tape to his sister in an effort to intimidate her against becoming a witness in the federal investigation.

Britain's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Lammy has hailed the bold economic reforms of Dr Manmohan Singh as a legacy which continues to shape modern India. In a social media tribute to the former prime minister who was cremated in New Delhi on Saturday, David Lammy also credited Singh for laying the foundations of the "thriving" bilateral partnership between India and the UK. "Dr Manmohan Singh's bold economic reforms transformed India's economy," Mr Lammy said in a post on X on Friday evening. "His legacy continues to shape modern India, and his vision laid the foundations for today's thriving UK-India partnership. My deepest condolences to his family and the Indian people," he said. Manmohan Singh, who was prime minister between 2004 and 2014 and finance minister before that, has been widely hailed the world over as the architect of India's economic liberalisation. He died aged 92 and was laid to rest with full state honours in a ceremony attended by leading political dignitaries and included a 21-gun salute. Following his death on Thursday night, the government declared seven days of national mourning. Earlier, British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron took to social media to pay tribute to "a great Prime Minister, Finance Minister and global statesman who advanced India's interests through bold economic reforms and played a key role in putting India in its rightful place on the world stage and stabilising the global economy after the financial crisis". "The UK will always be proud of his invaluable partnership with three UK Prime Ministers, and proud of him as an alumnus of two of our great universities. My thoughts and wishes are with his family and the people of India," she said. Dr Singh's tenure overlapped with Labour prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and Conservative David Cameron, who later wrote in his memoir that he "got on well" with this "saintly man" who was robust on the threats India faced. "On a later visit he told me that another terrorist attack like that in Mumbai in July 2011, and India would have to take military action against Pakistan," notes the former UK PM in 'For the Record', published in 2019. The Guardian' newspaper referenced Dr Singh's "trademark sky-blue turbans and home-spun white kurta pyjamas" in its obituary. "Singh, called India's 'reluctant prime minister' due to his shyness and preference for being behind the scenes, was considered an unlikely choice to lead the world's biggest democracy. But when Congress leader Sonia Gandhi led her party to a surprise victory in 2004, she turned to Singh to be prime minister," the newspaper notes. The BBC, in its obituary, hailed Dr Singh as one of India's longest-serving prime ministers who was considered the "architect of key liberalising economic reforms, as premier from 2004-2014 and before that as finance minister". "In his maiden speech as finance minister he famously quoted Victor Hugo, saying that 'no power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come'. That served as a launchpad for an ambitious and unprecedented economic reform programme: he cut taxes, devalued the rupee, privatised state-run companies and encouraged foreign investment," reads the report. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world

In the end, the story of the 26-year-old tech prodigy serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the devastating consequences of ignoring the warning signs of mental distress. Let it be a call to action for us all to prioritize our well-being and the well-being of those around us. Only through empathy, understanding, and support can we prevent the brightest stars from burning out too soon.

Two CMFRI scientists earn prestigious NAAS recognition

As the chapters of his career continued to unfold, the athlete's legacy remained a topic of debate and discussion among sports enthusiasts and analysts alike. While some lamented the tragic trajectory of his career, others viewed his struggles as a testament to the unforgiving nature of professional sports and the harsh realities of aging in a youth-dominated industry.As the investigation into Manchester City's financial conduct continues and the legal process unfolds, the football world remains on tenterhooks, eagerly watching to see how the situation will unfold. The increased number of charges against the defending champions has added a new layer of complexity and uncertainty to an already contentious and high-stakes situation.WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry threw internal divisions in his political movement into public display. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hard-line immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump's selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. People are also reading... Loomer declared the stance to be "not America First policy" and said the tech executives who aligned themselves with Trump did so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks, whom Trump tapped to be the "White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government, weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump had not yet weighed in on the rift. His presidential transition team did not respond to questions about positions on visas for highly skilled workers or the debate between his supporters online. Instead, his team instead sent a link to a post on X by longtime adviser and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller that was a transcript of a speech Trump gave in 2020 at Mount Rushmore in which he praised figures and moments from American history. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown close to the president-elect, was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. Critics say they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. "There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. "It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley." Trump's own positions over the years reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he also sought curbs on legal immigration, including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program "very bad" and "unfair" for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a "Buy American and Hire American" executive order, which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club, and his social media company behind his Truth Social app used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are "poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. However, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. "I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the "All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

By HALELUYA HADERO, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case. The filings come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.”

The shooting took place yesterday afternoon, as the CEO was leaving a meeting at the company's headquarters. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a masked man approach the CEO's car and open fire before fleeing the scene on foot. The victim, identified as John Smith, was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.

As the conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate and the human toll rises, it is crucial for all parties involved to be transparent and truthful in providing information about casualties and other aspects of the conflict. The international community must remain vigilant in verifying and fact-checking information to prevent the spread of false narratives that only serve to further exacerbate the violence and suffering endured by the people of Ukraine.

Dubai Culture and Google launch open call for 2nd MENA Creatives Bootcamp – AI & Innovation Edition5 ocean in the world 。

Banks wary of family trusts' large 'gifts' to NRI members

NEW YORK , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tannenbaum Helpern is pleased to announce that Anne-Mette Elkjær Andersen has joined the Firm as partner in the Firm's Corporate practice. Anne-Mette is a highly qualified corporate attorney focusing on cross border and U.S. mergers and acquisitions, international business transactions, and corporate transactions and corporate compliance for engineering & architecture firms. Her decades of experience include advising clients on strategic purchases and sales in many sectors, including engineering, architecture, and other licensed professional design professions; defense; software; renewable energy; oil and gas; technology; retail and manufacturing; service; aviation; and shipping and rail, among others. Anne-Mette comes to Tannenbaum Helpern from the New York office of Holland & Knight, where she counseled clients on international M&A, financing and securities, performed regulatory and licensing work for professional design corporations, and assisted startup and emerging growth companies enter the U.S. market. Her clients include U.S. and foreign established privately and publicly held corporations and emerging companies on stock and asset sales, joint ventures, and SPAC matters, among others. Her experience also includes advising foreign bank clients on loan and financing agreements involving U.S.-based subsidiaries of foreign clients. Anne-Mette's primary experience is with private strategic buyers and sellers, and she also has experience in public and private securities offerings and initial public offerings (IPOs), including simultaneous offerings both in the U.S. and internationally. Anne-Mette began her career in Denmark as a lawyer with the Danish Ministry of Justice. She also spent four years with the Danish law firm Reumert & Partners (now Kromann Reumert), primarily in the areas of general corporate law, M&A and insolvency law. While practicing in Denmark , Anne-Mette represented, among others, U.S., Canadian, and Danish corporations in M&A transactions and other corporate matters. Managing Partner Andrew W. Singer commented, "Anne-Mette will expand our Corporate and M&A practices, facilitate increased opportunities for our clients and increase our ability to pursue new client relationships, especially in overseas markets and the professional design professions. Welcome, Anne-Mette!" "Anne-Mette is a welcome addition to Tannenbaum Helpern . Her capabilities and international reach add to our existing platform and relationships, both in the U.S. and globally," said Drew Jaglom , Chair of Tannenbaum Helpern's Corporate practice. Regarding her arrival, Anne-Mette added, "It's my privilege to join Tannenbaum Helpern . I'm excited to be a part of such a talented team of attorneys, and a Firm that is focused on the future!" About Tannenbaum Helpern Since 1978, Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP has combined a powerful mix of insight, creativity, industry knowledge, legal talent and experience to successfully guide clients through periods of challenge and opportunity. Our mission is to deliver the highest quality legal services in a practical and efficient manner and to provide the judgment, common sense and legal acumen of well trained, business minded lawyers, all within a culture that fosters an inclusive and respectful workplace. Through our commitment to exceptional service and driven by a focus on results, Tannenbaum Helpern continues to earn the loyalty of our clients and a reputation for excellence. For more information, visit www.thsh.com . Jennifer Papantonio Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer papantonio@thsh.com 212.702.3147 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anne-mette-elkjaer-andersen-joins-tannenbaum-helpern-as-partner-in-the-firms-corporate-practice-group-302320136.html SOURCE Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLPStaggering amount Beyonce was paid by Netflix to perform at halftime of Ravens-Texans NFL game READ MORE: Beyoncé used NFL performance to distract herself from lawsuit By ERIC BLUM Published: 17:07 EST, 26 December 2024 | Updated: 17:37 EST, 26 December 2024 e-mail 13 shares 1 View comments Beyonce reportedly had a massive payday for her halftime performance as part of Netflix 's NFL Christmas Day doubleheader, taking home $20million for her 13-minute music extravaganza. Alongside special guests Shaboozey, Post Malone , and her 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, Beyonce took the field at NRG Stadium in her hometown of Houston at the halfway point of the Ravens blowout of the Texans. Beyonce earning more than $1million per minute for her time on Netflix are just reports and have not been confirmed by either the streaming network or the 'Cowboy Carter' singer. The $20million figure comes from social media , with several people claiming the staggering figure is part of a larger deal with Beyonce and Netflix. The 43-year-old star reportedly signed a three-project deal with the streaming giants in 2019, which is now two-thirds done. The first part was a documentary that showed her 2019 performance at Coachella , which earned her $20million. Beyonce reportedly earned $20million for her halftime Christmas performance from Netflix The figure is unconfirmed, but means Beyonce earned more than $1million per minute on stage Now, the second part has earned her two-thirds of the contract's earnings. What the final part of her $60million deal will be is unclear, although some would not mind an encore for Netflix's next NFL spectacular. Read More Everyone notices the same thing in LeBron James' Christmas post with wife and children Beyoncé's halftime show during the Texas-Ravens games was also her first performance since husband Jay-Z was accused of rape, with a lawsuit accusing the music mogul and disgraced rapper Sean ' Diddy ' Combs of raping a 13-year-old girl at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in New York in 2000. Jay-Z strenuously denied the allegations, and a lawyer for Diddy, who is currently awaiting trial and behind bars on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution, also denied the accusations. It was her first performance since she last hit the stage in October of 2023 to wrap her highly successful Renaissance World Tour at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Beyoncé's Christmas show was her third major showing at halftime of an NFL game. She was the solo headliner for the Super Bowl halftime show in 2013 and was a special guest alongside Bruno Mars during Coldplay's Super Bowl show three years later. Post Malone Netflix Share or comment on this article: Staggering amount Beyonce was paid by Netflix to perform at halftime of Ravens-Texans NFL game e-mail 13 shares Add comment

NEW YORK — Stoli Group USA, the owner of the namesake vodka , has filed for bankruptcy as it struggled to contend with slowing demand for spirits, a major cyberattack that has snarled its operations and several years of fighting Russia in court. The company in its bankruptcy filing said it is “experiencing financial difficulties” and lists between $50 million and $100 million in liabilities. Stoli vodka and Kentucky Owl bourbon will continue to be available on store shelves while the company navigates the Chapter 11 process, which only pertains to its U.S. business. Until 2022, Stoli was sold as Stolichnaya in the United States, which loosely translates to “capital city” in Russian. The company shortened its title following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and boycotts against Russian-branded vodkas . Stoli Group’s founder, Russian-born billionaire Yuri Shefler, was exiled from that nation in 2000 because of his opposition to President Vladimir Putin. Intel announced on December 2 that CEO Pat Gelsinger has resigned after a difficult stint at the company. The once-dominant chipmaker’s stock cratered as it missed the AI boom and was surpassed by most of its rivals. The liquor has long been marketed as a Russian vodka, but its production facilities have been in Latvia for several decades. Stoli Group is a unit of Luxembourg-based SPI Group, which owns other spirit and wine brands. “The Stoli Group has been targeted by the Russian Federation since it was formed nearly 25 years ago,” said Stoli Group CEO Chris Caldwell in a statement. “Earlier this year the company and our owner were both named by the Russian state as ‘extremist groups working against Russia’s interests.’” Its ongoing legal battle with the Russia government has forced Stoli to “spend dozens of millions of dollars on this long-term court battle across the globe with the Russian authorities,” according to its court filing. Caldwell also said that Stoli’s global operations has been a “victim of a malicious cyber attack” that has forced the company to operate “entirely manually while the systems are rebuilt.” A slowdown in demand for alcohol has crushed several company’s bottom lines following the pandemic when people were stuck at home and stocked up. Stoli’s filings said that it has seen a “decline and softening of demand for alcohol and spirits products post-Covid and especially beginning in 2023 and continuing into 2024.” Stoli Group USA, maker of Stoli vodka, has filed for bankruptcy due to slowing demand for spirits, a major cyberattack, and ongoing legal battles with Russia. The-CNN-WireTM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

SINGAPORE: News emerged in late November that over 100 Singaporean public servants, including five ministers, received extortionary emails with deepfake images . The messages demanded US$50,000 of cryptocurrency in return for not publishing “compromising” videos. The emails contained purported screenshots of those videos showing the victim’s faces, which seemed to be taken from public sources such as LinkedIn. This is not the first extortion plot against public servants in Singapore. Earlier this year , several members of parliament received threatening letters containing obscene images manipulated in a similar way. Such incidents highlight concerns over the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to augment blackmail attempts. DEEPFAKE BLACKMAIL ON THE RISE Similar attempts have also occurred in Asia. An extortion scheme in November targeted male politicians in South Korea, where victims’ faces were superimposed on explicit images and ransom was demanded in return for keeping the altered images private. In 2019, an alleged deepfake sex video targeting a Malaysian politician was circulated on WhatsApp. The capacity for AI to create realistic content carries significant risks for harmful exploitation. With AI-powered tools being widely available, anyone can easily and rapidly create a deepfake, using tactics such as face swapping to switch an individual’s likeness with another. Cybercriminals have also adopted deepfake technology for other malicious purposes such as investment scams . Such deepfakes affect not only politicians and celebrities but ordinary people. DEEPFAKES AS PART OF A CYBERCRIMINAL’S TOOLBOX Public figures such as politicians and businessmen are prime targets for deepfake extortion, given the wealth of images and videos of them available online. Malicious actors can utilise deepfakes not only for financial gain, but to obtain information or compromise their careers. This is cause for concern due to the influence and sensitive data politicians and businessmen have access to. Cybercriminals have also used similar strategies against ordinary people. In June 2023, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned of “sextortion schemes” where bad actors create deepfake pornography using content posted on social media, to pressure victims either for payment or to send real explicit photos or videos of themselves. Such blackmail attempts could cause severe reputational harm and mental distress to individuals. Victims are afraid of the potential embarrassment from not paying ransoms and having their deepfakes leaked online. Even though they are aware that the content is fake, there remains the fear that the public might believe otherwise. Sadly, women make up the overwhelming majority of victims in deepfake pornography campaigns. A 2023 study by cybersecurity firm Security Hero analysing almost 100,000 deepfake pornographic videos found that 99 per cent of its victims were women. Another 2024 study by cybersecurity firm ESET UK revealed that nearly two-thirds of women worry about being a victim of deepfake porn. UNDERMINING CREDIBILITY AND SEEDING DOUBT In some respects, the authenticity of a video or image might not really matter to public perception. This calls to mind the notion of the “liar’s dividend”, where those who spread misinformation benefit from undermining credibility and casting doubt on what is being perceived. Deepfakes are a powerful tool in persuading people to believe in events that never happened, and can be co-opted by malicious actors to further their goals. The mere suggestion of scandal can already damage a victim's reputation. On the other hand, there is a risk that with the rise of deepfakes, those accused of misconduct could discredit legitimate photos and videos by alleging that they are manipulated. This presents certain challenges. For instance, if a whistleblower reports evidence of wrongdoing by a corporate entity, the company in question could claim that the content is fake. Public uncertainty over truthfulness could result in diminishing levels of trust, increased scepticism and even cynicism about information online. PREVENTATIVE MEASURES Advances in AI will make identifying deepfakes more difficult, further empowering them for malicious uses. Greater understanding of AI capabilities and the danger of deepfake sextortion will go a long way. When all our lives are online, there is an abundance of content available for malicious actors to exploit. We can be more cautious of what we post online or limit our privacy setting on social media accounts to trusted friends and people we know. Reporting any sextortion attempts or activity to the police and relevant social media platforms is also a good first step. In discerning whether something we see online is real or not, we can try to ascertain the motivation behind its creation and dissemination. One of the best strategies is to question content that elicits an emotional reaction. As deepfake technology evolves and malicious actors adapt, it is crucial that we stay updated on the latest developments and remain vigilant to such online threats. Dymples Leong is an Associate Research Fellow with the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.8 Things to Remember About Dexter’s Childhood Before ‘Original Sin’magical fish hook 。

Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. An uneasy calm settles over Syrian city of Homs after outbreak of sectarian violence HOMS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s new security forces checked IDs and searched cars in the central city of Homs a day after protests by members of the Alawite minority erupted in gunfire and stirred fears that the country’s fragile peace could break down. A tense calm prevailed Thursday after checkpoints were set up throughout the country’s third-largest city, which has a mixed population of Sunni and Shia Muslims, Alawites and Christians. The security forces are controlled by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the charge that unseated former President Bashar Assad. The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. New York to charge fossil fuel companies for damage from climate change ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Large fossil fuel companies would have to pay fees to help New York fight the effects of climate change under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. The governor signed the new law Thursday. It requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state infrastructure fund for repairs or projects that help avoid future damage from climate change. Lawmakers approved the bill earlier this year. It's meant to make big oil and gas companies contribute to the cost of repairs after extreme weather events or for resiliency projects. Such projects may include restoring coastal wetlands or upgrading roads, bridges and water drainage systems. Legal challenges to the new law are expected. Aviation experts say Russia's air defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured. Azerbaijan is observing a nationwide day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of the crash. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan. Cellphone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Why this Mexican American woman played a vital role in the US sacramental peyote trade MIRANDO CITY, Texas (AP) — Amada Cardenas, a Mexican American woman who lived in the tiny border town of Mirando City in South Texas, played an important role in the history of the peyote trade. She and her husband were the first federally licensed peyote dealers who harvested and sold the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church in the 1930s. After her husband's death in 1967, Cardenas continued to welcome generations of Native American Church members to her home until her death in 2005, just before her 101st birthday.

President-elect Donald Trump's hardline anti-immigrant rhetoric and campaign promises of resurrecting a travel ban have led to fear and anxiety for international students, according to a report. Pramath Pratap Misra, a 23-year-old student from India who graduated from New York University this year with a bachelor’s degree in political science, told CNN it's a "scary time for international students." Misra's comments come ahead of Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration in a country with more than 1 million international students. he has promised to expand travel bans , according to the report, including expanding previous travel bans on people from Muslim-majority countries and revoking student visas from “radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners.” The uncertainty has left students even from non-Muslim-majority countries anxious. ALSO READ: Why ABC settled a case they knew they would win — and why the Lincoln Project didn't “We’re very uncertain about the future,” Gabrielle Balreira Fontenelle Mota, 21, a Brazilian studying journalism and international relations at NYU, told CNN . “I’m not from a Muslim country or from China , which are places that Trump usually criticizes. So I don’t feel as vulnerable as other international students. ... What makes me a little bit more concerned is the ideological screenings that (Trump) said he will be implementing.” In July 2023, Trump said he would bring back a travel ban " even bigger than before ." "Under the Trump administration, we imposed extreme vetting and put on a powerful travel ban to keep radical Islamic terrorists and jihadists out of our country," Trump told audience members in Iowa. "Well, how did that work out? We had no problem, right? They knew they couldn't come here if they had that moniker. They couldn't come here." "When I return to office, the travel ban is coming back even bigger than before and much stronger than before. We don't want people blowing up our shopping centers. We don't want people blowing up our cities and we don't want people stealing our farms. So it's not gonna happen."

Manhattan police have obtained a warrant for the arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Nicholas Mangione , suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, while carrying a gun, mask and writings linking him to the ambush. Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Here's the latest: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says “violence to combat any sort of corporate greed is unacceptable” and the White House will “continue to condemn any form of violence.” She declined to comment on the investigation into the Dec. 4 shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson or reports that writings belonging to the suspect, Luigi Mangione, said insurance companies care more about profits than their customers. “This is horrific,” Jean-Pierre said of the fatal shooting of Thompson as he walked in Manhattan. He didn’t appear to say anything as deputies led him to a waiting car outside. “I’m deeply grateful to the men and women of law enforcement whose efforts to solve the horrific murder of Brian Thompson led to the arrest of a suspect in Pennsylvania,” Gov. Hochul said in the statement. “I am coordinating with the District Attorney’s Office and will sign a request for a governor’s warrant to ensure this individual is tried and held accountable. Public safety is my top priority and I’ll do everything in my power to keep the streets of New York safe.” That’s according to a spokesperson for the governor who said Gov. Hochul will do it as soon as possible. Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive in New York City, apparently was living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation’s top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. ▶ Read more about Luigi Mangione Peter Weeks, the Blair County district attorney, says he’ll work with New York officials to try to return suspect Luigi Mangione there to face charges. Weeks said the New York charges are “more serious” than in Blair County. “We believe their charges take precedent,” Weeks said, promising to do what’s needed to accommodate New York’s prosecution first. Weeks spoke to reporters after a brief hearing at which a defense lawyer said Mangione will fight extradition. The defense asked for a hearing on the issue. In the meantime, Mangione will be detained at a state prison in western Pennsylvania. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said Tuesday it will seek a Governor’s warrant to secure Mangione’s extradition to Manhattan. Under state law, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul can issue a warrant of arrest demanding Mangione’s return to the state. Such a warrant must recite the facts necessary to the validity of its issuance and be sealed with the state seal. It would then be presented to law enforcement in Pennsylvania to expedite Mangione’s return to New York. But Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks says it won’t be a substantial barrier to returning Mangione to New York. He noted that defendants contest extradition “all the time,” including in simple retail theft cases. Dickey, his defense lawyer, questioned whether the second-degree murder charge filed in New York might be eligible for bail under Pennsylvania law, but prosecutors raised concerns about both public safety and Mangione being a potential flight risk, and the judge denied it. Mangione will continue to be housed at a state prison in Huntingdon. He has 14 days to challenge the detention. Prosecutors, meanwhile, have a month to seek a governor’s warrant out of New York. Mangione, wearing an orange jumpsuit, mostly stared straight ahead at the hearing, occasionally consulting papers, rocking in his chair, or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion, but was quieted by his lawyer. Luigi Mangione, 26, has also been denied bail at a brief court hearing in western Pennsylvania. He has 14 days to challenge the bail decision. That’s with some intervention from owner Elon Musk. The account, which hasn’t posted since June, was briefly suspended by X. But after a user inquired about it in a post Monday, Musk responded “This happened without my knowledge. Looking into it.” The account was later reinstated. Other social media companies such as Meta have removed his accounts. According to X rules, the platform removes “any accounts maintained by individual perpetrators of terrorist, violent extremist, or mass violent attacks, as well as any accounts glorifying the perpetrator(s), or dedicated to sharing manifestos and/or third party links where related content is hosted.” Mangione is not accused of perpetrating a terrorist or mass attack — he has been charged with murder — and his account doesn’t appear to share any writings about the case. He shouted something that was partly unintelligible, but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” He’s there for an arraignment on local charges stemming from his arrest Monday. He was dressed in an orange jumpsuit as officers led him from a vehicle into the courthouse. Local defense lawyer Thomas Dickey is expected to represent the 26-year-old at a Tuesday afternoon hearing at the Blair County Courthouse. Dickey declined comment before the hearing. Mangione could have the Pennsylvania charges read aloud to him and may be asked to enter a plea. They include possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. In New York, he was charged late Monday with murder in the death of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione likely was motivated by his anger with what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain with corporate greed, said a a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s hand-written notes and social media postings. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. A felony warrant filed in New York cites Altoona Officer Christy Wasser as saying she found the writings along with a semi-automatic pistol and an apparent silencer. The filing echoes earlier statements from NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny who said Mangione had a three-page, handwritten document that shows “some ill will toward corporate America.” Mangione is now charged in Pennsylvania with being a fugitive of justice. A customer at the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested said one of his friends had commented beforehand that the man looked like the suspect wanted for the shooting in New York City. “It started out almost a little bit like a joke, my one friend thought he looked like the shooter,” said the customer, who declined to give his full name, on Tuesday. “It wasn’t really a joke, but we laughed about it,” he added. The warrant on murder and other charges is a step that could help expedite his extradition from Pennsylvania. In court papers made public Tuesday, a New York City police detective reiterated key findings in the investigation he said tied Mangione to the killing, including surveillance footage and a fake ID he used to check into a Manhattan hostel on Nov. 24. Police officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, found that ID when they arrested Mangione on Monday. Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Mangione doesn’t yet have a lawyer who can speak on his behalf, court officials said. Images of Mangione released Tuesday by Pennsylvania State Police showed him pulling down his mask in the corner of the McDonald’s while holding what appeared to be hash browns and wearing a winter jacket and ski cap. In another photo from a holding cell, he stood unsmiling with rumpled hair. Mangione’s cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione, announced Tuesday morning that he’s postponing a fundraiser planned later this week at the Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore, which was purchased by the Mangione family in 1986. “Because of the nature of this terrible situation involving my Cousin I do not believe it is appropriate to hold my fundraising event scheduled for this Thursday at Hayfields,” Nino Mangione said in a social media post. “I want to thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. My family and I are heartbroken and ask that you remember the family of Mr. Thompson in your prayers. Thank you.” Officers used New York City’s muscular surveillance system . Investigators analyzed DNA samples, fingerprints and internet addresses. Police went door to door looking for witnesses. When an arrest came five days later , those sprawling investigative efforts shared credit with an alert civilian’s instincts. A customer at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania noticed another patron who resembled the man in the oblique security-camera photos New York police had publicized. He remains jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. By late Monday evening, prosecutors in Manhattan had added a charge of murder, according to an online court docket. It’s unclear whether Luigi Nicholas Mangione has an attorney who can comment on the allegations. Asked at Monday’s arraignment whether he needed a public defender, Mangione asked whether he could “answer that at a future date.”Indiana should be able to breathe easy this week. It has very little chance of making it into the Big Ten championship game. On the other hand, Georgia's spot in the Southeastern Conference title game is so risky that if the Bulldogs lose they might have been better off sitting it out. Over the next two weeks, the warm familiarity of conference championship games, which began in 1992 thanks to the SEC, could run into the cold reality that comes with the first 12-team College Football Playoff. League title games give the nation's top contenders a chance to hang a banner and impress the CFP committee, but more than ever, the bragging rights come with the risk of a season-wrecking loss — even with an expanded field. “I just don’t think it’s a quality conversation,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said last week, sticking with the time-honored cliche of looking no further than the next weekend's opponent. Those who want to have that talk, though, already know where Georgia stands. The Bulldogs (9-2) are ranked sixth and projected somewhere near that in the next set of CFP rankings that come out Tuesday. They already have two losses and will have to beat No. 3 Texas or No. 20 Texas A&M in the SEC title game on Dec. 7 to avoid a third. How bad would a third loss hurt? The chairman of the selection committee insists that a team making a conference title game shouldn't count against it. What that really means won't be known until the games are played and the pairings come out on Dec. 8. "We're going to let the season play out," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said. “But I think teams who make that championship game, the committee looks at them and puts them in high esteem." All of which could be good news for Indiana in the unlikely event the Hoosiers find themselves playing for the Big Ten title. IU is coming off a flop in its first major test of the season, a 38-15 loss to Ohio State last weekend. After his team's first loss of the season, coach Curt Cignetti took offense to being asked whether the Hoosiers were still a playoff-caliber team. “Is that a serious question?” he asked. “I’m not even gonna answer that. The answer is so obvious.” What might hurt Indiana, which dropped five spots to No. 10 in the AP poll, would be another drubbing. The Hoosiers would be at least a two-touchdown underdog in a title-game matchup against top-ranked Oregon. The odds of that happening, however, are slim. It would take a Michigan upset over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday, combined with a Maryland upset over No. 4 Penn State and, of course, an Indiana win over Purdue (1-10). Because this is the first year of the 12-team playoff, there's no perfect comparison to make. For instance, this is the first time Power Four conference champions are guaranteed a spot in the playoff. But 2017 provides a textbook example of how a team losing its conference title game suffered. That year, Alabama had one loss (to Auburn) and didn't play in the SEC title game, but made the four-team field ahead of Wisconsin, which was 12-1 after a loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. Ohio State didn't make it either — two losses didn't get teams into a four-team field. Neither did undefeated UCF. Saturday's results made things a little more clear for the rest of the conferences: — In the Big 12, winning the title game will probably be the only way for Arizona State (9-2), BYU (9-2), Iowa State (9-2), Colorado (8-3) or anyone else to earn a spot in the 12-team playoff. None are ranked higher than 14th in the AP poll. — The Atlantic Coast Conference could get multiple bids. Miami (10-1), SMU (10-1) and Clemson (9-2) all finished in the top 12 of this week's AP poll. They were cheering the loudest when both Alabama and Ole Miss suffered their third losses of the season. — The Mountain West would be a one-bid conference, but that's only a sure thing if Boise State wins. A loss by the Broncos could open the CFP for Tulane or Army of the American Athletic. Both the MWC and AAC title games take place at 8 p.m. on Dec. 6. — Where the committee places Alabama and Ole Miss on Tuesday will be an indicator of what it thinks of teams with three losses that played very strong schedules. — It could also set the stakes for Georgia, which faces the prospect of loss No. 3 in the Dec. 7 title game, assuming the Bulldogs beat rival Georgia Tech this week. — Clemson has been steadily climbing. Its 34-3 loss to Georgia came on Aug. 31. Is it ancient history to the committee, though? — Indiana's status as a playoff team — in, out, nervous? — will become apparent. The Ohio State game was Indiana's first against a top-flight opponent. Then again, it is the Hoosiers' only loss and their weak Big Ten schedule is not their fault. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: and

The Denver Broncos will be making their first trip to Cincinnati since 2018 on Saturday. The Broncos hold a strong advantage in the all-time series against the Bengals. But in the only time the Broncos have ever gone up against Joe Burrow, the Bengals were able to come into Denver and get a 15-10 victory. That was December 2021 and the teams have not played since. Now, they meet in a game that is critical to each team's playoff hopes. If the Broncos win, they clinch their first playoff berth since the 2105 season. If the Bengals win, they creep one step closer to coming out of nowhere to steal the AFC's final Wild Card spot. The Broncos have played the Bengals just three times since 2017 and hold a 22-11 advantage in the all-time series. When was the last time the Broncos played in Cincinnati? December 2, 2018 The Broncos were fighting for a playoff spot as the season hit its final month. The team's starting quarterback was Case Keenum but the standout player from this game was Phillip Lindsay. Lindsay carried the ball 19 times for 157 yards and he scored two touchdowns on the day as the Broncos won 24-10. The Broncos have done favorably in Cincinnati and have a winning record of 9-7 in games played across their history. The Broncos have won four of the last five games played in Cincinnati. MORE BRONCOS NEWS NFL Week 17 Expert Picks: Broncos vs. Bengals Former Broncos QB coming out of retirement to join Super Bowl contender Denver Broncos get great news on the injury front ahead of clash with Bengals One bad game ends up costing Broncos cornerback his roster spot Why Pat Surtain II could be the reason the Broncos finally clinch a playoff spot

MSMEs operating informally can enhance their credibility by registering on the Udyam Portal, RBI Deputy Governor Swaminathan J has said. While regulatory policies and government schemes have played a crucial role in creating an enabling environment for MSMEs, it is equally important for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to take proactive steps to build trust and enhance their visibility with lenders, he said. The Deputy Governor was speaking at the CEO Forum of the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Nov. 16. Addressing the gathering, he said despite the critical role of the MSME sector in the Indian economy, a common grouse that we hear from this segment is that they find it difficult to secure timely and adequate formal credit. This challenge may be on account of factors such as information asymmetry on their financials and business viability, and also on account of limited formalisation even today within the MSME sector, he said. The Deputy Governor made four suggestions for MSMEs to consider for better access to finance as well as improving their financial health. One of the suggestions to MSMEs was to embrace formalisation. MSMEs should prioritise formalisation, Swaminathan said, while noting that many MSMEs operate informally, making it challenging for lenders to assess their creditworthiness due to information asymmetry, particularly regarding their financial performance. "By registering on the Udyam Portal and filing GST returns, MSMEs can enhance the transparency over their level of business activity and financials. This will enhance their credibility and may qualify them for priority sector lending and government schemes, by reinforcing their trustworthiness in the eyes of financial institutions," he said. The senior RBI official also said MSMEs should maintain comprehensive and accurate financial records which is essential for seeking credibility with lenders. The MSMEs also need to adopt proper accounting practices, ensuring their financial records, such as income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements, are accurate and reliable. Along with formalisation, he said, adopting digital payment systems like UPI and online banking creates a digital footprint of financial transactions, making it easier for lenders to assess financials of the firm. Digital payments also improve cash flow management, offering MSMEs greater control over their finances and helping them maintain a clear financial record. The other suggestions related to credit discipline, capacity building, and use of TReDS. "The development of the MSME sector requires the collective effort of all stakeholders - government, regulatory bodies, the financial sector, trade associations, and even larger corporates. Despite its pivotal role in driving economic growth, the sector faces numerous challenges, including delayed payments, infrastructure constraints, limited access to formal finance, low technology adoption, and a shortage of skilled labour," he said. The RBI has taken significant steps to address these issues, promoting financial inclusion, easing access to credit, and advocating for digitalisation, the Deputy Governor said. While the RBI and the government have established a robust policy framework, including priority sector lending, collateral-free loans, digital platforms like TReDS, and capacity-building initiatives, it is equally important for MSMEs to make the most of these opportunities. Going forward, sustained collaboration among all stakeholders will be crucial to ensuring the continued growth and resilience of this vital sector, he added.Indiana should be able to breathe easy this week. It has very little chance of making it into the Big Ten championship game. On the other hand, Georgia's spot in the Southeastern Conference title game is so risky that if the Bulldogs lose they might have been better off sitting it out. Over the next two weeks, the warm familiarity of conference championship games, which began in 1992 thanks to the SEC, could run into the cold reality that comes with the first 12-team College Football Playoff. League title games give the nation's top contenders a chance to hang a banner and impress the CFP committee, but more than ever, the bragging rights come with the risk of a season-wrecking loss — even with an expanded field. “I just don’t think it’s a quality conversation,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said last week, sticking with the time-honored cliche of looking no further than the next weekend's opponent. Those who want to have that talk, though, already know where Georgia stands. The Bulldogs (9-2) are ranked sixth in this week's AP Top 25 and projected somewhere near that in the next set of CFP rankings that come out Tuesday. They already have two losses and will have to beat No. 3 Texas or No. 20 Texas A&M in the SEC title game on Dec. 7 to avoid a third. How bad would a third loss hurt? The chairman of the selection committee insists that a team making a conference title game shouldn't count against it. What that really means won't be known until the games are played and the pairings come out on Dec. 8. "We're going to let the season play out," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said. “But I think teams who make that championship game, the committee looks at them and puts them in high esteem." All of which could be good news for Indiana in the unlikely event the Hoosiers find themselves playing for the Big Ten title. IU is coming off a flop in its first major test of the season, a 38-15 loss to Ohio State last weekend. After his team's first loss of the season, coach Curt Cignetti took offense to being asked whether the Hoosiers were still a playoff-caliber team. “Is that a serious question?” he asked. “I’m not even gonna answer that. The answer is so obvious.” What might hurt Indiana, which dropped five spots to No. 10 in the AP poll, would be another drubbing. The Hoosiers would be at least a two-touchdown underdog in a title-game matchup against top-ranked Oregon. The odds of that happening, however, are slim. It would take a Michigan upset over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday, combined with a Maryland upset over No. 4 Penn State and, of course, an Indiana win over Purdue (1-10). Because this is the first year of the 12-team playoff, there's no perfect comparison to make. For instance, this is the first time Power Four conference champions are guaranteed a spot in the playoff. But 2017 provides a textbook example of how a team losing its conference title game suffered. That year, Alabama had one loss (to Auburn) and didn't play in the SEC title game, but made the four-team field ahead of Wisconsin, which was 12-1 after a loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. Ohio State didn't make it either — two losses didn't get teams into a four-team field. Neither did undefeated UCF. Saturday's results made things a little more clear for the rest of the conferences: — In the Big 12, winning the title game will probably be the only way for Arizona State (9-2), BYU (9-2), Iowa State (9-2), Colorado (8-3) or anyone else to earn a spot in the 12-team playoff. None are ranked higher than 14th in the AP poll. — The Atlantic Coast Conference could get multiple bids. Miami (10-1), SMU (10-1) and Clemson (9-2) all finished in the top 12 of this week's AP poll. They were cheering the loudest when both Alabama and Ole Miss suffered their third losses of the season. — The Mountain West would be a one-bid conference, but that's only a sure thing if Boise State wins. A loss by the Broncos could open the CFP for Tulane or Army of the American Athletic. Both the MWC and AAC title games take place at 8 p.m. on Dec. 6. — Where the committee places Alabama and Ole Miss on Tuesday will be an indicator of what it thinks of teams with three losses that played very strong schedules. — It could also set the stakes for Georgia, which faces the prospect of loss No. 3 in the Dec. 7 title game, assuming the Bulldogs beat rival Georgia Tech this week. — Clemson has been steadily climbing. Its 34-3 loss to Georgia came on Aug. 31. Is it ancient history to the committee, though? — Indiana's status as a playoff team — in, out, nervous? — will become apparent. The Ohio State game was Indiana's first against a top-flight opponent. Then again, it is the Hoosiers' only loss and their weak Big Ten schedule is not their fault.

Joe Burrow's home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro-athlete home invasion

On the Tibetan Plateau, Meet the Mother-Daughter Duo Spinning Sustainable Designs From Yak Wool

After a very “painful” three years since he accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his Western “Rust” in 2021, Alec Baldwin was supposed to enjoy the opportunity to celebrate his career this week by being honored in Europe with a Lifetime Achievement Award. But as is typical for Baldwin, he opened his mouth to reporters. During a press conference at the Torino Film Festival, the often polarizing actor ended up saying things about Americans and female directors that have aggravated some corners of the internet. During another interview, he sought sympathy for his almost equally controversial influencer wife, Hilaria Baldwin, insisting that she was particularly “traumatized” by the death of Hutchins. So, where to begin with Baldwin’s headline-making media remarks in Italy? First off, during the press conference, Baldwin expressed concerns about Americans’ lack understanding of politics and the state of the world in the wake of Donald Trump’s election to a second term as president, according to The Hollywood Reporter . While Baldwin was asked about his concerns for America after Trump retakes office, the veteran actor, a lifelong Democrat who famously parodied Trump on “Saturday Night Live,” didn’t mention the former reality TV star by name. Still, he said: “There’s a hole, a vacuum... a gap in information for Americans. Americans are very uninformed about reality, what’s really going on — climate change, Ukraine, you name it.” “The biggest topics in the world, Americans have an appetite for a little bit of information,” Baldwin continued, with comments sure to stir up outrage among critics who see him as arrogant and elitist. “That vacuum is filled by the film industry,” Baldwin said. “Not just the independent film industry, not just the documentary film industry but narrative films as well.” Baldwin also was asked about the role of female directors in the industry, according to The Hollywood Reporter . On one hand, he tried to praise female directors by saying it’s “a good thing” that more women are directing major films. “In the cinema of the ’80s and ’90s, out of 100 directors there were 98 men and two women,” Baldwin said. “Now, it’s not like that, and that’s a good thing.” But then Baldwin couldn’t help himself. He said, “For some films you need an energetic director who moves the camera continuously and maybe a male director is better.” “But for a comedy or a drama with a lot of talk, what’s the difference between a male director and a female director?” Baldwin said. “In fact, there’s more introspective capacity in a female director.” So women can’t be energetic? It’s possible that Baldwin was referring to his belief that women are not particularly suited to directing male-oriented action films, with lots of fighting and big-budget special effects. But Kathryn Bigelow famously became the first woman to win an Academy Award for best director for helming “The Hurt Locker,” the intense 2009 Iraq War film that won best picture. Jane Campion, certainly known for dramas “with a lot of talk,” also won best director for the 2022 Western “The Power of the Dog.” It was reported that Baldwin only agreed to be the guest of honor at the Torino Film Festival if Italian reporters at the press conference were barred from asking him about Hutchins’ death in October 2021, Variety said. But Baldwin ended up talking to a reporter for Variety about “Rust,” “candidly sharing his feelings” about the film’s premiere and “cancel culture.” Hutchins was killed on the film’s New Mexico set when Baldwin was handling a prop gun during a rehearsal and pointed it in her direction. The gun was supposed to be loaded with only dummy rounds, but held a live round, which fatally wounded Hutchins when the gun fired. Baldwin was put on trial for involuntary manslaughter, but the judge dismissed the charges after learning the prosecution withheld evidence. Baldwin, director Joel Souza and other members of the cast and crew ended up completing the film, saying they wanted to honor Hutchins. The film received a mostly “polite” response when it had its world premiere last week at the EnergaCamerimage festival in Poland. However, some audience members were visibly “uncomfortable” watching scenes of Baldwin “shooting people” in the film, a critic for Vulture reported. Baldwin was not invited to the premiere, because festival organizers said they were concerned that his presence would be “too distracting.” In his interview with Variety, Baldwin said he hasn’t seen a final cut of “Rust” and doesn’t want to “right now.” “Only because this is obviously the most difficult thing I’ve ever dealt with in my life,” said Baldwin, who then went on to explain why the shooting and its aftermath was particularly difficult for his wife. Related Articles Entertainment | Album review: For Kendrick Lamar, spite is an engine on the exhilarating ‘GNX’ Entertainment | Column: ‘Wicked’ box office proves Hollywood needs to take family films seriously again Entertainment | ‘Gladiator II’ exaggerates, but historians say the real-life Colosseum was plenty wild Entertainment | Drake alleges Universal falsely inflated popularity of Kendrick Lamar diss track ‘Not Like Us’ Entertainment | Liam Payne pal got him escorts, cocaine hours before death: prosecutors “Beyond the victims themselves, the thing that most pains me is what it did to my wife,” Baldwin said. “My wife has been very, very traumatized from this. There has been a lot of pain. When you are married to somebody and everything was going fairly well and we had seven kids ... and the floor falls out. It’s very frightening and very disturbing. And we are trying to get the wind in our sails, to get away from this stuff.” While it may be that the shooting was “traumatizing” for Hilaria Baldwin, the former yoga teacher and once-aspiring lifestyle and parenting influencer also faced criticism for appearing to exploit the tragedy and in ways that involved her use of their seven young children. In the weeks after Hutchins’ death, Hilaria Baldwin, known for her love of media attention, continued to post multiple images of their children on a daily basis. The posts on Instagram included potentially private content about the Baldwin family’s home life amid her husband’s crisis for the on-set shooting. Some images showed the children playing and enjoying Christmas. But other images showed the children acting out or looking sad and distressed, leading PR and crisis experts to accuse Hilaria Baldwin of using her children as “props” to garner sympathy, while also appearing to be “narcissistic” and “callous,” given that Hutchins’ young son lost his mother. Both Hilaria and Alec Baldwin faced criticism more recently of exploiting their children, including in the weeks leading up to his manslaughter trial this summer. In a “bizarrely”-timed move before the start of the trial, the couple announced that they and their seven children would star in a new TLC reality TV show about their hectic family life. Starring in a reality TV show is seen as a career let-down for Baldwin, an Emmy winner and Oscar nominee who was once on track to be a Hollywood leading man before becoming valued as one of the industry’s most valued character actors. But a reality show gig was considered to be more in tune with the professional aspirations of his wife, whose once lucrative career as an influencer was derailed when she was embroiled in a scandal over damning evidence that she spent more than a decade faking a Spanish accent and identity.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Metals Inc. ("Madison” or the "Company”) (CSE: GREN) (OTCQB: MMTLF) (FSE: 4EF0) is pleased to announce that it intends to complete a private placement financing consisting of the sale of up to 6,000,000 units (the " Units ”) in the capital of the Company at a price of CDN$0.30 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to CDN$2,000,000 (the " Offering ”). Each Unit consists of one (1) common share (a " Common Share ”) and one-half (1/2) common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a " Warrant ”). Each full Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share in the capital of the Company for a price of $0.45 for a period of eighteen (18) months from the date of the closing of the Offering. Concurrently with closing of the Offering, the Company also intends to settle debt owed to various creditors in an aggregate amount of $300,000 through the issuance of Common Shares at a deemed price of $0.30 per Common Share. Two of the creditors, Duane Parnham and Roger Laine, are insiders of the Company, and the issuance of securities to the insiders will be considered to be a "related party transaction" subject to the requirements of TSXV Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (" MI 61-101 "). The Company intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that value of the securities issued to the insiders will not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Offering primarily to commence drilling activities at the Company's Howells Lake Antimony Gold Project and for general and administrative expenses. No finders' fees are payable in connection with the Offering. About Madison Metals Inc. Madison Metals Inc. is a forward-focused critical minerals and energy company, powering the future of clean energy and advanced technologies. Backed by seasoned management expertise and prime resource assets, Madison Metals is strategically positioned to meet the rising global demand for critical minerals. By leveraging its technical, managerial, and financial expertise, the company upgrades and creates high-value projects while joint venturing non-core assets to generate cash flow, driving growth and delivering value for its shareholders. Additional information about Madison Metals Inc. can be found at madisonmetals.ca and on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at sedarplus.ca . For further information, please contact: Duane Parnham Executive Chairman & CEO Madison Metals Inc. +1 (416) 489-0092 [email protected] Media inquiries: Adam Bello Manager, Media & Analyst Relations Primoris Group Inc. +1 (416) 489-0092 [email protected] Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor CIRO accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may”, "will”, "expect”, "likely”, "should”, "would”, "plan”, "anticipate”, "intend”, "potential”, "proposed”, "estimate”, "believe” or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions, and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may” or "will” happen, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking information contained in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements relating to the terms and timing of the private placement described in this press release and the anticipated uses of the proceeds raised from such private placement. Where the Company expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is based on assumptions made in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. Such assumptions include, without limitation, that: the Company will receive all necessary approval required in order to complete the issuance of the securities pursuant to the private placement described in in this press release; that the Company will be able to commence the exploration activities it intends to use the proceeds from the Offering for; and that there will be sufficient interest from potential investors in order to complete the private placement on the terms as described herein or at all. However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected, or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to, the risk that the Company will not be able to proceed with the issuance of units on the terms described in this press release or at all; and that the Company will not have the necessary resources, financial or otherwise, to conduct the planned exploration activities referenced in this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as at the date hereof and are based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations, and opinions of management on such date. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any such forward-looking statements or any forward-looking statements contained in any other documents whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required under applicable securities law. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties, and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information.NoneBy LOLITA BALDOR and FATIMA HUSSEIN WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, and said “He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” Kellogg, an 80 year-old retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence , was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned. As special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg will have to navigate an increasingly untenable war between the two nations. The Biden administration has begun urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. Trump has criticized the billions that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. Washington has recently stepped up weapons shipments and has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute’s Center for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group’s policy book. The book, like the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” is a move to lay out a Trump national security agenda and avoid the mistakes of 2016 when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” Trump’s proposed national security advisor U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) tweeted Wednesday that “Keith has dedicated his life to defending our great country and is committed to bringing the war in Ukraine to a peaceful resolution.” Kellogg was a character in multiple Trump investigations dating to his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump prodded his Ukrainian counterpart to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the center of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence’s national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President Joe Biden ’s victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: “You’re not tough enough to make the call.” Baldor reported from Washington. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.

Joe Burrow's home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro-athlete home invasion‘I’ve got to stay alive’: Matthew Waples determined to beat cancer and start business

Ex-butler of King Charles reveals the Royal Family's Christmas gift-giving habitsMiguel Tomley scores 28 to lead Weber State over Pepperdine 68-53 at Arizona Tip-Off7 ocean in the world 。

Police group praises bill to give public sector retirees full Social Security benefits: 'deserved and earned'AP Business SummaryBrief at 12:17 p.m. ESTSAN DIEGO—Researchers with Scripps Health, a nonprofit health care system, received a $317,000 grant award from the National Institutes of Health to develop a “smart shoulder” replacement implant, it was announced Dec. 5. The award will go toward the first phase of research over the next two years at the Shiley Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education at Scripps Clinic on Torrey Pines Mesa. The team intends to plan, develop, produce and monitor the effectiveness of a prototype which can remotely and continuously transmit data about a new shoulder after surgery. According to Scripps, the doctors plan to modify an existing shoulder implant by adding wireless technology and sensors, as well as rechargeable power. They intend to test the concept in the shoulder of a human cadaver. “The smart implant will serve as both a functional shoulder joint replacement, as well as a research tool that can continually record and transmit data from inside the patient’s shoulder, such as mechanical forces, temperature, range of motion and other metrics,” a statement from the health care company reads. The initial grant funding comes from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health. After the initial two-year period, Scripps will seek additional grant funding for clinical studies. “Shoulder replacement surgery represents an important area of study,” Dr. Darryl D'Lima, director of orthopedic research at Scripps Health and the initiative’s co-lead investigator, said in a statement. “Studies show that the number of these procedures has grown significantly in recent years in the United States and the trend is expected to continue. “We need to gather and review data to better understand ways we can improve shoulder prosthetics and rehab approaches for patients, and this grant funding is an important first step toward that goal.” Dr. Heinz Hoenecke, orthopedic surgeon and researcher at Scripps Clinic, is also co-lead investigator. Scripps has made history in prosthetics before, when in 2004, Dr. Clifford Colwell implanted the world’s first electronic knee prosthesis into a patient at Scripps Green Hospital. This milestone provided insight into how forces impact the knee.

Broadridge Announces First-of-its-Kind AI-Powered Algorithm Insights ServiceBroadridge Announces First-of-its-Kind AI-Powered Algorithm Insights Service

NEW YORK , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- It is with profound sadness that TGM mourns the death of its Co-founder and Managing Principal, Steven C. Macy (1949-2024). Steve, real estate executive, husband, brother, uncle, friend, mentor, proud parent and grandparent, and oracle of wisdom who told endless anecdotes, died in New York on December 2 nd . Steve was a dynamic leader with a breadth of interests and knowledge that matched his energy, enthusiasm, and drive. He was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio . Steve co-founded TGM Associates L.P. ("TGM") with Thomas Gochberg in July 1991 . TGM provides an integrated suite of asset and property management services to large, global institutions, including state pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, corporate pension plans, and high-net-worth individuals. Prior to co-founding TGM, Steve worked at Smith Barney Real Estate and its successor company, Security Capital, where he first met Thomas Gochberg . Steve also worked for Integrated Resources, where he headed Integrated's national portfolio of 32,000 apartments. Steve was responsible for overseeing Smith Barney's nationwide property management operations and is recognized by some as one of the principal creators of the national property management business. Prior to his tenure at Smith Barney, real estate investment was predominantly a local and regional business, and Steve was responsible for creating an organization that was national in scope and capable of efficiently managing a portfolio stretching from coast to coast. He replicated this process twice more while at Integrated Resources and TGM. Steve was profiled in Bloomberg Businessweek's Executive Profile Directory for multiple years. He was also awarded the Institute of Real Estate Management's Certified Property Manager designation and was instrumental in TGM's designation as an Accredited Management Organization by that same institution. Steve's Real Estate affiliations included being a member of the Institute of Real Estate Management, the National Multi Housing Council (he served on the Board of Directors from 1990 to 1991), the National Apartment Association, and the Pension Real Estate Association. Steve was a member and patron of numerous New York social and cultural institutions and was an active member of the New York City Catholic Diocese. He accompanied Cardinal Dolan and his predecessor, Cardinal Egan, as members of their entourage on several visits to the Vatican, where Steve met sitting Popes. Steve was also an active member of St. Ignatius Loyola's congregation on the Upper East Side of Manhattan . Steve also enjoyed traveling with his Jesuit friends, including attending several silent retreats and several trips to Israel . Steve and his wife Emi had a plethora of shared interests that included volunteering, cooking, and good food (Steve was an excellent cook and enjoyed preparing meals for all), and was an adventurous traveler. Steve had an amazing rolodex of excellent restaurants from all the places he visited and usually a good story or two from the times he frequented them. Steve dedicated significant time to mentoring young minds in search of wisdom. He once published his feelings on how to lead a "successful life" which reflected those tenets that resonated deeply with him and were evident to any person that he came in contact with. In short, Steve stated that if you wanted to change the world: Steve is survived by his wife Emi; children Christopher, Tiffany, Alexa, and Akane; grandchildren Todd Jr., Tess, Tanner and Tom; his sister Karen; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He will be missed by all. About TGM Founded in 1991, TGM is an investment advisory firm organized to provide an integrated suite of asset and property management services to its investors through a series of fully integrated operating companies. Through its vertically and horizontally integrated operating companies, TGM specializes in acquisitions, property management, leasing, construction, property maintenance and asset management services. An affiliate of TGM provides property management services under the brand TGM Communities. As of September 30, 2024, TGM has invested in 141 multifamily properties throughout 28 states. To learn more about TGM please contact John Gochberg , Managing Principal, Chief Executive Officer, and President. Phone: (212) 830-9312, E-mail: jgochberg@TGMAssociates.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tgm-mourns-death-of-co-founder-and-managing-principal-steven-c-macy-302326734.html SOURCE TGM

Israeli troops burn Gaza hospital after forcibly removing staff and patients

Saquon Barkley becomes ninth running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season

What to do now that Taylor Swift has left Vancouver?Eagles look to clinch NFC East title while Cowboys hope to play spoiler

How Washington outsider Jimmy Carter wooed voters tired of Vietnam and WatergateISPR presser

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against ASML Holding N.V. ASML and certain of the Company's senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in ASML, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv . Investors have until January 13, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in ASML securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned City of Hollywood Firefighters' Pension Fund v. ASML Holding N.V., et al. , No. 24-cv-8664. What is the Lawsuit About? ASML is a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry, providing photolithography machines to chipmakers that are used in the semiconductor fabrication process. The complaint alleges that ASML repeatedly represented to shareholders that new export controls on semiconductor technology announced by the Dutch government would not have a material effect on ASML's financial outlook, and that ASML was on a path to recovery in its sales. On October 15, 2024, ASML announced earnings significantly lower than expectations. The Company attributed this to a market that was "taking longer to recover" and admitted that "[i]t now appears the recovery is more gradual than previously expected." On this news, the price of the Company's stock fell 16%, from a closing price of $872.27 per share on October 14, 2024, to $730.43 per share on October 15, 2024. Then, during the accompanying earnings call with investors on October 16, 2024, the Company attributed the poor earnings results to "a reflection of the slow recovery in the traditional [semiconductor] end markets as customers remain cautious in the current environment." The Company also disclosed that the decline in ASML's sales to China would also negatively impact the Company's gross margins. On this news, the price of the Company's stock fell 6.4%, from a closing price of $730.43 per share on October 15, 2024, to $683.52 per share on October 16, 2024. Click here if you suffered losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv . What Can You Do? If you invested in ASML you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv Or contact: Ross Shikowitz ross@bfalaw.com 212-789-3619 Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com . https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.magic ocean bohol 。

Share Tweet Share Share Email Introduction In today’s digital era, having a professionally designed website is essential for any business or organization. Warsaw, Poland’s bustling capital, is home to a thriving web design industry where experienced designers work with businesses to bring their online visions to life. Web design is not just about creating a visually appealing site; it involves careful planning, strategy, and development. The process of projektowanie stron www (website design) in Warsaw encompasses everything from conceptualization to final launch, ensuring that businesses have functional, attractive, and user-friendly websites that serve their unique needs. Whether you are launching a new business, revamping an existing site, or expanding your e-commerce capabilities, expert web designers in Warsaw provide end-to-end solutions that cater to a variety of industries. From the initial concept to the moment the site goes live, professionals ensure that every detail is tailored to reflect the company’s goals, branding, and audience. Conceptualizing Your Website: The Foundation of Web Design The first step in creating any website is the conceptual phase. This is where ideas are formed, and the foundation for the entire project is laid. Before diving into the technical aspects of projektowanie stron www (websites in Warsaw), businesses and designers collaborate to understand the brand’s vision, target audience, and overall goals. This step involves brainstorming, research, and discussions to determine the best approach for the website’s design and functionality. A critical part of this phase is identifying the purpose of the website. Is it meant to serve as an informational platform, an online store, or a portfolio? Each type of website requires a different design strategy. By working closely with experienced web designers in Warsaw, businesses can ensure that the concept of their website aligns perfectly with their objectives and the needs of their users. During this phase, the visual identity, layout, and core structure of the website start to take shape. Designing User-Centered Websites One of the most important elements of expert web design is creating a user-centered experience. Projektowanie stron www in Warsaw focuses heavily on user experience (UX), ensuring that websites are easy to navigate and provide a positive interaction for visitors. A well-designed website is one that not only looks good but also functions seamlessly for the user, offering clear navigation paths, engaging content, and a logical flow. To achieve this, web designers in Warsaw employ various tools and techniques, such as wireframing, prototyping, and user journey mapping. These processes help visualize the website’s structure and layout before any code is written, ensuring that potential user pain points are addressed early in the design process. By prioritizing user experience, web designers can create websites that keep visitors engaged, encourage them to explore further, and lead to higher conversion rates. The Importance of Responsive Design As mobile browsing continues to dominate internet usage, responsive web design has become a crucial aspect of creating successful strony internetowe Warszawa . Responsive design ensures that a website adapts to different screen sizes and devices, providing an optimal viewing experience whether the user is on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Expert web designers in Warsaw understand the importance of ensuring that websites function perfectly across all platforms. A mobile-friendly website can significantly impact a business’s online presence, as users are more likely to stay on a site that is easy to navigate on their phones. In addition to improving user experience, responsive design also plays a role in search engine optimization (SEO), as Google and other search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their rankings. Developing Functionality and Features Once the conceptual design is in place, the next step in projektowanie stron www is the development phase. This is where the website’s functionality is built. Depending on the needs of the business, developers work on integrating features such as contact forms, shopping carts, booking systems, and multimedia content. Each of these features is customized to ensure that the website not only looks great but also performs effectively. In Warsaw, expert web designers often use the latest technologies and frameworks to develop websites that are both fast and secure. Whether it’s a content management system (CMS) like WordPress or a fully custom-coded solution, the development phase is crucial to ensuring that the website delivers on its promise of usability, security, and speed. Throughout this process, developers ensure that the website is scalable, meaning that it can grow and adapt to the evolving needs of the business. SEO and Performance Optimization Search engine optimization (SEO) is an integral part of web design, especially for businesses in Warsaw looking to reach a broader audience. A website that is optimized for search engines is more likely to attract organic traffic, improving the business’s visibility online. Expert web designers in Warsaw focus on creating websites that are SEO-friendly from the ground up. This includes optimizing page load times, ensuring proper meta descriptions, incorporating keywords relevant to the business, and structuring the website in a way that search engines can easily crawl. In addition to SEO, performance optimization is a key factor in ensuring the success of a website. Fast loading times, smooth transitions, and minimal downtime are all essential for keeping users engaged and satisfied. By working with experienced web developers in Warsaw, businesses can ensure that their websites are not only beautiful but also perform well under high traffic and provide a seamless experience for users. Testing and Quality Assurance Before any website goes live, it must undergo thorough testing to ensure that it functions correctly across different devices, browsers, and operating systems. Quality assurance is an important step in the projektowanie stron www process, as it helps identify any bugs or issues that may have been overlooked during development. Web designers in Warsaw use a variety of tools to test the website’s performance, security, and responsiveness, ensuring that it meets industry standards and provides a flawless user experience. Testing also involves checking the website’s functionality, such as form submissions, links, and interactive elements, to ensure that everything works as expected. By conducting comprehensive testing before launch, web designers can prevent potential issues from affecting the user experience once the website is live. Launching the Website and Post-Launch Support The final phase of web design is the launch. After months of planning, designing, and developing, the website is ready to go live. The launch phase is both exciting and critical, as it marks the culmination of all the hard work that went into creating the site. Expert web designers in Warsaw ensure that the launch goes smoothly by coordinating with hosting providers, setting up security measures, and ensuring that the website is fully functional and accessible. However, the process doesn’t end with the launch. Post-launch support is a vital aspect of ensuring the long-term success of any website. Web designers in Warsaw offer ongoing maintenance, updates, and performance monitoring to ensure that the site continues to operate efficiently. Whether it’s updating content, fixing bugs, or adding new features, post-launch support ensures that the website remains a valuable asset for the business. Conclusion Creating a successful website requires a combination of creativity, technical expertise, and strategic planning. Expert web design in Warsaw provides businesses with the tools they need to build websites that not only look great but also perform exceptionally well. From the initial concept to the final launch, the process of projektowanie stron www ensures that every element of the website is tailored to the business’s needs and goals. By working with experienced professionals in strony internetowe Warszawa , businesses can ensure that their websites are optimized for user experience, SEO, and performance. Whether you’re launching a new site or redesigning an existing one, expert web designers in Warsaw are equipped to handle every step of the process, from conceptualization to post-launch support, helping businesses thrive in the competitive online world. Related Items: Expert Web Design , Expert Web Design in Warsaw Share Tweet Share Share Email CommentsFRISCO, Texas (AP) — Wesley Celichowski's 22 points helped Air Force defeat Stony Brook 69-61 on Saturday. Celichowski shot 6 of 10 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 8 for 8 from the line for the Falcons (3-7). Ethan Taylor scored 17 points while going 6 of 11 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and added eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Caleb Walker shot 6 of 6 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points. The Seawolves (2-7) were led by CJ Luster II, who recorded 27 points. Stony Brook also got 13 points from Collin O'Connor. Andre Snoddy finished with 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

NEW YORK — A Marine veteran who used a chokehold on an agitated subway rider was acquitted on Monday in a death that became a prism for differing views about public safety, valor and vigilantism. A Manhattan jury cleared Daniel Penny of criminally negligent homicide in Jordan Neely’s 2023 killing. A more serious manslaughter charge was dismissed last week because the jury deadlocked on that count. Both applause and anger erupted in the courtroom as the verdict was read, and Neely’s father and two supporters were ushered out after audibly reacting. Another person also left, wailing with tears. “It really, really hurts,” Neely’s father, Andre Zachery, said outside the courthouse. “I had enough of this. The system is rigged.” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the Democrat whose office brought the case, said prosecutors “followed the facts and the evidence from beginning to end” and respect the verdict. There was no immediate comment from lawyers for Penny, who rushed to a waiting car after the verdict. Penny’s attorneys claimed he was protecting himself and other subway passengers from a volatile, mentally ill man who made alarming remarks and gestures. The case amplified many American fault lines, among them race, politics, crime, urban life, mental illness and homelessness. Neely was Black. Penny is white. There were sometimes dueling demonstrations outside the courthouse, including Monday, when chants could be heard through the window ahead of the verdict. Penny, 26, served four years in the Marines and went on to study architecture. Neely, 30, was a sometime subway performer with a tragic life story: His mother was killed and stuffed in a suitcase when he was a teenager. As a younger man, Neely did Michael Jackson tributes on the city’s streets and subways. But Neely also struggled with mental illness after losing his mother, whose boyfriend was convicted of murdering her. He subsequently was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia and was repeatedly hospitalized. Neely told a doctor in 2017 that being homeless, living in poverty and having to “dig through the garbage” for food made him feel so hopeless that he sometimes thought of killing himself, hospital records show. Get local news delivered to your inbox!NoneEast Tennessee State won its fourth straight men’s basketball game Saturday at Freedom Hall Civic Center in a contest which the Bucs dominated statistically. The Bucs defeated Austin Peay 79-57 with advantages in rebounds, assists, fast-break points and points in the paint. ETSU (6-2) held a 46-29 rebounding advantage, including 15-8 on the offensive glass. The Bucs had 20 assists to 10 for the Governors, held an 18-2 advantage in fast-break points and outscored them 42-24 in the paint. “We had 20 assists on 30 made baskets,” ETSU coach Brooks Savage said. “In the first half, I thought we turned some (shots) down. But, they’re so unselfish. Especially in today’s world, I’d rather them be like that. They share it and I’m really proud of how they’re focused and together.” John Buggs III was the leading scorer with 15 points, going 3-of-5 from 3-point range and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Quimari Peterson led the way with 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds while only having one turnover. Jaden Seymour finished with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Karon Boyd, held to two points in the first half, had a stretch in the second half where he scored 10 straight for the Bucs. “I wasn’t worried about that. I was trying to stop their best player, No. 4 (LJ Thomas),” Boyd said. “Then, it was time for me to execute on offense. We’re trying to be player-led to pass up a good shot to get a great shot.” The Bucs got off to a fast start with an early 21-9 advantage. They were able to take a 35-28 lead into the half. They pushed the lead to 46-34 on a 3-point shot by Buggs III and maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way. “We tried to come out with a bunch of intensity, punch them early,” Buggs said. “We see our chemistry coming together, putting each other in position to succeed.” Thomas, a NC State transfer, led Austin Peay with 15 points. Tate McCubbin had 10 points and seven rebounds. Savage liked the contributions throughout the ETSU roster with nine Bucs playing 12 minutes or more. They included Gabe Sisk with eight points and Maki Johnson with six points on a pair of 3-point buckets. Roosevelt Wheeler totaled six points and seven rebounds in place of Davion Bradford, who turned his ankle earlier in the day. “Roosevelt Wheeler has continued to work hard,” Savage said. “I say it all the time, but he’s a character guy, a salt-of-the-earth type guy. Coach (Cory) Dixon has done a great job keeping him in the gym. He has a great attitude, doesn’t complain or sulk. He was really good around the basket, protecting the rim, rebounding and guarding. We needed everybody along the way. I thought the bench was great.” NEXT UP The Bucs have a pair of tough road games next at James Madison on Tuesday and Wichita State on Saturday. Austin Peay faces another Southern Conference team when the Govs head to Samford next Sunday.

Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens nextAbortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Here's a look at data on where things stand: Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S. But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained. There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero. “Abortion bans don’t actually prevent abortions from happening,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco. But, she said, they do change care. For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want. For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills. As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation. They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it’s been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute. The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling. But now, it's become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions was via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned. As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access. This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There's also an effort by Idaho, Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as “controlled dangerous substances,” and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them. Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans. But a network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they're legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common. The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortion in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans. Abortion funds, which benefitted from “rage giving” in 2022, have helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give . Since the downfall of Roe, the actions of lawmakers and courts have kept shifting where abortion is legal and under what conditions. Here's where it stands now: Florida, the nation’s third most-populous state, began enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy on May 1. That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortion to an exporter of people looking for them. There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer. While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor. The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states. But some states where abortion remains legal until viability – generally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy , though there’s no fixed time for it – have seen clinics open and expand . Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics. There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers. But Myers says some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So they’re now in the count of clinics – even though they might provide few of them. How hospitals handle pregnancy complications , especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned. President Joe Biden's administration says hospitals must offer abortions when they're needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration’s policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho. More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms and were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records. Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died. “It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department,” Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year. Since Roe was overturned, there have been 18 reproductive rights-related statewide ballot questions. Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on 14 of them and lost on four. In the 2024 election , they amended the constitutions in five states to add the right to abortion. Such measures failed in three states: In Florida, where it required 60% support; in Nebraska, which had competing abortion ballot measures; and in South Dakota, where most national abortion rights groups did support the measure. AP VoteCast data found that more than three-fifths of voters in 2024 supported abortion being legal in all or most cases – a slight uptick from 2020. The support came even as voters supported Republicans to control the White House and both houses of Congress. Associated Press writers Linley Sanders, Amanda Seitz and Laura Ungar contributed to this article.

LONDON (AP) — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men returned the verdict after deliberating for about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the “modest award.” Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. “She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice,” she said. “I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. “He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.” Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him “no” as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, “now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. “I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman’s complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said “she never said ‘no’ or stopped” and testified that everything she said was a lie. “It is a full blown lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. “How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings.” McGregor’s lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. “You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise,” attorney Remy Farrell said. “I’m not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.” The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor’s arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked “happy, happy, happy.” McGregor said he was “beyond petrified” when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor’s friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent.

The percent of Kentucky kindergarten students who begin school ready to learn dropped by about 3 points from pre-pandemic years to the 2023-2024 school year, according to a report on child welfare released Wednesday. The KIDS COUNT County Data Book was compiled and released by Kentucky Youth Advocates. Kids Count is part of a national initiative by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and measures child well-being based on a variety of measures — education, family life, trauma, incarceration and more. In the school year ending in 2019, the book shows, about 51% of Kentucky’s kids were kindergarten-ready. For the 2023-2024 school year, that was down to 48%. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, explained that small things — like letter magnets on the fridge — can help introduce young children to written language and prepare them to read. “It’s as simple as reading to your kid,” he told the Lantern. But, once children reach the school, educators need to be willing to meet them where they are as well, he said, because not all children will learn to read the same way. “I think the primary school experience in Kentucky looks a lot more like an assembly line than a personalized menu,” Brooks said, “and we need to get back to that personalized menu.” Not all education data was negative, though. The number of fourth graders who are proficient in reading, eighth graders who are proficient in math and high school students graduating on time have all improved. In 2024, Kids Count says, “more Kentucky children are experiencing adverse childhood experiences than ever before.” Adverse childhood experiences, more commonly known as ACEs, refer to traumas or stressors in a person’s life before their 18th birthday. They include, but are not limited to experiencing or witnessing violence, abuse or neglect; living in a home where someone has a substance use disorder or other mental health issues; living through a parental separation and more. Keep up with the latest NKY news with our daily newsletter Sign up ACEs have a far-reaching impact on adulthood, too, as survivors are more likely to have chronic health conditions including cancer, diabetes and heart disease; experience poverty; have pregnancy problems; be involved in sex trafficking; suffer from stress; and some may even go on to perpetuate ACEs, feeding a reciprocating spiral of illness and violence. The more ACEs a child lives through, the greater their chance of having long- term complications. Almost 1 in 4 — 23% — of Kentucky’s children have experienced at least two ACEs. That’s significantly higher than the national average, which is about 17%. “If today is a typical day in Kentucky, one out of five kids woke up living in deep poverty,” Brooks said during a Wednesday press conference to launch the book. “And tonight, if today is a typical day in Kentucky, one in five kids are going to go to bed hungry.” The state has made some strides over the last decade, according to Kids Count, including passing laws to ensure educators learn about ACE s and “ closing gaps ” in the background check process for people working with children. But gaps remain. From the 2024 KIDS COUNT “Minimal legislative progress” has been made to “teach youth to protect themselves by providing age-appropriate information on healthy boundaries and relationships,” according to the report, which also points out the legislature cut funds for the Health Access Nurturing Development Services program ( HANDS ), a voluntary home visitation program for any new or expectant parents. To combat ACEs, children need access to positive childhood experiences (PCEs), which can include having supportive and safe family, feeling a sense of belonging, feeling supported by friends, having at least two non-parent adults who care about them and more. “We emphasize each year that what gets measured, gets changed,” Brooks said, “and this year, I’m urging our policymakers to hear: what can be predicted can be prevented. Understanding ACEs and PCEs creates that opportunity to measure risk and pave the way for prevention.” Two youth advocates spoke alongside Brooks and others, detailing how positive experiences have helped them succeed in life. Aleah Stigall, a Boyle County High School sophomore, said being involved in pageantry helped connect her to mentors and friends that she felt she lacked as an only child. She also founded an initiative called Disconnect to Connect – Let’s Get Real, which she said “strives to teach students how to have real relationships with real people without technology.” “This goes hand in hand with developing strong connections with mentors so one can learn new skills throughout childhood and even adulthood,” said Stigall, 16. Another youth advocate, Issabella Cornett from Graves County, said support she’s felt through health challenges helped her develop “resilience.” “Throughout my childhood, positive experiences have been made by access to reliable health care and the conflict support my teachers, friends, family and my medical team,” Cornett said. ” These positive resources have been essential in allowing me to navigate major health challenges, including chronic migraines, kidney disease and various allergies.” Shannon Moody, KYA’s chief policy and strategy officer, said everyone can help create a better future for young people. “What we know is while the prevalence of PCEs, or positive childhood experiences, are just not quite as documented or heavily studied, we do know that they are common, and with these stories that you heard today, I think you can see them on a day to day basis in your community,” she said. “Stable housing, access to health services and safe family and community environments can set young people up for a lifetime of health, stability and success.” The book recommends several policy “solutions” to address Kentucky’s child well-being gaps. They include: “The question that I have about all the work that went into Kids Count is really simple: will we see the General Assembly match its rhetoric with action on behalf of kids in 2025,” Brooks said. “I’m both hopeful and scared to death to answer that question.” To read the whole Kids Count book, go here . This story originally appeared at kentuckylantern.com. Before you go.... Can you help us make a difference? The reporters and editors at LINK nky are dedicated to covering Northern Kentucky and providing you with the information you need to be an informed citizen. If you value what you get from LINK nky, please join us with a tax-deductible donation so we can continue doing the local reporting that matters to you. Will you chip in to LINK nky today? YES, I'LL CHIP IN! SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS DONATE

By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Vance is taking on an atypical role as Senate guide for Trump nominees The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Mar-a-Lago scene is a far cry from Vance’s hardscrabble upbringing Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. Related Articles On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” Vance is making his voice heard as Trump stocks his Cabinet While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance will draw on his Senate background going forward Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.NEW YORK , Nov. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of iLearningEngines, Inc. (NASDAQ: AILE) between April 22, 2024 and August 28, 2024 , both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of t the important December 6, 2024 lead plaintiff deadline. So what: If you purchased iLearningEngines securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. What to do next: To join the iLearningEngines class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=28305 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 6, 2024 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) iLearningEngines' "Technology Partner" was an undisclosed related party; (2) iLearningEngines used its undisclosed related party Technology Partner to report "largely fake" revenue and expenses; (3) as a result of the foregoing, iLearningEngines significantly overstated its revenue; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about iLearningEngines' business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the iLearningEngines class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=28305 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aile-deadline-aile-investors-have-opportunity-to-lead-ilearningengines-inc-securities-fraud-lawsuit-302318967.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Aidan Bouman threw a go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and Quaron Adams followed with a 70-yard touchdown on a reverse as No. 4 seed South Dakota pulled away late to beat 13th-seeded Tarleton State 42-31 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. South Dakota will host the winner of Saturday's matchup between No. 5 seed UC Davis and 12th-seeded Illinois State in the third round. The Coyotes (10-2) trailed by seven points four times until Bouman connected with Keyondray Jones-Logan for a 12-yard touchdown and a 35-31 lead with 9:36 left to play. Tim White intercepted a Victor Gabalis pass, giving South Dakota the ball at its own 15-yard line. Adams, a sophomore receiver, raced to the end zone three plays later for his first career rushing touchdown and the Texans (10-4) never recovered in their first trip to the postseason. Gabalis threw three first-half touchdown passes, giving Tarleton State leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 21-14 at halftime. Travis Theis had two short touchdown runs in the first half to pull the Coyotes even and his 2-yard scoring run 51 seconds into the fourth quarter tied it at 28. Tarleton State took its last lead on a 23-yard field goal by Corbin Poston with 11:23 left to play. Bouman completed 18 of 22 passes for 213 yards and also had a 5-yard scoring toss to Jones-Logan off a deflected pass that stood up to a video review and tied the game at 21. Theis carried 25 times for 130 yards. Gabalis totaled 379 yards on 23-for-31 passing with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Darius Cooper caught nine passes for 161 yards and three scores. Cody Jackson had the other touchdown reception. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballOn April 1, four years ago, piqued by the incessant jokes in the village at his expense, Bandu Barve decided he’d had enough. It was time for him to turn ‘smart’. His dead granny’s voice rang in his ears — “Read the papers, Bandya, they tell you all.” So, off went Bandu to the stash of newspapers on his father’s desk. As luck would have it, the first paper Bandu got his hands on was The Hindu businessline . The stock recos, in particular, had him in thrall. Soon, Bandu metamorphosed into an ace investor and trader. These days, Bandu picks five stocks each Sunday, which he believes will be blockbusters over the next week. Here’s your chance to match step with Bandu. Guess the stock that will give the best return by next Friday (BSE prices). By this Wednesday noon, mail us your pick and its expected price rise to bandublockbuster@gmail.com with your name, mobile number and address. One lucky winner will get a prize of ₹2,000. To know the winner selection process, please click: https://tinyurl.com/Bandu-selection Bandu’s picks Devyani International Hitachi Energy India Campus Activewear Himadri Speciality Chemical CEAT Last week’s winner: Manickavasagan Last week’s winning stock: Five-Star Business Finance Closing price (Dec 20): ₹764.25 Closing price (Dec 27): ₹803.20 Return: 5.1 per cent CommentsCelichowski shot 6 of 10 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 8 for 8 from the line for the Falcons (3-7). Ethan Taylor scored 17 points while going 6 of 11 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and added eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Caleb Walker shot 6 of 6 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points. The Seawolves (2-7) were led by CJ Luster II, who recorded 27 points. Stony Brook also got 13 points from Collin O'Connor. Andre Snoddy finished with 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Indiana St. 83, Iona 80Vermont CISO John Toney will expand his knowledge in a new, supplemental role as a visiting fellow at the George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, joining the National Security Institute (NSI)’s Cyber and Tech Security Council. Toney was first appointed to the Vermont CISO role in , following the departure of Scott Carbee who before being . The CISO position marks Toney’s first state-level information security role, but prior to this, he accrued nearly two decades of IT experience, from the private sector to the U.S. Secret Service, where he led the Philadelphia Electronic Crimes Task Force. The Cyber and Tech Security Council addresses emerging cyber threats, policy and the global security landscape; Toney’s role will involve collaboration and information sharing with leading professionals in this area. According to Toney, he viewed the visiting fellow position as an opportunity to keep growing his skill sets and knowledge as technology — and related policy — evolves. The role offers him a channel through which to hear what policymakers and federal regulators are working on in security, to better prepare and protect the state of Vermont. “It’s a way for me to give back, and also to learn from people in that room,” Toney said of the new post, emphasizing the opportunity to work with senior cybersecurity executives from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who are members of NSI. “So, there’s a lot for me to learn, but also, I hope that I can add a practitioner’s view to the theoretical things that they’re bringing to the table.” He explained that, in contrast to the private sector, public-sector organizations’ budget constraints encourage more creativity and compromise in solutions, such as the dual use of one tool to help solve multiple problems. But collaboration is key, he said, as people in the private sector are often building high-quality tools that can be leveraged in the public sector. Toney’s experience at the Secret Service enabled a wide range of collaboration with people in the education and private sectors. In his current CISO role, he said a lot of communications with those outside state government involve a sales pitch of some kind. That was the appeal of this role with NSI at George Mason University: It is a not-for-profit organization that is not designed to sell any product. “My time belongs to the state of Vermont,” Toney said, explaining this new role is a volunteer position with a small time commitment, so it will not hinder his ability to manage his duties as CISO. Having been in the role for about six months, Toney said his work thus far has been focusing on making the state’s approach to security more proactive. The CISO is working with the cybersecurity company NuHarbor Security to explore how AI can help the state better defend itself. The state does have tools in place that use AI for threat detection. As he explained, AI is now largely embedded in all the technologies that vendors are looking to sell to the state, although the extent to which these tools are classified as AI varies. From a security standpoint, Toney emphasized the importance of ensuring the state’s data security when considering working with any vendor that claims to have AI built into their product. To resolve these questions, Toney said he works closely with Vermont Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer Josiah Raiche. AI’s impact on security is two-sided, Toney said. On one side, AI helps bad actors learn and target organizations more efficiently. The problem, then, is that the speed of threat detection has not increased at the same rate. Toney is looking to find AI-powered automations in other areas, like contract review processes, to free up employee time to detect and address cybersecurity risks like malware, for a more secure Vermont.

Madhumita Murgia in London, George Hammond and Cristina Criddle in San Francisco Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. OpenAI is betting on a suite of new AI products, building its own data centres and a crucial partnership with Apple to supercharge its next phase of growth, as it targets reaching 1 billion users over the coming year. The San Francisco-based group, whose popular ChatGPT chatbot has rocketed to 250mn weekly active users since its launch two years ago, plans to expand further through launching so-called AI “agents”, its own AI-powered search engine and ChatGPT’s integration with Apple devices. “[In 2025] we will be coming into our own, as a research lab serving millions . . . hoping it can be billions of consumers around the world,” Sarah Friar, the company’s chief financial officer, told the Financial Times. The goal comes as the nine-year-old start-up recasts itself as global technology giant and prepares for what founder and chief executive Sam Altman describes as the “Intelligence Age”. Having raised more than $6bn of investment at a $150bn valuation in October — the highest for a start up in Silicon Valley’s history — Friar said OpenAI would continue to raise “more money”, including both equity and debt. “In 74 days [since joining the company in June], we put ten billion of liquidity on the balance sheet. So that was my way of saying, hey, I’m going to get stuff done too,” she said. She added: “We’re in a massive growth phase, it behoves us to keep investing. We need to be on the frontier on the model front. That is expensive.” To achieve its goals, OpenAI plans to invest in building clusters of data centres in parts of the US midwest and south-west, according to Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s new policy chief. This push to build its own AI infrastructure follows a similar strategy by Big Tech rivals such as Google and Amazon. Lehane said “chips, data and energy” are the critical resources required to succeed in the AI race. OpenAI has transformed rapidly in the 12 months since Altman was ousted by the company’s board, and then subsequently reinstated as chief executive last November. Recommended It has brought on its first financial and product leaders, increased headcount by five times to more than 2,000 people, and triggered a complicated transition from a non-profit to a for-profit business model. While OpenAI has lost key executives across its research and safety teams, including three of its original co-founders this year and high-profile technical leaders, such as Ilya Sutskever and Mira Murati, it has made way for a wave of new engineers and leaders. Many of the new team have an expertise in building and monetising consumer products. This has led to a dual focus: a long-term research vision and short-term product goals as it focuses on ramping up revenue-generating products to outpace its ballooning costs. It is spending well over $5bn a year and “not close to breaking even” due to the costs related to building AI models, according to people with knowledge of the group’s finances. The newer recruits say they are still guided by OpenAI’s “mission” of building and distributing artificial general intelligence — software with cognitive capabilities superior to humans — but are tasked with deploying real-world utility in the near-term. “The last couple of years, we have had a really big inflection point in the quality of intelligence that can now be made into products that are actually useful for people,” said Srinivas Narayanan, vice-president of engineering at OpenAI, who joined last year from Meta. “That’s . . . why I’m here.” The launch of AI agents — chatbot-like assistants that help execute tasks on the web, ranging from information gathering to booking or purchasing items — will be a key focus for 2025, according to Friar. “Agentic has got to be the word of the year . . . It could be a researcher, a helpful assistant for everyday people, working moms like me. In 2025 we will see the first very successful agents deployed that help people in their day to day,” she said. Rivals including Google, Anthropic and OpenAI’s biggest backer, Microsoft, have all signalled intentions to launch their own AI agents over the coming year. Meanwhile, ChatGPT’s launch across Apple’s billions of devices, which began its rollout in the US last month, is core to driving a big jump in the number of users. One of OpenAI’s major venture capital investors noted that the goal of 1bn users could be quickly reached because of this partnership. “[OpenAI] are already at a few hundred [million] active users today without spending on marketing,” the investor said. “Apple has 2bn iPhones globally and want to push a new AI phone. The path to getting 1bn users with ChatGPT in their pocket is not that farfetched. If you get to that threshold, you’re competing with Google and Facebook.” Recommended Meanwhile, OpenAI will also have to navigate an increasingly complex political landscape. Lehane, a veteran political strategist who cut his teeth in the Clinton White House, will need to contend with the incoming President Donald Trump’s close adviser and OpenAI’s former co-founder Elon Musk, who runs his own AI company xAI, and is expected to help shape federal AI policy. Musk recently filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its backer, Microsoft, accusing Altman of “deceit of Shakespearean proportions” and seeking to void its commercial partnership with Microsoft. “[Musk] is obviously a unique personality at this moment in time. I think the way we think about it is we control what we can control,” Lehane told the FT. Despite the public conflict with Musk, he said OpenAI and the Trump team were aligned on AI’s role in national security and economic competitiveness. Lehane wants OpenAI to take the lead in building US-led “democratic” AI at scale, compared to a Chinese-led version of the technology. “We’ve had conversations with the transition team . . . both during the campaign and after,” he said. “This administration has talked . . . about the imperative of . . . US-led AI prevailing over Chinese-led AI. And if you want that to happen as the US government . . . then OpenAI is going to have to be in the middle of that conversation.” Lehane believes the next few years will usher in a global, historical transition — a period when technology evolves at a pace that societies will struggle to adapt to. Governments will need to develop new public-private partnerships in AI, similar to an electric utilities model, to fairly distribute the technology and its benefits, he added. “Part of this company’s responsibility and role, is to . . . potentially shape those conversations and form those conversations, and hopefully be able to find some of the answers as we move forward,” said Lehane.

Just about everything went wrong for the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Coming off of a big win against the Baltimore Ravens, Mike Tomlin 's team was clearly a little worn down and ended up losing a close one, 24-19 . One of the bigger storylines heading into the matchup was the individual rivalry that has brewed between TJ Watt and Myles Garrett. Both players have won an AP Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) Award, and they have undoubtedly etched themselves into a very small category of elite edge rushers in the National Football League. Garrett, however, won on Thursday Night Football . The reigning DPOY in Garrett had himself a heck of a night against the Steelers. He had three sacks and a forced fumble, which gave him the confidence to directly state that he was in a category of one. A lot has been discussed since the game ended in regards to Watt, who wasn't very productive in the contest. It wasn't totally his fault, as the Browns sometimes had three different individuals blocking him. Watt notoriously skipped out on the NFL Honors ceremony after the 2023 season because he knew that the big defensive award wasn't going to him. He brought to social media to hint at feeling disrespected. Nothing I’m not used to. The AFC North is full of fierce rivalries and while Cleveland may be 3-8 after the win on Thursday evening, its social media team did not mind taking a subtle shot at Watt, who won DPOY honors after the 2021 season. Nothing he’s not used to. pic.twitter.com/ejgoYPGOQS Both players are incredible, but the reality of the fact is that Garrett is not on a planet of his own. Watt is just as good, if not better, than his divisional foe. The Browns haven't had much to celebrate in 2024, which is why the admin of their social media team was happy to take a small dig at Watt. It will just add more fuel to the fire when the two franchises meet again in Week 14. On top of it all, prior to Thursday night's matchup, Watt was handily controlling the individual rivalry between he and Garrett. It hasn't been relatively close altogether, as Watt normally shows out against Cleveland. TJ Watt vs Myles Garrett H2H pic.twitter.com/XtYGyio87O Watt was the favorite to win the DPOY award following the 2024 season, but that might change after he did not perform to his best ability versus the Browns. Steelers Need Huge Final Stretch From Watt Pittsburgh's coaching staff needs to figure out more creative ways to get Watt involved. Opposing teams are taking drastic measures to make sure he doesn't wreck games, which is affecting the defense as a whole. It has allowed for a guy like Nick Herbig to make big plays, but the Steelers are at their absolute best when Watt is wreaking havoc all over the field. This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

Women’s basketball: Short-handed CU Buffs roll past Southern UtahDrake Maye returns after a hit to the head, but same problems persist in Patriots' loss to ChargersUS coach Emma Hayes admits to anthem uncertainty ahead of England stalemateNone

Meta ‘Planning One Hell Of’ An Undersea CableCharting the Trump train’s global economic trajectoryAbortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Here's a look at data on where things stand: Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S. But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained. There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero. “Abortion bans don’t actually prevent abortions from happening,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco. But, she said, they do change care. For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want. For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills. As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation. They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it’s been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute. The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling. But now, it's become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions was via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned. As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access. This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There's also an effort by Idaho, Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as “controlled dangerous substances,” and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them. Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans. But a network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they're legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common. The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortion in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans. Abortion funds, which benefitted from “rage giving” in 2022, have helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give . Since the downfall of Roe, the actions of lawmakers and courts have kept shifting where abortion is legal and under what conditions. Here's where it stands now: Florida, the nation’s third most-populous state, began enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy on May 1. That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortion to an exporter of people looking for them. There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer. While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor. The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states. But some states where abortion remains legal until viability – generally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy , though there’s no fixed time for it – have seen clinics open and expand . Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics. There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers. But Myers says some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So they’re now in the count of clinics – even though they might provide few of them. How hospitals handle pregnancy complications , especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned. President Joe Biden's administration says hospitals must offer abortions when they're needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration’s policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho. More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms and were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records. Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died. “It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department,” Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year. Since Roe was overturned, there have been 18 reproductive rights-related statewide ballot questions. Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on 14 of them and lost on four. In the 2024 election , they amended the constitutions in five states to add the right to abortion. Such measures failed in three states: In Florida, where it required 60% support; in Nebraska, which had competing abortion ballot measures; and in South Dakota, where most national abortion rights groups did support the measure. AP VoteCast data found that more than three-fifths of voters in 2024 supported abortion being legal in all or most cases – a slight uptick from 2020. The support came even as voters supported Republicans to control the White House and both houses of Congress. Associated Press writers Linley Sanders, Amanda Seitz and Laura Ungar contributed to this article.

No persecution of minorities, Hindu leader arrested on specific charges: Bangladesh tells UN forumSexual abuse of boys: 2 acquittals for every conviction in Karnataka

Police enhance security measures for festive season in Tarabamagic ocean dive resort 。

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:49 p.m. EST

The business networking session is a unique opportunity to foster connections, encourage collaborations and explore the evolving landscape of business and technology particularly within the context of dynamic regional environment, Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Daniel Leong said. He said this when the BEDB hosted a business networking session for foreign delegates attending the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards 2024 at a hotel yesterday. The Sultanate is hosting the foreign delegates from December 4-7. Leong in his welcoming remark also shared Brunei Darussalam’s vast potential in the APICTA Awards 2024. “The gathering provides an excellent chance for the attendees to connect, including our Brunei based companies. We hope that today’s discussion will spark meaningful partnerships and open new avenues for growth and innovation.” The BEDB acting CEO said BEDB is a statutory body that drives Brunei’s economic diversification by focusing on three functions of attracting investments, developing industrial sites and supporting enterprise growth. “It plays a pivotal role in creating a conducive environment for businesses, especially in sectors like technology and innovations while fostering partnership between local and international stakeholders,” he added. BEBD Assistant Manager Derrick Chua also delivered a presentation on the opportunities in Brunei’s ICT sector. Brunei Economic Development Board Acting Chief Executive Officer Daniel Leong delivers the welcoming remark. PHOTO: JAMES KON The delegates at an exhibition. PHOTO: JAMES KON Citing the overview of Brunei’s ICT industry, he said; “With the gross domestic product (GDP) of USD14.3 billion and a population of just 450,000, we are dynamic market that is perfect for innovation focus on efficiency and scalabilities. “Currently our ICT sector contributes 2.3 per cent to the country’s GDP with the telecommunications sector as the major contributor. It also shows potential growth in other high value information communications and technology (ICT) areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytic, Internet of Things and others.” The Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) provides ICT development programmes such as the Digital Upskilling Training programme and Coding.bn, he said. Meanwhile, Brunei Innovation Lab (BIL) Chairperson Haji Mohammad Shahnoel bin Haji Mohammad Noeh said BIL is a public private partnership initiative that serves as a core national platform to foster innovation, build digital literacy and nurture technopreneurs. He added, “BIL aspires to foster a nurturing ecosystem for start-ups and driving innovations that support Brunei’s long term economic vision and sustainable growth. Our mission is empowering Brunei’s digital economy by nurturing tech start-up, attracting investment and fostering collaboration to position Brunei as a regional hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.” AITI Chief Executive Ir Haji Jailani bin Haji Buntar and Director Allen On Hsien Yung of the Industry and Business Ecosystem Division, Ministry of Finance and Economy were also present. – James Kon

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:13 p.m. ESTTafara Gapare throws down 19 points and a highlight dunk, and Maryland beats Bucknell 91-67Nutanix to Present at Upcoming Investor Conference

COLOGNE, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 5 December 2024 – VYTAL Global GmbH, the Germany-based digital reuse platform, is thrilled to announce the founding of its U.S.-based subsidiary, VYTAL US Inc. This strategic expansion marks a major step forward in Vytal’s mission to create a global tech platform that enables reuse in all food service settings, from large-scale festivals, sports and entertainment venues to campuses, corporate offices and quick-service restaurants. VYTAL US has acquired certain assets of TURN, a U.S.-based reuse company, and is assuming services for a selected group of TURN’s former clients, primarily operators of large festivals and venues, including some of TURN’s operations in Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, key members of the TURN team will join VYTAL US, ensuring a seamless transition and continuity of service for those clients. This move allows Vytal to enhance its existing expertise with TURN’s proven consumer engagement strategies while bringing its advanced tracking technology and market-leading operational efficiency to the U.S. market. A Strategic Leap Forward “From the start, Vytal’s ambition is to solve the single-use packaging waste crisis on a global scale,” says Dr. Tim Breker, Co-Founder & Managing Director of VYTAL Global GmbH. “Europe, particularly Germany, has long been a leader in reuse. We believe we have a clear competitive advantage to build the most advanced reuse solutions for our clients. By expanding into the U.S., we’re leveraging our sophisticated tech platform, as well as years of operational experience, to deliver high-value reuse solutions. Scaling reuse in Europe is mostly about efficiency and convenience. In the U.S. reuse has a major third growth driver: consumer engagement. Mastering this triad in the most exciting consumer market of the world will further cement Vytal’s leadership of the global reuse movement.” A globally relevant reuse champion Following a record-breaking 2024 serving over 160 events and over 7,000 clients across 17 countries – including high-profile clients like key sites during the Olympics 2024 and several EURO 2024 fan zones across three major cities – VYTAL is well-positioned to replicate this success in the U.S. Leveraging Innovative Technology to Scale Reuse At the heart of Vytal’s success is its cutting-edge technology, which covers the full value chain from logistics and tracking to POS integration and consumer engagement. These innovations make reuse easier, more efficient, and economically beneficial for operators, consumers and brands. The acquired expertise in digital consumer rewards and engagement complements Vytal’s existing technology platform, creating an even stronger value proposition for operators looking to incentivize reuse and enhance customer satisfaction. Vytal’s ability to deliver these innovations at scale promises to unlock immense potential in the U.S. market. Setting a New Standard in Washing Systems Understanding the importance of modern, efficient washing infrastructure, Vytal is investing in a washing facility in Atlanta, Georgia that aims to be the most advanced washing system in the U.S. This state-of-the-art facility will not only optimize the cleaning and handling of reusable packaging but also set a new industry benchmark for operational efficiency, hygiene, and sustainability. Welcoming New Talent Across the Atlantic Vytal is especially excited to welcome some experienced members of the former TURN team. Their deep knowledge of the U.S. market and expertise in tech-enabled reuse will be invaluable in delivering outstanding service to existing and future customers of VYTAL US, significantly growing the U.S. reuse business. Accelerating growth in 2025 With access to new markets, pioneering technologies, and top talent, Vytal is ready to lead the worldwide reuse movement into 2025. Through its data-driven approach, Vytal maximizes economic benefits for all stakeholders, creating a world where reuse becomes the new normal. Hashtag: #VYTALGlobal #VYTALUSInc The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. VYTAL Global is revolutionizing the packaging industry by eliminating single-use packaging through advanced reusable solutions. Utilizing cutting-edge software and data analytics, VYTAL delivers cost-effective, sustainable packaging options that benefit businesses and the environment. Internationally recognized by the Harvard Business Review for its pioneering data model, Vytal is at the forefront of the global transition to a circular economy. With a network of over 7,000 partners across 22 countries, the company is leading the charge in reducing disposable packaging waste. Vytal established a dedicated subsidiary to expand its impact to bring reusable solutions to the events and entertainment industry. This initiative reflects Vytal’s commitment to sustainability by addressing the unique demands of large-scale events and venues. United under a shared vision, VYTAL Global is transforming packaging systems worldwide, offering innovative, eco-friendly alternatives to create a more sustainable future. VYTAL US Inc., the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of VYTAL Global, delivers advanced reuse solutions for large-scale events, sports venues, corporate campuses, and quick-service restaurants in the U.S. As of Q2 2025, VYTAL US will operate the country’s most advanced washing facility in Atlanta, Georgia, ensuring top-tier hygiene, efficiency, and sustainability. By partnering with the most progressive companies from the Food & Beverage Industry, VYTAL US aims to make reuse the new normal for campuses and venues in the U.S., creating solutions that benefit businesses, consumers, and the environment.

HONG KONG , Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited ("iClick" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: ICLK), a renowned online marketing and enterprise solutions provider in Asia that empowers worldwide brands with full-stack consumer lifecycle solutions, today announced unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2024 . Six Months Ended June 30, 2024 2023 Percentage change (US$ in thousands) (Unaudited) Financial Metrics: Revenue from continuing operations Marketing Solutions 9,324 12,663 (26) % Enterprise Solutions 4,896 4,330 13 % Total revenue from continuing operations 14,220 16,993 (16) % Gross profit from continuing operations 8,096 9,276 (13) % Net loss from continuing operations (1,269) (10,275) N/M Net loss from discontinued operations (5,104) (18,294) N/M Diluted net loss from continuing operations per American Depositary Shares ("ADS") (0.12) (1.01) N/M Operating Metrics: Gross billing 23,060 29,983 (23) % "I am pleased to report that our continuing operations recorded an improvement in gross margin to 56.9% in the first half of 2024 from 54.6% in the first half of 2023, and we saw the increase in enterprise solutions revenue by 13% year-over-year. The Company will continue to focus on improving the financial performance and cash flows, while exploring strategic opportunities for broader business growth.", said Mr. Jian Tang , Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of iClick. "We continue monitoring and evaluating operations and market trends proactively in order to optimize our business and enhance profitability. We have recently completed the disposal of our mainland China Enterprise Solutions business and demand side Marketing Solutions business. The results of these businesses are presented under discontinued operations." First Half Year of 2024 Results on Continuing Operations: Revenue for the first half of 2024 was US$14.2 million , compared with US$17.0 million for the first half of 2023. Revenue from Marketing Solutions declined to US$9.3 million for the first half of 2024, compared with US$12.7 million for the first half of 2023. It was resulted from our strategic contraction of lower margin and higher risk businesses, with weaker demand from clients on advertising spending due to uncertainty in the macro-economic environment. Revenue from Enterprise Solutions was US$4.9 million for the first half of 2024, improved from US$4.3 million in the first half of 2023 due to the increasing demand for digital transformation and services. Gross profit for the first half of 2024 was US$8.1 million , compared with US$9.3 million for the first half of 2023. With the effort of reducing lower margin and higher risk businesses, and a rising revenue contribution from the higher-margin Enterprise Solutions business, gross profit margin increased to 56.9% for the first half of 2024 from 54.6% for the first half of 2023. Total operating expenses were US$12.4 million for the first half of 2024, decreased from US$14.1 million for the first half of 2023. The change was primarily due to our cost optimization execution, which resulted in reduction of staff cost and savings on promotional expenses. The expected credit losses provision of trade receivables was also reduced because of our close monitoring of cash collection. Net loss from continuing operations was US$1 .3 million for the first half of 2024, significantly improved from the net loss of US$10.3 million for the first half of 2023, mainly due to no impairment of equity investments in the first half of 2024, which we recorded US$5.6 million in the first half of 2023. Operating loss was reduced by US$0.6 million . Net loss from continuing operations attributable to the Company's shareholders per basic and diluted ADS for the first half of 2024 was US$0.12, compared with a net loss attributable to the Company's shareholders per basic and diluted ADS of US$1.01 for the first half of 2023. Gross billing 1 from continuing operations was US$23.1 million for the first half of 2024, compared with US$30.0 million for the first half of 2023, mainly as a result of our continued strategy of reducing lower margin and higher risk businesses, as well as clients' reduced advertising spending. Net loss from discontinued operations was US$5 .1 million for the first half of 2024, compared with the net loss of US$18.3 million for the first half of 2023, mainly due to cost optimization, and gain on disposal of discontinued operations amounting to US$2 .6 million in the first half of 2024. As of June 30, 2024 , the continuing operations of the Company had cash and cash equivalents, time deposits and restricted cash of US$70.2 million , compared with US$41.3 million as of December 31, 2023 . About iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited Founded in 2009, iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited (NASDAQ: ICLK) is a renowned online marketing and enterprise solutions provider in Asia . With its leading proprietary technologies, iClick's full suite of data-driven solutions helps brands drive significant business growth and profitability throughout the full consumer lifecycle. For more information, please visit https://ir.i-click.com . 1 Gross billing is defined as the aggregate dollar amount that clients pay the Company after deducting rebates paid and discounts given to. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements, including those related to the Company's business strategies, operations and financial performance. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that its expectations will turn out to be correct, and investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China: In the United States: iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited Core IR Catherine Chau Tom Caden Phone: +852 3700 9100 Tel: +1-516-222-2560 E-mail: ir@i-click.com E-mail: tomc@coreir.com (financial tables follow) ICLICK INTERACTIVE ASIA GROUP LIMITED Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (US$'000, except share data and per share data, or otherwise noted, unaudited) Six Months Ended June 30, 2024 2023 Continuing operations Revenue 14,220 16,993 Cost of revenue (6,124) (7,717) Gross profit 8,096 9,276 Operating expenses Research and development expenses (311) (265) Sales and marketing expenses (4,381) (8,826) General and administrative expenses (7,704) (5,052) Total operating expenses (12,396) (14,143) Interest expense (32) (117) Interest income 598 591 Other gains/(losses), net 2,560 (5,756) Loss before income tax expense and share of losses from an equity investee (1,174) (10,149) Share of losses from an equity investee (37) (19) Loss before income tax expense (1,211) (10,168) Income tax expense (58) (107) Net loss from continuing operations (1,269) (10,275) Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests 111 9 Net loss from continuing operations attributable to iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited's ordinary shareholders (1,158) (10,266) Discontinued operations Loss from operations of discontinued operations (7,666) (18,305) Income tax (expense)/credit (23) 11 Gain on disposal of discontinued operations 2,585 - Net loss from discontinued operations (5,104) (18,294) Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests 32 49 Net loss from discontinued operations attributable to iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited's ordinary shareholders (5,072) (18,245) Net loss (6,373) (28,569) Net loss attributable to iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited's ordinary shareholders (6,230) (28,511) Net loss from continuing operations (1,269) (10,275) Other comprehensive loss: Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of US$nil tax (13) (131) Comprehensive loss from continuing operations (1,282) (10,406) Comprehensive loss from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests 111 49 Comprehensive loss from continuing operations attributable to iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited's ordinary shareholders (1,171) (10,357) Net loss from discontinued operations (5,104) (18,294) Other comprehensive income: Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of US$nil tax - 301 Comprehensive loss from discontinued operations (5,104) (17,993) Comprehensive loss from discontinued operations attributable to non -controlling interests 32 20 Comprehensive loss from discontinued operations attributable to iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited's ordinary shareholders (5,072) (17,973) Comprehensive loss attributable to iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited's ordinary shareholders (6,243) (28,330) Net loss from continuing operations per ADS attributable to iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited's ordinary shareholders — Basic (0.12) (1.01) — Diluted (0.12) (1.01) Net loss from discontinued operations per ADS attributable to iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited's ordinary shareholders — Basic (0.51) (1.79) — Diluted (0.51) (1.79) Net loss per ADS attributable to iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited's ordinary shareholders — Basic (0.63) (2.80) — Diluted (0.63) (2.80) Weighted average number of ADS used in per share calculation: — Basic 9,955,943 10,178,966 — Diluted 9,955,943 10,178,966 ICLICK INTERACTIVE ASIA GROUP LIMITED Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (US$'000, except share data and per share data, or otherwise noted, unaudited) As of June 30, 2024 As of December 31, 2023 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents, time deposits and restricted cash 70,239 41,264 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of US$1,558 and US$1,571 as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 respectively 11,210 13,535 Other current assets 15,813 11,516 Discontinued operations 54,454 93,488 Total current assets 151,716 159,803 Non-current assets Other assets 3,727 3,596 Discontinued operations 112 305 Total non-current assets 3,839 3,901 Total assets 155,555 163,704 Liabilities and equity Current liabilities Accounts payable 3,310 4,462 Bank borrowings 36,932 1,965 Other current liabilities 23,830 20,200 Discontinued operations 56,607 93,445 Total current liabilities 120,679 120,072 Non-current liabilities Other liabilities 221 551 Discontinued operations 1,463 1,829 Total non-current liabilities 1,684 2,380 Total liabilities 122,363 122,452 Equity Ordinary shares – Class A (US$0.001 par value; 80,000,000 shares authorized as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively; 38,752,446 shares and 44,477,356 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively) 39 45 Ordinary shares – Class B (US$0.001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively; 5,034,427 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively) 5 5 Treasury shares (218,396 shares and 6,398,616 shares as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively)

Best Ski Accessories for 2025: High-Tech Gear for the WinterBy JOSH BOAK, MARC LEVY and ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press A powerful government panel on Monday failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of a nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase U.S. Steel, leaving the decision to President Joe Biden, who opposes the deal. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, sent its long-awaited report on the merger to Biden, who formally came out against the deal in March. He has 15 days to reach a final decision, the White House said. A U.S. official familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the private report, said some federal agencies represented on the panel were skeptical that allowing a Japanese company to buy an American-owned steelmaker would create national security risks. Monday was the deadline to approve the deal, recommend that Biden block it or extend the review process. Both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have courted unionized workers at U.S. Steel and vowed to block the acquisition amid concerns about foreign ownership of a flagship American company. The economic risk, however, is giving up Nippon Steel’s potential investments in the mills and upgrades that might help preserve steel production within the United States. Under the terms of the proposed $14.9 billion all-cash deal, U.S. Steel would keep its name and its headquarters in Pittsburgh, where it was founded in 1901 by J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie. It would become a subsidiary of Nippon Steel, and the combined company would be among the top three steelmakers in the world, according to 2023 figures from the World Steel Association. Biden, backed by the United Steelworkers, said earlier this year that it was “vital for (U.S. Steel) to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated.” Trump has also opposed the acquisition and vowed earlier this month on his Truth Social platform to “block this deal from happening.” He proposed reviving U.S. Steel’s flagging fortunes “through a series of Tax Incentives and Tariffs.” The steelworkers union questions if Nippon Steel would keep jobs at unionized plants, make good on collectively bargained benefits or protect American steel production from cheap foreign imports. “Our union has been calling for strict government scrutiny of the sale since it was announced. Now it’s up to President Biden to determine the best path forward,” David McCall, the steelworkers’ president, said in a statement Monday. “We continue to believe that means keeping U.S. Steel domestically owned and operated.” Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel have waged a public relations campaign to win over skeptics. U.S. Steel said in a statement Monday that the deal “is the best way, by far, to ensure that U.S. Steel, including its employees, communities, and customers, will thrive well into the future.” Nippon Steel said Tuesday that it had been informed by CFIUS that it had referred the case to Biden, and urged him to “reflect on the great lengths that we have gone to to address any national security concerns that have been raised and the significant commitments we have made to grow U. S. Steel, protect American jobs, and strengthen the entire American steel industry, which will enhance American national security.” “We are confident that our transaction should and will be approved if it is fairly evaluated on its merits,” it said in a statement. A growing number of conservatives have publicly backed the deal, as Nippon Steel began to win over some steelworkers union members and officials in areas near its blast furnaces in Pennsylvania and Indiana. Many backers said Nippon Steel has a stronger financial balance sheet than rival Cleveland-Cliffs to invest the necessary cash to upgrade aging U.S. Steel blast furnaces. Nippon Steel pledged to invest $2.7 billion in United Steelworkers-represented facilities, including U.S. Steel’s blast furnaces, and promised not to import steel slabs that would compete with the blast furnaces. It also pledged to protect U.S. Steel in trade matters and to not lay off employees or close plants during the term of the basic labor agreement. Earlier this month, it offered $5,000 in closing bonuses to U.S. Steel employees, a nearly $100 million expense. Nippon Steel also said it was best positioned to help American steel compete in an industry dominated by the Chinese. The proposed sale came during a tide of renewed political support for rebuilding America’s manufacturing sector, a presidential campaign in which Pennsylvania was a prime battleground, and a long stretch of protectionist U.S. tariffs that analysts say has helped reinvigorate domestic steel. Chaired by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, CFIUS screens business deals between U.S. firms and foreign investors and can block sales or force parties to change the terms of an agreement to protect national security. Congress significantly expanded the committee’s powers through the 2018 Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, known as FIRRMA. In September, Biden issued an executive order broadening the factors the committee should consider when reviewing deals — such as how they impact the U.S. supply chain or if they put Americans’ personal data at risk. Nippon Steel has factories in the U.S., Mexico, China and Southeast Asia. It supplies the world’s top automakers, including Toyota Motor Corp. , and makes steel for railways, pipes, appliances and skyscrapers. ___ Boak reported from Washington, D.C. Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament as well as the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three games in South America. Here are some of the key issues that need to be answered over the next decade: Saudi Arabia proposes 15 stadiums — eight still on paper — in five cities: Eight in the capital Riyadh, four in the Red Sea port city Jeddah, and one each in Abha, Al Khobar and Neom, the planned futuristic mega-project. Each would have at least 40,000 seats for World Cup games. The opening game and final are set for a 92,000-seat venue planned in Riyadh. Some designs are vivid. In Neom, the stadium is planned 350 meters (yards) above street level and one near Riyadh is designed to be atop a 200-meter cliff with a retractable wall of LED screens. Saudi Arabia aims to host all 104 games, though there has been speculation that some games could be played in neighboring or nearby countries. Surely not in the traditional World Cup period of June-July, when temperatures in Saudi Arabia routinely exceed 40 Celsius (104 degrees). FIFA moved the Qatar-hosted World Cup to November-December 2022, though those dates were not loved by most European clubs and leagues whose seasons were interrupted. Also, that slot is complicated in 2034 by the holy month of Ramadan through mid-December and Riyadh hosting the multi-sport Asian Games. January 2034 could be a possibility even though that would be just before the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The International Olympic Committee has signaled it won’t be opposed to back-to-back major events. In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Saudi World Cup bid official Hammad Albalawi said the precise dates of the tournament are up the world soccer body. “That’s a decision by FIFA. We stand ready to be part of this conversation. But ultimately it’s a FIFA decision together with the confederations,” Albalawi said. Giving more rights and freedoms to women in a traditionally conservative society is fundamental to Saudi messaging around the modernization program known as Vision 2030. The kingdom decided in 2017 to let women attend sports events, initially in major cities and in family zones separate from men-only sections. By 2034, at the promised pace of social reforms, female fans should not be restricted. Saudi Arabia launched a women’s professional soccer league in 2022 with players joining from clubs in Europe. They face no restrictions playing in shorts and with hair uncovered. The Saudi prohibition of alcohol is clear and understood before FIFA signs any sponsor deals for 2034. But will there be any exceptions? The alcohol issue was problematic for the World Cup in Qatar because the expectation was created that beer sales would be allowed at stadiums even before Qatar won its bid in 2010. One year later, FIFA extended a long-time deal to have Budweiser as the official World Cup beer through 2022. Qatar then backtracked on that promise three days before the first game, causing confusion and the sense of a promise broken. In Qatar, alcohol was served only at luxury suites at the stadiums. Visitors could also have a drink in some hotel bars. But Saudi Arabia has even stricter rules on alcohol — and there is no indication that will change. Albalawi noted that Saudi Arabia has successfully hosted dozens of sports events where alcohol wasn't served. “We’re creating a safe and secure family environment for fans to bring their families into our stadiums,” he said. Saudi promises to reform and enforce labor laws, and fully respect migrant workers, have been accepted by FIFA but face broad skepticism from rights groups and trade unions. A formal complaint is being investigated by the U.N.-backed International Labor Organization. Protecting the migrant workers needed to build stadiums and other tournament projects — a decade after it was a defining issue for Qatar — looms as a signature challenge for Saudi Arabia. Saudi-Israeli relations had been improving when FIFA all but gave the 2034 World Cup to the kingdom on Oct. 4 last year. Three days later Hamas attacked Israel and diplomacy got more complicated. Any soccer federation bidding to host a FIFA tournament accepts a basic principle that whichever team qualifies is welcome. That did not stop Indonesia putting up barriers last year to Israel coming for the men’s Under-20 World Cup. Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel which had qualified through a European tournament nine months before the issue flared. FIFA moved the entire tournament to Argentina and the Israeli team reached the semifinals. Israel played at the 1970 World Cup but has never advanced through qualifying in Europe, where it has been a member of UEFA for 30 years. Europe should have 16 places in the 48-team World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Most of the attention at the FIFA Congress on Wednesday was on the Saudi decision, but the soccer body and its members also formally approved the hosts of the 2030 World Cup — the most spread out and longest ever. One game each in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the original host in 1930, will be played from June 8-9. The tournament resumes four days later for the other 101 games shared between Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Six countries, three continents, multiple languages and currencies. Fans traveling on planes, trains, automobiles and boats across about 14 kilometers (10 miles) of water between Spain and Morocco. The final is due on July 21, 2030 and a decision on where it will be played could cause some tension between the host countries. Morocco wants it in the world’s biggest soccer venue — the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca. Spain, meanwhile, has proposed to host the final in either of the remodeled home stadiums of club giants Real Madrid or Barcelona. ___ Associated Press writer Baraa Anwer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed to this report.

Trump nominates cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins as SEC chairTrump transition says Cabinet picks, appointees were targeted by bomb threats, swatting attacksPep Guardiola admits Man City 'have a lot of problems' in disagreement over Ilkay Gundogan verdict

It's been one month since the U.S. presidential election. And while Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump have been busy setting up a new White House administration, Democrats have spent the past four weeks trying to diagnose why they lost and how to move forward as a party. One person who thinks he has an answer to that is Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. He's now running to become the new chairman of the national Democratic National Comittee because he says it's time to reassess what matters most to voters. RELATED STORY | DNC chair slams Bernie Sanders' criticism of Democratic Party "There's clearly a lot that we need to learn about what just happened, but one thing that jumps out is that a lot of voters who were taking it on the chin with high prices — frustrated by those prices — weren't hearing from either campaign and were voting for change," Wikler told Scripps News. "Well those voters, I think that we have a chance to reach out to them and say 'look, Democrats actually want to fight for an economy that works for working people and Trump wants to give multi-trillion tax cuts to billionaires at your expense. And that is a message we know can win because it's won downballot, it won in 2018, and it won in 2006 when George W. Bush tried to privatize social security." Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is currently hearing a potentially landmark case on gender affirming care for minors — which has been a big point for Democrats to campaign on. But a Scripps News/YouGov poll released early this year showed that more Americans support than oppose laws aimed at restricting transgender care for minors. RELATED STORY | Scripps News poll: Americans largely support restricting trans rights Wikler told Scripps News that if he were to be named chair of the DNC, it's a no-brainer that he'd support American's right to make their own private medical decisions without worrying about government intervention. "Republicans want to talk about trans issues and go on the attack against trans people because that is their way of trying to divide the public," he said. "People do disagree about this. Republicans want to focus on that disagreement and use attacks on trans people in order to distract folks from the big legislation that they are planning right now — which is a multi-trillion dollar tax cut for billionaires." "Democrats are always going to fight for people to have their basic personal freedom," Wikler continued. "And at the same time, we're going to fight against those who want to dismantle the federal government and the programs like social security and medicare and medicaid that people rely on for their their basic needs and health care." You can watch Scripps News' full interview with Ben Wikler in the video player above.The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has congratulated Christians as they celebrate Christmas, which marks the birth of Jesus Christ. Abbas, while wishing Christians a merry Christmas, said the birth of Jesus Christ signifies newness and fulfilment while calling for a national rebirth at this critical time in the life of Nigerians. In a congratulatory message issued through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, the speaker urged Christians and Nigerians as a whole to use the occasion to pray for a new Nigeria, one that everyone dreams of. Speaker Abbas calls for prayers for the country and its leaders, especially for political, religious, and traditional leaders. The speaker also called for unity, peace, and love for one another, and across religious and ethnic divides. He expressed his hope that Nigeria would soon become a country that every citizen is proud of. Similarly, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu has extended his heartfelt felicitations to Christian faithful and all Nigerians as they celebrate the joyous occasion of Christmas. In his special message by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu emphasised the profound significance of Christmas, which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, the saviour of humanity. He noted that Christmas represents a time of hope, renewal, and celebration, reminding us of the importance of kindness, compassion, generosity, and love. “As we mark the birth of Jesus Christ, who brought light and redemption to humanity, let us reflect on the values that He embodied: love, forgiveness, and selflessness. May His example inspire us to spread love, kindness, and compassion to all those around us, especially those who may be struggling,” Kalu said. Kalu also expressed his confidence in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, assuring Nigerians that the future looks promising. He urged the citizens to remain steadfast in their faith and to continue praying for the country’s leadership and working together towards a more united and prosperous Nigeria.None

Nvidia has stated that it will fully cooperate with the authorities during the investigation and address any concerns raised regarding its business practices. The company has also emphasized its commitment to complying with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries where it operates. Nvidia's response to the allegations will be closely watched by industry analysts and stakeholders, as the outcome of the investigation could have far-reaching implications for the company's future in China.magic ocean dive resort bohol 。

The S&P 500 fell less than 0.1% after spending the day wavering between small gains and losses. The tiny loss ended the benchmark index's three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.2%. Meta Platforms fell 0.7%, and Amazon and Netflix each fell 0.9%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, finishing 1.8% lower. Some tech companies fared better. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.4%, Micron Technology added 0.6% and Adobe gained 0.5%. Health care stocks were a bright spot. CVS Health rose 1.5% and Walgreens Boots Alliance added 5.3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 3%, Ross Stores added 2.3%, Best Buy rose 2.9% and Dollar Tree gained 3.8%. Traders are watching to see whether retailers have a strong holiday season. The day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.1% and 16.4%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. All told, the S&P 500 fell 2.45 points to 6,037.59. The Dow added 28.77 points to 43,325.80. The Nasdaq fell 10.77 points to close at 20,020.36. Wall Street got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields mostly fell in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.58% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year's end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump's win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump's preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation, a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up 26.6% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity.

Membership of UK's anti-immigration Reform party surpasses Conservatives

In response to the public outcry and demands for transparency, the National Health Commission issued a statement affirming their commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Liu Dameili's untimely passing. The Commission expressed deep condolences for her family and friends, and emphasized the importance of protecting the health and well-being of all individuals, regardless of their social status or online presence.NEW YORK — Police don't know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack , not a random one. They know he ambushed Thompson at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday as the executive arrived at the Hilton for his company’s annual investor conference, using a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise. They know ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics . The fact that the shooter knew UnitedHealthcare group was holding a conference at the hotel and what route Thompson might take to get there suggested that he could possibly be a disgruntled employee or client, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. Over the weekend, police divers were seen searching a pond in Central Park, where the killer fled after the shooting. Officers have been scouring the park for days for any possible clues and found his backpack there Friday. They didn’t immediately reveal what, if anything, it contained but said it would be tested and analyzed. Early Sunday afternoon, police declined to comment on the contents of the backpack, or on the results of the search in the pond, saying no updates were planned. The bag’s apparent manufacturer did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. Investigators have urged patience, saying the process of logging evidence that stands up in court isn’t as quick as it looks like on TV . Hundreds of detectives are combing through video recordings and social media, vetting tips from the public and interviewing people who might have information, including Thompson’s family and coworkers and the shooter’s randomly assigned roommates at the Manhattan hostel where he stayed. Investigators caught a break when they came across security camera images of an unguarded moment at the hostel in which he briefly showed his face. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, police say, it appears he left the city by bus soon after the shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. He was seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later, Kenny said. With the high-profile search expanding across state lines, the FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police say they believe the suspect acted alone. Police distributed the images to news outlets and on social media but so far haven’t been able to ID him using facial recognition — possibly because of the angle of the images or limitations on how the NYPD is allowed to use that technology, Kenny said. Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi. The first shows him outside the vehicle and the second shows him looking through the partition between the back seat and the front of the cab. In both, his face is partially obscured by a blue, medical-style mask. Stay Informed: Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today

Irving's performance in the one-on-one competition has earned him the respect and admiration of his teammates, who have praised his work ethic and dedication to improving his game. His leadership on and off the court has been a driving force behind the team's success, and his recent accolade as the Mavericks' one-on-one king only solidifies his status as a key player for the franchise.

The impact of Sora extends beyond the creative realm, as its capabilities have the potential to revolutionize various industries, including marketing, entertainment, education, and more. With Sora, businesses can quickly and easily create engaging promotional videos, virtual prototypes, and product demonstrations, saving time and resources while enhancing the overall quality of their content.

Nashville Predators (7-11-3, in the Central Division) vs. New Jersey Devils (14-7-2, in the Metropolitan Division) Newark, New Jersey; Monday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Nashville Predators visit the New Jersey Devils after Roman Josi scored two goals in the Predators' 4-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets. New Jersey has a 5-3-2 record in home games and a 14-7-2 record overall. The Devils have a 14-2-2 record in games they score three or more goals. Nashville is 7-11-3 overall and 2-5-3 on the road. The Predators are 7-2-0 in games they score at least three goals. The teams meet Monday for the first time this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Nico Hischier has 10 goals and 11 assists for the Devils. Luke Hughes has over the last 10 games. Filip Forsberg has eight goals and eight assists for the Predators. Adam Wilsby has over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Devils: 7-3-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.6 assists, 3.6 penalties and 9.2 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game. Predators: 3-5-2, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.2 assists, 4.9 penalties and 11 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game. INJURIES: Devils: None listed. Predators: None listed. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .2. Using generators indoors: Generators are often used during power outages to provide electricity. However, using generators indoors, even in a garage or basement, can lead to carbon monoxide buildup. Generators should always be used outdoors, at least 20 feet away from the house, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

AP News Summary at 4:42 p.m. ESTCharles R. O’Geen Jr., 75, of Batavia, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at United Memorial Medical Center. He was born Nov. 16, 1949 to the late Charles R. and Lena (Rossi) O’Geen Sr. He is preceded in death by a sister, Angela McCall. Charlie was a 1968 graduate of Leroy High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in management from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1982. He also served in the U.S. Army and had two tours of duty in Vietnam in 1970 and 1971. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.1 dead, 2 injured in Lanark Highlands crashArticle content Call it the age of Twitter diplomacy. After U.S. president-elect Donald Trump spent part of Christmas Day trolling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the rest of Canada on X, Trudeau responded the next day on the same platform. It’s a strange situation watching two world leaders talk past each other on social media regarding issues such as sovereignty, trade and our shared history. Trump continues to talk about the U.S. taking over Canada, while Trudeau is responding with a reminder of the close ties between our two countries. I just left Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One” as he is known in Ice Hockey circles. I said, “Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as the Governor of Canada - You would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign.” He had no interest, but I think... “I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in Ice Hockey circles,” Trump posted on Christmas Day . “I said, ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as the Governor of Canada – You would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign.’” Trump went on to say that Gretzky wasn’t interested, but suggested Canadians join a “draft Gretzky” movement. Look, Gretzky and his family have long been associated with conservative politics in Canada. This goes back to at least the Brian Mulroney era; Gretzky even spoke at Mulroney’s funeral and held events over the years with Stephen Harper. There is no doubt that Gretzky would be supporting Pierre Poilievre come the next election. Invoking the Great One wasn’t Trump’s only mention of Canada on Christmas Day. He also made another pitch for Canada to join the U.S., while also referring to Trudeau as governor, as if Canada was a state. Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal (where we lost 38,000 people in its building 110 years ago), always making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in “repair”... “Also, to Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada, whose Citizens’ Taxes are far too high, but if Canada was to become our 51st State, their Taxes would be cut by more than 60%, their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other Country anywhere in the World,” Trump posted. Mark Carney, the former central banker-turned-perpetual Liberal insider/Trudeau replacement slammed Trump’s message as taking the joke too far. He also criticized the message from Trump, “the casual disrespect, the poor tax math, and ignoring that workers on both sides of our border will be better off if we work together.” This is carrying the ‘joke’ too far: the casual disrespect, the poor tax math, and ignoring that workers on both sides of our border will be better off if we work together. Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 https://t.co/BO4zEMrk0B Trump’s math on taxes is off, at least for the average Canadian. An individual earning $75,000 per year in Canada would take home between the low of $56,138 in Nova Scotia and the high of $61,181 in British Columbia . That compares to a take-home income of $62,920 in California , which has one of the highest income tax rates among American states. Of course, those tax calculations don’t take the exchange rate into account. While Carney pointed to errors in Trump’s math, Trudeau took a different approach. Before jetting off on his British Columbia ski holiday, Trudeau posted a 14-year-old video produced by NBC for the Olympic coverage in 2010. Some information about Canada for Americans: https://t.co/EnI8CrF4cB The video, narrated by Tom Brokaw, details the strong ties between Canada and the United States over the last two centuries. This has been the approach of far too many Canadian politicians since Trump began his threats and online trolling of Canada about a month ago. Our leaders either appeal to our friendship or try to remind Americans of our close trading ties and how tariffs will hurt workers and consumers in both countries. Neither of these approaches will work. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Trump doesn’t care about the close ties between our two countries. He says he likes Canada, but he clearly wants a response on border issues with his tariff threat. As for claiming that tariffs will hurt American workers or consumers, that is not something that Trump or his economic advisers believe. In fact, Trump outright rejects the prevailing thought that tariffs are harmful. This is why we need a different approach to dealing with the incoming Trump administration. They either don’t care about our message or in the case of tariffs, outright reject the premise of our claim. As for the trolling Trump is doing of Trudeau by calling him governor, put it down to payback. Trudeau has spent the last few years using Trump and MAGA interchangeably as terms of insult against conservatives in Canada.

Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!” Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE is missing. Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. The Israeli prime minister’s office said that Zvi Kogan has been missing since noon Thursday. It said that against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country. Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. State-run media in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Officer kills pet dog mistaken for a coyote in Massachusetts town. The owner says it was unnecessary An animal control officer shot and killed a pet dog in a Massachusetts town after mistaking it for a coyote in an incident local police are describing as a sad mix-up. Police in Northbridge, Massachusetts, say the shooting happened on Tuesday after police received a call of a report of a coyote in a residential backyard. Police say the animal control officer went into the woods to look for the coyote and found what they thought was the animal in a threatening position and shot it. The incident happened as communities around Massachusetts and the country have dealt with an uptick in interactions between coyotes and people. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. At least 19 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 19 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat sent to restaurants nationwide. Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli, which can cause life-threatening infections. No illnesses have been reported outside of Minnesota. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. Actor Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend drops assault and defamation lawsuit against once-rising star NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend has dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against the once-rising Hollywood star after reaching a settlement. Lawyers for Majors and Grace Jabbari agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice Thursday. Jabbari is a British dancer who had accused Majors of subjecting her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship. Representatives for Majors didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday. Jabbari’s lawyer said the suit was “favorably settled” and her client is moving on with “her head held high.” Majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment last December and sentenced to a yearlong counseling program.In the aftermath of this harrowing experience, Mrs. Thompson's family expressed deep gratitude to the kind vendor who had shown compassion and empathy when she needed it most. His act of kindness not only reunited Mrs. Thompson with her loved ones but also restored her faith in the inherent goodness of humanity.Atria Investments Inc Grows Position in Alight, Inc. (NYSE:ALIT)

NEW YORK (AP) — Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a , not a random one. They know he ambushed Thompson at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday as the executive arrived at the Hilton for his company’s annual investor conference, using a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise. They know ammunition found near Thompson’s body “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by . The fact that the shooter knew UnitedHealthcare group was holding a conference at the hotel and what route Thompson might take to get there suggested that he could possibly be a disgruntled employee or client, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. Over the weekend, police divers were seen searching a pond in Central Park, where the killer fled after the shooting. Officers have been scouring the park for days for any and found his backpack there Friday. They didn’t immediately reveal what, if anything, it contained but said it would be tested and analyzed. Early Sunday afternoon, police declined to comment on the contents of the backpack, or on the results of the search in the pond, saying no updates were planned. The bag’s apparent manufacturer did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. Investigators have urged patience, saying the process of logging evidence that stands up in court isn’t as quick as it . Hundreds of detectives are combing through video recordings and social media, vetting tips from the public and interviewing people who might have information, including Thompson’s family and coworkers and the shooter’s randomly assigned roommates at the Manhattan hostel where he stayed. Investigators caught a break when they came across security camera images of an unguarded moment at the hostel in which he briefly showed his face. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, police say, it appears he left the city by bus soon after the shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. He was seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later, Kenny said. With the high-profile search expanding across state lines, the FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police say they believe the suspect acted alone. Police distributed the images to news outlets and on social media but so far haven’t been able to ID him using facial recognition — possibly because of the angle of the images or limitations on how the NYPD is allowed to use that technology, Kenny said. Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi. The first shows him outside the vehicle and the second shows him looking through the partition between the back seat and the front of the cab. In both, his face is partially obscured by a blue, medical-style mask. Michael R. Sisak And Cedar Attanasio, The Associated PressNone

In light of these developments, it is important for all parties involved to engage in constructive dialogue and seek peaceful solutions to any disputes or disagreements that may arise. It is essential for countries to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to uphold the principles of mutual respect, cooperation, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.Nordstrom has UGG boots and Tasman slippers for up to 40% off, plus other sold-out styles back in stock for all your holiday shopping

magic oceans dive resort bohol

CGTN: China Maps Out 2025 Economic Plans, Vows More Proactive Macro Policies