game of thrones season 1 The world’s wealthiest people have several things in common, but one of the most prominent is that the 10 richest have more than $100 billion to their name. The very top have more than $200 billion. These amounts don’t consist of cash sitting in a bank but are mainly investments, often of some of the largest publicly traded companies, which even the general public can invest in. These billionaires reached their lofty heights through hard work, great ideas, serendipity and plenty of careful planning with wise financial advisers along the way. Here are the world’s 10 richest people and some of their key investments, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as of Nov. 13, 2024. The world’s 10 wealthiest individuals 1. Elon Musk: $320 billion Elon Musk is one of the most controversial business figures, but what’s not under dispute is his wealth. Born in South Africa, Musk built Tesla into a leading player in the electric vehicle market, and is pushing space travel with his SpaceX venture. Musk made a small fortune as an early shareholder of PayPal, and more recently purchased Twitter, which he renamed X. Musk has courted controversy in recent years, using drugs during a broadcast interview with top podcaster Joe Rogan and becoming more active politically, besides a range of other political pronouncements on X. 2. Jeff Bezos: $235 billion As the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos became something of a household name in the dot-com boom of 1999-2000, but his wealth really took off after the 2008-2009 financial crisis. In the decade that followed, Amazon expanded into web services, logistics and shipping and more. Bezos purchased the Washington Post in 2013 for $250 million and founded Blue Origin, an aerospace company that is commercializing space travel. He’s also a noted philanthropist, founding the Bezos Earth Fund in 2020 with a donation of $10 billion and has said that he will give away most of his fortune. 3. Mark Zuckerberg: $205 billion Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Meta Platforms, the company previously known as Facebook. The youngest member of this list, Zuckerberg began Facebook out of his dorm room at Harvard and quickly expanded it over the ensuing years. 4. Larry Ellison: $203 billion Larry Ellison co-founded software company Oracle and ran it for decades before becoming its chief technology officer and executive chairman. Ellison also owns nearly all of the Hawaiian island of Lana’i. 5. Bernard Arnault: $164 billion Bernard Arnault founded LVMH, a company that acquired various French fashion brands such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Moët and Hennessy. The luxury conglomerate acquired Tiffany more recently, and is among the largest companies in Europe by market capitalization. 6. Bill Gates: $162 billion Bill Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft and has long been among the wealthiest people as his software company continued to expand over decades. Gates is also known for his philanthropic endeavors, namely at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a private charitable foundation. 7. Larry Page: $161 billion Larry Page co-founded Google — subsequently renamed Alphabet — with another member of this list (No. 8). He headed up the company from 1997 to 2001 and then again from 2011 to 2019. 8. Sergey Brin: $151 billion Along with Page, Sergey Brin co-founded Google and served as the company’s president for many years until stepping down in 2019. He and Page literally developed Google in a Silicon Valley garage. 9. Warren Buffett: $148 billion Warren Buffett, long known as the Oracle of Omaha for his prophetic investment acumen, has been investing since he was a boy. He has been the head of Berkshire Hathaway, an investing conglomerate, for nearly 60 years. Berkshire owns massive stakes in a number of America’s largest businesses, including Apple, Coca-Cola and many more. His company’s annual meeting attracts tens of thousands of investors and has been called the “Woodstock of Capitalism.” 10. Steve Ballmer: $148 billion Steve Ballmer also made his fortune through Microsoft and was one of the company’s earliest executives. He eventually led the company from 2000 to 2014, and subsequently co-purchased the Los Angeles Clippers, a pro basketball franchise of the National Basketball Association. How can you build your fortune? This list offers a handful of takeaways for people who are looking to build their own wealth. First, all these individuals own stock. Their immense wealth is built upon owning massively successful companies that are among the leaders in their respective industries. They have significant ownership stakes in these businesses. While they’ve generally worked in their businesses, their real wealth comes from the ownership of those companies. Second, because these companies are publicly traded, individual investors — anyone in the general public — can also take a stake in them. Many people have become millionaires and multi-millionaires by riding the coattails of these individuals and owning stock in their companies. It’s easy to get started with one of the best brokers for beginners, and if you’re looking for strong investments, a financial adviser can also help you find those that meet your needs. Third, these billionaires have built their wealth over decades; they’re not overnight lottery winners. Unquestionably they had some advantages — some were in the right place at the right time — but they all owned growing assets and then used time to compound their returns. 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Kosovo arrests blast suspects, Serbia denies involvementA WOMAN has revealed that she was quoted £700 for a Christmas door arch, so decided to do it herself on the cheap. Carrie Boyd, 35, who lives in South Manchester with her husband, 39 and their two children, 11 and seven, explained that she used branches from her garden and baubles from The Range to bring the festive vibes to her home. 6 A DIY enthusiast has revealed that she was quoted £700 for a Christmas door arch, but on a mission to save cash, did it herself Credit: Carrie Boyd 6 Carrie Boyd, 35, spent just £12.50 on baubles from The Range and used branches from her garden to create her festive scene Credit: Instagram/heboydshahhome 6 She also gave her house number a festive upcycle too Credit: Instagram/heboydshahhome 6 After four days of work, Carrie's front door now looks fabulous Credit: Instagram/heboydshahhome She shared that she also gave her house number a festive upcycle and created her own snow window too. Thrilled with her DIY display, which cost her £12.50, Carrie took to social media to share it with others, leaving many open-mouthed. The savvy mum, who recently transformed her ‘abandoned’ home for next to nothing , then explained: “Two years ago I was quoted £700 for a Christmas door arch. “I politely declined and each year I now make my own using greenery I have cut down from my garden. Read more Christmas stories SO NUTS! I didn’t want to spend hundreds on a nutcracker so made my own with pots & pipes BRIGHT IDEA I've transformed my front door with a £10 Amazon buy & don't care if it's tacky “So each year I now make my own for a small fraction of that. “It’s time for 2024’s magical arch.” The brunette beauty claimed that she cut down branches from her garden and added them to the base she made. She also added lights and baubles which she nabbed from The Range, as she continued: “This door number is being replaced soon, so I gave it a cute festive upcycle. Most read in Fabulous MYSTIC MEG Love starts strong on commitment, then grows more intimate as the day goes on 'PATHETIC' Trolls call social services to get my babies taken off me, says Charlotte Dawson CASHING IN Influencer slammed for boasting about earning £34m a YEAR through side hustle KISS OFF I'm a hot single mum, strict dating rule might put men off, but weeds out frauds “I also did my own snow window which cost me a fiver!” Showing off the finished festive door arch, Carrie beamed: “It looks so pretty at night.” IKEA is selling Christmas trees perfect for those who don't have much space - and it's less than £15 Carrie explained to Fabulous that it took her four days to create her Christmas scene. She shared: “I reused all of the piping and lights from last year which cost me £40. Are the Christmas bits out earlier this year? It often feels like Christmas decorations and products start appearing in stores earlier each year. Retailers typically begin to stock Christmas items well before the holiday season to capitalise on early shoppers and to extend the buying period. Here are a few reasons why it might seem like Christmas bits are out earlier this year: Extended Shopping Season Retailers aim to extend the holiday shopping season to maximise sales. By putting out Christmas items earlier, they encourage people to start their holiday shopping sooner. Consumer Demand Some consumers prefer to plan and shop for Christmas well in advance, so stores cater to this demand by stocking holiday items earlier. Marketing Strategy Early displays of Christmas items can create a festive atmosphere and build anticipation, encouraging people to get into the holiday spirit and start spending. Competition Retailers compete to attract customers, and being the first to display holiday items can give them an edge. Supply Chain Considerations Given recent disruptions in global supply chains, stores might be putting out Christmas items earlier to ensure they have enough stock and to spread out the demand over a longer period. “This year I only spent an additional £12.50 on baubles. Total cost £52.50!! The Instagram clip, which was posted under the username @ theboydshahhome , has clearly left many gobsmacked, as it has quickly amassed 11,500 views. This looks brilliant! You don’t need anyone to do it for you Instagram user Social media users were impressed with Carrie’s DIY job and many flocked to the comments to express this. One person said: “It’s amazing!!!! I wish I had some trees to use from our yard for this!” More Christmas bargains Sainsbury's Shoppers: Christmas Bedding Bargain Discover the festive joy of Sainsbury's Christmas bedding, offering comfort and style at a bargain price. Read more Home Bargains: Christmas Pyjamas Back in Stock Get cosy this season with Home Bargains' popular Christmas pyjamas, now back in stock. Read more Home Bargains: Christmas Favourite Deal Don't miss out on Home Bargains' fantastic deal on a Christmas favourite. Read more Primark Shoppers: Screaming Over Christmas Range Featuring The Grinch Primark's Christmas range, featuring The Grinch, has shoppers excited for the festive season. Read more Shoppers Rush to Buy Personalised Christmas Stockings Grab personalised Christmas stockings at unbelievable prices, as shoppers rush to snap up these festive bargains. Read more Exact Date Aldi's Wooden Toy Range for Christmas Mark your calendars for the exact date Aldi's popular wooden toy range returns for Christmas. Read more Home Bargains Shoppers Desperate for Polar Express Slippers Get into the festive spirit with Home Bargains' Polar Express slippers, which have shoppers desperate to get their hands on a pair. Read more Another added: “This looks brilliant! You don’t need anyone to do it for you.” A third commented: “It's crazy how much you can be charged for seasonal decor. Little bit of patience and a masterpiece like this is created. Looks amazing Carrie, I love it.” Read more on the Scottish Sun HERE WE SNOW AGAIN Full list of Scots cities to be hit by blizzards as storm moves in MISSED CHANCE I'm Sir Alex's biggest signing mistake, I tell him whenever I see him At the same time, someone else penned: “Absolutely gorgeous Carrie!! You have smashed it!! Your grafting on this has deffo paid off.” Not only this, but one DIY enthusiast beamed: “THIS IS INSPO.” 6 Social media users described her door display as 'brilliant' and even called it a 'masterpiece' Credit: Instagram/heboydshahhome 6 It looks gorgeous lit up at night too Credit: Instagram/heboydshahhome

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NEW YORK (AP) — Having waited 63 years for an Ivy League football title, Columbia had to stand by for another 40 minutes. The Lions had beaten Cornell 17-9 but needed a Harvard loss against Yale to secure a share of first place on the season's final day. So Columbia players retreated to their locker room on a hill a few hundred feet from Wien Stadium to watch the game in Boston on TV as a few hundred fans remained and gazed at the gold-and-orange foliage of Inwood Hill Park glowing in Saturday's afternoon sun. When Yale recovered onside kick with seconds left to ensure a 34-29 Harvard defeat, players let out a scream and streamed back onto the field to celebrate, smoke cigars, lift a trophy and sing “Roar, Lion, Roar” with family and friends. Who would have thunk it? “You had the realization of, oh, I’m a champion, which is something that hasn’t been said here in a while,” co-captain CJ Brown said. Harvard dropped into a tie with Columbia and Dartmouth at 5-2, the first time three teams shared the title since 1982 — the conference doesn't use tiebreakers. “It was nerve-wracking, for sure, but definitely exciting because that's something that not a lot of people have experienced, especially here," running back Joey Giorgi said. There have been several top players at Columbia — Sid Luckman, Marty Domres, Marcellus Wiley among them — but the school is perhaps better known for owners such as the New England Patriots' Robert Kraft and former Cleveland Browns head Al Lerner. Columbia's only previous championship in 1961 also was shared with Harvard. That Lions team was coached by Buff Donelli, a former Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Rams coach who scored for the Americans in soccer's 1934 World Cup. Columbia set a then Division I-AA record with 44 consecutive losses from 1983-88, a mark broken by Prairie View’s 80 in a row from 1989-98. Since 1971, the Lions’ only seasons with winning records until now were 1994, 1996, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022. Al Bagnoli, who won nine Ivy titles in 23 years at Penn, couldn't manage one at Columbia from 2015-22. He quit six weeks before the 2023 opener, citing health, and was replaced on an interim basis by Mark Fabish, his offensive coordinator. Jon Poppe, now 39, was hired last December after working as a Bagnoli assistant at Columbia from 2015-17 between stints at Harvard from 2011-14 and 2017-22, plus one season as a head coach at Division III Union College. He led the Lions to a 7-3 record overall, their most wins in a coach's first season since George F. Sanford's team went 9-3 in 1899. Poppe had wife Anna and 7-year-old daughter with him in the locker room watching the countdown to the title. “Sixty-three years of whatever into now,” he said. “Just seeing a lot of that history myself, personally. This is a hugely — a feeling of elation, seeing my dad on the field, a lot of emotional things with that.” Before a crowd of 4,224, quarterback Caleb Sanchez's 1-yard touchdown run put Columbia ahead in the second quarter. Giorgi's 1-yard TD run opened a 14-3 lead in the third and Hugo Merry added a 25-yard field goal in the fourth, overcoming three field goals by Alan Zhao. Giorgi rushed for 165 yards and finished his career with 2,112, second in school history. He and Brown missed what would have been their freshman season in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Given Columbia's athletic history — the most successful sport is fencing — it is not an obvious football destination. “I saw the dedication, whether it resulted in wins or losses,” Brown said. “I saw their dedication to the product that they put out on the field and also the athletic department, the facilities that we had here, the busses on schedule and stuff, I was like, OK, they care about their athletes. People here want to win and it doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past, it matters what we’re going to do now.” Poppe cited a mindset. “You get 10 opportunities, unlike other sports, it is a grind to play this sport and prepare the way we do just for 10,” he said. As the final whistle sounded in Boston, Brown noted an unusual initial reaction in the locker room. “It was like kind of awe when they recovered the kick,” he said. “It was a lot quieter than you would think it would be, but you could feel the joy and the elation.” They accomplished what more than six decades of their predecessors had failed to. As the players headed out, Poppe had a final word. “Day off tomorrow,” he said. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballEyes of the energy world on local vanadium battery techPNC Financial Services Group Inc. Sells 1,755 Shares of Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI)Regulation could put working families’ jobs on the line and imperil our supply chain

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Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders released from hospital after suffering neck injuryEditor’s note: This story was originally published by ProPublica. Find related stories at https://www.propublica.org/series/segregation-academies. Private schools across the South that were established for white children during desegregation are now benefiting from tens of millions in taxpayer dollars flowing from rapidly expanding voucher-style programs, a ProPublica analysis found. In North Carolina alone, we identified 39 of these likely “segregation academies” that are still operating and that have received voucher money. Of these, 20 schools reported student bodies that were at least 85% white in a 2021-22 federal survey of private schools, the most recent data available. Those 20 academies, all founded in the 1960s and 1970s, brought in more than $20 million from the state in the past three years alone. None reflected the demographics of their communities. Few even came close. Northeast Academy, a small Christian school in rural Northampton County on the Virginia border, is among them. As of the 2021-22 survey, the school’s enrollment was 99% white in a county that runs about 40% white. Every year since North Carolina launched its state-funded private school voucher program in 2014, the academy has received more and more money. Last school year, it received about $438,500 from the program, almost half of its total reported tuition. Northeast is on track to beat that total this school year. Vouchers play a similar role at Lawrence Academy, an hour’s drive south. It has never reported Black enrollment higher than 3% in a county whose population hovers around 60% Black. A small school with less than 300 students, it received $518,240 in vouchers last school year to help pay for 86 of those students. Farther south, Pungo Christian Academy has received voucher money every year since 2015 and, as of the last survey, had become slightly more white than when the voucher program began. It last reported a student body that was 98% white in a county that was 65% white. Segregation academies that remain vastly white continue to play an integral role in perpetuating school segregation — and, as a result, racial separation in the surrounding communities. We found these academies benefiting from public money in Southern states beyond North Carolina. But because North Carolina collects and releases more complete data than many other states, it offers an especially telling window into what is happening across this once legally segregated region where legislatures are rapidly expanding and adopting controversial voucher-style programs. Called Opportunity Scholarships, North Carolina’s voucher program launched in 2014. At first, it was only for low-income families and had barely more than 1,200 participants. Then last fall, state lawmakers expanded eligibility to students of all income levels and those already attending private school, a move that sparked furious debate over the future of public education. “We are ensuring that every child has the chance to thrive,” Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham argued. But Democratic Rep. Julie von Haefen pointed to vouchers’ “legacy of white supremacy” and called the expansion “a gross injustice to the children of North Carolina.” So many students flocked to the program that the state now has a waitlist of about 54,000 children. Paying for all of them to receive vouchers — at a cost of $248 million — would more than double the current number of participants in the program. Republicans in the General Assembly, along with three Democrats, passed a bill in September to do just that. Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, vetoed the measure. But the GOP supermajority is expected to override it before the year’s end, perhaps as early as Nov. 19. Opportunity Scholarships don’t always live up to their name for Black children. Private schools don’t have to admit all comers. Nor do they have to provide busing or free meals. Due to income disparities, Black parents also are less likely to be able to afford the difference between a voucher that pays at most $7,468 a year and an annual tuition bill that can top $10,000 or even $20,000. And unlike urban areas that have a range of private schools, including some with diverse student bodies, segregation academies are the only private schools available in some rural counties across the South. Josh Cowen, a professor of education policy at Michigan State, studies these barriers and sees where vouchers fall short for some: “Eligibility does not mean access.” Of the 20 vastly white segregation academies we identified that received voucher money in North Carolina, nine were at least 30 percentage points more white than the counties in which they operate, based on 2021-22 federal survey and census data. Otis Smallwood, superintendent of the Bertie County Schools in rural northeastern North Carolina, witnesses this kind of gulf in the district he leads. So many white children in the area attend Lawrence Academy and other schools that his district’s enrollment runs roughly 22 percentage points more Black than the county overall. He said he tries not to be political. But he feels the brunt of an intensifying Republican narrative against public schools, which still educate most of North Carolina’s children. “It’s been chipping, chipping, chipping, trying to paint this picture that public schools are not performing well,” Smallwood said. “It’s getting more and more and more extreme.” When a ProPublica reporter told him that Lawrence Academy received $518,240 last school year in vouchers, he was dismayed: “That’s half a million dollars I think could be put to better benefit in public schools.” If lawmakers override the governor’s veto to fund the waitlist, Smallwood’s district could suffer most. In a recent report, the Office of State Budget and Management projected Bertie County could lose more of its state funding than any other district — 1.6% next year. Across the once legally segregated South, the volume of public money flowing through voucher-style programs is set to balloon in coming years. Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina all have passed new or expanded programs since 2023. (South Carolina’s state Supreme Court rejected its tuition grants in September, but GOP lawmakers are expected to try again with a revamped court.) Voucher critics contend these programs will continue to worsen school segregation by helping wealthier white kids attend private schools; supporters argue they help more Black families afford tuition. But many of the states have made it hard to discern if either is happening by failing to require that the most basic demographic data be shared with the public — or even gathered. This doesn’t surprise Cowen, who wrote the new book “The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers.” He said Southern legislatures in particular don’t want to know what the data would show because the results, framed by a legacy of racism, could generate negative headlines and lawsuit fodder. States know how to collect vast troves of education data. North Carolina in particular is lauded among global researchers for “the robustness and the richness of the data system for public schools,” Cowen said. North Carolina and Alabama are among the states that have gathered demographic information about voucher recipients but won’t tell the public the race of students who use them to attend a given school. In North Carolina, a spokesperson said doing so could reveal information about specific students, making that data not a public record under the Opportunity Scholarship statue. For its $120 million tax credit program, Georgia does not collect racial demographic information or per-school spending. ProPublica was able to identify 20 segregation academies that signed up to take part, but it’s unclear how many are receiving that money or what the racial breakdown is of the students who use it. “Why should we not be allowed to know where the money is going? It’s a deliberate choice by those who pass these laws,” said Jessica Levin, director of Public Funds Public Schools, a national anti-voucher campaign led by the nonprofit Education Law Center. “There is a lack of transparency and accountability.” Advocacy groups that support widespread voucher use have resisted some rules that foster greater transparency out of concern that they might deter regulation-averse private schools from participating. Mike Long, president of the nonprofit Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, is among those trying to rally as much private school buy-in for vouchers as possible. “Their fear is that if they accept it, these are tax dollars, and therefore they would have to submit to government regulation,” Long said. “We’ve lobbied this legislature, and I think they understand it very well, that you can’t tie regulation to this.” The share of Black students who have received vouchers in North Carolina has dropped significantly since the program’s launch. In 2014, more than half the recipients were Black. This school year, the figure is 17%. That share is unlikely to increase if lawmakers fund all 54,000 students on the waiting list. Because lower-income families were prioritized for vouchers, the applicants who remain on the list are mostly in higher income tiers — and those families are more likely to be white. More Black parents don’t apply for vouchers because they don’t know about them, said Kwan Graham, who oversees parent liaisons for Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina. Graham, who is Black, said parents haven’t voiced to her concerns that, “I’m Black, they don’t want me” at their local private schools. But she’s also not naive. Private schools can largely select — and reject — who they want. The nonprofit Public Schools First NC has tallied admissions policies that private schools receiving vouchers use to reject applicants based on things like sexuality, religion and disability. Many also require in-person interviews or tours. Rather than overtly rejecting students based on race, which the voucher program prohibits, schools might say something like, “Come visit the school and see if you’re the ‘right fit,’” said Heather Koons, the nonprofit’s communications and research director. Northeast Academy, Lawrence Academy and Pungo Christian all include nondiscrimination statements on their websites. Back when segregation academies opened, some white leaders proudly declared their goal of preserving segregation. Others shrouded their racist motivations. Some white parents complained about federal government overreach and what they deemed social agendas and indoctrination in public schools. Even as violent backlash against integration erupted across the region, many white parents framed their decisions as quests for quality education, morality and Christian education, newspaper coverage and school advertisements from the time show. Early on, Southern lawmakers found a way to use taxpayer money to give these academies a boost: They created school voucher programs that went chiefly to white students. Courts ruled against or restricted the practice in the 1960s. But it didn’t really end. “If you look at the history of the segregation movement, they wanted vouchers to prop up segregation academies,” said Bryan Mann, a University of Kansas professor who studies school segregation. “And now they’re getting vouchers in some of these areas to prop up these schools.” More recently, Lawrence and Northeast academies both grew their enrollments while receiving voucher money even as the rural counties where they operate have lost population. Over three decades of responding to the federal private schools survey, both academies have reported enrolling almost no nonwhite children. And Pungo Christian has raised its average tuition by almost 50% over the past three school years. During that time, the small school has received almost $500,000 in vouchers. None of the three academies’ headmasters responded to ProPublica’s request to discuss its findings or to lists of questions. And none have ever reported more than 3% Black enrollment despite operating in counties with substantial — even majority — Black populations. One of the Democrats who helped Republicans expand North Carolina’s voucher program was Shelly Willingham, a Black representative whose district includes Bertie County, home of Lawrence Academy. He said he doesn’t love vouchers, but the bills have included funding for issues he does support. He also said he encourages his constituents to take advantage of the vouchers. If there were any effort to make it more difficult for Black students to attend those schools, “then I would have a big problem,” Willingham said. “I don’t see that.” Another Democrat who voted with Republicans was state Rep. Michael Wray, a white businessman and former House minority whip — who graduated from Northeast Academy. Wray, whose voting record on vouchers over the years has been mixed, did not respond to multiple ProPublica requests to discuss his views. In 2013, he voted against the budget bill that established the Opportunity Scholarships. And in a recent Q&A with the local Daily Herald newspaper, when asked if he supports taxpayer money funding private schools, he responded: “I believe that when you siphon funds away from our public school budgets, it undermines the success of our schools overall.” Rodney Pierce, a Black 46-year-old father and public school teacher, saw the voucher expansion in the state budget bill Wray voted for and felt history haunt him. Pierce had only one white student in his classes last year at Gaston STEM Leadership Academy. But about 30 miles across the rural county, white children filled Northeast Academy. Pierce taught history, with a deep interest in civil rights. He’d studied the voucher programs that white supremacists crafted to help white families flee to segregation academies. “This stuff was in the works back in the 1960s,” Pierce said. He was so outraged that he challenged Wray, a 10-term incumbent, for his state House seat. Pierce won the Democratic primary earlier this year by just 34 votes. He faced no opponent in November, so come next year he will cut the House’s support of vouchers by one vote. “Particularly in the Black community, we care about our public schools,” he said. Many Black families also have little to no relationship with their local private schools, especially those that opened specifically for white children and are still filled with them. The only times Pierce had set foot on Northeast Academy’s campus was when he covered a few sporting events there for the local newspaper. People there were nice to him, he said, but he felt anxious: “You’re in an academy you know was started by people who didn’t want their children to go to school with Black children.” His own three kids attend public schools. Even with vouchers, he said, he wouldn’t send them to a school founded as a segregation academy, much less one that still fosters segregation. He finds it insulting to force taxpayers, including the Black residents he will soon represent — about half of the people in his district — to pay to send other people’s children to these schools.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — In the history of American politics, there's no shortage of presidents who promised to shake up Washington once they got to the White House. But Donald Trump may prove to be in a class of his own, and he appears more interested in beating the federal government into submission than recalibrating it. In staffing his administration, Trump has shown an inclination to select people who distrust or even disdain the agencies that they've been chosen to lead, setting up a potential war of attrition between the incoming Republican president and American institutions. “There’s been nothing like what Trump is suggesting to do," said Doug Brinkley, a presidential historian. "We’re talking about dismantling the federal government.” Trump's approach will become even clearer this week as Kash Patel, his choice for FBI director , heads to Capitol Hill for an initial round of meetings with senators who will decide whether to confirm him to the post. A former national security official who has branded himself as an eager acolyte of Trump, Patel has talked about shutting down the agency's headquarters, splitting up its responsibilities and targeting Trump's perceived enemies. Greg Brower, a former U.S. attorney who served as the FBI’s top congressional affairs official, said Trump seems to want to make the nation’s law enforcement institutions “part of his political operation run out of the White House.” “That’s a major course change that I’m just not sure a majority of senators are willing to endorse," Brower said. Republican senators are already considering whether to support Pete Hegseth, whom Trump wants to lead the Pentagon , despite allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement. Hegseth is an Army veteran and former Fox News commentator who has described the military as flooded with “woke” liberal ideology. He also wants to remove women from combat roles. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team and the incoming White House press secretary, said the next administration wants to “shatter the Deep State," a term for entrenched civil servants who have frustrated Trump and his allies. “President Trump was re-elected by a resounding mandate from the American people to change the status quo in Washington,” she said in a statement. “That’s why he has chosen brilliant and highly-respected outsiders to serve in his Administration, and he will continue to stand behind them as they fight against all those who seek to derail the MAGA Agenda.” Margaret Spelling, who served as education secretary under President George W. Bush, said it is “probably not a good management style" to treat government employees as adversaries. “If you’re going to turn the tide or redirect the ship of state, you’ve got to have help doing it," she said. "And that’s people who work there already.” Spelling's former department could be outright eliminated if Trump has his way. His choice of education secretary , Linda McMahon, has never worked in the field. She served for one year on the Connecticut Board of Education and is a member of the board of trustees at a private university. McMahon lead the Small Business Administration during Trump's first term, and she made a name for herself by running World Wrestling Entertainment, a cultural juggernaut that features musclebound men beating each other up in elaborately scripted fights. Trump's plans for the federal government blend conservative ideology, which has long viewed Washington as too intrusive in Americans' daily lives, with his personal vendettas. After being plagued by investigations and contradicted by career officials during his first term, the returning president has no interest in a replay and he's more skeptical of insider views that clash with his own instincts. Some of his personnel choices have alarmed political opponents, but Trump's approach could prove appealing to voters whose faith in government has sunk to record lows in recent years. Only about 2 in 10 Americans trust the government to do the right thing always or most of the time, according to the Pew Research Center , down from around 4 in 10 who said this in 2000 — before the upheaval of a global financial crisis, an inconclusive war on terrorism and a worldwide pandemic. Story continues below video Kay Schlozman, a Boston College political science professor, said Trump's nominees could be viewed as "an extension of his capacity to question the received wisdom and question the supposed elites who always run everything.” Some of the largest gaps between expertise and personnel have been evident in public health. Trump chose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services despite his reputation as one of the most prolific spreaders of unfounded theories about the supposed danger of vaccines. Trump also picked Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of public health measures like lockdowns and vaccine mandates that were used during the coronavirus outbreak, to run the National Institutes of Health , the country's top medical research agency. In other areas of government, loyalty has often been prized over expertise. Lee Zeldin, a former New York congressman, never served on any committees dealing with the environment during nearly a decade on Capitol Hill. Now he’s on deck to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Brinkley said it's not uncommon to have presidents attempt to change how Washington works. Richard Nixon tried to circumvent government agencies by centralizing decision-making in the White House, and Warren Harding stocked his Cabinet with business leaders. But Brinkley said Trump's approach is more venomous, and he seems to be setting up his staff to compete to be the most zealous. “It’s got a gladiator feel," he said. "They each want to show that they’ve got a scalp to punish the so-called deep state, the legacy media or the Democratic Party.” Another way that Trump is taking on Washington is the Department of Government Efficiency , an independent advisory organization that will be run by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Musk, the world's richest man, and Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur, plan to provide ideas on dramatically reducing federal spending and cutting the government workforce. They also said Trump should sidestep Congress whenever possible, setting up a potential constitutional clash. Theda Skocpol, a Harvard University professor of government and sociology, agreed that Americans are often doubtful about Washington's effectiveness. “But it doesn’t mean there’s going to be an easy path to eliminating entire departments or functions of government because people will realize they have the stakes in those things,” she said. However, Skocpol said, chaos might be the actual goal. “Parts of American conservatism have been trying to make government a mess when they control it, and then use it as an argument for less government," she said. ____ Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.2025 highlights include the benefits of increased throughput to 5,000 tpd and improved gold recoveries and an exploration program with 80,000 metres of drilling VANCOUVER, BC , Dec. 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Lundin Gold Inc. LUG (Nasdaq Stockholm: LUG) LUGDF ("Lundin Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its 2025 guidance and three-year outlook for its 100% owned Fruta del Norte ("FDN") gold mine in southeast Ecuador . All amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. View PDF 2025 Guidance Highlights: Gold production is estimated between 475,000 to 525,000 ounces ("oz"). Cash operating costs 1 and all-in sustaining costs 1 ("AISC") are expected to range between $730 to $790 and $935 to $995 per oz of gold sold 2 , respectively. Total sustaining capital in 2025 is estimated at $75 to $85 million which includes 15,000 metres planned to be drilled under the resource conversion program. In light of exploration success, the Company's near-mine exploration program's footprint is being expanded to incorporate additional land which was previously considered part of the regional program. 65,000 metres is planned to be drilled (see Figure 1). The regional exploration program will broaden with a new three-year greenfield strategy over the Company's unexplored land package of over 50,000 hectares. In its first year the focus will consist of surface exploration and airborne surveys to identify new targets for exploration drilling in 2026. Lundin Gold anticipates continuing to declare quarterly dividends of $0.20 per share. The Company's guidance for the year 2025 is provided in the table below. 2025 Gold Production (oz) 475,000 – 525,000 Mill Throughput (tpd) 5,000 Head Grade (g/t Au) 9.2 Average Mill Recovery (%) 90 % Sustaining Capital ($ million) 75 – 85 Cash operating cost 1 ($/oz sold) 2 730 – 790 AISC 1 ($/oz sold) 2 935 – 995 Near-mine Exploration Program ($ million) 32 Regional Exploration Program ($ million) 8 1 See Non-GAAP Financial Measures section. 2 Gold/silver price per oz assumptions are $2,500/$31.00, respectively. Ron Hochstein , President and CEO commented, "2025 will be another exciting year for Lundin Gold . The commissioning of the plant expansion project is going well, which is expected to increase plant throughput to 5,000 tonnes per day and to improve gold recovery. With investments in the mine including the new dispatch system, and based on the new mill configuration, we have already identified opportunities to further debottleneck and increase average throughput starting in 2026 to 5,500 tonnes per day. By maximizing the potential of FDN through our operational excellence program to increase efficiencies and reduce costs combined with a strong gold price environment, we are confident in our ability to continue to generate meaningful free cash flow. In parallel, we will continue our ambitious exploration program, building on the success of our 2024 program, which, to date, was the largest ever conducted on our extensive, highly prospective land package." The Company's outlook for production, mill throughput, sustaining capital and AISC for the next three years is provided in the table below. 2025 2026 2027 Gold Production (oz) 475,000 - 525,000 475,000 - 525,000 475,000 - 525,000 Mill Throughput (tpd) 5,000 5,500 5,500 Sustaining Capital ($ million) 75 - 85 75 - 90 70 - 85 Cash operating cost ($/oz sold) 1, 2 730 - 790 750 - 810 750 - 810 AISC ($/oz sold) 1, 2 935 - 995 950 - 1,020 925 - 995 2025 Guidance and 2025-2027 Outlook Gold production at FDN for 2025 is estimated to be between 475,000 to 525,000 oz based on an average throughput rate of 5,000 tonnes per day ("tpd"). Head grade is estimated to average 9.2 g/t, with fluctuations expected during the year as different sections of the ore body are mined. Grades are slightly lower relative to 2024, as a result of continued extension of the mine life at FDN and adjustments to the mine sequence. Average mill recovery for the year is estimated at 90%. Several opportunities have been identified to further debottleneck operations and increase average throughput to 5,500 tonnes per day starting in 2026. Mine operations will benefit from increased mine equipment availability and utilization resulting from the new underground workshop and dispatch system. At the processing plant the debottlenecking opportunities can be implemented with minimal cost as they are optimizations to the new configuration of the process plant. Cash operating costs 1 are estimated to range between $730 and $790 per oz of gold sold 2 in 2025. AISC 1 for 2025 is expected to range between $935 and $995 per oz of gold sold 2 and to fluctuate quarterly based on sustaining capital activities. Unit costs are anticipated to be higher compared to 2024 and are primarily attributable to increased royalties and employee profit sharing resulting from the increase in the assumed gold price from $1,900 /oz to $2,500 /oz, and an increase in sustaining capital expenditures. Gold production and sales are expected to be backend weighted in 2025 as mill throughput is anticipated to increase over the year as the plant expansion project is fully commissioned. Mill head grade is also expected to improve as the year progresses due to mine sequencing. This translates to lower anticipated unit costs in the second half of the year relative to the first half. 1 See Non-GAAP Financial Measures section. 2 Gold/silver price per oz assumptions for the three years are $2,500/$31.00, respectively. Total sustaining capital in 2025 is estimated at $75 to $85 million and includes costs related to the expansion of the tailings storage facility (fifth raise), improvements to industrial and potable water supply and distribution, the next phase of upgrades to the waste water treatment plants, resource conversion drilling, mobile equipment rebuilds or replacement and underground development and improvements of the South Portal. In addition, the estimate includes the remaining costs to commission four additional diesel generators purchased in 2024 which will allow the FDN process plant to run slightly below capacity in the event of a power disruption from the national grid. Sustaining capital in 2026 has increased from previous guidance due to the impact of increased mineral reserves and tonnage, leading to adjustments to the maintenance and replacement schedule of the mobile equipment fleet, as well as a larger tailings storage facility design. This increase in sustaining capital, combined with the increase in the assumed gold price 1 , has resulted in an increase in AISC 2 per oz sold in 2026 compared to previous guidance. Consistent with previous years, the Company expects its free cash flow 2 during the second quarter of 2025 to be lower than other quarters due to the payment of annual profit sharing to the government and employees along with remaining income taxes owed. This variation is expected to be more pronounced in 2025 due to the Company's strong operating performance achieved so far in 2024 which has been further bolstered by high gold prices. 2025 Resource Conversion Program Based on the results of the 2024 conversion drilling program, the Company intends to release updated estimates of Mineral Reserves and Resources for FDN early in 2025. A total of 15,000 metres of resource conversion drilling is anticipated in 2025. 2025 Exploration Programs Lundin Gold's near-mine exploration program's footprint is being expanded to incorporate additional land which was previously considered part of the regional program (see Figure 1). As part of the near-mine program a total of 65,000 metres of drilling is planned from surface and underground using 12 rigs at an estimated cost of $32 million . The program will focus on extending the mine life of FDN by exploring several advanced targets within and around the FDN system including but not limited to FDN, FDNS, FDN East, FDN North and the Bonza Sur deposit. The Company is currently drilling and evaluating the Bonza Sur deposit and anticipates publishing an initial resource by mid year 2025. The regional exploration program will focus on the unexplored large package of mineral concessions located on a highly prospective environment which hosts the Fruta del Norte deposit (see Figure 1). This will be the first year of a new three-year greenfield strategy to identify new areas for exploration drilling. The 2025 program includes a geophysical magnetic survey and a geochemical sampling program and is estimated to cost $8 million . 1 Gold/silver price per oz assumptions for the three years are $2,500/$31.00, respectively. 2 See Non-GAAP Financial Measures section. Figure 1: Map showing expanded near-mine exploration program and 1 st year focus of new three year regional exploration program Dividend Consistent with the Company's dividend policy, Lundin Gold anticipates continuing to pay quarterly dividends of $0.20 per share, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This news release refers to certain financial measures, such as cash operating costs, AISC, and free cash flow, which are not measures recognized under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. These measures may differ from those made by other companies and accordingly may not be comparable to such measures as reported by other companies. These measures have been calculated on a basis consistent with historical periods. Please refer to the Company's MD&A filed on SEDAR+ under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca , pages 14 to 18, for the third quarter of 2024 for an explanation of non-IFRS measures used. Qualified Persons The technical information relating to FDN contained in this News Release has been reviewed and approved by Terry Smith P. Eng , Lundin Gold's COO, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. The disclosure of exploration information contained in this press release was prepared by Andre Oliveira , P.Geo, Lundin Gold's V.P. Exploration, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. About Lundin Gold Lundin Gold , headquartered in Vancouver, Canada , owns the Fruta del Norte gold mine in southeast Ecuador . Fruta del Norte is among the highest-grade operating gold mines in the world. The Company's board and management team have extensive expertise in mine operations and are dedicated to operating Fruta del Norte responsibly. The Company operates with transparency and in accordance with international best practices. Lundin Gold is committed to delivering value to its shareholders, while simultaneously providing economic and social benefits to impacted communities, fostering a healthy and safe workplace and minimizing the environmental impact. The Company believes that the value created through the development of Fruta del Norte will benefit its shareholders, the Government and the citizens of Ecuador . Additional Information The information in this release is subject to the disclosure requirements of Lundin Gold under the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This information was publicly communicated on December 9, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time through the contact persons set out below. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements Certain of the information and statements in this press release are considered "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" as those terms are defined under Canadian securities laws (collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements"). Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements and information involve assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict, and are usually beyond the control of management, that could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed by these forward-looking statements and information. Lundin Gold believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. This information speaks only as of the date of this press release, and the Company will not necessarily update this information, unless required to do so by securities laws. This press release contains forward-looking information in several places, such as in statements relating to the Company's 2025 guidance and 2025-2027 outlook, including estimates of gold production, grades, recoveries and its expectations regarding ASIC , cash operating costs, sustaining costs, free cash flow and capital costs, plans to declare and pay dividends, the timing of updates to Mineral Reserve and Resource estimates, actions taken to mitigate the impacts of disruptions to power to Fruta del Norte, and the Company's exploration plans and success. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as Lundin Gold's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in Lundin Gold's Annual Information Form dated March 26, 2024 , which is available at www.lundingold.com or www.sedarplus.ca . Lundin Gold's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement or that could have a material impact on the Company or the trading price of its shares include: instability in Ecuador ; community relations; forecasts relating to production and costs; mining operations; security; non-compliance with laws and regulations and compliance costs; tax changes in Ecuador ; waste disposal and tailings; government or regulatory approvals; environmental compliance; gold price; infrastructure; dependence on a single mine; exploration and development; control of Lundin Gold ; availability of workforce and labour relations; dividends; information systems and cyber security; Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates; title matters and surface rights and access; health and safety; human rights; employee misconduct; measures to protect biodiversity; endangered species and critical habitats; global economic conditions; shortages of critical resources; competition for new projects; key talent recruitment and retention; market price of the Company's shares; social media and reputation; insurance and uninsured risks; pandemics, epidemics or infectious disease outbreak; climate change; illegal mining; conflicts of interest; ability to maintain obligations or comply with debt; violation of anti-bribery and corruption laws; internal controls; claims and legal proceedings; and reclamation obligations. SOURCE Lundin Gold Inc. View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2024/09/c4075.html © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Too early to celebrate – Arne Slot keeps leaders Liverpool focusedDAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad, but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country's public sector came "to a complete and abrupt halt." Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Assad's brutal rule. The rebel alliance now in control of much of the country is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and promises representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said Monday they would not tell women how to dress. Syrian citizens stand on a government forces tank that was left on a street Monday as they celebrate in Damascus, Syria. "It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women's dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty," the command said on social media. People are also reading... Iredell County deputies charge 7 people in drug trafficking investigation 2 Statesville men face murder charges in 2011 shooting death of Joey Brewer 3 men face arson charges in Statesville house fire that severely burned woman Top vote-getter Houpe: Why am I not chairman of Iredell board of commissioners? Statesville native Tomlin leads Delaware State to MEAC volleyball title, NCAA berth 4 pounds of marijuana, gun seized by Mooresville police officers Iredell-Statesville Schools closed Tuesday due to snow, ice Tiny, 4 more dogs seeking homes at Iredell County Animal Services New school chairman rules 2 fellow board members out of order in Iredell Now streaming and on DVD: 'It Ends With Us' just prompts head shakes 3 Eagle Scouts and 1 grateful Iredell County resident Get to know Mooresville basketball player Cadence Lane Families prepare for mass deportations: 'A sad and painful time' Hear the songs, see Santa at Sunday's Statesville Christmas Parade Colombia native brings tastes of his homeland to downtown Statesville Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the U.N. official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was long known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met for the first time with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali, who stayed in Syria when Assad fled. Israel said it carried out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets to keep them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also seized a buffer zone inside Syria after Syrian troops withdrew. Syrians wait to cross into Syria from Turkey on Monday at the Oncupinar border gate near the town of Kilis, southern Turkey. In northern Syria, Turkey said allied opposition forces seized the town of Manbij from Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States, a reminder that even after Assad's departure, the country remains split among armed groups that have fought in the past. The Kremlin said Russia granted political asylum to Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Assad's specific whereabouts and said Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people still celebrated. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence, though in some areas small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets. Syrian citizens celebrate Monday during the second day of the takeover of the city by the insurgents in Damascus, Syria. Across swathes of Syria, families are now waiting outside prisons, security offices and courts, hoping for news of loved ones who were imprisoned or who disappeared. Just north of Damascus in the feared Saydnaya military prison, women detainees, some with their children, screamed as rebels broke locks off their cell doors. Amnesty International and other groups say dozens of people were secretly executed every week in Saydnaya, and they estimate that up to 13,000 Syrians were killed between 2011 and 2016. "Don't be afraid," one rebel said as he ushered women from packed cells. "Bashar Assad has fallen!" In southern Turkey, Mustafa Sultan was among hundreds of Syrian refugees waiting at border crossings to head home. He was searching for his older brother, who was imprisoned under Assad. "I haven't seen him for 13 years," he said. "I am going to go see whether he's alive." Jalali, the prime minister, sought to project normalcy since Assad fled. "We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth," he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation already improved from the day before. Israeli soldiers sit on top of a tank Monday along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly. "We want to give everyone their rights," Haddad said outside the courthouse. "We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods." But a U.N. official said some government services were paralyzed as worried state employees stayed home. The public sector "has just come to a complete and abrupt halt," said U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies was put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. "This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonized by the public media are now in charge in the nation's capital," Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. "I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again." World reacts to overthrow of Syria's Assad regime People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Members of the Syrian community in Finland wave a Syrian flag and celebrate in Helsinki, Finland, Dec. 8, 2024. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Syrians wave opposition flags and give out sweets during a spontaneous rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) Syrians celebrate the fall of the Assad regime in Syria at a demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Jonas Ekstroemer/TT News Agency via AP) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Syrians wave Syrian opposition flags at a rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Syrians living in France gather on Republique square after the Syrian government fell early today in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government's fall, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Syrians living in France hug during a rally on Republique square after the Syrian government fell early today in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) Get local news delivered to your inbox!Liverpool head coach Arne Slot continued to play down the significance of their place at the top of the Premier League despite it being strengthened by their 3-1 win over Leicester. Chelsea’s surprise defeat by Fulham meant victory over the Foxes stretched their lead to seven points, with a match in hand, with the halfway point of the campaign fast approaching. But Slot is maintaining his level-headed approach despite the clamour growing around their chances of adding another title to the one won in 2020. Tonight’s goalscorers ? pic.twitter.com/xn9sfZbVow — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2024 “If you are in this game for a long time like the players and I am then 20 games before the end you don’t look at it as there are so many challenges ahead of you,” he said after Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah scored to turn around an early deficit following Jordan Ayew’s strike. “Injuries and and a bit of bad luck can happen to any team, it is far too early to be already celebrating – but it is nice for us to be where we are. “I don’t think there was any easy win for us in any of these games; it could have been an easy win against Tottenham but we conceded two and it was then 5-2 – that tells you how difficult it is to win even when you have all your players available. “That is why we have to take it one game at a time. The league table is something of course we are aware of but we always understand how many games there are to go.” Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team led early on against Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA) “I think we were in the contest for a result for a long time,” he said. “Three-one was the turning point in the sense the game was done there to get a result. “I think the 60th minute I remember a chanced for Daka to score the equaliser so we were in the game to get a surprising result. “We did well, we did what we could: a good start with the goal but if you speak of a turning point, 3-1 with Salah, the game was done.” Van Nistelrooy left goalkeeper Danny Ward out of the squad after he struggled in the defeat to Wolves and was jeered by his own fans. Danny Ward was left out by Leicester (Mike Egerton/PA) “I insisted on a conversation and of course it is a private conversation but what I want to share is the person and the professional he is. “I was impressed with that and his willingness for the team and the club to do well. “Really tough what happened for him. We are professionals but human beings as well, when frustration is being directed towards one person that is difficult.”

no game no life It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. “The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more,” Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. “There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie,” said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction.” In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation , did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the “no-fault findings,” as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report , Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist “saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities.” But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's “decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable.” A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug “then entered the market through illegal channels,” he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles,” Li said. “The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice.” This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. “Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated,” he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. “It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. “Which clearly it has not.” AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Bobbi Jeen Olson Selected as Top Western Lifestyle Influencer of the year by IAOTP

NoneTBILISI -- Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, an ardent critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, called the nation’s government illegitimate and vowed to remain in office when her term ends next month, while Washington said it was suspending its "strategic partnership" with the country. Georgia has been thrown into turmoil since parliamentary elections in October -- in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote -- with the opposition and Western governments arguing that the poll was marred by violations and Russian influence. Zurabishvili on November 30 said the “illegitimate” chamber does not have the right to choose her successor following the end of her term in December and vowed to remain in office. "There is no legitimate parliament, and therefore, an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a new president,” Zurabishvili said. “Thus, no inauguration can take place, and my mandate continues until a legitimately elected parliament is formed," she added, setting up a likely showdown over the office with Georgian Dream. Separately, Washington blasted the security measures used against Georgians who have taken to the streets following the disputed elections and after a November 28 announcement by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze that his government was suspending EU accession talks and would reject budgetary grants from Brussels "until the end of 2028." "The United States condemns the excessive use of force by police against Georgians seeking to exercise their rights to assembly and expression, including their freedom to peacefully protest," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement . "By suspending Georgia’s EU accession process, Georgian Dream has rejected the opportunity for closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin," he said. "Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership, which was based on shared values and commitments to democracy, rule of law, civil society, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and anti-corruption efforts. As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism." “We reiterate our call to the Georgian government to return to its Euro-Atlantic path, transparently investigate all parliamentary election irregularities, and repeal anti-democratic laws that limit freedoms of assembly and expression,” Miller added. Georgia's Interior Ministry said protesters had “verbally and physically” assaulted police officers and had thrown various objects at security forces. Various videos from the rally showed police officers beating protesters. Reacting to the crackdown, Kobakhidze suggested on November 30 that there were "isolated" incidents of police brutality but "systemic violence" against security forces by protesters. "On one side, there was violence, on the other side there were incidents," he said in a press conference. On the first night of protests, some 43 demonstrators were detained "as a result of illegal and violent actions,” according to the Interior Ministry. Kobakhidze on November 30 said that a "difficult" few months lay ahead of Georgia but added that he expects relations with the West to "reset." Zurabishvili, who has long sided with the protesters, condemned the "brutal and disproportionate attacks on the Georgian people and media," likening the crackdown on November 29 to "Russian-style repression." The next day, she urged the Georgian diaspora to “wake up” and help protesters by speaking to the media and appealing to the authorities where they live. “[You] can no longer be silent and pretend nothing is happening in the homeland,” she wrote on Facebook. On November 28, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for new legislative elections in Georgia and sanctions on senior members of the Georgian Dream party. In its resolution, the European Parliament said the election result election did "not serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people." It also called on the European Union, which froze Georgia's EU membership application last month, to place sanctions on key officials within the ruling party, including Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Gharibashvili, billionaire power broker and party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze. BUCHAREST -- Even as disputes remain over the first round of last week’s presidential election, Romanians return to the polls on December 1 to choose their parliamentary representatives as the battle between East and West rages in the Black Sea nation. The country’s far-right and often pro-Russia elements -- which performed surprisingly well in the presidential election -- are expected to make gains in the parliamentary vote as well. More than 10,000 candidates have registered to compete for seats in the bicameral parliament --329 seats in the lower house Chamber of Deputies and 136 in the Senate. A poll conducted by AtlasIntel indicated the far-right, ultranationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) leading the pack with 22.4 percent backing, just ahead of the ruling the Social Democratic Party (PSD) at 21.4 percent. The AUR has staked out strongly anti-Western positions, questioning Romania's membership in the European Union and NATO, alongside xenophobia and conspiratorial rabble-rousing. Under incumbent Klaus Iohannis, Romania has been one of Kyiv's staunchest allies , but a shift toward more Russia-friendly leaders could endanger support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, analysts say. The center-right Save Romania Union (USR) was at 17.5 percent. Elena Lasconi, a pro-West former small-town mayor for the USR, will compete on December 8 in a runoff presidential vote against pro-Russia, far-right candidate Calin Georgescu. The Liberal Party (PNL) -- a junior coalition partner to the PSD – was listed at 13.4 percent. If no party wins a majority of seats, coalition negotiations will follow. The party gaining the most votes would likely nominate the prime minister. Along with the divide between the East and West, Romanians have expressed concerns about the ailing economy and rampant corruption. Voting began late on November 30 among the Romanian diaspora , which may be pivotal in the parliamentary election -- although it is not initially clear which parties it will favor. Moldova is a key voting space for Romanian elections. Most of Moldova was part of Romania until the end of World War II and many Moldovans also hold Romanian citizenship. Political parties must capture at least 5 percent of the votes at a national level to qualify for parliament. Political alliances of two parties must attain 8 percent, alliances of three parties must get 9 percent, and alliances of four parties or more must achieve 10 percent. Pre-vote polls may not be indicative of the final results, however. In the November 24 presidential first round, independent candidate Georgescu shocked the field by coming from nowhere to lead the voting, gaining nearly 23 percent. Lasconi, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist, finished second in that vote, barely beating favored leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of the PSD and leading to the runoff against Georgescu. Ciolacu resigned as PSD party leader following his disappointing showing in the presidential election. Romania's Central Election Bureau has begun a court-ordered recount of all ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election, as accusations swirled that Georgescu illegally used TikTok to boost his campaign, among other alleged irregularities. The Constitutional Court ordered the recount on November 28 after officials from the Supreme Council of National Defense demanded that the authorities take "urgent" steps, saying Georgescu was granted "preferential treatment" by the social media platform. TikTok has denied any wrongdoing. Sources have told RFE/RL's Romanian Service that the Constitutional Court, which was originally set to validate the results of the first round of the election on November 29, will do so on December 2 after the parliamentary vote is completed. Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy. Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in a visit to his country's border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, called the development of military fortifications there and along the frontier with Kremlin ally Belarus "an investment in peace." "Everything we are doing here is meant to deter and discourage any potential aggressor, which is why this is truly an investment in peace," Tusk told a news conference on November 30. "We will spend billions of zlotys on this -- but right now all of Europe is watching with great satisfaction and will support these investments and our actions if necessary." The project -- called East Shield -- is designed to eventually protect 800 kilometers along the NATO nation’s borders with Russia and Belarus. Russian warplanes have joined Syrian air forces to bomb rebels who had taken much of the northwestern city of Aleppo in the biggest challenge to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule in the battle-torn Middle East nation in several years. Iran, meanwhile, said on November 30 that the rebels had attacked its consulate in Aleppo, calling it "aggression by terrorist elements," although it said there were no injuries and provided few details about the incident. The Russian and Iranian foreign ministers expressed support for longtime ally Syria, according to Iranian state media, which quoted Iran's Abbas Araqchi as telling Russia's Sergei Lavrov in a call that the attacks were part of an Israeli-U.S. plan to destabilize the region. The air strikes came a day after Islamists and their Turkish-backed allies breached Syria's Aleppo in a surprise offensive against forces of the Assad government. Reports on the ground said the rebels had captured much of the city, although details remained sketchy. The Syrian military confirmed that rebels had entered Aleppo. It did not confirm the air attacks, but Russia's Defense Ministry said its air force carried out strikes on the rebels. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on November 29 that Russia regarded the rebels’ actions as a violation of Syria's sovereignty. "We are in favor of the Syrian authorities bringing order to the area and restoring constitutional order as soon as possible," he said. Reuters quoted two Syrian military sources as saying that Russian and Syrian warplanes had targeted rebel sites in an Aleppo suburb on November 30. The sources said the Kremlin has promised Syria extra military aid, expected to arrive within two to three days. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the fighters, led by the Islamist extremist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) movement, took control of "half of the city of Aleppo," forcing government forces to pull back. HTS in the past has had links to the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) extremist groups, although many leaders reportedly split off from those organizations. It was formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusrah and the Al-Nusrah Front, which was Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria and has been deemed a terrorist organization by the UN and the United States. In May 2018, the U.S. State Department added HTS to the Al-Nusrah Front's existing December 2012 designation as a foreign terrorist organization. The rebels’ offensive began on November 27, prompting the Syrian military to close all main roads in and out of the city. Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the armed rebels had been preparing for the operation since September, but Turkey had so far prevented it from taking place. The Aleppo violence breaks a pause in the Syrian civil war, which has been mainly quiet over the past four years. The conflict involved the Assad government backed by Moscow and Tehran against Syrian-Kurdish rebels supported by the United States, while Turkey aided separate rebel groups. The U.S. military still has a number of troops deployed in Kurdish-held areas of Syria. Terror organizations, including Islamic State, also were involved in fighting. Russia, Turkey, and Iran signed an agreement in 2019 to freeze the conflict at then current positions. The Syrian Observatory said at least 16 civilians were killed on November 30 when an air strike, likely carried out by Russian warplanes, hit Aleppo. It said the attack "targeted civilian vehicles" at an intersection, leaving an additional 20 people wounded. This incident brings the total number of fatalities in the city over the past four days to 327. The British-based observatory compiles its information from battlefield sources and has been influential throughout the Syrian civil war. Syria’s army command acknowledged that rebels had entered Aleppo. Rebels had previously controlled the city before being driven out by Russia-backed forces eight years ago. "The large numbers of terrorists and the multiplicity of battlefronts prompted our armed forces to carry out a redeployment operation aimed at strengthening the defense lines in order to absorb the attack, preserve the lives of civilians and soldiers, and prepare for a counterattack," the Syrian Army said. The fighting comes amid fears of a wider war in the Middle East. Israeli forces in Gaza are battling extremists from Hamas – deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU – and a cease-fire hangs in the balance in Lebanon, where Israel has struck the leadership of Hezbollah, also designated a terrorist group by Washington. The EU blacklists Hezbollah’s military arm but not its political wing. Israeli attacks have also taken place against Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has held multiple phone conversations with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban since winning the November 5 presidential election, according to sources who spoke to RFE/RL’s Hungarian Service. Hungarian government sources said Trump has sought Orban’s opinion on ending the Ukraine war, which has continued to drag on since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. On the campaign trail, Trump criticized the billions of dollars that the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion. He has also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. Orban, who has maintained friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, has been critical of EU aid for Ukraine and has obstructed the bloc’s sanctions regime against Moscow. Preparations are reportedly under way for Orban to take a second crack at a peace mission in December to bookend Hungary’s rotating EU presidency after his first attempt in July when Budapest’s tenure started. In a move criticized by several EU leaders, Orban traveled to Moscow to meet Putin in July after a trip to Kyiv with a mystery cease-fire proposal for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He then traveled to China and finally the United States to meet Trump, who was then on the presidential campaign trail. Details of a potential peace mission in December are not clear, but sources suggested to RFE/RL’s Hungarian Service that it may involve delivering Trump’s messages to Zelenskiy, Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic denied as "baseless accusations" by Kosovo that it was behind an explosion which damaged the Iber-Lepenc water canal supplying Kosovo’s two main coal power plants. "Such unfounded claims are designed to tarnish Serbia's reputation, as well as to undermine efforts to ensure the region's peace and stability," Vucic said. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti had called the November 29 blast a “criminal and terrorist attack” by northern neighbor and bitter rival Serbia. He said the attack aimed to “damage perhaps the most important infrastructure” in the country. The attack did not cause any casualties. Authorities say some regions may have no electricity on November 30 while the capital, Pristina, may be short on drinking water while the damage is fixed. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Kosovo Service, click here . Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says being admitted into NATO could end what he described as the “hot phase of the war” waged by Russia. In an interview with Sky News aired on November 29, Zelenskiy suggested that he would be willing to consider a cease-fire if Ukraine’s unoccupied territories fell under NATO’s protection, as long as the invitation to join the alliance recognized Ukraine’s international borders. Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and has been occupying 20 percent of Ukrainian territory since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022. "If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control," Zelenskiy said , adding that the occupied eastern parts of the country could then be taken back “in a diplomatic way.” This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized the billions of dollars that the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion. Trump has also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. Earlier this week, Trump named Keith Kellogg, a retired army lieutenant general who has long served as a top adviser to Trump on defense issues, as his nominee to be special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg has advocated telling the Ukrainians that if they don't come to the negotiating table, U.S. support would dry up, while telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that if he doesn't come to the table, the United States would give the Ukrainians "everything they need to kill you in the field." For the past several months, Russia has been battering Ukrainian cities with increasingly heavy drone, missile, and glide-bomb strikes, causing casualties and damaging energy infrastructure as the cold season settles in. Earlier this month, a senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned that Moscow's targeting of Ukraine's energy infrastructure could make this winter the "harshest since the start of the war" nearly three years ago. Ukraine has launched several counterattacks since the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, the top foreign supporter of Ukraine in its battle against Russia's full-scale invasion, and Kyiv's European allies authorized the use of long-range missiles against targets inside Russia. The leader of Hezbollah has claimed that its cease-fire deal with Israel is a "divine victory" for the Lebanese political party and militant group. In his first address since the cease-fire took effect on November 27, Naim Qassem said on November 29 that the Iran-backed group had "won because we prevented the enemy from destroying Hezbollah" and weakening the Lebanese "resistance." Hezbollah, which controls much of southern Lebanon and has representatives in parliament, is designated in its entirety by the U.S. as a terrorist organization but the EU has blacklisted only its military wing. The cease-fire ended nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel ramped up the pressure by launching a ground offensive in southern Lebanon in October and carrying out massive aerial bombardments of Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut and elsewhere. The truce ends the presence of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israel, too, must withdraw its ground forces from Lebanon within 60 days of the deal going into force. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on November 26 warned Hezbollah that Israel would take action if it suspected that Hezbollah had violated the agreement. On November 29, hours before Qassem made his speech, Israel said it had struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon after detecting militant activity. The United States and France are overseeing the implementation of the truce, which includes provisions for thousands of Lebanese soldiers moving into southern Lebanon to work with UN peacekeepers and keep Hezbollah away from the Israeli border. Hezbollah had been launching rockets at northern Israel since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. It said it would stop its attacks only after Israel ended its war in Gaza. Over the past 14 months, Israel killed nearly the entirety of Hezbollah's leadership, including Qassem's predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah , and decimated the group's military arsenal. Israel has vowed to ensure Iran cannot continue to fund and arm the group, and has warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against facilitating Iranian aid for Hezbollah. Imprisoned former Moscow municipal deputy Aleksei Gorinov, known for his outspoken criticism of Russia's war against Ukraine, has been handed a new three-year prison sentence for "justifying terrorism." After a three-day trial, a Russian military court on November 29 handed down the sentence to the 63-year-old, who is in poor health. In his closing statement , Gorinov, one of the most prominent jailed dissidents left in the country after a major prisoner swap with the West earlier this year, accused Russia of committing a "bloody slaughter" in Ukraine. Earlier this week, Gorinov revealed ongoing struggles with illness, saying there was "no treatment available," for his ailment, which his lawyer said was bronchitis. Gorinov was first sentenced in July 2022 to seven years in prison for spreading "fake news" about the Russian military because of his public opposition to Russia's full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine. In October 2023, the authorities opened a new case against him, accusing him of "justifying terrorism" based on alleged conversations with fellow inmates about Ukraine's Azov Regiment. During the hearing, Gorinov firmly denied any ties to terrorism. "I am far from any ideology of terrorism," he said. "I am a committed internationalist and an opponent of war and violence, as I have consistently stated publicly throughout my life." Gorinov's initial conviction stemmed from an anti-war speech he delivered at a city council meeting in Moscow's Krasnoselsky district. He was the first person sentenced under Russia's new law criminalizing "fake news" about the military, introduced after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Earlier this year, Gorinov was transferred from a detention center in Moscow to a prison in the Vladimir region. He complained of harsh conditions, including solitary confinement in a cold cell without a mattress, blanket, or access to hot water. Dmitry Muratov, editor in chief of the Novaya gazeta newspaper and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross for an urgent inspection of the conditions Gorinov was being held in. Following this, local officials and prosecutors inspected the facility, resulting in Gorinov's relocation to a slightly improved cell with a window that opens and closes, a functioning toilet, and reportedly no mice. Gorinov has been repeatedly subjected to punitive measures, including spending extended periods in solitary confinement. In spring 2023, he spent 48 consecutive days in a punishment cell, a treatment often reported by other political prisoners in Russia. Iran and three European powers agreed to continue their dialogue "in the near future" after a meeting in Geneva as intelligence officials warned Tehran's nuclear proliferation poses a "critical threat" in the coming months. Negotiators from Iran and the so-called E3 (Britain, France, and Germany) met in Switzerland to discuss a range of issues, including Iran's expanding nuclear program, its military support for Russia, and conflicts in the Middle East. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X on November 29 that the talks in the Swiss city focused on the latest bilateral, regional, and international developments, "especially the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions." "We are firmly committed to pursuing the interests of our people, and our preference is the path of dialogue and engagement," Gharibabadi said. Ahead of the meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said it would be a “brainstorming session” to see “if there really is a way out” of the current nuclear impasse, among other issues. Separately, the spy chiefs of Britain and France raised the alarm about Iran’s growing relationship with Russia and its accelerating nuclear program. The meeting in Geneva came a week after the 35-member board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a censure resolution against Iran. It also tasked the UN nuclear watchdog to prepare a “comprehensive and updated assessment” on the state of Iran’s expanding nuclear program, including past and present attempts to develop a bomb. The report could pave the way for referring Iran’s case to the UN Security Council to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions lifted under the terms of the 2015 agreement with world powers. In response to the resolution, Iran said it would begin enriching uranium with thousands of advanced centrifuges at its key nuclear facilities in Fordo and Natanz, the IAEA announced on November 29. The agency noted, however, that Iran would be enriching uranium to 5 percent purity -- even though it is enriching uranium with less advanced machines at 60 percent. Richard Moore, head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, said on November 29 that if Russia were to meet its Ukraine war objectives, “China would weigh the implications, North Korea would be emboldened, and Iran would become still more dangerous.” He added that Iran’s nuclear ambitions were “a continued threat” -- a sentiment shared by Nicolas Lerner, head of France's foreign intelligence service. "Our services are working side by side to face what is undoubtedly one of the threats, if not to say the most critical threat, in the coming months -- the possible atomic proliferation in Iran," Lerner said in Geneva. A Bulgarian accused of spying for Russia in Britain discussed in text messages the possibility of kidnapping or murdering investigative journalist Christo Grozev , British prosecutors said during the trial of members of an alleged spy ring. Prosecutor Alison Morgan said a group of Bulgarians, accused of spying for Russia, followed Grozev, with one member, Orlin Rusev, exchanging messages with the alleged head of the network, Austrian citizen Jan Marsalek, in which they discussed kidnapping or killing Grozev. Grozev has worked for the investigative outlet Bellingcat. He led an investigation by the media network on the 2018 poisoning of the Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England. Rusev and another Bulgarian national, Biser Dzhambazov, have pleaded guilty to espionage charges, while three others -- Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova, and Tihomir Ivanchev -- are currently on trial at London's Central Criminal Court for being part of the spy ring. The three defendants have denied the charge of conspiracy to spy between August 2020 and February 2023. Prosecutors told the court Rusev lead the Bulgarians and directed them after receiving instructions from Marsalek. Marsalek -- who is said to have connections to Russian intelligence dating back to at least 2014 -- is now believed to be in Russia. Ukraine said it struck an oil depot and an air-defense radar inside Russia early on November 29 amid an escalation of attacks by both Moscow and Kyiv ahead U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House. Ukraine's military General Staff said a strike on the Atlas oil depot in Russia's Rostov region sparked a fire at the facility, which was previously hit by a similar attack earlier this year. "Atlas is part of the Russian military-industrial complex, which provides the supply of petroleum products for the army of the Russian Federation," it said in a statement on social media. It added that a radar station housing a Russian Buk-M3 antiaircraft missile system was destroyed in a separate attack in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhya region. Yury Slyusar, the acting governor of the Rostov region, acknowledged the blaze at an "industrial complex" in the area where the refinery is located, saying more than 100 responders were battling to extinguish the fire. For the past several months, Russia has been battering Ukrainian cities with increasingly heavy drone, missile, and glide-bomb strikes, causing casualties and damaging energy infrastructure as the cold season settles in. Ukraine has launched several counterattacks since the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, the top foreign supporter of Ukraine in its battle against Russia's full-scale invasion, and Kyiv's European allies authorized the use of long-range missiles against targets inside Russia. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump was critical of Biden for pouring billions of dollars into Ukraine to help it fight. Trump also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. That possibility appears to have prompted both Moscow and Kyiv to try and solidify geographical positions before Trump takes office in January. Later on November 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appointed Mykhaylo Drapatiy as the new commander of Ukraine's ground forces and named Oleh Apostol as a deputy commander in chief of the country's armed forces. Writing on Telegram, Zelenskiy said the Ukrainian Army needed "internal changes to achieve our state's goals in full." Meanwhile, Russia's stepped-up attacks have targeted energy infrastructure, leading to the introduction of emergency power outages in the regions including Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk. Kyiv had also reportedly been forced to disconnect several nuclear power units from the network during attacks. Ukraine gets more than half of its electricity from nuclear plants. Russia's offensive comes as temperatures across Ukraine dropped to around zero degrees Celsius. Earlier this month, a senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned that Moscow's targeting of Ukraine's energy infrastructure could make this winter the "harshest since the start of the war" nearly three years ago. Romania's Central Election Bureau has begun a court-ordered recount of all ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election as accusations swirled that surprise winner Calin Georgescu illegally used TikTok to boost his campaign. The Constitutional Court ordered the recount on November 28 after officials from the Supreme Council of National Defense demanded the authorities take "urgent" steps, saying Georgescu was granted "preferential treatment" by the social media platform. TikTok has denied any wrongdoing. Georgescu, a pro-Russian far-right independent candidate, scored a surprise victory in the first round of the election on November 24, garnering nearly 23 percent of the vote. He is set to face off against center-right Elena Lasconi, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist, in the December 8 runoff after both pushed ahead of favored leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Sources have told RFE/RL's Romanian Service that the Constitutional Court, which was originally set to validate the results of the first round of the election on November 29, will do so on December 2 after the recount is finished. Without the backing of a party, Georgescu's campaign relied heavily on TikTok, where his account had 1.6 million likes and where he posted videos of himself attending church, doing judo, running on a track, and speaking on podcasts. The Supreme Defense Council said it had found evidence suggesting that "cyberattacks" had been used to influence the outcome of the election. Georgescu alleged that state institutions were attempting to deny the will of the people. Protesters have rallied in Bucharest for several days against Georgescu, with many accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of interfering in Romania's internal affairs. Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy. Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments. Georgian police have used water cannons to disperse thousands of demonstrators gathered near the parliament in Tbilisi to protest the government's decision to suspend talks to join the European Union. Reports say police also used tear gas to break up the rallies in the late hours of November 29. President Salome Zurabishvili, a staunch critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, condemned the "brutal and disproportionate attacks on the Georgian people and media", likening the crackdown to "Russian-style repression." "These actions will not be forgiven! Those responsible for the use of force should be held responsible," she wrote on Twitter. Protesters have hit the streets for the second day running after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said his government was suspending EU accession talks and would reject budgetary grants from Brussels "until the end of 2028." More than 100 Georgian diplomats have slammed the government's halting of EU membership talks after security forces violently dispersed protesters and journalists at a rally in Tbilisi over the move. More than 30 people were hospitalized early on November 29 after police used tear gas, water cannons, and beat some of the thousands gathered to vent their anger over Kobakhidze's announcement. The Interior Ministry said 43 people were arrested "as a result of the illegal and violent actions" during the first night of protests on November 28, while parliament raised its security level to the maximum -- code red . Security forces violently dispersed protesters and journalists at the November 28 rally in Tbilisi. In response, more than 100 serving Georgian diplomats signed an open letter criticizing the policy change, saying it violated the constitution, which commits to the pursuit of EU membership. "The stalling of the accession negotiation process will lead to the isolation of the country," they wrote. "Without the support of the Western partners, Georgia remains face to face with threats that are especially intensified in the background of the ongoing processes in the international and security environment." More than 100 people working at the Public Services Development Agency, which operates under the Interior Ministry, also issued a statement warning that suspending EU accession talks will only serve to hurt national interests. Even Tbilisi's biggest clubs opted to close their doors on November 29 to bolster the protests, saying in a joint statement that the "energy on the dance floor should be taken to the streets." Georgia has been thrown into turmoil since the October parliamentary elections -- in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote -- with the opposition and Western governments arguing the vote was marred by violations and Russian influence. Early on November 29, riot police moved to clear out the peaceful demonstrators, with masked police firing rubber bullets and brutally beating protesters and journalists. RFE/RL Georgian Service journalist Davit Tsagareli was punched and thrown to the ground by a riot police officer as he reported live from the scene, while earlier RFE/RL captured footage of a police officer repeatedly hitting TV Formula journalist Guram Rogava on the head. After Rogava fell to the ground, the officer fled the scene. The journalist was hospitalized with injuries to his face and head. "His condition is satisfactory. He has facial bone fractures, as well as a fracture in his neck. At this stage, it does not require surgical intervention," the doctor who treated Rogava at the hospital told journalists. Kobakhidze blamed the protesters for the violence, saying that if it were not for their actions, "there would be no need to break up the gathering." Zurabishvili joined the protest in Tbilisi on November 28 in a show of solidarity with the demonstrators. "I am with these people. The resistance has started and will not end until we have new elections," she told reporters. She also confronted a row of riot police, telling them that it was their "duty to protect" Georgia's sovereignty and asking them whether they "serve Russia or Georgia." Demonstrators in Zugdidi told RFE/RL's Georgian Service that the ruling Georgian Dream party was moving away from the EU and pushing the country toward Russia. "Georgian authorities cut off all relations with the European Union and also refuse to receive funding. This will certainly lead to an economic collapse," Manana Mikawa, a teacher, told RFE/RL. Earlier in the day, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for new legislative elections in Georgia and sanctions on senior members of the Georgian Dream party. In its resolution, the European Parliament said the result of the election did "not serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people." It also called on the European Union, which froze Georgia's EU membership application last month, to place sanctions on key officials within the ruling party, including Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Gharibashvili, billionaire power broker and party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze. Speaking at the Georgian Dream headquarters, Kobakhidze said Tbilisi was suspending accession talks while also rejecting all budgetary grants from the EU until 2028. "We are not going to join the European Union by begging and standing on one leg, but in a dignified manner with a sound democratic system and a strong economy," the prime minister told reporters without taking any questions. Earlier, during a parliamentary session to approve his government, Kobakhidze said his government's goal was for Georgia to join the EU by 2030. "We are ready to observe and take into account all conditions [set by the EU] that do not go against our national interests," he said to applause from Georgian Dream lawmakers. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of the controversial "foreign agent" law that critics say threatens to publicly discredit thousands of media outlets and civil society groups as "serving" outside powers. The United States in July announced it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning that it was backsliding on democracy. Several rights organizations have demanded the release of veteran journalist Matiullah Jan, who was detained by Pakistani authorities on November 27 and held on terrorism-related charges. Jan had been covering protests by the supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. In a statement on November 28, Amnesty International condemned Jan's "arbitrary" arrest on "trumped-up charges," describing it as "an affront on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom." The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the authorities to "ensure Jan's safety" and called for his release. To read the full story by RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal, click here . Protesters gathered outside the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on November 28 said his government was suspending EU accession talks until 2028 and would not accept budgetary grants from Brussels. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, a staunch critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, joined the protest in Tbilisi to a rousing welcome from demonstrators, who shouted her name. "I am with these people. The resistance has started and will not end until we have new elections," she told reporters. She also confronted a row of riot police, telling them that it was their "duty to protect" Georgia's sovereignty and asking them whether they "serve Russia or Georgia." Western governments have questioned the October parliamentary elections in Georgia -- in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote -- arguing that the elections were marred by violations and Russian influence. Smaller pro-EU protests were also being held in Batumi, Gori, Kutaisi, and Zugdidi. Photos and videos of the rallies in Tbilisi and elsewhere showed protesters carrying Georgian and EU flags. Demonstrators in Zugdidi told RFE/RL's Georgian Service that the ruling Georgian Dream party was moving away from the EU and pushing the country toward Russia. "Georgian authorities cut off all relations with the European Union and also refuse to receive funding. This will certainly lead to an economic collapse," Manana Mikawa, a teacher, told RFE/RL. Earlier in the day, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for new legislative elections in Georgia and sanctions on senior members of the Georgian Dream party. In its resolution, the European Parliament said the result of the election did "not serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people." It also called on the European Union, which froze Georgia's EU membership application last month, to place sanctions on key officials within the ruling party, including Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Gharibashvili, billionaire power broker and party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze. Speaking at the Georgian Dream headquarters, Kobakhidze said Tbilisi was suspending accession talks while also rejecting all budgetary grants from the EU until 2028. "We are not going to join the European Union by begging and standing on one leg, but in a dignified manner with a sound democratic system and a strong economy," the prime minister told reporters without taking any questions. Earlier, during a parliamentary session to approve his government, Kobakhidze said his government's goal was for Georgia to join the EU by 2030. "We are ready to observe and take into account all conditions [set by the EU] that do not go against our national interests," he said to applause from Georgian Dream lawmakers. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of the controversial "foreign agent" law that critics say threatens to publicly discredit thousands of media outlets and civil society groups as "serving" outside powers. The United States in July announced it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning that it was backsliding on democracy. Romania's Central Election Bureau says it will recount all ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election by December 1, following an order on November 28 by the Constitutional Court. Calin Georgescu, the pro-Russian far-right independent candidate scored a surprise victory in the first round of the election on November 24, garnering nearly 23 percent of the vote. Georgescu is set to face off against center-right Elena Lasconi, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist, in the December 8 runoff after both pushed ahead of favored leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. An official from Lasconi's Save Romania Union party said the Central Election Bureau had rejected a request by the party to film the recounting of the ballots. Without the backing of a party, Georgescu's campaign relied heavily on the social media platform TikTok, where his account had 1.6 million likes and where he posted videos of himself attending church, doing judo, running on a track, and speaking on podcasts. Separately, Romania's Supreme Defense Council said after the court ruling that it had found evidence suggesting that "cyberattacks" had been used to influence the outcome of the election. Without naming Georgescu, the council also charged that TikTok had "given preferential treatment" to a particular candidate. Georgescu alleged that state institutions were attempting to deny the will of the people. Meanwhile, around 2,000 protesters rallied in Bucharest for the fourth consecutive day against Georgescu on November 28, carrying a banner telling Russian President Vladimir Putin to "get off Romania." Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy. Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments. A former British soldier, whose prison escape sparked a massive manhunt in 2023, has been found guilty of passing on sensitive information to the Iranian intelligence service. Prosecutors said that Daniel Abed Khalife, 23, played a "cynical game" by claiming he wanted to be a double agent for Britain after he had delivered a large amount of restricted and classified material to Iran, including the names of special forces officers. The verdict was delivered at London's Woolwich Crown Court on November 28. Prosecutor Mark Heywood told jurors at the start of the trial that Khalife collected sensitive information between May 2019 and January 2022. Khalife stood trial charged with gathering information that might be useful to an enemy, namely Iran, obtaining information likely to be useful for terrorism. Khalife, who was expelled from the army after he was charged, was also accused of planting fake bombs in his military barracks. But the court cleared him of a charge of carrying out a bomb hoax. Khalife snuck out of a London prison in September 2023 while awaiting trial and spent three days on the run. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says his country may change its nuclear doctrine and develop a bomb if UN sanctions are reimposed on Tehran. Speaking to reporters on November 28 in Lisbon, Portugal, Araqchi said Iran had long had the technical know-how to build a bomb but doing so "is not part of Tehran’s security strategy," according to Iranian media. His comments come as negotiators from Iran and the E3 (Britain, France, and Germany) are scheduled to meet in Geneva to discuss a range of issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and conflicts in the Middle East. Araqchi described the meeting on November 29 as a “brainstorming session” to see “if there really is a way out” of the current nuclear impasse. The Geneva meeting is not billed as nuclear talks by any party but Iran’s atomic program is expected to be a central topic. Talks between Iran and world powers to restore the 2015 nuclear deal have stalled since September 2022. Last week, the 35-member board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a censure resolution against Iran and tasked the UN nuclear watchdog to prepare a “comprehensive and updated assessment” on the state of Iran’s expanding nuclear program, including past and present attempts to develop a bomb. The report could pave the way for referring Iran’s case to the UN Security Council in a bid to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions that had been lifted under the terms of the 2015 agreement with world powers. In response to the resolution, Iran activated several “new and advanced” centrifuges to enrich uranium. Araqchi said he was “not optimistic” about the Geneva talks because he was unsure whether Tehran was “speaking to the right party.” The 2015 nuclear agreement began to unravel after President-elect Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the accord during his first term in office in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Tehran responded by expanding its nuclear program, limiting inspections of its nuclear sites, and enriching uranium to as high as 60 percent. A new truce agreement has been reached between feuding Sunni and Shi'ite communities in Pakistan's northwestern region of Kurram, where more than 100 people were killed and dozens more injured in a new bout of sectarian violence, local officials said. Authorities said late on November 27 that government troops will be deployed in key locations in Kurram, a remote tribal district in the volatile Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, to ensure the cease-fire. "Negotiations will continue to ensure lasting peace," the provincial minister's office said in a statement. It also pledged to pay compensations to the victims' families. The violence erupted on November 21 when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a convoy of some 200 passenger vehicles carrying Shi'a traveling through Kurram's Parachinar area. Dozens of people, including women and children, were killed in the attack, which triggered a week of clashes between the two communities. Regional officials brokered a seven-day truce on November 24, but it did not hold. Most of Pakistan's some 250 million people are Sunni Muslims. But Kurram has a large Shi'ite population, and the two communities have clashed for decades. More than 200 people have been killed since July, alone. Sectarian violence in the region is often linked to land disputes. Russia unleashed a "massive" attack on Ukraine’s infrastructure on November 28, leaving more than 1 million people without power in freezing temperatures across the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of a "despicable escalation," as the Interior Ministry recorded damage to infrastructure in nine regions. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the latest attack was Moscow's "response" to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with U.S. medium-range ATACMS missiles. Speaking during a trip to Kazakhstan, Putin warned that Russia's future targets could include "decision-making centers" in Kyiv. Putin said Russia launched more than 90 missiles and 100 drones in the "comprehensive strike" on November 28 and that 17 targets had been hit -- the type of detail that the president rarely gives. Ukraine's air force said it had shot down 79 missiles and 35 drones, while 62 drones were "lost," meaning they had likely been disrupted by electronic warfare. All missiles or drones aimed at the capital, Kyiv were downed, officials said. The attack forced national power-grid operator Ukrenerho to "urgently introduce emergency power cuts," Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said early on November 28. "Once again, the energy sector is under massive enemy attack. Attacks on energy facilities are taking place across Ukraine," Halushchenko wrote on social media. Energy provider DTEK said early in the day that emergency power outages were being introduced in the regions of Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk. Kyiv had also reportedly disconnected several nuclear power units from the network during the attack. Ukraine gets more than half of its electricity from nuclear plants. It comes as the temperatures across Ukraine dropped to around zero degrees Celsius. Earlier this month, a senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned that Moscow's targeting of Ukraine's energy infrastructure may make this winter the "harshest since the start of the war" nearly three years ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov's talks in South Korea on November 27 focused on cooperation on the security of both Ukraine and South Korea in light of the deployment of North Korean forces in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Zelenskiy said Umerov went to Seoul at his instruction to discuss all aspects of North Korea’s involvement in the war “and the things we can do together to defend our nations and to secure our regions together.” Umerov said earlier that he had discussed joint steps to strengthen security and stability with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol while in Seoul. Umerov also met with South Korea’s defense minister and national-security adviser. "We believe that our arguments about the need to increase cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of Korea will lead to a tangible strengthening of security for our peoples and regions," Umerov said on Telegram. Umerov said he raised the presence of the North Korean troops and the North Korean military's "active" support for energy infrastructure attacks on Ukraine. For South Korea, the deployment of the North Korean troops poses a serious threat because they are gaining combat experience, which could create additional security challenges, he said. A statement issued by Yoon’s office does not say whether the parties discussed the possibility of Seoul supplying weapons to Ukraine. Ukraine has previously asked Seoul for weapons, and South Korea has said it could consider such aid, depending on what Russia and North Korea do. Zelenskiy also said in his nightly address that decisions made in July at the NATO summit in Washington on air defense and other supplies to the front line “have not yet been fully implemented...and this, of course, has had a significant impact on our people’s motivation and morale.” The recent authorization of long-range strikes on military targets in Russia “has been helpful, but the pressure on Russia must be maintained and increased at various levels to make Russia feel what war really is,” Zelenskiy said. Russian forces have been making steady gains along the front line as Kyiv's troops battle a larger and better equipped enemy. Zelenskiy did not mention a news report that President Joe Biden's administration is urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops. A senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, was quoted earlier on November 27 by the Associated Press as saying that the outgoing administration wants Ukraine to lower the mobilization age to 18 from 25 to help expand the pool of fighting-age men. The official said “the pure math” of Ukraine's situation now is that it needs more troops in the fight, according to the AP. The official said the Ukrainians believe they need about 160,000 additional troops, but the U.S. administration believes they probably will need more than that. Calin Georgescu, the pro-Russian far-right independent candidate who scored a shock victory in the first round of Romania's presidential election, has denied that he wants the country out of NATO and the European Union. Georgescu, who garnered nearly 23 percent of the vote in the November 24 poll, will face off against center-right Elena Lasconi, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist, in the December 8 runoff after both pushed ahead of favorite leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Without the backing of a party, Georgescu's campaign relied heavily on social media platform TikTok, where his account had 1.6 million likes and where he posted videos of himself attending church, doing judo, running on a track, and speaking on podcasts. He has described NATO as "the world's weakest alliance" and the alliance's ballistic missile-defense shield in Deveselu, southern Romania, as a "shame of diplomacy," claiming the military alliance would not defend any of its members in case of a Russian attack. Instead, he recommended "Russian wisdom" as Romania's best path forward and launched a TikTok campaign calling for an end to Romanian aid for Ukraine. Under incumbent Klaus Iohannis, Romania has been one of Kyiv's staunchest allies. But facing a public backlash as hundreds of mostly young people took to the streets of Bucharest and other big Romanian cities chanting, "No Putin, no fear, Europe is our mother," and "Young people ask you not to vote for a dictator," Georgescu denied in a YouTube video on November 26 that he wanted Romania out of the Euro-Atlantic structures. "I do not want out of NATO, I do not want out of the European Union," Georgescu said, standing side-by-side with his wife, adding, "but I do want us to stand firm, not to kneel there, not to accept everything, to do everything in our national interest." He went on to say that he wanted peace, adding, "We cannot get into other peoples' wars for their interests that cause us prejudice," again alluding to Romania's support for Ukraine. For the December 8 runoff, Georgescu has rallied the support of far-right pro-Russia AUR party of which he used to be a member until 2022 and whose leader, George Simion, garnered almost 14 percent in the first round, while the center-right liberals threw their weight behind Lasconi, a former TV reporter and mayor of the small southern Romanian city of Campulung Muscel. But first, Romanians will elect a new parliament on December 1, with Ciolacu's Social Democratic Party, the centrist National Liberal Party, and Lasconi's Save Romania Union favorite to win most of the 332 seats in the lower Deputy Chamber and 137 mandates in the upper chamber, the Senate. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on November 27 tapped Keith Kellogg, a retired army lieutenant general who has long served as a top adviser to Trump on defense issues, as his nominee to be special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. "Keith has led a distinguished Military and Business career, including serving in highly sensitive National Security roles in my first Administration," Trump said on social media. Kellogg "was with me right from the beginning," Trump said on Truth Social. "Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!" Kellogg's nomination comes after Trump's criticism during the 2024 presidential campaign of the billions of dollars that the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Trump also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. Kellogg has already put forth a plan for ending the war that involves freezing the battle lines where they are and forcing Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table, Reuters reported in June. According to Reuters, Kellogg has advocated telling the Ukrainians that if they don't come to the negotiating table, U.S. support would dry up, while telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that if he doesn't come to the table, the United States would give the Ukrainians "everything they need to kill you in the field." NATO membership for Ukraine would be off the table as part of the incentive for Russia to come along, while putting it back on would be punishment for holding back. Kellogg, 80, earlier this year 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." He made the statements in a research paper written for the America First Policy Institute, a think tank formed after Trump left office in 2021. "The United States would continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure Russia will make no further advances and will not attack again after a cease-fire or peace agreement," the document said. "Future American military aid, however, will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia." Kellogg served in several positions during Trump's first term, including as chief of staff on Trump's national security council and national-security adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence. Mikhail Alexseev, a professor of political science at San Diego State University whose research focuses on Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, told RFE/RL that the appointment signals "the intent to enforce some kind of cease-fire and conflict settlement which Trump said he would try to achieve within 24 hours." Alexseev said Kellogg seems to be a straight shooter who would "detect very quickly whether a peace proposal would be unrealistic" and would be able to see through "Putin’s repeated record of breaking agreements.” Alexseev doesn't believe the proposal to get the parties to negotiate is going to work but said Kellogg "would be among the first to see why and how it wouldn’t work." Mark Cancian, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Relations, told RFE/RL that negotiations will be "difficult," because the "two sides are so far apart. Russia thinks its winning. Ukraine wants all its territory back, including Crimea, reparations, war crimes. [The Trump team] has indicated that they'll use U.S. aid as a tool against both sides. Maybe that will work." Cancian adds that he also expects to see "personal diplomacy." He expects that Trump "will meet personally with both Putin and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskiy. That is his style. I mean, he's a New York real estate developer, and to get something done, you threaten, you bluster, but then in the end, you sit down face to face, and you make a deal, because if you don't make a deal, you don't make any money." Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told a UN Security Council meeting that any decision by Trump's incoming administration to cut support for Ukraine would be a "death sentence" for the Ukrainian Army. "Even if we're to lay to one side the prediction that Donald Trump will cut assistance to Ukraine, which for the Ukrainian Army would essentially be a death sentence, it is becoming clearer that he and his team will, in any case, conduct an audit of the assistance provided to Kyiv," Polyansky said. Polyansky said Russia had repeatedly offered to negotiate, but Ukraine and its Western backers have favored escalation. Ukraine has consistently rejected Russian offers to negotiate because Moscow's conditions, including accepting Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territory, have been unacceptable to Kyiv. The Russian diplomat also accused the Biden administration of trying through its increased support to Ukraine to create a "mess, both in Russia and with the new team in the White House." He warned the decision by the Biden administration and its European allies to authorize the Ukrainian military to use long-range missiles against targets inside Russia had "placed the world on the brink of a global nuclear conflict" and said Russia would respond decisively. "I will be frank, we believe that it is our right to use our weapons against the military facilities of those countries who allow the use of weapons against our facilities." Speaking earlier at the same Security Council session, UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca highlighted recent Russian long-range missile strikes on Ukraine and called the use of ballistic missiles and related threats against Ukraine "a very dangerous, escalatory development." U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood told the session Washington would "continue to surge security assistance to Ukraine to strengthen its capabilities, including air defense, and put Ukraine in the best possible position on the battlefield." Russian President Vladimir Putin has been warmly received in Kazakhstan, where he and Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev discussed boosting energy and industry ties. Putin arrived in Astana on a state visit on November 27 and was greeted by Toqaev with a handshake, according to images released on social media. Toqaev said he had "carefully read" Putin’s commentary published in state newspaper Kazakhstanskaya Pravda ahead of the visit and said he had published his own commentary on the state of the relationship between Moscow and Astana in the Russian media. "I think that we have very thoroughly, as if in unison, outlined our approaches to the development of cooperation aimed at the future," Toqaev said. He emphasized in his article that Kazakhstan "remains a reliable strategic partner and ally of Russia in this very difficult time," Toqaev's press service quoted Toqaev as saying. Putin thanked Toqaev "for his careful attitude toward the Russian language," a reference to the lower house of parliament's ratification of an agreement to create the International Organization for the Russian Language a few days before Putin's arrival. Kazakhstan has tried to distance itself from Moscow's war in Ukraine but remains highly dependent on Russia for exporting oil to Western markets and for imports of food, electricity, and other products. Underscoring that more than 80 percent of Kazakhstan's oil is exported to foreign markets via Russia, Putin said he and Toqaev always focus on "a specific result" in their talks. "Our countries are...constructively cooperating in the oil and gas sector," Putin wrote in his article, which was also featured in the Kremlin's website. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists on November 26 that Putin and Toqaev would sign a protocol on extending an agreement on oil supplies to Kazakhstan. He did not give details. The two leaders said after their meeting that they had discussed plans to increase the transit through Kazakhstan of Russian natural gas to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, part of Moscow's pivot away from European energy markets. They also said they talked about joint projects in hydroelectric power, car tires, and fertilizers and other areas. Putin said in his article that Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom was "ready for new large-scale projects." The company already is involved in some projects in Kazakhstan, which in October voted in favor of constructing its first nuclear power plant. Neither leader mentioned the nuclear project after their talks. Toqaev said he had raised the issue of agricultural trade following a Russian ban on imports of grain, fruit, and other farm products from Kazakhstan in October. Moscow imposed the ban after Kazakhstan barred Russian wheat imports in August to protect its producers. "Our countries should not compete on the Eurasian Economic Union market or foreign markets," Toqaev said, referring to agricultural exports within and outside a Moscow-led post-Soviet trade bloc.

TUSTIN, Calif., Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avid Bioservices, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDMO), a dedicated biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) working to improve patient lives by providing high quality development and manufacturing services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, today announced financial results for the second quarter and six months ended October 31, 2024. Highlights from the Quarter Ended October 31, 2024: "We delivered solid results in a competitive environment, with increased revenues and backlog offset by increased costs,” stated Nick Green, president and CEO of Avid Bioservices. "We are pleased to reach the separately announced agreement with GHO and Ampersand, which will provide our stockholders with significant, immediate and certain cash value for their shares. The transaction also provides us with partners who are committed to leveraging their deep industry experience, focused strategy, and collaborative approach to drive growth beyond the Company's standalone plan.” Financial Highlights for the Second Quarter and Six Months Ended October 31, 2024 Acquisition of Avid Bioservices by GHO Capital Partners and Ampersand Capital Partners The transaction, which was unanimously approved by the Avid Board of Directors, is currently expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Avid's stockholders and receipt of required regulatory approvals. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition. The companies will continue to operate independently until the proposed transaction is finalized. Upon completion of the transaction, Avid common stock will no longer be listed on any public stock exchange. The company will continue to operate under the Avid name and brand. In light of the proposed transaction, Avid will not host an earnings conference call and is suspending its practice of providing financial guidance. Avid Bioservices (NASDAQ: CDMO) is a dedicated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) focused on development and CGMP manufacturing of biologics. The company provides a comprehensive range of process development, CGMP clinical and commercial manufacturing services for the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries. With more than 30 years of experience producing biologics, Avid's services include CGMP clinical and commercial drug substance manufacturing, bulk packaging, release and stability testing and regulatory submissions support. For early-stage programs the company provides a variety of process development activities, including cell line development, upstream and downstream development and optimization, analytical methods development, testing and characterization. The scope of our services ranges from standalone process development projects to full development and manufacturing programs through commercialization. www.avidbio.com Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release, which are not purely historical, including statements regarding the company's projected revenue ramp and expected continued momentum, expected future sustained profitability, the estimated annual revenue-generating capacity of the company's facilities, the expected benefits to the company's business from customers with later stage programs, the anticipated timing for recognizing revenue from the company's backlog, the realization of the company's strategic objectives, the company's revenue guidance, and other statements relating to the company's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations, representations, projections, plans or predictions of the future, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental and regulatory approvals of the proposed transaction that could delay the consummation of the proposed transaction or cause the parties to abandon the proposed transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement entered into in connection with the proposed transaction; the possibility that the company's stockholders may not approve the proposed transaction; the risk that the parties to the merger agreement may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the proposed transaction in a timely manner or at all; risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of the company's common stock; the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction; the risk of any litigation relating to the proposed transaction; and the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of the company to retain and hire key personnel and to maintain relationships with customers, vendors, partners, employees, stockholders and other business relationships and on its operating results and business generally, the risk the company may experience delays in engaging new customers, the risk that the company may not be successful in executing customers projects, the risk that changing economic conditions may delay or otherwise adversely impact the realization of the company's backlog, the risk that the company may not be able to convert its backlog into revenue within the contemplated time periods, the risk that the company may experience technical difficulties in completing customer projects due to unanticipated equipment and/or manufacturing facility issues which could result in projects being terminated or delay delivery of products to customers, revenue recognition and receipt of payment or result in the loss of the customer, the risk that the company's later-stage customers do not receive regulatory approval or that commercial demand for an approved product is less than forecast, the risk that one or more existing customers terminates its contract prior to completion or reduces or delays its demand for development or manufacturing services which could adversely affect guided fiscal 2025 revenues, the risk that expanding into a new biologics manufacturing capability may distract senior management's focus on the company's existing operations, the risk that the company may experience delays in hiring qualified individuals into the cell and gene therapy business, the risk that the company may experience delays in engaging customers for the cell and gene therapy business, and the risk that the cell and gene therapy business may not become profitable for several years, if ever. Our business could be affected by a number of other factors, including the risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, but not limited to, our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, as well as any updates to these risk factors filed from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, and we disclaim any obligation, and do not undertake, to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release except as may be required by law. CONTACT: Contacts: Stephanie Diaz (Investors) Vida Strategic Partners 415-675-7401 [email protected] Tim Brons (Media) Vida Strategic Partners 415-675-7402 [email protected]

Spotify Wrapped is always a mess for parents. The new AI ‘podcast’ version just makes it worse.

Texas and Georgia are battling for recruiting supremacy before duking it out for a Southeastern Conference title. Alabama, which also appears to be headed to the playoffs, is right behind them. The two Atlanta-bound and presumably playoff-bound SEC powers are leading the way in recruiting league-wide and nationally during the early signing period that started Wednesday. They’ll meet Saturday in the SEC championship game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They’re currently No. 1 (Texas) and No. 2 (Georgia) nationally, but the SEC holds a sweep of the top three with the Crimson Tide ranked third in Kalen DeBoer’s first full recruiting cycle. The league holds eight of the top 11 spots. The final rankings are pending the decision of the nation’s top uncommitted prospect, defensive tackle Justus Terry, who is expected to choose among three SEC schools: Georgia, Texas and Auburn. Leader of the pack The Longhorns landed four five-star prospects, per the 247Sports composite rankings of recruiting sites. They also picked up No. 1-ranked athlete Michael Terry III on signing day when he chose Texas over Nebraska. Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns class is led by five-star safety Jonah Williams of Galveston, Texas, the nation’s No. 8 overall prospect, according to the composite rankings. They signed five-star wide receivers Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench, along with edge rusher Lance Jackson. Only Florida’s Ffrench was from out of state. Georgia had pledges from five five-star prospects entering signing day, led by No. 3 overall recruit defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, edge rusher Isaiah Gibson and linebacker Zayden Walker. Alabama got a potential successor to quarterback Jalen Milroe. Keelon Russell of Duncanville, Texas, is rated as the No. 2 quarterback and overall prospect per the composite rankings. Best of the rest Auburn coach Hugh Freeze has been touting his recruiting success frequently as building a solid foundation amid losing records in his first two seasons. The Tigers are currently at No. 6 and landed a much-needed quarterback in five-star Deuce Knight from Lucedale, Mississippi. LSU had the eighth-ranked class, a group led by five-star prospects in cornerback DJ Pickett, running back Harlem Berry and offensive lineman Solomon Thomas. Texas A&M stands at No. 9 after late flips in five-star signees in wide receiver Jerome Myles (from USC) and offensive tackle Lamont Rogers (Missouri). The Aggies are followed in order by LSU, Tennessee and Florida. The Volunteers were still awaiting the letter-of-intent from top-five prospect offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., who has been committed since August but is reportedly considering Ohio State. The Gators’ class was highlighted by five-star receiver Vernell Brown III. Under the radar Ole Miss wide receiver signee Caleb Cunningham is too highly rated to be truly under the radar for most programs. But Lane Kiffin has built the Rebels into an SEC contender largely with transfers, not blue-chip high school recruits. Cunningham, who de-committed from Alabama on Nov. 13, is rated as the No. 2 receiver and 18th-best player in the class. Ole Miss is looking for a replacement to star receiver Tre Harris. Star of the class Alabama’s Russell was the highest-rated recruit and plays at the most prized position. The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder led Duncanville High School to state championships in 2022 and 2023 and was MVP of the Elite 11 quarterback competition this year. Alabama returns Ty Simpson and Austin Mack at quarterback, so there may not be a pressing need for an immediate impact. Biggest surprises Myles was a big addition to the Aggies at a position of need. The nation’s No. 5 receiver and 23rd-rated recruit had decommitted from USC after visiting College Station last weekend. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko’s team is down to five scholarship receivers entering the postseason. Billy Napier and Florida flipped four-star safety Lagonza Hayward from rival Tennessee. Hayward ranks as the No. 9 safety in the country and had decommitted from the Vols on Sunday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 football throughout the season. . AP college football: andNo. 22 Illinois reaches 9 wins for first time in 17 years with 38-28 victory over Northwestern

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Celebrities can spark change when they speak up about their healthVICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says his fellow premiers and the federal government have hatched a game plan to fight U.S. tariffs, with conservative premiers lobbying Republican counterparts, left-leaning provincial leaders courting the Democrats, and Ottawa focusing on president-elect Donald Trump. The premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talked about using their political diversity and connections to thwart the prospect of Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, Eby said Thursday in a year-end interview. He said it was discussed that conservative premiers Danielle Smith in Alberta, Doug Ford in Ontario and Nova Scotia's Tim Houston are well-placed to lobby Republican governors and business leaders. Eby said as a New Democrat he will likely have more in common with Democrat governors and business leaders from the West Coast states. "I can easily have conversations with governors and businesses down the West Coast of the U.S., where we have close relationships and our politics are very similar," he said. "Premier Smith can have conversations with Republican governors. That would be more challenging for me, and (she) would have more connections potentially with the Trump administration than an NDP administration in B.C. would." He said a meeting last week between the premiers and Trudeau discussed Canada's diversity of representation, and how it could bring leverage and advantages in tariff talks. "It's interesting, there was a lot of talk about what unity means in terms of Canada's response to the tariffs," he said. "There's obviously a diversity of views around the Council of the Federation table of all the premiers. Certainly, mine is not the same as Premier Smith's or Premier Ford's or Premier Houston's, and that diversity of views is actually potentially a significant strength for us as we enter into these discussions." Eby also said he was prepared to appear on American's right-leaning Fox News TV network, as did premiers Ford and Smith. "Anything that I can do to support the national effort to protect the families in Canada from the impact of tariffs and also families in the U.S. from those unjustified tariffs," he said. "Absolutely, if I thought it was helpful." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press

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South Korea’s opposition ramped up the heat on President Yoon Suk Yeol with an impeachment motion after he plunged the nation into a political crisis by briefly imposing martial law. The Democratic Party and five other opposition parties submitted the motion Wednesday afternoon, and the impeachment bill was presented to a parliament plenary session a few hours later. It came just a day since Yoon’s shock move to take direct political control and his later humiliating climbdown. Although the ruling People Power Party voted with the opposition to reject Yoon’s martial law order, it has decided to oppose ousting the embattled leader. The main opposition party earlier said it will also pursue charges of treason against Yoon, as well as South Korea’s defense minister and safety minister, alleging that the declaration of martial law was illegal. The defense minister has offered his resignation. Yoon is preparing to give a speech to the nation later Thursday. The Hankyoreh newspaper cited a ruling party lawmaker it didn’t identify as saying he’s likely to apologize for the consequences of his action. Yoon’s surprise gamble on Tuesday night to assert his authority in response to continued deadlock blindsided the nation, his own People Power Party and global allies including the U.S. The chaotic developments whipsawed investors and prompted reassurances from monetary authorities that they would provide help in markets if needed, though Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong told Bloomberg the political events wouldn’t increase the likelihood of another interest rate cut. While the president rescinded the move early Wednesday, just hours after issuing the decree, his action triggered an outpouring of anger from the public and from his own party. He now faces widespread calls to resign, with the prospect of yet another South Korean president facing the ignominy of an impeachment process. “Yoon’s declaration of martial law appeared to be both legal overreach and a political miscalculation, unnecessarily risking South Korea’s economy and security,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “He sounded like a politician under siege, making a desperate move against mounting scandals, institutional obstruction, and calls for impeachment, all of which are now likely to intensify.” Lawmakers will need to wait at least 24 hours before they can vote on the impeachment motion with a time limit of 72 hours, possibly extending this stage of the political drama to the weekend. A two-thirds majority is required to approve the impeachment proceedings. The opposition would need 200 votes. The president would be suspended from his duties during proceedings if launched. The final ruling on his impeachment would come from the constitutional court. The parliament also plans to hold a hearing on the martial law declaration on Thursday morning, according to YTN. “Impeachment is a must,” said Chun Ha-ram, a minor opposition party lawmaker joining the motion. “It’s now time to think about how to prosecute Yoon for treason.” With the martial law decree rescinded, investors dialed back some of their worst projections for the outcome of South Korea’s political chaos. The won, Asia’s worst performing currency this year, regained most of its lost ground on Wednesday after plunging more than 3 percent shortly when initial news of the martial law decree broke on Tuesday. Stocks were hammered at the open, before recovering some of the losses to close down 1.4 percent in the afternoon. Still, the move leaves confidence in Seoul’s policymaking process battered and raises doubts about whether it will become too inwardly focused to effectively deal with the challenges presented by Donald Trump’s return to the White House and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s weapons program and his deepening ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. South Korea is also a key player in the world’s supply chains for semiconductors and tech parts. “It is hard to understate how startling the President Yoon Suk Yeol move is,” said Capital Economics analysts Mark Williams and Gareth Leather. “These events will leave a huge dent in investor confidence in the economy and its financial markets.” Moody’s Analytics said in a note that if any further political fallout isn’t resolved in a timely fashion, it would weigh on the government’s ability to effectively pass important legislation and tackle numerous crises, including fragile economic growth prospects, a challenging geopolitical environment and structural constraints from demographic aging. The BOK held an extraordinary meeting Wednesday morning just a week after its surprise move to cut interest rates as members discussed steps to shield the economy and markets. The BOK will increase short-term liquidity and take “active” steps in currency markets as needed to ensure stability, it said in a statement following a hastily called board meeting. BOK’s Rhee tried to play down the significance of a “short-lived” political event for the economic outlook in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “Economic dynamics in Korea can be separated from the political dynamics, given our strong market fundamentals and the mature democracy,” Rhee said. The imposition of martial law by Yoon, 63, was a high-stakes gamble he claimed would prevent the opposition from trying to paralyze his administration amid a political rift that will now focus on what action will be taken against him. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says the military will prioritize its role of protecting the people, Yonhap said, in a possible indication that the armed forces will not get directly involved in the political wrangling ahead. “I think it’s safe to say that Yoon’s days as president are numbered,” said Rachel Minyoung Lee, senior fellow at Stimson Center’s Korea Program and 38 North. Among the potential replacements for Yoon, should he step down or be removed from the presidency, is Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the ruling People Power Party and Democratic Party chief Lee Jae-myung. Han moved quickly to reject the president’s decision to impose martial law. The 51-year-old worked with Yoon as prosecutors before they both moved into politics and is best known for playing a central role in investigating and securing the convictions of two former conservative presidents: Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. Lee’s Democratic Party enjoyed a landslide win in parliamentary elections in April, but he faces the risk of being excluded from political life after a court convicted him of violating election laws in November. Current Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo could serve as a caretaker leader in the interim. In a head-spinning night of developments, lawmakers gathered at parliament to vote down the martial law move announced by Yoon in a live televised address late in the evening. Yoon followed up with another televised address to say he would accept the National Assembly’s demand. Even before Tuesday’s dramatic events, Yoon was deeply unpopular, and his approval ratings had plunged to record lows. “It is so embarrassing that I can’t see the faces of Koreans living abroad,” Park Sam-choon, 76-year old at a rally demanding Yoon’s impeachment said on Wednesday. “Yoon should step down immediately. I watched so many presidents so far — even the first president of South Korea. For me, Yoon looks like a 5-year-old boy. He doesn’t know what he is doing.” For many South Koreans, this political and seasonal situation is reminiscent of the winter of 2016. Former President Park Geun-hye faced a motion for impeachment that December following a lengthy controversy over corruption and influence peddling allegations. She was ousted and eventually sentenced to time in prison for abuse of power. “There are a lot of things that we still don’t know but one thing we know is that this has confirmed that the president holds values totally different from those of ordinary South Korean citizens,” said Park Won-ho, a political science professor at Seoul National University. “It won’t be easy for them to consider him now as their president.”CARROLLTON, Ga. (AP) — Carter Welling's 21 points helped Utah Valley defeat West Georgia 77-74 on Tuesday night. Welling had 11 rebounds for the Wolverines (4-1). Trevan Leonhardt added 11 points while going 4 of 5 from the field while they also had three steals. Dominick Nelson shot 3 of 11 from the field and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points, while adding six rebounds. Shelton Williams-Dryden finished with 18 points for the Wolves (0-7). Kyric Davis added 16 points and four blocks for West Georgia. Malcolm Noel had 14 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Social shopping finally broke through in the US in 2024, driven by TikTok Shop. Companies spent years trying to import social-commerce habits from Asia, with varied success. The US market is still dominated by Amazon, but social apps and influencers are key players. Social platforms have spent years trying to get Americans to buy stuff from videos, posts, and livestreams. That bet seems to finally be paying off. The 2024 holiday sales from social media — driven by TikTok Shop and influencer affiliates, among other factors — show how far social shopping has come in the past five years. TikTok Shop, which had its official wide launch in the US in September 2023, reported $100 million in single-day US sales on Black Friday this year, triple what it drove in 2023. Americans viewed over 30,000 TikTok shopping livestreams that day, with one creator picking up $2 million in sales from a single session. The company's holiday gold rush didn't come easily. TikTok and its owner ByteDance have spent years investing in its e-commerce business, even as competitors like Instagram have pulled back on shopping features. TikTok began testing out social-commerce features in the US as early as 2020 when it let creators add shopping buttons to some videos . It began rolling out its more advanced product, Shop , in the US to a group of merchants and agencies in November 2022 after testing in other markets like the UK. It's since built out its own order fulfillment program, enlisted hundreds of outside partners to train merchants and creators on how to sell in-app, and recently began connecting creators with manufacturers to build their own products. TikTok likely wants to replicate some of the success of its sister app in China, Douyin, which drives hundreds of billions in sales annually, often via influencer livestreams. While TikTok's numbers are comparatively small, the company has made a ton of progress this year, social-commerce executives told Business Insider. Max Benator, the CEO of the social-shopping agency Orca, said he expects to hit just under $100 million in total gross merchandise value, or GMV, in 2024 across the company's clients, a roughly 10X increase from 2023. "We've now been on TikTok Shop since the very beginning, and we've seen successes gradually and consistently increase month over month," Benator told BI. "The numbers are serious." Outlandish, a TikTok Shop agency that recently opened a livestreaming hub in Santa Monica , said its Shop sellers earned $48 million in US sales in November, up from $20 million in October. The company is betting that live shopping will continue to gain traction in the US, as it has in more mature social-commerce markets like China. "It's QVC on steroids," Outlandish's founder and CEO William August told BI. Affiliate marketing from influencers and others drove a fifth of Cyber Monday sales revenue TikTok Shop's holiday performance was impressive for an e-commerce newcomer, but its business remains a small piece of overall holiday sales. Total online Black Friday sales in the US hit $10.8 billion this year, up about 10% from 2023, according to Adobe Analytics . Online sales in the US between November 1 and December 2 reached $131.5 billion, and hit $13.3 billion on Cyber Monday alone. Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target continue to dominate much of online spending, but social-media influencers and other affiliate marketers are playing an increasingly important role in driving purchases on those platforms. About 20% of US e-commerce revenue on Cyber Monday arrived via affiliate or other promotional links, a 7% year-over-year increase from 2023, per Adobe Analytics. Outside TikTok and affiliate marketing, other influencer-focused platforms are also reporting meaningful sales volume this year. Live shopping platform Whatnot said in November that it had surpassed $2 billion in year-to-date livestream sales, for example. TikTok and its partners are proving that US consumers are willing to adjust shopping habits When TikTok and competitors like Instagram and YouTube first began testing e-commerce features in the US, not all consumers were psyched. Social media is for entertainment, not shopping , some said. Amazon and other big retailers have long dominated e-commerce, and changing consumer habits is a challenge. Instagram backpedaled on its shopping product last year, removing its Shop tab in February 2023 and eventually partnering with Amazon for its in-app shopping strategy. But TikTok kept charging forward with social shopping. It enlisted an army of agency partners and livestream coaches to accelerate the adoption of Shop and flooded its feed with videos of creators hawking goods in exchange for a commission. TikTok's owner ByteDance was likely behind the company's determination to make social shopping work as it sought to bring Douyin's success to TikTok . Now that live shopping and social commerce are beginning to take hold in the US, TikTok and ByteDance's push into the category is paying off (though it all could fall apart if TikTok ends up being banned in January due to a divest-or-ban law ). "This is the year that we've seen the real beginning of live shopping in America," said Julian Reis, the CEO of SuperOrdinary , a social-commerce agency that's worked with TikTok and Douyin. "With TikTok, we've had the first real foray into building an ecosystem that ties in entertainment and live shopping together, and a full-service ecosystem that brings in the creators, the affiliates, the products, the brands altogether."

NoneChandigarh: The Punjab govt has allocated Rs 92 crore from the 2024-25 budget under the Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students scheme, to settle the outstanding dues for govt institutions. Sharing details, the minister of social justice, empowerment and minorities, Dr Baljit Kaur , said the Punjab govt had released Rs 366 crore during the 2023-24 fiscal year to clear dues under the Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students scheme for the years 2017-18 to 2019-20. Now, an additional Rs 92 crore has been released to settle the outstanding dues for govt institutions. TNN We also published the following articles recently Gujarat govt disburses Rs 28 cr in scholarships to science students The Gujarat government has disbursed Rs 28 crore to over 2.5 lakh students under the Namo Saraswati Vigyan Sadhana Yojana. This scheme, announced in the current budget, provides Rs 25,000 over two years to students pursuing science education after 10th grade. Bangladesh halves power imports from Adani after outstanding dues: Report Bangladesh has halved its electricity imports from Adani Power, citing lower winter demand and a payment dispute of roughly $650 million, although Adani claims the amount is closer to $900 million. This move follows Adani's initial reduction in supply due to late payments, exacerbating Bangladesh's financial strain. BJP govt renamed 21 schemes of previous govt, CM tells House Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi revealed in the state assembly that the BJP government has renamed 21 schemes initiated by the previous BJD administration. Seven new initiatives have also been introduced. Notable changes include the "Kalia scheme" becoming "PM-KISAN" and the "Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana" transitioning to "Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

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The number of Matter-enabled thermostats just grew by one

By DEVNA BOSE and JOHN SEEWER “Wanted” posters with the names and faces of health care executives have been popping up on the streets of New York. Hit lists with images of bullets are circulating online with warnings that industry leaders should be afraid. Related Articles National News | Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge National News | Unidentified drones spotted flying at locations across NYC, including LaGuardia Airport National News | About 2.6 million Stanley cups recalled after malfunctions caused burns. Is your mug included? National News | Woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape in 2006 publicly admits she lied National News | Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases The apparent targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the menacing threats that followed have sent a shudder through corporate America and the health care industry in particular, leading to increased security for executives and some workers. In the week since the brazen shooting , health insurers have removed information about their top executives from company websites, canceled in-person meetings with shareholders and advised all employees to work from home temporarily. An internal New York Police Department bulletin warned this week that the online vitriol that followed the shooting could signal an immediate “elevated threat.” Police fear that the Dec. 4 shooting could “inspire a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors to violence,” according to the bulletin, which was obtained by The Associated Press. “Wanted” posters pasted to parking meters and construction site fences in Manhattan included photos of health care executives and the words “Deny, defend, depose” — similar to a phrase scrawled on bullets found near Thompson’s body and echoing those used by insurance industry critics . Thompson’s wife, Paulette, told NBC News last week that he told her some people had been threatening him and suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Investigators believe the shooting suspect, Luigi Mangione , may have been motivated by hostility toward health insurers. They are studying his writings about a previous back injury, and his disdain for corporate America and the U.S. health care system. Mangione’s lawyer has cautioned against prejudging the case. Mangione, 26, has remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday . Manhattan prosecutors are working to bring him to New York to face a murder charge. UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said this week it was working with law enforcement to ensure a safe work environment and to reinforce security guidelines and building access policies, a spokesperson said. The company has taken down photos, names and biographies for its top executives from its websites, a spokesperson said. Other organizations, including CVS, the parent company for insurance giant Aetna, have taken similar actions. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. has announced that its investor day will be held online, rather than in-person as originally planned. Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm, said last week it was temporarily closing its six offices for security reasons and would have its employees work from home. Heightened security measures likely will make health care companies and their leaders more inaccessible to their policyholders, said former Cigna executive Wendell Potter. “And understandably so, with this act of violence. There’s no assurance that this won’t happen again,” said Potter, who’s now an advocate for health care reform. Private security firms and consultants have been in high demand, fielding calls almost immediately after the shooting from companies across a range of industries, including manufacturing and finance. Companies have long faced security risks and grappled with how far to take precautions for high-profile executives. But these recent threats sparked by Thompson’s killing should not be ignored, said Dave Komendat, a former security chief for Boeing who now heads his own risk-management company. “The tone and tenor is different. The social reaction to this tragedy is different. And so I think that people need to take this seriously,” Komendat said. Just over a quarter of the companies in the Fortune 500 reported spending money to protect their CEOs and top executives. Of those, the median payment for personal security doubled over the last three years to just under $100,000. Hours after the shooting, Komendat was on a call with dozens of chief security officers from big corporations, and there have been many similar meetings since, hosted by security groups or law enforcement agencies assessing the threats, he said. “It just takes one person who is motivated by a poster — who may have experienced something in their life through one of these companies that was harmful,” Komendat said. Associated Press reporters Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York and Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco, contributed to this report.Not Purdy: 49ers hit Green Bay with backup QB, no Bosa

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Josh Norris broke a tie on a power play with 7:18 left, Leevi Merilainen made 30 saves in his fifth NHL game and the Ottawa Senators beat the Minnesota Wild 3-1 on Sunday night. Ottawa has won seven of its past nine games, while the Wild have lost five of their past seven. The Senators won in Minnesota for the first time since 2016. With starter Linus Ullmark and backup Anton Forsberg out with injuries, the Senators have been relying on Merilainen and Mads Sogaard since before the NHL holiday break. Frederick Gaudreau opened the scoring for Minnesota late in the first period. Ridly Greig tied it early in the second. Claude Giroux added an empty-netter. Senators: A team that finds itself surprisingly in a playoff position after missing the postseason the past six seasons topped a Western Conference contender in Minnesota. Norris has been a big part of the Senators' surge and now ranks second on the team with 14 goals. Wild: A lower-body injury kept Kirill Kaprizov out of his second straight game, but Joel Eriksson Ek returned after missing 11 games with a lower-body injury. The Wild are 17-5-4 with Eriksson Ek in the lineup and 5-6-0 without him. The Wild killed one penalty midway through the third, but Jared Spurgeon went to the box seconds later on a holding call. Norris scored on the power play. The Senators’ nine-game trip continues Thursday at Dallas night. The Wild host Nashville on Tuesday night. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlThe is a first-of-its-kind tournament that, in FIFA’s dreams, is precisely what its name suggests. It’s a 32-team extravaganza modeled after soccer’s actual , with one key difference: top professional clubs, such as Real Madrid — rather than national teams, such as Spain — are the contestants. It is scheduled to begin June 15, 2025, in the United States. And when it does, , it will be “innovative, inclusive, groundbreaking and truly global.” It represents a novel concept in sports, where the vast majority of pro teams compete exclusively within national or continental borders; the Club World Cup, on the other hand, will feature multinational pro teams — soccer’s equivalent of the New York Knicks or Kansas City Chiefs — from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It is, in theory, a true world championship. But it’s . Its launch has been dogged by organizational missteps, financial battles, player workload concerns and resistance from the European soccer establishment. The resistance has been so fierce that, until recently, some insiders questioned whether the 2025 tournament would even happen at all. Now, though, puzzle pieces are squirming into place. have been chosen. A has been signed. The at 1 p.m. ET, is near. The Club World Cup is happening. And the following is an attempt to explain it, beginning with the basics, then the complexities. The Club World Cup opens June 15, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It concludes July 13 with the in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The full schedule — dates, locations, matchups, kickoff times — should be released soon after Thursday’s draw. The 12 U.S. venues set to host games are: • Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta • Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina • TQL Stadium in Cincinnati • The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California • Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida • GEODIS Park in Nashville • MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey • Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida • Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida • Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia • Lumen Field in Seattle • Audi Field in Washington Which stadium are you looking forward to visiting? 🏟️ — FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) Most are on or near the U.S. east coast because of its proximity to Europe, which will send 12 teams, and which boasts coveted media markets. East-coast games will minimize travel (for teams and fans) and inconvenient time differences (for TV viewers). FIFA also made this decision in coordination with CONCACAF, soccer’s North and Central American governing body, which will stage its continental championship, the Gold Cup, simultaneously and . The 32 clubs set to participate are ... Manchester City (England), Chelsea (England), Real Madrid (Spain), Atlético Madrid (Spain), Bayern Munich (Germany), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Juventus (Italy), Inter Milan (Italy), PSG (France), Benfica (Portugal), Porto (Portugal), RB Salzburg (Austria) Inter Miami (U.S.), Seattle Sounders (U.S.), Monterrey (Mexico), Pachuca (Mexico), León (Mexico) Flamengo (Brazil), Palmeiras (Brazil), Fluminense (Brazil), Botafogo (Brazil), River Plate (Argentina), Boca Juniors (Argentina) Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Ulsan (South Korea), Urawa Reds (Japan), Al Ain (UAE) Al Ahly (Egypt), Wydad (Morocco), Espérance (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) Auckland City (New Zealand) In 2023, the Club World Cup’s 32 berths to Europe (12), South America (6), CONCACAF (4), Africa (4), Asia (4), Oceania (1) and the host nation (1). To earn those berths, there were — one simple, one complicated. The simple path was via continental championships. Every club that won the UEFA Champions League, the Copa Libertadores, the CONCACAF Champions Cup, or the Asian and African equivalents between 2021 and 2024 qualified automatically. Beyond those champions, slots were filled by a , but with a caveat: only the top two clubs from any given country could qualify via rankings. So, even though Liverpool ranked eighth in Europe, the Reds missed out because Man City and Chelsea won the Champions League in 2023 and 2021. Barcelona, meanwhile, ranked two spots behind Atlético Madrid — because Barca underperformed in the Champions League over the last four seasons. Salzburg ranked 18th, but snuck in because others from Spain, Italy and Germany also ran up against the two-per-country cap. In South America, four different Brazilian clubs swept the Libertadores titles. Argentine giants Boca and River claimed the two additional seats at the table. In Africa, Al Ahly won three of four Champions League titles, so Espérance and Mamelodi Sundowns joined them and Wydad in the field. In CONCACAF, things were straightforward, with four distinct winners ... except for the “host nation slot.” FIFA never said how a team could claim that slot — until October when FIFA president Gianni Infantino appeared in South Florida, unannounced on the final day of the MLS regular season, to . It’s Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. You can watch a live stream on , or . (As of Wednesday morning, there were no plans to broadcast it on cable or over-the-air TV in the U.S.) Much like a , but with . The 32 teams have been , in part based on rankings, in part based on geography: Manchester City (Europe), Real Madrid (Europe), Bayern Munich (Europe), PSG (Europe), Flamengo (South America), Palmeiras (South America), River Plate (South America), Fluminense (South America) Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Porto, Atlético Madrid, Benfica, Juventus, RB Salzburg (all Europe) Al Hilal (Asia), Ulsan (Asia), Al Ahly (Africa), Wydad (Africa), Monterrey (CONCACAF), León (CONCACAF), Boca Juniors (South America), Botafogo (South America) Urawa Reds (Asia), Al Ain (Asia), Espérance (Africa), Mamelodi Sundowns (Africa), Pachuca (CONCACAF), Seattle Sounders (CONCACAF), Auckland City (Oceania), Inter Miami (CONCACAF) The pots are set for the draw! 🔐 — FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) The draw begins with Pot 1. The first team picked goes into Group A, Position 1; the next team picked goes into Group B, Position 1; and so on. After all eight groups are filled with a Pot 1 team, a similar procedure empties Pot 2, then Pot 3, and finally Pot 4 — but subject to the following “ ”: Man City and Real Madrid, as the top two teams, must go to groups whose winners will stay on opposite sides of the knockout bracket. (One side is Group A, C, E and G; the other is B, D, F and H.) Bayern Munich and PSG, as seeds Nos. 3 and 4, will also be sent to opposite sides. And they’ll be placed to ensure that none of the four European superpowers could meet before the semifinals if they all win their groups. (The same exact principles apply to Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 from South America.) The top four teams from Pot 2 — Chelsea, Dortmund, Inter and Porto — must be placed in groups with a South American team from Pot 1. The rest of Pot 2 — Atléti, Benfica, Juve and Salzburg — will be paired with a fellow European club from Pot 1. Teams from the same country can’t be in the same group — meaning Atlético Madrid can’t draw Real Madrid. Beyond the four pairings of European teams, no two clubs from the same continent can be grouped together. Inter Miami will get Position 4 in Group A, and Seattle will get Position 4 in Group B, so that they can play the opening games of the tournament (against teams from Pot 3). The Club World Cup will run just like past men’s World Cups, with the 32 teams divided into eight groups of four. The top two in each group will advance to the Round of 16. From there, single-elimination games will decide a champion. For roughly two decades, FIFA ran another tournament also called the Club World Cup. That, though, was a shorter seven-team tournament played annually in the winter, and contested by only the most recent champion of each continent (plus one club from the host country). That tournament has now morphed into the “FIFA Intercontinental Cup.” The 32-team quadrennial summer tournament that will launch in 2025, and that you’re reading about now, is distinct, and unconnected to the seven-team annual version — other than the “Club World Cup” name. The European giants, . Their betting odds and relative standing could change between December and June, but for now the favorites are Manchester City (+320), Real Madrid (+360), Bayern Munich (+600), Chelsea (+700), Inter Milan (+950) and PSG (+1000). That’s the million-dollar question of the Club World Cup. With intercontinental club competitions so scarce, not a soul knows for sure how clubs from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, MLS, East Asia, North Africa and elsewhere will measure up to the likes of Bayern, PSG and Porto. The assumption — based on rosters and salaries — is that the European teams are superior. But betting markets are somewhat skeptical, and suggest the gap might be thinner than Westerners realize. , Palmeiras is +1900 to win the title — same as Dortmund and Juve. Al Hilal and Flamengo are +2500 — same as Porto and Benfica. There are grounded in analytics that attempt to rank clubs across borders and seas. Most lead to a middle-ground conclusion: the Man Cities, Real Madrids and Bayerns of the world stand confidently atop the sport, but not all European teams do. Upsets will be possible. , which include over 13,000 clubs, rate the 32 Club World Cup contestants as follows: Inter Milan (2, 98.9) Manchester City (3, 98.4) Real Madrid (5, 97.4) Bayern Munich (8, 95.7) PSG (9, 95.7) Chelsea (12, 94.5) Juventus (13, 94.2) Atlético Madrid (14, 93.6) Borussia Dortmund (20, 92.4) Benfica (21, 92.4) Porto (26, 91.3) Al Hilal (30, 90.7) Botafogo (55, 87.9) Palmeiras (58, 87.4) Flamengo (68, 86.4) River Plate (99, 84.8) Al Ahly (106, 84.5) Inter Miami (113, 84.2) Seattle Sounders (143, 83.2) Monterrey (144, 83.2) RB Salzburg (150, 83.0) Boca Juniors (160, 82.5) Fluminense (166, 82.5) Mamelodi Sundowns (220, 80.8) Espérance (324, 78.8) Ulsan (361, 78.4) Pachuca (375, 78.2) Urawa Reds (389, 77.9) León (400, 77.8) Wydad (565, 75.8) Al Ain (678, 74.7) Auckland City (4082, 59.0) Probably. In fact, FIFA’s published state that all participating clubs must “field their strongest team throughout the competition.” But there are questions around how “strongest team” would be defined, and how that rule would be enforced. And there is context. A select few of the biggest clubs, such as Real Madrid, don’t seem all that enthusiastic about participating. They will have to be incentivized to come and try to win. How? With tens of millions of dollars in prize money and appearance fees. Sort of — to the extent that all of modern sport is about money. The Club World Cup is FIFA’s attempt to monetize soccer’s biggest clubs and players — which double as the sport’s most marketable brands. Currently, the vast majority of club soccer games, and therefore revenues — from broadcast rights, sponsorships and more — are controlled by domestic leagues, such as the English Premier League; and by continental confederations, namely UEFA, which runs the hugely profitable Champions League. FIFA, meanwhile, makes billions off the World Cup, a quadrennial showpiece for national teams. But because the Champions League is an annual bonanza, UEFA’s revenues are far greater. Those revenues trickle down to European clubs and national soccer federations, which use the money to recruit or produce players — and consolidate their supremacy. So, FIFA created the Club World Cup, which, for the first time, could allow the global governing body to profit off those same clubs — and share some small percentage of the spoils with 200-plus national soccer federations around the world, rather than solely the European ones. FIFA argues that this would be a . Critics argue it's a “cash grab”; part of a personal battle between Infantino and UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin; and a ploy to reinforce Infantino’s political power — because the presidents of the 200-plus national soccer federations sharing the spoils double as FIFA’s electorate. UEFA and the top European leagues, meanwhile, have and Infantino’s plan, because they want to keep all Real Madrid- or Manchester City-related revenue to themselves. The players and their unions are. FIFPRO Europe, a branch of the global players’ union, has called the Club World Cup a “tipping point” in the broader context of soccer’s ever-congested calendar. They’ve against FIFA, which “unilaterally set” the calendar, with space carved out for the Club World Cup. They that, especially with the new tournament extending seasons by a month, players’ bodies and brains are becoming overworked and overwhelmed. The leagues, on the other hand, say they’re concerned about workload; but really, they want to protect their market share. They already organize dozens of games per club every year; the Club World Cup will merely add a few games for a small handful of teams once every four years. The leagues want to preserve their primacy on the calendar. Their problem is that FIFA controls both the Club World Cup and the calendar. So they, too, have and attacked “FIFA’s conflict of interest.” They’ve argued to the European Commission that FIFA is abusing its position as both a commercially minded organizer and regulator of soccer. Their case, which many experts believe has merit, could muddy the future of this new tournament. The vast majority of the 32 do — and hundreds of others worldwide would love to. (Mainstream European media have largely ignored non-European perspectives.) A noisy minority, however, want to they’re well compensated. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti explained the dynamic in this past June — albeit with words he later walked back: "One single Real Madrid game is worth €20 million, and FIFA wants to give us that amount for the entire competition. ... Just like us, other clubs will refuse the invitation." Real Madrid and the rest of the clubs have since said they’re committed to the tournament. But behind the scenes, sources have told Yahoo Sports, they’re demanding hefty sums of cash. The last month that some want “significant eight-figure [appearance] fees in addition to prize money.” The question, then, for FIFA, has been: Where’s that money coming from? FIFA, anticipating immense interest in the Club World Cup, initially budgeted billions of dollars in revenue. But broadcasters and sponsors — the two main sources of potential income — were lukewarm. Negotiations with Apple collapsed. At the start of December, no television partners had been announced; and sponsors had only just begun to appear. FIFA, by all accounts, will fall short of its target, leading — and how much it will be able to pay the participating clubs. Part of the answer came Wednesday, when FIFA announced that DAZN, a struggling sports streaming platform, would broadcast all 63 Club World Cup games to viewers around the world for free. But the finances of that deal — and of the Club World Cup more broadly — remain murky. How much DAZN is paying for the tournament, , and whether the rights will be sublicensed to major TV networks in some countries is all unclear. Two people familiar with the deal told Yahoo Sports that, in its entirety, it’s worth around $1 billion. But in their press releases, FIFA and DAZN called the 2025 Club World Cup broadcast rights “the start of a broader partnership.” It’s unclear what portion of the roughly $1 billion is for the Club World Cup, and what portion might be for other rights that are part of a more extensive package. (Spokesmen for FIFA and DAZN both declined to comment on the speculation about potential Saudi involvement.) For now, in the U.S., the answer is no — DAZN, a platform that very few U.S. sports fans use, will be the exclusive broadcaster, and the only place to watch games. FIFA, though, mentioned in its news release “the possibility of sublicensing to local free-to-air linear broadcast networks.” This means that, for example, Fox could pay FIFA and/or DAZN to broadcast some of all of the 63 games. If there is no such sublicensing, the DAZN deal will be disastrous for the visibility of the tournament in the U.S. Nope. , you can “ ” in tickets, but FIFA has not said when or how you’ll be able to buy them. It could be. In many ways, it should be. But with budgets reportedly slashed, and planning far behind schedule, most insiders expect the 2025 edition to be a mixed bag of vibrancy, mishaps, full stadiums and duds. Even a mixed bag, though — in the absence of boycotts or legal interventions — should be enough to get the Club World Cup off the ground, and in position for success in 2029 and beyond.

5 nights at freddy's game

Passage Bio, Inc. ( NASDAQ:PASG – Get Free Report ) major shareholder Orbimed Advisors Llc sold 230,321 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $0.60, for a total value of $138,192.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,404,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,442,921.40. The trade was a 3.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC. Orbimed Advisors Llc also recently made the following trade(s): Passage Bio Stock Down 0.4 % Shares of NASDAQ:PASG opened at $0.66 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $0.67 and its 200 day moving average is $0.75. The stock has a market cap of $40.58 million, a P/E ratio of -0.56 and a beta of 1.43. Passage Bio, Inc. has a 52-week low of $0.45 and a 52-week high of $1.79. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Get Our Latest Research Report on Passage Bio Hedge Funds Weigh In On Passage Bio A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PASG. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Passage Bio during the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Passage Bio by 18.2% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 509,516 shares of the company’s stock valued at $357,000 after acquiring an additional 78,406 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH purchased a new stake in shares of Passage Bio during the 3rd quarter worth $1,718,000. Lynx1 Capital Management LP boosted its position in Passage Bio by 4.4% during the second quarter. Lynx1 Capital Management LP now owns 5,057,629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,017,000 after purchasing an additional 211,758 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vestal Point Capital LP grew its stake in Passage Bio by 0.8% in the third quarter. Vestal Point Capital LP now owns 6,100,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,270,000 after purchasing an additional 48,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 53.48% of the company’s stock. Passage Bio Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Passage Bio, Inc, a genetic medicines company, develops gene therapies for central nervous system diseases. It develops PBGM01, a functional GLB1 gene encoding ß-galactosidase for infantile GM1; PBFT02, a functional granulin (GRN) and gene encoding progranulin (PGRN) for the treatment of FTD caused by progranulin deficiency; and PBKR03, a functional GALC gene encoding the hydrolytic enzyme galactosylceramidase for infantile Krabbe disease. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Passage Bio Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Passage Bio and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

A sensor has been developed to monitor fluctuating proteins within the body in real time. This is in the form of a new implantable medical device that functions ‘like a tree branch’ to grab proteins. The device comprises strands of DNA that stick to proteins, shake them off and then grab more proteins. To present the benefits of the device, the Northwestern University researchers used an animal study to deploy the device to accurately track biomarkers of inflammation (assessing protein biomarkers of inflammation in diabetic rats). Going forwards, the device could additionally track protein markers for other illnesses, including heart failure. According to lead researcher Shana O. Kelley , interviewed by Lab Manager : “The device’s design is analogous to a continuous glucose monitor that sits on your arm and measures levels right beneath your skin. You can see that your glucose levels are increasing in real-time. But then maybe you take your insulin, and your glucose goes back down.” Kelley adds: “You need to be able to measure trends in the wrong direction and trends in the right direction. It’s the same with proteins in inflammation. We need to track fluctuations in order to get a full picture of what’s happening in the body. This is a completely new capability — to be able to watch inflammation in real time. There are a huge number of applications that we are now beginning to explore.” The nanoscale sensors are described by the researchers are resembling ‘rows of bulbous pendulums’, each comprising a double-stranded cord of DNA. One end of the DNA strand is attached to an electrode, and the other end is attached to another bit of DNA that binds to a desired protein. When the researchers apply an alternating electric field, the pendulum-like sensors swing back and forth — flinging off proteins within a mere minute and catching others. The DNA sensors can ‘release’ their proteins after each measurement cycle, enabling continuous, real-time monitoring inside the body. For the animal study, the researchers designed sensors to bind to two protein cytokines, which are key markers of inflammation. Then they attached the device into the skin of rats with diabetes. Because diabetes and inflammation are tightly linked, many complications associated with diabetes are caused by inflammation. The sensors successfully measured concentration changes of both proteins within fluid. When the rats fasted or received insulin, the sensors tracked cytokine levels as they drifted down. Conversely, when researchers injected the rats with a substance that agitates the immune system, the inflammatory cytokine levels rapidly shot up. The research has been published in the journal Science , titled “Active-reset protein sensors enable continuous in vivo monitoring of inflammation.” Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.Blob Attack: Tower Defense is out now on the iOS App Store It's a simple tower defense game that pits you against oncoming slimes Gather energy, unlock new weapons and so on Sometimes, it's good to have something simple to play. No frills, no new spin, but just a straightforward . And for better or worse, today's subject Blob Attack: Tower Defense is exactly that. Coming to us from solo developer Stanislav Buchkov, let's find out what they have to offer. There's little special to say about it, as this one person-developed game is out now on the iOS App Store, and sees you performing all the expected actions in the genre. Build up your towers, gather energy and unlock new, more powerful weapons to fight off your foes. In this case, it's the seemingly quite trendy globs of slime we've seen plaguing adventurers in Dragon Quest and becoming an increasing hallmark of the fantasy genre. But with every silver lining there has to be a cloud, of course. I think the only thing that really stood out to me about Blob Attack was, unfortunately, the presence of AI art on the store page and (I would assume) in-game. It's a shame as well because although Blob Attack looks to be simple, that shouldn't necessarily mean bad, but that kind of art does tend to put me off giving it a chance it would sorely deserve. Looking at Stanislav's other work on the app store it's cletar this is a bit of a throughline, which is a shame because their other work like Dungeon Craft (a pixellated RPG) could be good were it not for that undercurrent of it all being baked out of a computer algorithm. But if you're willing to hear things out we reckon we might have some other options for you. Why not look at the latest entry of to find out what's available to play on other third-party storefronts?

Jackson leads but Barkley closes gap in NFL Pro Bowl voting

against Texas in the last Saturday in Atlanta not only assured the Bulldogs a spot in the 12-team field, but it gave them a coveted first-round bye. Coach Kirby Smart’s team was able to earn the win despite playing the entire second half and overtime period without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who was injured on the final play of the first half and didn’t return to the game until for what would be the game-winning touchdown run. While backup was able to rally his team in its biggest game of the season, questions still remain about Beck and whether one of the preseason favorites for the Heisman Trophy might be able to return in time for the playoff. Here’s the latest on Carson Beck’s injury and how it impacts his playing status for the College Football Playoff: , Georgia acknowledged that Beck suffered an elbow injury during the SEC championship game while adding that Beck and his family are “exploring treatment options.” According to the university, there is “no current timetable on his return.” Beck was injured while attempting to throw a Hail Mary from midfield with no time remaining in the first half. As he was about to move his arm forward to throw a last-second heave, Beck was hit by Texas’ Trey Moore, with some noticeable contact on his forearm. Beck was tended to by team medical personnel and did not return to action, with Stockton taking over for him the rest of the way. Smart had said during the playoff selection show on Sunday that Beck had undergone an MRI that morning on his elbow. Monday, Beck suffered an injury to his UCL, a ligament in the elbow that connects the bones of the upper arm to the forearm. For now, the vague, uncertain timetable for a potential return adds to the doubt surrounding a Georgia team that’s one of the favorites to win the playoff. Thanks to the bye, the Bulldogs won’t play again until the Sugar Bowl on January 1, a national quarterfinal game that will pit them against the winner of a December 20 matchup between Notre Dame and Indiana. If nothing else, Beck could have some extra time to rest his elbow if the injury isn’t so serious that it would require surgery. While relieving Beck, Stockton, a sophomore who was a four-star recruit in the 2022 class, completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. During his senior season, Beck has completed 64.7% of his passes for 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Syria receives another chance with Assad gone

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 9, 2024-- Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. (TSXV: TBRD, OTCQX: THBRF) (“Thunderbird” or the “Company”) wishes to provide an update to shareholders on the impact of the strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers on the Company’s ability to comply with its obligations to deliver to shareholders its financial statements and related disclosure and proxy-related materials in respect of the Company’s annual general and special meeting of shareholders scheduled to be held virtually on December 12, 2024 at 9:00 am PST (the “Meeting”). As a result of the strike, and pursuant to CSA Coordinated Blanket Order 51-931 Temporary Exemption from requirements in National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Requirements and National Instrument 54-101 Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer to send certain proxy-related materials during a postal strike (the “Blanket Order”), the Company is advising shareholders that: For information on Thunderbird and to subscribe to the Company’s investor list for news updates, go to www.thunderbird.tv . ABOUT THUNDERBIRD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a global award-winning, full-service multiplatform production, distribution and rights management company, headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Los Angeles and Ottawa. Thunderbird creates award-winning scripted, unscripted, and animated programming for the world’s leading digital platforms, as well as Canadian and international broadcasters. The Company develops, produces, and distributes animated, factual, and scripted content through its various content arms, including Thunderbird Kids and Family (Atomic Cartoons), Thunderbird Unscripted (Great Pacific Media) and Thunderbird Scripted. Productions under the Thunderbird umbrella include Mermicorno: Starfall, Super Team Canada, Molly of Denali, Highway Thru Hell, Kim’s Convenience, Boot Camp, and Sidelined: The QB and Me . Thunderbird Distribution and Thunderbird Brands manage global media and consumer products rights, respectively, for the Company and select third parties. Thunderbird is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @tbirdent. For more information, visit: www.thunderbird.tv . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information Thunderbird’s public communications may include written, or oral “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” as defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements or information may be identified by words such as “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “will”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “believe”, “intend”, or similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the ongoing Canada Post strike, the upcoming annual general and special meeting of shareholders of the Company, items to be voted upon by the shareholders attending such meeting, and delivery of materials to shareholders following resumption of regular postal service. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; product capability and acceptance; and other factors set out in the “Risk and Uncertainty” section of the Company’s MD&A dated June 30, 2024. The foregoing is not an exhaustive list. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to Thunderbird or that management believes to be less significant may also adversely affect the Company. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this document represent the Company’s views as of the date hereof, and therefore such information should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this document. The Company’s actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those ‎expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be ‎given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if ‎any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom. Readers are therefore cautioned ‎that the foregoing lists of important factors are not exhaustive, and they should not unduly rely on the ‎forward-looking statements included in this news release. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly ‎qualified by this cautionary statement. Thunderbird has no intention, and undertakes no obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209645003/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations Contacts: Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital +1 905 326 1888 ext 1 glen@bristolir.comMedia Relations Contact: Lana Castleman, Director, Marketing & Communications 416-219-3769 lcastleman@thunderbird.tvCorporate Communications Julia Smith, Finch Media Julia@finchmedia.net KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: LICENSING (ENTERTAINMENT) COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT TV AND RADIO SOURCE: Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/09/2024 05:00 PM/DISC: 12/09/2024 05:03 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209645003/en

Stock futures are little changed as Wall Street readies for the final trading week of 2024: Live updates

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck on Saturday announced his plans to enter the NFL draft, five days after having season-ending elbow surgery. Beck, a fifth-year senior, made his NFL plans official on social media. Beck suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 7 in Atlanta. Beck had surgery on Monday to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Beck is expected to begin throwing next spring. He could have returned for a sixth season but instead will enter the NFL draft. Beck posted on Instagram: “The past five years at the University of Georgia have been nothing short of a dream come true and I will forever cherish the memories that have been made.” Gunner Stockton, who took over for Beck in the second half against Texas, will start for Georgia on Wednesday in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Beck has started every game of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He was 24-3 as a starter. Beck passed for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions in 2023 but had more difficulties with turnovers this season as he passed for 28 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He completed 7 of 13 passes for 56 yards before his injury in the SEC championship game. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Read more NCAA football coverage at thestar.com

Holiday shopping doesn't have to be stressfulNoneOracle shares fall 8% in extended trade on disappointing growth, denting cloud enthusiasm

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

Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen returns to a tournament after a dispute over jeans is resolved

Hurricane Helene may have spread invasive critters in Georgia

Short Interest in Aeries Technology, Inc (NASDAQ:AERT) Declines By 16.4%Carter's single White House term still stirs controversy after more than 40 yearsANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANIP) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

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) 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. 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. 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.” 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 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.

What Critics Get Wrong About the Ivy LeagueAfter leading Western Kentucky to bowl games in each of his six seasons, coach Tyson Helton landed a new four-year contract, ESPN reported Saturday. When it's official, the deal will keep Helton, 47, at Western Kentucky through the 2028 season. His 48-32 record with the Hilltoppers includes four bowl wins and a nonconference victory against Arkansas. Before joining Western Kentucky as head coach, the former Houston signal-caller served as Southern California's quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator from 2016-17 and was Tennessee's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2018. Helton, who had previously served as an assistant at Western Kentucky, has also been on the coaching staffs of Cincinnati, UAB, Memphis and Hawaii. --Field Level Media

Cavaliers vs. Wizards Injury Report Today – December 13

As the train rolls past the town of Hohen Neuendorf ten miles north of Berlin, a screen on the wall flashes up an astonishing figure: 553 megabits per second (Mbps). It is monitoring the real-time download speed of the wireless internet. It is a big number. The median speed for UK households is 73 Mbps. Mine is not any old railway carriage, however. Welcome to the Advanced Train Lab, which Deutsche Bahn (DB) uses to test the latest technology. When I boarded the four-carriage “fastest lab on rails”, I stepped into a rolling internet café, hooked up with the latest and best in wi-fi. It is a far cry from the passenger experience on UK railways, where travellers can watch a video at best —

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The people that president-elect Donald Trump has selected to lead federal health agencies in his second administration include a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All of them could play pivotal roles in fulfilling a new political agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans' health — from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. And if Congress approves, at the helm of the team as Department of Health and Human Services secretary will be prominent environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Reminds PACS Investors of January 13, 2025 Deadline in Securities Fraud Class Action and Urges Investors with Losses to Contact the FirmGod, Bitcoin, and Proof-of-Work: How Ancient Wisdom Powers the Blockchain

Shedeur Sanders hurt by brutal 'cheap shot' in Colorado game as fans fume at officials

Omar-e-Rawan: Silent mental health crisis prompts launch of initiative for ICT schoolsTrump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelationsNone

Bryant defeats Tennessee State 97-85They were all exceptional – Mikel Arteta loved seeing Arsenal run riot in LisbonGlobal Banking, Financial Services, And Insurance BFSI Crisis Management Market To Reach $24.23 Billion By 2028

Percentages: FG .221, FT .625. 3-Point Goals: 5-20, .250 (Ware 2-6, Bailey 1-3, Martino 1-3, Ky.Shaw 1-6, E.Johnson 0-2). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 1 (Ky.Shaw). Turnovers: 15 (E.Johnson 3, Flippin 3, Ky.Shaw 3, Bailey 2, Ke.Shaw 2, Vassel, Ware). Steals: 6 (Ware 5, Bailey). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .446, FT .611. 3-Point Goals: 10-40, .250 (Riley 2-5, Humrichous 2-8, Boswell 2-9, Booth 1-2, Ivisic 1-4, Jakucionis 1-4, Gibbs-Lawhorn 1-5, Kutcher 0-1, Davis 0-2). Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 9 (Humrichous 3, Ivisic 2, Booth, Davis, M.Johnson, Riley). Turnovers: 9 (Booth 3, Jakucionis 2, Ivisic, M.Johnson, Redd, Riley). Steals: 8 (Jakucionis 4, Davis, Humrichous, Ivisic, White). Technical Fouls: None. A_13,456 (15,500).

Qatar Charity has begun distributing food aid to 7,669 orphans it sponsors in Sudan. The food baskets were distributed to the sponsored orphans in Sheikha Aisha bint Hamad Al-Attiyah City for Orphan Care, located in the River Nile State. The distribution event was attended by Dr Tahani Mirghani, Minister of Social Affairs, and Afaf Taj al-Sir, commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, along with other executive officials from River Nile State. They praised the continuous efforts of the benefactors from Qatar in supporting orphans and vulnerable groups throughout the various humanitarian crises Sudan has faced. Awad al-Karim Ali, the executive director of the Damir locality, where Sheikh Aisha al-Attiyah City is located, added that distributing food baskets to orphans amid Sudan’s current exceptional circumstances is a commendable and unique effort. He thanked the people of Qatar for their continuous support to Sudan, especially in these difficult times. Qatar Charity's field teams are planning to distribute food baskets to sponsored orphans in the Red Sea, River Nile, Kassala, Gedaref, and Northern States, in addition to distributing food baskets to orphans in Sheikha Aisha bint Hamad Al-Attiyah City in River Nile State. The food basket distribution brought a sense of relief and satisfaction to the orphans’ families, as the baskets contained essential food items. This initiative has been warmly welcomed by the sponsored orphans and their families. Mona al-Jaili, one of the sponsored orphans said that the food basket arrived at a particularly challenging time. Related Story QCAA holds training programme for 3rd batch of Egyptian air traffic controllers QNL explores strategies to support language development among childrenA look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaul

NORMAL, Ill. (AP) — Wenkers Wright ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns and No. 13 Illinois State knocked off North Dakota for the first time, 35-13 in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday. The Redbirds are 9-2 (6-2 Missouri Valley Conference) and are looking to reach the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2019 and sixth time in Brock Spack's 16 seasons as head coach. Illinois State opened the game with some trickery. Eddie Kasper pulled up on a fleaflicker and launched a 30-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Loyd to cap a seven-play, 70-yard opening drive. Simon Romfo tied it on North Dakota's only touchdown of the day, throwing 20 yards to Nate DeMontagnac. Wright scored from the 10 to make it 14-7 after a quarter, and after C.J. Elrichs kicked a 20-yard field goal midway through the second to make it 14-10 at intermission, Wright powered in from the 18 and Mitch Bartol caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Rittenhouse to make it 28-10 after three. Seth Glatz added a 13-yard touchdown run to make it 35-10 before Elrichs added a 37-yard field goal to get the Fighting Hawks on the board to set the final margin. Rittenhouse finished 21 of 33 passing for 187 yards for Illinois State. Loyd caught eight passes for 121 yards. Romfo completed 11 of 26 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown with an interception for North Dakota (5-7, 2-6). Illinois State faced North Dakota for just the fourth time and third time as Missouri Valley Conference opponents. The Redbirds lost the previous three meetings. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his ownAll monetary amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated. Toronto, Ontario–(Newsfile Corp. – December 23, 2024) – IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX: IMG) (NYSE: IAG) (“IAMGOLD” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has closed the sale of its 100% interest in the Karita Gold Project (“ Karita “) and associated exploration assets in Guinea (together, the “ Guinea Assets “). The sale of the Guinea Assets is part of the previously announced transactions, as announced on December 20, 2022, with Managem (CAS:MNG) to sell the Company’s interests in its exploration and development projects in Senegal, Guinea and Mali for aggregate consideration of approximately $282 million (pre-tax). Subsequent to the announcement, on April 26, 2023, IAMGOLD announced the closing of the sale of its interests in Senegal, including its 90% interest in the Boto Gold Project and 100% exploration interests within the country. With today’s announcement the remaining transaction yet to close is associated with the Diakha-Siribaya Gold Project and associated exploration assets in Mali. About IAMGOLD IAMGOLD is an intermediate gold producer and developer based in Canada with operating mines in North America and West Africa. The Company has commenced production at the large-scale, long life Côté Gold Mine in partnership with Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd., which is expected to be among the largest gold mines in Canada. In addition, the Company has an established portfolio of early stage and advanced exploration projects within high potential mining districts. IAMGOLD employs approximately 3,600 people and is committed to maintaining its culture of accountable mining through high standards of Environmental, Social and Governance practices, including its commitment to Zero Harm®, in every aspect of its business. IAMGOLD is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:IAG) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: IMG). To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/234976 #distro

Arsenal make Mikel Arteta proud after smashing Sporting Lisbon

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President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said the nation owes former President Jimmy Carter “a debt of gratitude.” In a post on his Truth Social platform , Trump said the 39th president, who died Sunday at the age of 100 , served the nation during a crucial time. “Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History,” he wrote. “The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.” Carter died in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, after spending nearly two years in hospice care. In his message, Trump said, “Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”ChatGPT Crashes If You Mention the Name "David Mayer"

As the Village Committee continues to investigate the cause of the signal interference and implement corrective measures, it emphasizes the importance of collaboration, transparency, and accountability in organizing public events involving innovative technologies. By learning from this unfortunate incident and working together to address the underlying issues, the Committee aims to restore confidence in the use of drones as a tool for artistic expression and exploration.

One of the key factors that will determine Guangsha's success in the coming matches is their ability to stay healthy and avoid injuries. Basketball is a physically demanding sport, and even the smallest setback can have a significant impact on a team's performance. The coaching staff will undoubtedly be monitoring the players' fitness levels closely and making any necessary adjustments to ensure that they are in prime condition for the challenges ahead.One of the key factors contributing to Ricoh's success in the survey is its strong focus on environmental sustainability. The company has set ambitious targets to reduce its carbon footprint and minimize waste generation throughout its supply chain. By investing in renewable energy sources and implementing energy-efficient technologies, Ricoh has been able to significantly lower its greenhouse gas emissions and promote a more sustainable future.

Moreover, the cryptocurrency market in China experienced a notable uplift, with Bitcoin and other digital currencies soaring to new highs. The increased interest in cryptocurrencies was fueled by a combination of factors, including growing acceptance of digital assets in mainstream finance and the allure of high returns in a volatile market.STAG Industrial, Inc. (NYSE:STAG) Announces Monthly Dividend of $0.12