PARIS — Howling winds couldn’t stop Notre Dame Cathedral’s heart from beating again. With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a specially designed crosier carved from fire-scorched beams, the monument roared back to life Saturday evening. For the first time since a devastating blaze nearly destroyed it in 2019, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened for worship, its rebirth marked by song, prayer, and awe beneath its soaring arches. The ceremony, initially planned to begin on the forecourt, was moved entirely inside due to unusually fierce December winds sweeping across the Île de la Cité, flanked by the River Seine. Yet the occasion lost none of its splendor. Inside the luminous nave, choirs sang psalms, and the cathedral’s mighty organ, silent for nearly five years, thundered to life in a triumphant interplay of melodies. The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years for a structure that took nearly two centuries to build, is seen as a moment of triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline — and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. The evening’s celebration, attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, underscored Notre Dame’s enduring role as both a spiritual and cultural beacon. Observers see the event as Macron’s, and his intention to pivot it into a fully fledged diplomatic gathering, while highlighting France’s ability to unite on the global stage despite internal political crises. Inside, 42,000 square meters of stonework — an area equal to six soccer pitches — were meticulously cleaned, revealing luminous limestone and intricate carvings. Overhead, 2,000 oak beams, nicknamed “the forest,” were used to rebuild the spire and roof, restoring the cathedral’s iconic silhouette. The thunderous great organ, with 7,952 pipes ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide, resounded for the first time since the fire. Its newly renovated console, boasting five keyboards, 115 stops, and 30 foot pedals, was a marvel of restoration, reawakening a cornerstone of Notre Dame’s identity. Guests gradually filing into the cathedral for the evening reopening ceremonies were awestruck by the renovated interiors, many whipping out cellphones to capture the moment. “It’s a sense of perfection,” said François Le Page of the Notre Dame Foundation, which raised nearly half of the €900 million ($950 million) in donations for the restoration. He last visited in 2021, when the cathedral was cloaked in scaffolding. “It was somber,” he said. “It’s night and day.” The Rev. Andriy Morkvas, a Ukrainian pastor who leads the Volodymyr Le Grand church in Paris, reflected on his first visit to Notre Dame in over a decade. “I didn’t recognize it,” he said. “God is very powerful; He can change things.” He expressed hope that the cathedral’s revival could inspire peace in his homeland, drawing strength from the presence of Ukraine’s president. “I think that will have a big impact,” he said. “I hope Notre Dame and Mary will help us resolve this conflict.” The reopening of Notre Dame comes at a time of profound global unrest, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ “It is a magnificent symbol of unity,” Dumas said. “Notre Dame is not just a French monument—it is a magnificent sign of hope.” The international range of dignitaries coming to Paris underline the cathedral’s significance as a symbol of shared heritage and peace. Canadian visitor Noelle Alexandria, who had traveled to Paris for the reopening, was struck by the cathedral’s ability to inspire. “She’s been nearly ruined before, but she always comes back,” Alexandria said. “Not many of us could say the same after such tragedy, but Notre Dame can.” Guests entered through Notre Dame’s iconic western façade, whose arched portals adorned with biblical carvings were once a visual guide for medieval believers. Above the central Portal of the Last Judgment, the Archangel Michael is depicted weighing souls, as demons attempt to tip the scales. These stone figures, designed to inspire both awe and fear, set the stage for a ceremony steeped in history. Inside, the hum of hundreds of guests awaiting the service filled the cathedral with human sounds once more — a stark contrast to the construction din that echoed there for years. Tuners restoring the great organ often worked through the night to find the silence needed to perfect its 7,952 pipes, ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide. Notre Dame echoed to the sound of a sustained standing ovation after the showing of a short movie that documented the gargantuan rebuilding effort. Outside, the word “MERCI” — thank you — was projected against the cathedral’s iconic western facade. The movie showed the terrible wounds left by the inferno — the gaping holes torn into its vaulted ceilings and the burned roof. But that was followed by images of all types of artisans, many using traditional handicraft techniques, who collectively restored Notre Dame to look better now than ever. “We went from night to light,” said one of the workers in the movie. The celebration is expected to give a much-needed boost to embattled Macron, whose prime minister was ousted this week, plunging the nation’s politics into more turmoil. The French president, who has called Notre Dame’s reopening “a jolt of hope,” will address the gathering. He had hoped the occasion would briefly silence his critics and showcase France’s unity and resilience under his leadership. Macron’s presidency now faces its gravest crisis after the government’s collapse this week in a historic no-confidence vote that toppled Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The vote followed months of political gridlock after snap elections in June. Calls are now growing louder from opposition forces for Macron to resign. But he vowed Thursday to remain in office until the end of his term in 2027, and said he’ll name a new prime minister within days. As France struggles with economic woes and social unrest, Notre Dame’s rebirth celebrations form a stark contrast. Security will be high through the weekend, echoing measures taken during the Paris Olympics earlier this year. The Île de la Cité — the small island in the River Seine that is home to Notre Dame and the historic heart of Paris— is closed to tourists and non-residents. Police vans and barriers blocked cobblestoned streets in a large perimeter around the island, while soldiers in thick body armor and sniffer dogs patrolled embankments. A special security detail is following Trump. Public viewing areas along the Seine’s southern bank will accommodate 40,000 spectators, who can follow the celebrations on large screens. For many, Notre Dame’s rebirth is not just a French achievement but a global one — after the reopening, the cathedral is set to welcome 15 million visitors annually, up from 12 million before the fire. Sylvie Corbet, Yesica Brumec, Marine Lesprit and Mark Carlson in Paris contributed.A North Korean voice Kim Jong-un would love to silence777pub club 。

Arcane ‘s second and final season has not only meant a lot to its fans and League of Legends -maker, Riot Games , it’s also meant a lot to the people behind the scenes who brought the Emmy award-winning animated series to light. Moreover, the show, which is widely regarded as one of the best video game adaptations ever , also has the added benefit of centering its epic narrative around a queer couple, Vi and Caitlyn Kiramman . To gain insights into the intimacy, love, and conflict in Arcane ‘s final season (and get juicy details about the CaitVi ship straight from the source ), we spoke with lead writer Amanda Overton and asked her how she, Riot Games, and Fortiche worked together to bring the show’s most resonant moments to life. The interview has been edited for brevity. Isaiah Colbert, io9: Video game adaptations often walk the line for fans with how well they follow their source material and whether or not they go to the beat of their own drum. What was your guiding principle for writing Arcane ’s second and final season? Amanda Overton: The guiding principle was always to make the best TV show possible. We were really fortunate that Riot was behind us in saying, “We know this is a TV show, not a game. You do you when it comes to making the best TV show you can.” Christian [Linke] and Alex [Yee] had been at Riot Games since there were only 40 people at that company. Alex actually helped create a lot of the champions that everybody loved. And they really loved the game, really loved the fans. We always wanted to be inspired by the game, and there was an element of how much of the game and the lore we could draw from so that fans would recognize things that they loved in the show as well. One of the funniest examples for me is creating the Z-Drive for Ekko in episode seven. He had this lore of having crafted the Z-Drive, the magic from these different shards of magic crystals, and we were like, “Oh, we have shards of magic crystals that might be left in the wall of that exciting event in our series.” We thought it would be fun if it was something that ended up in that alternate reality killing Vi, one of our favorite characters, then it would take Powder overcoming her emotional trauma in order to help him with that. It was a way to be inspired by the lore and add that emotional dimension we had crafted in the television series. io9: Arguably, one of Arcane ’s most gratifying moments was the canonization of Caitlyn and Vi. In a medium that’s often been accused of queerbating, fetishizing, burying its gays, or outright censoring them, as was the case with The Legend of Korra ’s Korrasami, queer animation fans have gotten used to getting the short end of the stick with their romances either being heavily implied or flatly denied. Online, you’ve become known as a soothsayer with your credits on shows like Monarch and Severance, with their queer representation. What went into your mind when writing an explicitly queer representation in one of the most prominent video game-adapted television shows between Caitlyn and Vi? Overton: In the very first week of the writer room, I was like, “OK, where’s the romance in the show?” And [Linke and Yee] were like, “It’s going to be Cait and Vi. They’ve been hinted at in the game, but they’ve never been made canon. So we want our show to make them canon.” And I was like, “I can help you with that” because I always loved video games my whole life. I loved these big, massive IP shows and stories. And I think the first time I saw [ The Last of Us: ] Left Behind , I sobbed. I sobbed for like 24 hours straight because it felt like a queer relationship in a space that I had loved so much for so long. It’s really hard to recognize the absence of a thing, but then when you finally see it for the first time, that makes a huge difference to me to see and feel that. For me, it was just a huge responsibility to tell an epic series-long romance. We were going to make them endgame. So we had to make, for me, the most satisfying things are the journeys that are most difficult to come by. I was like, “Well, we’ve got to make this as hard as possible. If Caitlyn’s an enforcer, what if enforcers killed Vi’s parents?” That was something we invented in the first week of the room so they would have the hardest possible journey to come together. But we also needed to understand how they could fall in love. That needs to be based on mutual respect. The first hurdle we had was Caitlyn. She’s an enforcer [with] a life of privilege. She didn’t have to fight, but she chose to fight. Whereas Vi, for her whole life, felt like to get anything, she always had to fight. So, she could look at someone who didn’t have to fight and chose to fight anyway. That was the kernel of, “Oh, she could respect that in Caitlyn.” If we could find some reason that these two very opposite people could respect each other, then we could find a way to make them fall in love. io9: Can you describe what it was like seeing the giant CaitVi mural in Brazil? Overton: No (laughs)! It was so overwhelming. I couldn’t even find words for it. It really was. The mural at the finale event when the scene of them getting together finally happens—the sex scene—the fan reaction was the loudest of the entire end of the series. It was as loud as a jet engine, the sound guy told me. To see people cheering so much for two queer characters to get together, that’s never happened to me before. You see a giant mural of two women in love in the center of a giant city. That’s never happened to me before. My 16-year-old self, who felt awkward and weird and loved video games and Star Wars , and never felt like she belonged. If she saw this, she would feel like she belonged. That’s the reason I write stories now, so it means the world to me. io9: One point of contention fans have had with the season is its pacing in the second act. Many fans were hoping Caitlyn’s turn to fascism would last longer and be challenged in a big way—likely by Ekko (though he’s noticeably absent). Caitlyn does come to grips with her fall from grace by saying “I know” rather than “I’m sorry” when Vi holds her feet to the fire in their confrontation in act three. What does Caitlyn’s “I know” signify to you? Overton: I think we always try to show with actions—I think actions are far more powerful than words. So we always knew that Caitlyn’s apology to Vi would take place in the way she was able to forgive Jinx. She had Jinx in custody. She could have gotten the justice that she always wanted. Instead, she chooses Vi. In letting Vi escape and have the key, there’s a world where Vi and Jinx disappear, and she never sees either of them again. So she very selflessly gave up anything she wanted at that moment to try and take an action that would be doing the right thing—that would be atoning for those mistakes. Like she says, you can never take back the mistakes. You can only try to make up for them. And so, I think that “I know” is her acknowledging to everyone that “I made mistakes, and I can’t take them back, but I can certainly take action to try and fix that.” And in the end, she gives her eye. She’s willing to die and give her eye to try again, to try and keep making up for those mistakes. io9: Maddie was a character Arcane fans loved to hate this season because she served as Caitlyn’s rebound from Vi. From a writer’s perspective, was Maddie’s purpose in the show—to give fans something to hate, or was there an added layer of reasoning to put her as a foil to Caitlyn and Vi’s romance? Overton: The biggest romances need obstacles. One of the things that Caitlyn was struggling with this season was, “Who am I now that my mom’s gone and I’m the head of the Kiramman family? Do I have to do what my mom wanted me to do? Do I have to live the Kiramman name like my mom did, or can I make it my own?” And so, in the beginning, she leans into the council and the leadership that her mom did. I didn’t just want it to be professional, I wanted it to also be personal. What would it look like if she dated someone her mom might’ve approved of? And so, I think for her, she’s trying on things to see if they fit and realizes they don’t. And that helps her understand what she really wants. io9: Obviously, this interview has become the CaitVi interview, so I’ve got you cornered here to ask some of those questions. It goes without saying that Caitlyn and Vi always dug each other in the first season, whether it be through visual tells like their many microexpressions, stolen glances at each other, match-frame shots. This season ramped things up in a big way in a scene where Caitlyn held Vi prisoner and—instead of whipping Vi’s spit away from her mouth like a normal person—Caitlyn wiped it across her lips. It behooves me to ask, did you have a hand in concocting that scene? And if so, what was going through either person’s mind at that moment? Overton: The spit scene or the sex scene? io9: The spit scene. We’ll get to the other one. Overton: I think a storyboard artist or an animator did that. That’s not something that I had a hand in. The whole team knew from the beginning that this couple was gonna be the endgame. There were 400 people working on the show, pitching ideas and figuring out ways to make them together from the length of time they embrace to which direction they move their hands. Every single person was in on this together. That’s another reason there are so many special little moments between them: because it was such a team effort to bring this to life. io9: Now we’ve arrived at the sex talk! Arcane ’s eighth episode sees Caitlyn and Vi finally culminating their romance. Were there any hard lines or notes you had as deal breakers for how the intimacy of the love scene would be depicted, and what it absolutely needed to have incorporated into it? If so, what and why? Overton: Another person that really helped bring that to life was the storyboard artist, Silvia [Martelossi]. She, like everybody, put all of their ideas of what they wanted to see in there. Our guiding light was that this was the culmination of love and a romantic relationship in our series, so it had to be better than that Jayce and Mel sex scene. It had to show more. It had to bring to life everything that these characters were and had done. I always approach writing a sex scene the same way I approach writing an action scene [and] a dialogue scene. There have to be dramatic twists and turns that happen in that action that reveals something about the characters, from how playful they are, how vulnerable they are, and the way they look at each other. Every single moment of that, you had to learn something new about their relationship. It says a lot about the action of the apology, the action of Cait having regret for having hit Vi at the end of episode three. All of that is in there. That’s why I’m really proud of how much that scene says about them, the climax of their arcs, and the forgiveness that they’re both willing to have for each other in that moment. To me, that the most important thing to do. And again, that whole team came together. Our storyboard artist, Silvia, really worked hard. She crafted a lot of wonderful beats, [and gave them] a lot of texture there. The episode’s directors also helped. Christian, Alex, everybody had a say. They also really listened to me. They’re like, “Amanda, what do you think?” And I was like, “Well, as the lesbian in the room, what about this?” And they respected, helped, empowered, and rallied around me to make it feel as authentic as it could. I know everyone has a different perspective, but to me, it felt like something the world hadn’t seen before in a story like a big video game IP. They just didn’t exist. I think we were able to put every single thing into that scene that we wanted to put into it. io9: What is the significance of their first time being in a jail cell? Overton: Honestly, the first time that was pitched to me—it wasn’t my original idea—I was like, “Really, the jail cell?” Whenever you strongly react to something, I think that’s an indication that you need to lean into it and explore. That’s what storytelling is: having strong emotional reactions to something and then figuring out why. And I was like, “Oh, well, this could be a way for Vi to reclaim that space for herself and use that to work through some of her past trauma or to reframe things that had been negative in her life to something positive.” I was like, “We’re gonna have to work really hard, you guys, to make this the right place for this moment.” I think with the lighting, the framing, and the way that the directors orchestrated everything felt beautiful. When we got to see her tattoo for the first time—everyone wanted to see her whole tattoo— I was like, “Well, that’s gonna happen in that scene.” The way we reveal that got to be really beautiful and special for both of them—Cait’s reaction to seeing my tattoo [and] Cait’s reaction to everything in that moment. Everybody worked really hard to make that location work and I think everyone has a visceral reaction to that. That’s what you want as a writer. You want your audience to feel something visceral when they see something. So I was really proud of the team for making that work. io9: Aside from CaitVi, Arcane season two has also done stellar work with other dynamics—with confirmed ships like Jinx and Ekko or an implied alt-universe romance between Silco and Vander. But one of the biggest ships to come out of Arcane outside of CaitVi is a ship between Jayce and Viktor, thanks in major part to the intimacy of their writing throughout the show and how they go out, as the fans say, in a “cosmic yaoi” style. Was the writing of Jayce and Viktor’s relationship intended to be strictly platonic, or are fans justified in reading it as romantic? Overton: Fans are always justified in reading things the way they want to because that’s part of making art. When you do a thing for it based on you, it doesn’t actually have meaning until other people give it their own meaning. My backstory is very different from your backstory and my experiences are very different from yours so I can only speak from my experience. When I put a thing that I’ve written out in the world, then everyone brings their own different experiences to it. We were writing them as a loving, brotherly relationship that unambiguously [had] love between them. When it got to that final moment, it was so romantic and beautiful to me when I saw it for the first time—the way Fortiche put it together—I was like, “Oh, well maybe there is hope [for] these guys to have some future beyond what the show intended.” That was really cool for me to see. If people want to imagine that, I think they can, and that’s wonderful. Now that the show is over, if there’s the potential for that out there, then that’s potential that our fans can realize for themselves. io9: On Twitter, you mentioned that episode seven, “Pretend Like It’s the First Time,” was your favorite episode. Going by the outpouring of fan art and Stormae’s song topping the global charts, it’s safe to say the feeling is mutual. What makes the episode such a standout for you as a writer? Overton: What makes it such a standout is that you really can only do a standalone or an episode that exists outside the structure of a show when you successfully establish the structure of a show. We were able to come up with a very consistent version of how Arcane feels, how Arcane is paced, and the stories that we’re telling. Then we were able to step outside of that for one episode and make something a little bit different than what Arcane is: something more hopeful, something more colorful, and something kind of more of a rom-com. It still has all the seeds of Arcane , but I always called it the ’90s romance episode of Arcane. I was like, “Yes, that’s something I can totally do. Teen romance, I love it.” We’ve seen a lot of alternate universes now and how string theory has percolated with the Marvel infinite universe television shows doing that. We said, “Let’s take that and do our version.” Because everyone’s so familiar with this right now, we don’t have to spend much time explaining the multiverse. People will just instantly get “multiverse,” which means we can lean into what the potential of this relationship could be. Ekko gets to see Benzo again; he gets to see Vander again, and he gets to see Milo and Clagger if they grew up. And most importantly, he gets to see a version of Powder who grew up not becoming Jinx. I think [that’s] what was great about that episode. We got to see and imagine a future for all these characters that didn’t have one in our series. For Powder in particular, we got to show that there’s always some Jinx in Powder. Which is important because in the other timeline we got to show that there’s always gonna be some Powder in Jinx. That was exciting for us, to be able to give more depth to both of those characters and give Ekko everything he needs in the other timeline to kind of complete his arc. He got disillusioned with the darkness of Zaun and from having to fight so long. We were able to use the romance and love in that episode to bring hope back into Ekko’s life so that he would be fighting from a place of hope again. io9: Endings are hard, though it’s a testament to the show and your writing that the major complaint from a majority of fans is that they wish they had more time with the show. If you could expand anything from the show, what element of the show would you have liked to have had more time exploring and why? Overton: The second season took four years for us to write and produce. So, we combed over and spent a lot of time putting in every scene we thought was important, tracking every arc [and] storyline that we could. We’re very proud of how much all of those stories landed for people and how people felt emotional connection and understanding of the arcs that we chose to tell. It’s wonderful to hear that people’s biggest complaint is they wish they had more time with these characters. That’s a very flattering, humbling thing for a writer to feel like we’ve crafted characters and stories that people resonate with so much and so deeply. If I could just write a novel or write something else outside of the context of Arcane , I really loved Viktor’s character. He had one of the biggest arcs in the whole series. I would want to dive into his mindset a little bit more and his past. We had a lot of ideas about who he was when he lived in Zaun, who his parents were, [and] how that shaped who he was. So, maybe the Viktor backstory novel would be something that would be interesting. io9: What does Caitlyn’s question about Vi “still being in the fight” mean to you? Overton: I think the best endings have always left things unsaid and open to interpretation. Those are the endings where I’m like, “But what did they mean by that?” I was like, “Ooh, we nailed that final line.” So many people think one thing, but other people can think another thing about Jinx’s fate and things like that, and why they made the choices they made. But I think what Caitlyn [said], what I took away from that was, the things that they have to do are just beginning rather than being over. The characters are quite young in our series. They’re like in their early 20s or 20 years old. And me being in my 40s, I’m like, “That’s a whole ‘nother lifetime with things that you guys have to do together.” And the things that I’ve learned in the past 20 years, I’d say that’s most of what I’ve learned in my whole life. So we wanted to say that their stories are just beginning together and what they’re going to do next is—it’s kind of now up to the audience to decide and imagine. io9: You’re set to develope Fortiche’s upcoming sci-fi Greek mythology story, Penelope of Sparta . What should fans expect out of the series given what you’ve accomplished with Arcane ? Overton: We’re trying to use that the signature Fortiche style to develop a new IP that they do on their own. This was an idea that Fortiche had that they came to me and pitched. They wanted to do a prequel to The Odyssey . They wanted to do something set in a Greek mythology-inspired world, but with the Fortiche twist on it. We’ve been working on that project now for a year, developing what’s the story that we like in a different world that isn’t the Runeterra and League of Legends universe. I think you can expect romance, you can expect trauma, and tragedy. Like all good Greek epics, it is about how a personal family story affects the political on a big scale. You can expect a lot of tragedy with a little bit of hope. io9: With Arcane bookended, what are your hopes moving forward for future writing projects? Are there any dream projects in the wings? Overton: Obviously, Arcane was a dream project for me, to get to work on a video game adaptation being such a big video game fan. [ Arcane is] such a huge expansive massive world-building show. Those are things I love to bring to life. Getting to have that canon queer couple as at the center of the show, those are all my boxes checked off in one project. But I think moving forward, I would like opportunities to tell more stories in spaces like that. There’s been a lot of really great adaptations of video games coming out recently. I’m really excited by the potential future storytelling for those adaptations and I hope that Arcane can kind of pave the way and open the door to get to do more stories like that. All episodes of Arcane are streaming on Netflix.The Latest: State funeral for Jimmy Carter will be Jan. 9

Revenue of $14,054 million for the fourth quarter, up 51 percent from the prior year period GAAP net income of $4,324 million for the fourth quarter; Non-GAAP net income of $6,965 million for the fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $9,089 million for the fourth quarter, or 65 percent of revenue GAAP diluted EPS of $0.90 for the fourth quarter; Non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.42 for the fourth quarter Cash from operations of $5,604 million for the fourth quarter, less capital expenditures of $122 million , resulted in $5,482 million of free cash flow, or 39 percent of revenue Quarterly common stock dividend increased by 11 percent from the prior quarter to $0.59 per share First quarter fiscal year 2025 revenue guidance of approximately $14.6 billion , an increase of 22 percent from the prior year period First quarter fiscal year 2025 Adjusted EBITDA guidance of approximately 66 percent of projected revenue (1) PALO ALTO, Calif. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadcom Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGO ), a global technology leader that designs, develops and supplies semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions, today reported financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended November 3, 2024 , provided guidance for its first quarter of fiscal year 2025 and announced its quarterly dividend. "Broadcom's fiscal year 2024 revenue grew 44% year-over-year to a record $51.6 billion , as infrastructure software revenue grew to $21.5 billion , on the successful integration of VMware," said Hock Tan, President and CEO of Broadcom Inc. "Semiconductor revenue was a record $30.1 billion driven by AI revenue of $12.2 billion . AI revenue which grew 220 percent year-on-year was driven by our leading AI XPUs and Ethernet networking portfolio." "In fiscal year 2024 adjusted EBITDA increased 37% year-over-year to a record $31.9 billion , and free cash flow excluding restructuring was strong at $21.9 billion ," said Kirsten Spears , CFO of Broadcom Inc. "Based on increased cash flows in fiscal year 2024, we are increasing our quarterly common stock dividend by 11% to $0.59 per share for fiscal year 2025. The target fiscal year 2025 annual common stock dividend of $2.36 per share is a record, and the fourteenth consecutive increase in annual dividends since we initiated dividends in fiscal 2011." Fourth Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Highlights The Company's cash and cash equivalents at the end of the fiscal quarter were $9,348 million , compared to $9,952 million at the end of the prior quarter. During the fourth fiscal quarter, the Company generated $5,604 million in cash from operations and spent $122 million on capital expenditures. The Company paid $1,204 million of withholding taxes related to net settled equity awards that vested in the quarter (resulting in the elimination of 7.4 million shares). On September 30, 2024 , the Company paid a cash dividend on a split adjusted basis of $0.53 per share, totaling $2,484 million . The differences between the Company's GAAP and non-GAAP results are described generally under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below and presented in detail in the financial reconciliation tables attached to this release. Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Highlights First Quarter Fiscal Year 2025 Business Outlook Based on current business trends and conditions, the outlook for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, ending February 2, 2025 , is expected to be as follows: First quarter revenue guidance of approximately $14.6 billion ; and First quarter Adjusted EBITDA guidance of approximately 66 percent of projected revenue. The guidance provided above is only an estimate of what the Company believes is realizable as of the date of this release. The Company is not readily able to provide a reconciliation of projected Adjusted EBITDA to projected net income without unreasonable effort. Actual results will vary from the guidance and the variations may be material. The Company undertakes no intent or obligation to publicly update or revise any of these projections, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Quarterly Dividends The Company's Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.59 per share. The dividend is payable on December 31, 2024 to stockholders of record at the close of business ( 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time ) on December 23, 2024 . Financial Results Conference Call Broadcom Inc. will host a conference call to review its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2024 and to discuss the business outlook today at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time . To Listen via Internet: The conference call can be accessed live online in the Investors section of the Broadcom website at https://investors.broadcom.com/ . Replay: An audio replay of the conference call can be accessed for one year through the Investors section of Broadcom's website at https://investors.broadcom.com/ . Non-GAAP Financial Measures The non-GAAP measures should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP financial data is included in the supplemental financial data attached to this press release. Broadcom believes non-GAAP financial information provides additional insight into the Company's on-going performance. Therefore, Broadcom provides this information to investors for a more consistent basis of comparison and to help them evaluate the results of the Company's on-going operations and enable more meaningful period to period comparisons. In addition to GAAP reporting, Broadcom provides investors with net income, operating income, gross margin, operating expenses, cash flow and other data on a non-GAAP basis. This non-GAAP information excludes amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense, restructuring and other charges, acquisition-related costs, including integration costs, non-GAAP tax reconciling adjustments, and other adjustments. Management does not believe that these items are reflective of the Company's underlying performance. Internally, these non-GAAP measures are significant measures used by management for purposes of evaluating the core operating performance of the Company, establishing internal budgets, calculating return on investment for development programs and growth initiatives, comparing performance with internal forecasts and targeted business models, strategic planning, evaluating and valuing potential acquisition candidates and how their operations compare to the Company's operations, and benchmarking performance externally against the Company's competitors. The exclusion of these and other similar items from Broadcom's non-GAAP financial results should not be interpreted as implying that these items are non-recurring, infrequent or unusual. Free cash flow measures have limitations as they omit certain components of the overall cash flow statement and do not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. Investors should not consider presentation of free cash flow measures as implying that stockholders have any right to such cash. Broadcom's free cash flow may not be calculated in a manner comparable to similarly named measures used by other companies. About Broadcom Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO ) is a global technology leader that designs, develops, and supplies a broad range of semiconductor, enterprise software and security solutions. Broadcom's category-leading product portfolio serves critical markets including cloud, data center, networking, broadband, wireless, storage, industrial, and enterprise software. Our solutions include service provider and enterprise networking and storage, mobile device and broadband connectivity, mainframe, cybersecurity, and private and hybrid cloud infrastructure. Broadcom is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning Broadcom. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements that address our expected future business and financial performance, and other statements identified by words such as "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "intend," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "aim," and similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs of Broadcom's management, current information available to Broadcom's management, and current market trends and market conditions and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Particular uncertainties that could materially affect future results include risks associated with: global economic conditions and concerns; government regulations and administrative proceedings, trade restrictions and trade tensions; global political and economic conditions; our acquisition of VMware, Inc., including our ability to realize the expected benefits; any acquisitions or dispositions we may make, such as delays, challenges and expenses associated with receiving governmental and regulatory approvals and satisfying other closing conditions, and with integrating acquired businesses with our existing businesses and our ability to achieve the benefits, growth prospects and synergies expected by such acquisitions; dependence on and risks associated with distributors and resellers of our products; dependence on senior management and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to protect against cyber security threats and a breach of security systems; any loss of our significant customers and fluctuations in the timing and volume of significant customer demand; cyclicality in the semiconductor industry or in our target markets; our dependence on contract manufacturing and outsourced supply chain; our dependency on a limited number of suppliers; prolonged disruptions of our or our contract manufacturers' manufacturing facilities, warehouses or other significant operations; our ability to accurately estimate customers' demand and adjust our manufacturing and supply chain accordingly; our ability to continue achieving design wins with our customers, as well as the timing of any design wins; our ability to improve our manufacturing efficiency and quality; involvement in legal proceedings; ability of our software products to manage and secure IT infrastructures and environments; demand for our data center virtualization products and market acceptance of our products and services; compatibility of our software products with operating environments, platforms or third-party products; our ability to enter into satisfactory software license agreements; availability of third-party software used in our products; use of open source software in our products; sales to government customers; our ability to manage products and services lifecycles; quarterly and annual fluctuations in operating results; our competitive performance; our ability to maintain or improve gross margin; our ability to protect our intellectual property and the unpredictability of any associated litigation expenses; any expenses or reputational damage associated with resolving customer product warranty and indemnification claims, or other undetected defects or bugs; our ability to sell to new types of customers and to keep pace with technological advances; our compliance with privacy and data security laws; our provision for income taxes and overall cash tax costs; our ability to maintain tax concessions in certain jurisdictions; potential tax liabilities as a result of acquiring VMware; our significant indebtedness and the need to generate sufficient cash flows to service and repay such debt; and other events and trends on a national, regional, industry-specific and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive and regulatory nature. Our filings with the SEC, which are available without charge at the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov , discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Actual results may vary from the estimates provided. We undertake no intent or obligation to publicly update or revise any of the estimates and other forward-looking statements made in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Contact: Ji Yoo Broadcom Inc. Investor Relations 650-427-6000 [email protected] (AVGO-Q) SOURCE Broadcom Inc.Asia Foundation honours success of women in entrepreneurshipThe Latest: Former President Jimmy Carter is Dead at age 100

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CHRISMAS 2024 is upon us and the search for the perfect gift for a loved one is well underway. Whether it’s technology, clothing, holiday vouchers or bestselling books, the options are endless. But what did Limerick people of the past purchase for their loved ones? What did the city look and feel like during the ‘most wonderful time of the year?’ What Christmas traditions have endured in our city? In December 1849, the female “inmates” of the Union Workhouse (now St Camillus’s) were treated to ‘tea and cake while burning their Christmas candle.’ On Christmas day both the men and women were regaled with excellent fare as a local merchant made a gift of six geese – which the parties had the pleasure of seeing roasted and then partaking in the feast. On St Stephen’s Night, they had ‘tea and cake (an annual present from the baker), and after hearty enjoyment of the meal, dancing was kept up with spirit, diversified by vocal and instrumental music.’ Annual charitable traditions saw landlords distributing money and food to their tenants, for example, John C. Delmege of Castlepark donated beef, mutton, and poultry to all his workmen and labourers during Christmas 1860. A little closer to the city, Thomas Revington distributed 150 pairs of blankets to both Catholics and Protestants who were experiencing straitened times. Revington was a merchant and property developer; he built Eden Terrace on the North Circular Road between 1861 and 1862. His shop was located at 13, 14, 15, and 16 O’Connell Street (now Brown Thomas). By 1856, Christmas trees were offered for sale by several merchants, along with boxes to house them and a vast array of glass and sugar decorations. Many public donations were collected in order to erect Christmas trees in St Michael’s Parish School from about 1860 onwards. The Limerick Chronicle of 24 December 1868 reported that a ‘tree of lofty proportions, laden with toys and appropriate presents, its leaves interspersed with artificial snow and brilliant stars was an object of great admiration’ when it was unveiled at the Protestant Hall, Pery Street. In 1865, at no. 135 O’Connell Street, T. S. O’Donnell informed the public that ‘immense arrivals of Christmas stock consisting of glass, earthenware and the finest China’ were on view. O’Donnell invited the public to visit his showrooms early and place their orders for the holidays. Similarly, James Norton advised that he had for sale ‘ladies leather hand and carriage bags, French and Berlin baskets, toys in great variety, prints and engravings, concertinas direct from Germany, and violins and flutes – all of which are ideal Christmas gifts.’ READ MORE: PICTURES: Proud Rathkeale is 'open for business' this Christmas Culinary products remain popular Christmas presents and it was no different in Limerick of the 1870s. For example, Michael O’Donnell, family grocer of 2, Denmark Street offered ‘teas, sugars, port and sherry wines, and Jameson’s Dublin malt whiskey’ to his customers. Over 146 years later, the premises remain a public house and is home to the popular Flannery’s Pub, thus carrying on traditions established in the nineteenth century. A few streets away at the City Restaurant, nos. 44 and 45 Cecil Street, Mrs McCarthy tempted shoppers into her premises by giving away a ‘package of Christmas cards with every purchase of seed, plum, and sultana cakes.’ She had for sale ‘plum pudding at 1 shilling per pound, mince pies were priced at 3 pence each’. In the present day, the Mayor of Limerick, John Moran has organised a competition for the best Christmas window in the city, another local tradition that has a long history. In 1886, John Carrick of 17, O’Connell Street who traded as the Limerick Cigar and Hairdressing Saloon notified the public that his ‘special arrival of fancy goods suitable for Christmas presents was on show at his festive window.’ Such was the emphasis placed on the dressing of Christmas windows in Limerick that the editor of the Cork Daily Herald assigned two entire columns to the topic in December 1892. The lengthy article described the ‘crowds who throng the thoroughfare anxious to satisfy their curiosity by an inordinate gaze in each shop window.’ It continued ‘crowds haunt the establishments from morning to closing hour, at a rate that really puzzles one to understand.’ A number of city businesses were featured: David Begley’s (now Gerry Power’s pub), O’Malley’s (now Mother Mac’s pub), James O’Mara of Roche’s Street, as well as Michael Spain’s, Clune’s, O’Keeffe’s, O’Connor’s, Hannan’s, Griffin’s, Gleeson’s, Boyd’s, and Evan’s and Co. One tradition that has continued since time immemorial is the jubilant chimes emanating from the ancient bell tower of St. Mary’s as the Feast of the Nativity is announced. Indeed, the beautiful interior decorations of the cathedral were described in the Limerick Chronicle of 29 December 1866. The chancel, choir, and nave were so ‘embossed with evergreens that they suggested the idea of a sylvan arcade, the origin, by the way, of the Gothic architecture. The pulpit, too, was most gracefully decorated. The throne, lectern, chancel rails, and organ loft were handsomely wreathed with ivy, holly, and palm, the simple emblems of the eternal Saviour’s humanity, passion, and triumph.’ Among the striking features of adornment were ‘wave-lines of festoons that glistened in great adulations down from and up to the clerestory windows.’ Long may these Limerick City Christmas traditions continue. Good luck to all businesses entering the Merry and Bright Challenge. Wishing all readers of the Limerick Leader and of my column, a very happy and peaceful Christmas.JOHANNESBURG (AP) — At the Westonaria agricultural park near Bekkersdal, east of Johannesburg , farm workers are busy tilling the soil and planting tomatoes and lettuce. Despite the hive of activity, there is silence around the park. Most people here are deaf and communicate using sign language. They are members of the Voiceout Deaf farming collective, started by entrepreneur Matebogo Victoria, to create a platform where deaf people can develop their skills in agriculture and find sustainable work. Victoria, who has a hearing disability herself, understood perfectly the challenges faced by deaf people when competing for opportunities with their counterparts who do not face the same challenge. While studying at the Tshwane University of Technology in the country's capital, Pretoria, Victoria had to attend classes with a hearing partner, as the university could not make the lectures accessible for her. It is an all-too-common challenge for deaf people, according to Victoria. “The government does not have facilities for communication (for deaf people). A lot of deaf people did not finish school. They cannot afford to travel far to reach schools, so normally they decide to leave school early,” said Victoria. Across South Africa, there are 44 schools for the deaf, offering sign language as a subject and using it as a medium of instruction. Most are based far from where the students live, which sometimes leads to them dropping out of school as families struggle to afford the transportation costs. Victoria, who used to work for Standard Bank, decided to leave her corporate job and start Voiceout as a way of allowing deaf people to gain agricultural skills. “I make things simple for them, it is like a family when they are here. They become very much happy when they are here but when they go outside of this space, it becomes difficult for them,” she said. For Sibongile Maake, the opportunity to learn agriculture in a space where co-workers can easily communicate with her in sign language was transformational. It has also afforded her an opportunity to earn a living and rely less on the welfare disability grants that are paid out by the government. “I’m happy working here, it’s (a) pleasure working here in the farm. I’m working slowly but surely and I am learning while also getting a salary. I can do things for myself, I can afford myself,” said Maake. Another worker, who said in sign language his name was John, said the challenges of communication reduced his chances of getting a job but the Voiceout Deaf project became a lifeline for him. “Communication is always a barrier, so coming here at the farm is very much better because they are able to communicate in my own language so it makes life much easier for me,” said John. He and other workers are responsible for various activities at the farm including cleaning, ploughing, planting and harvesting the produce. The demand for their vegetables was so great that Voiceout Deaf has taken on two other farms, where John and his colleagues also work. The project is breaking even: the farms currently supply some of the local supermarkets and chain stores with fresh produce. In other South African provinces like Limpopo and North West, provincial governments are looking at farming as a source of training and employment for disabled people. The farming sector is emerging as a solace for those with disabilities who also face the dire levels of unemployment in Africa’s most developed economy. As she goes around giving instructions monitoring activities on the farm, which consists of 10 greenhouses, Victoria laments how difficult it often is for people using sign language to understand the jargon of developed industries. The Pan South African Language Board is responsible for setting the country's standards for sign language. A constitutionally mandated body responsible for promoting the development and use of South African languages, it recently scored a victory by having Parliament approve sign language as South Africa’s 12th official language. However, the board sometimes struggles to keep up with fast-evolving business language, Victoria says. “The difficulty is that sign language has not developed to an extent that it covers technical jargon used in various sectors. It is the same in agriculture. There are certain technical words used that are there in spoken language but not in sign language," she explains. But beyond changing official attitudes, Victoria wants to inspire change in the farmers themselves. “We need them (the deaf farmers) to think out of the box about agriculture. They need to be empowered to understand that agriculture is involved in the production of other products like toothpastes, perfumes, medicines. This is where we have to improvise and find ways to communicate with them in the simplest way possible,” said Victoria. ___ For more news on Africa: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse ___ The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, announced Ukraine's current lack of readiness to engage in talks with Russia, citing a shortfall in weapons, essential security guarantees, and desired international status. The statement, aired on public broadcaster Suspilne, follows President Zelenskiy's contemplation of negotiations amidst Russia's ongoing invasion begun in February 2022. Yermak emphasized the necessity of NATO membership and solid security assurances to prevent future Russian aggression. During his meeting with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, Zelenskiy reiterated Ukraine's wish for an end to the conflict and urged efforts to strengthen the nation and pressure the Kremlin towards peace. Russia, however, firmly opposes Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO, demanding recognition of its annexation of Ukrainian territories. (With inputs from agencies.)

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Serve Robotics Inc. ( NASDAQ:SERV – Get Free Report )’s stock price dropped 7.1% during trading on Friday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $16.01 and last traded at $16.39. Approximately 5,596,455 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 41% from the average daily volume of 9,467,164 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.64. Specifically, CEO Ali Kashani sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.50, for a total value of $123,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,283,490 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $54,177,585. This represents a 0.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, CEO Ali Kashani sold 5,000 shares of Serve Robotics stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.55, for a total transaction of $72,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,290,990 shares in the company, valued at $47,883,904.50. This represents a 0.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In other news, CEO Ali Kashani sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.70, for a total value of $36,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 3,295,990 shares in the company, valued at $48,451,053. This represents a 0.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades SERV has been the subject of several analyst reports. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Serve Robotics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Northland Securities started coverage on Serve Robotics in a research report on Friday, October 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $16.00 price target for the company. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH assumed coverage on Serve Robotics in a research report on Monday, October 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $16.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Northland Capmk raised Serve Robotics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Serve Robotics has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy” and a consensus price target of $16.00. Serve Robotics Stock Down 7.7 % The business’s fifty day moving average is $10.83 and its 200 day moving average is $8.78. Institutional Trading of Serve Robotics Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Yong Rong HK Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in Serve Robotics in the 3rd quarter worth about $9,636,000. Thomist Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Serve Robotics in the second quarter worth about $407,000. PFG Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Serve Robotics in the second quarter worth about $110,000. Bfsg LLC bought a new stake in shares of Serve Robotics in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in Serve Robotics in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $152,000. Serve Robotics Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Serve Robotics Inc designs, develops, and operates low-emission robots that serve people in public spaces with food delivery in the United States. It builds self-driving delivery robots. The company was formerly known as Patricia Acquisition Corp. and changed its name to Serve Robotics Inc in July 2023. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Serve Robotics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Serve Robotics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Gaya metro rail project: Two corridors to link pilgrim sites