AJ Events and Productions based in the USA is extensively promoting Sri Lanka as a MICE and wedding destination helping to increase arrivals and most importantly bring in more FOREX to the country. The mentor behind this initiative Andrew Keith Bates, Director, AJ Events & Productions (Pvt) Ltd, said that the first they have already hosted many MICE events and the heat event for 2024 would be held at ITC Colombo. Pix by Sudath Nishantha “This is the InfoTech global leadership summit which will bring around 150 guests from all over the world. The event will be held for two days and many of the guests will stay back, joined by their families and friends and travel round the country.” Earlier we hosted the Johnson & Johnson Summit (A landmark corporate event showcasing innovation and collaboration), TVS Credit Event (A dynamic gathering focusing on financial services), L&T Global Summit (A multinational summit fostering business growth and strategic discussions), STN Conclave (A prestigious networking platform for professionals) and General Electric Healthcare India Event (A specialized event emphasizing advancements in healthcare technology). He said that for the first two months of 2025 two more such events would be held in Colombo bringing in more than 750 visitors. “We are also planning to host a major diplomatic event, bringing together international leaders for meaningful dialogue. we aim to organize an exclusive event featuring a leading Indian artist to create a unique cultural experience.” He said that Sri Lanka with its relaxed visa procedure, good airlines, quality hotels and services backed up by biodiversity is gaining popularity as a good MICE destination. The removal of the Minimum Room Rate too was a major plus point to market MICE to Colombo.’ People have now forgotten about the negative publicity the country received and are happy with both the political and economic stability the country processes. “Due to this we have now restarted marketing destination weddings to Sri Lanka and the response especially from India is overwhelming and we will be also opening a dedicated office in Delhi at the end of the year.” We are a PCO (Professional Conference Organizers) in Sri Lanka with experience in managing events, meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), as well as a member of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau for all MICE events in Sri Lanka and abroad. He said that in a bid to cater to a diverse clientele across continents and personalized their services to its clients they opened two offices in India and most recently in the Maldives as well.” By January, we will open our next office in London early next year to further penetrate the European market. Our vision is to become a global leader in event management.” (SS)
10 hot-ticket gifts we predict will sell out on Black Friday 2024
10 hot-ticket gifts we predict will sell out on Black Friday 2024
Guideline Announces Vincent Mifsud as CEOSan Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will not play Sunday and head coach Kyle Shanahan said the lingering discomfort is a concern. Purdy sat out Friday after he participated in the start of Thursday's practice with the 49ers, then retreated indoors for what Shanahan said was a treatment session. Brandon Allen, 32, will start in Purdy's place, and the 49ers are also without defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique). Shanahan said players believe in Allen, even if he's an unknown. "Outside of here people haven't seen a lot of Brandon. But it's his second year (with the 49ers)," Shanahan said. "Obviously guys want Brock up, but guys are excited to see Brandon play." Shanahan said they are "a little surprised" Purdy experienced tightness and discomfort in his shoulder after an MRI exam on Monday that showed no long-term cause for concern. "The way it responded this week, it's really up in the air for next week," Shanahan said of Purdy. Allen is familiar to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who was an assistant coach with the Rams during Allen's two-year run in Los Angeles. Allen broke into the NFL in 2016 with the Jaguars and is 2-7 in nine career starts. He went 1-2 with the Broncos in 2019 and 1-5 in six starts over two years with the Bengals in 2020 and ‘21. Shanahan said Allen's confidence grew throughout the week and he doesn't anticipate a major change in how he calls the offense. Left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) also missed practice for the third consecutive day. Without disclosing the nature of the ailment to Purdy's throwing shoulder, general manager John Lynch confirmed Friday an MRI exam took place to determine the severity of any injury. Allen worked with the first team most of Thursday and Friday with Joshua Dobbs also taking snaps. Lynch described Purdy's status for the 49ers (5-5) this week as "tenuous." "Hopefully, he makes progress, and we can have a shot at this weekend, but we'll see," Lynch said in an interview with KNBR in San Francisco. "I think it's tenuous." When Purdy was on the field this week, he primarily worked on the side in position-specific drills with QB coach Brian Griese. Williams played through an ankle injury last week after being listed as questionable but exited the stadium with an exaggerated limp on Sunday. Run game coordinator Chris Foerster said the 49ers aren't where they want to be at 5-5 because they haven't won close games, not because of injuries. "Seven games left is like an eternity," Foerster said. "So much can happen. Do the math. What was our record last year? It was 12-5. I was on a 13-win team that was nowhere near as good as the team last year." With or without Purdy, Foerster said the challenge for the 49ers is not to give up the ball to a defense that has 19 takeaways. The 49ers have 13 giveaways this season. --Field Level Media
Attorneys for election workers that Rudy Giuliani defamed wrote a scathing letter accusing the former New York City mayor of launching a crusade meant to “to obstruct and intimidate” them as they try to recover his assets. In a Friday letter to a federal judge, Michael Gottlieb, a lawyer representing election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, accused Giuliani of orchestrating a “public relations campaign” meant to stop the women from collecting the belongings they are owed. Last December, Giuliani was ordered to pay Freeman and Moss nearly $150 million after a court found he defamed them by falsely claiming they manipulated election results in 2020. The decision led Donald Trump ’s disgraced attorney to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which has since been dismissed . The mother-daughter duo are now allowed to seize his valuables to recover what they are owed. But a barrage of recent court filings, including Giuliani’s attempts to appeal, reveal a weeks-long legal battle that the women argue is the former mayor’s attempts to delay, block or obstruct them from collecting what he has been ordered to turn over. Both Giuliani’s new lawyer and those in his inner circle have argued that the former mayor was wronged and have set out on a mission “designed to interfere” with the women’s “efforts to perform their duties by attacking the underlying judgment,” the letter said. Joey Cammarata, who is representing Giuliani after his previous legal team abruptly quit , held a press conference on Wednesday outside of the offices of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, the firm representing the election workers, where he “launched a variety of attacks” against this case, Gottlieb wrote. There, Cammarata called the court-ordered turnover of Giuliani’s belongings a “seek and destroy mission of America’s mayor.” “We will not relent,” he said. “They are doing everything they can to stop Mr. Giuliani from having a formidable defense. We are not going to allow it. ... This firm is doing everything in its power to break an 80-year-old patriot to its country, an American who did so many great things for us.” This rhetoric was also echoed on social media, where the hashtag “IStandWithRudy” started trending, according to lawyers for the election workers. The online campaign was meant to interfere with the turnover efforts by “inciting members of the public to fight (whatever that means),” they wrote. Ted Goodman, Giuliani’s spokesperson who has been subpoenaed in this case, used the hashtag in a post voicing his opposition to the forced turnover of Giuliani’s 1980 Mercedes-Benz : “I’m calling on ALL Americans to speak out against this lawfare. Shame on the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher for participating in this injustice. #IStandWithRudy .” The alleged owner of the Long Island storage facility — where the former Trump lawyer is accused of hiding some items from his New York City apartment — also posted on X that “this is not going to happen. America has to come back real fast. Pray for Rudy Giuliani , today is his day.” “The public relations campaign described above has no legal purpose — this is a turnover proceeding governed by facts and law, not a political campaign — and, instead, is an obvious attempt to obstruct and intimidate Receivers from effectuating the duties that this Court has authorized them to perform,” Gottlieb wrote. Cammarata’s “publicity stunt, reinforced by Mr. Giuliani’s social media campaign, continues Mr. Giuliani’s habit of litigating in the press issues that he has conceded or stipulated to in court,” he added, seemingly referencing Giuliani’s baseless claims about the 2020 election and his defamatory statements about Freeman and Moss, among other spurious statements Giuliani has made on his podcasts and to the media. Earlier this week, the election workers asked a judge in Washington, DC who had presided over their initial defamation case to consider sanctions against Giuliani after he repeated “the exact same lies for which [he] has already been held liable, and which he agreed to be bound by court order to stop repeating” during recent livestreams. The judge required him to respond to the complaint by December 2 — or risk being held in contempt. The women say they have received18 watches and a diamond ring, but they are still waiting on nine other watches and all of his “costume jewelry,” according to their letter. As for the Mercedes, they have physical possession of the vehicle, but still don’t have the deed, title, or right of ownership to the car, or any signed documents transferring its ownership, they said. The Manhattan penthouse is in the process of being transferred, but the former mayor hasn’t delivered the keys, stock, or proprietary lease for the apartment “and apparently has been unable to locate any of the underlying ownership documents,” according to the letter. And there’s been another roadblock: the penthouse remains in the names of both Giuliani and his ex-wife Judith. Attorneys said they have also struggled to obtain the contents of a storage unit in Ronkonkoma, New York, since it’s unclear what is being held there that could be turned over. The unit holds eight storage boxes, more than 20 pallets of moving boxes, and furniture, according to the letter. They are asking Giuliani to segregate his property from all property in the storage unit that they are entitled — along with a list of those items — no later than December 6. It’s unclear whether his Joe DiMaggio jersey, signed art, or sports memorabilia that he has been ordered to turn over is in that facility, the letter says. So the election workers have instructed Giuliani to provide instructions as to where to find these items before the next hearing on November 26 “or explain why he is incapable of doing so” before 3 p.m. on November 25, Gottlieb said. Invoices show that Giuliani appeared to have moved “a substantial amount of his property” from his Manhattan apartment to the storage unit before the judge ordered him to turn over his belongings. That storage unit is under the name of Maria Ryan, Giuliani’s business associate , the election workers discovered earlier this month.Banana duct-taped to wall as part of the work Comedian by artist Maurizio Cattelan sells for $9.57 million at Sotheby’s auction
NoneTikTok is inching closer to a potential ban in the US. So what’s next?
( MENAFN - ABN Newswire) Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited (ASX:COB) (FRA:COH) (OTCMKTS:CBBHF) and Iwatani are progressing programs toward a financing decision in 2025. These include testwork and engineering studies, permit applications, and contracts for feed and offtake. KEY POINTS - During 2024, Cobalt Blue completed successful testwork on two key sources of feedstock. Recently, several new sources of potential feedstock have been identified with similar levels of success. - The Kwinana Cobalt refinery (KCR) engineering program is nearing completion in preparation for a project financing decision in 2025. - The primary operating permit for KCR has been submitted to the Western Australia Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. - Cobalt Blue and Ecobatt have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to evaluate the feasibility of treating blackmass from battery recycling (a mix of crushed metals produced from shredded battery scrap) within Australia. Testwork Throughout 2024, Cobalt Blue has undertaken testwork at the Broken Hill Technology Development Centre. The work has focused on leaching key sources of potential feedstock, including cobalt hydroxide (international source) and cobalt-nickel sulphide precipitate (from within Australia). These were purchased on commercial terms. Recently, COB has expanded testwork on other sources of feedstock: - Cobalt hydroxide from another major global supplier (name withheld for commercial in confidence) - Black mass from Ecobatt, an Australian battery recycler - A cobalt intermediate from battery recycling in India (name withheld for commercial in confidence) Each of the testwork programs has successfully demonstrated cobalt extractions of >95% from the head samples. Following leaching, the testwork program has covered separation of cobalt using precipitation, ion-exchange, solvent extraction, and crystallisation techniques. Cobalt Blue is aiming to produce cobalt sulphate heptahydrate in conformance with stringent Japanese market specifications. The most recent testwork has achieved purification of the cobalt sulphate, removing zinc, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, and magnesium to target levels. Testwork continues, in order to generate representative sample for evaluation by prospective offtakers. Engineering Tetratech has continued with the detailed design study. The refinery's integration within the Iwatani Australia-owned Doral Fused Materials (DFM) site has driven the design of plant layout, traffic management, power supply, and surface water management. The design case is nearing completion in preparation for a project financing decision in 2025. Permitting The testwork and engineering studies have supported the preparation of the two permit applications. A Works Approval was submitted by DFM (on behalf of Cobalt Blue) in November 2024 to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. This included details of the proposed refinery including: waste and emission management, feed and product logistics (via Fremantle container port), and consumption of water, reagents and power. Importantly, this application is a request to modify the existing DFM Works Approval. Financing As Cobalt Blue requires Government financial support to construct the Refinery, it is progressing through pre-screening processes with Government funding agencies to garner support to enable timely recommendations from them and prompt political decisions from State and Federal governments. Memorandum of Understanding with Ecobatt Cobalt Blue and Ecocycle Pty Ltd (Ecobatt) have entered into a MOU to evaluate the feasibility of treating black mass from battery recycling (a mix of crushed metals produced from shredded battery scrap) within Australia. There is increasing emphasis on creating a circular economy in Australia which can recover critical minerals from materials such as spent recycled batteries, minimises the necessity for new mining projects, and keeps these valuable resources here in Australia for re-use and out of landfills. According to the Battery Stewardship Council, up to 400 million batteries may be in use in Australia, but less than 5% are recycled (not including Lead Acid Batteries). Many of the used lithium-ion batteries find their way in kerbside bins to landfills, and the risks from fire and damage to recycling facilities around Australia is a daily problem, as are for companies and the community storing them at home or in factories. Ecobatt is the pre-eminent battery recycling company in Australia. It manages a national collection system to recycle and process battery products, based on proven world-class battery recycling technology. Cobalt Blue has successfully tested samples of black mass provided by Ecobatt to extract cobalt, nickel and manganese. The testwork program is now expanding to cover production of suitable forms of separate cobalt, nickel, manganese and lithium chemicals for onward sale for lithium-ion battery cathode manufacturing. The two companies have agreed to continue to collaborate to explore and evaluate opportunities around processing black mass into critical minerals to re-enter the battery supply chain. This partnership is built on the expectation that the result of the complementary functions will contribute to the growth of Australia's battery recycling ecosystem. The MOU shall remain in force until 31 December 2025 unless terminated earlier by a party. A party has the right to terminate the MOU with written notice. *To view tables and figures, please visit: Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd (ASX:COB ) (FRA:COH) (OTCMKTS:CBBHF) has a strategic approach that positions us to be among the first wave of new entrants into the allied battery materials supply chain. We are committed to playing a leading role in securing a stable and sustainable future for critical minerals. MENAFN16122024000111011020ID1109000236 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.On December 16, 2024, the US Supreme Court denied a petition filed by a number of states dominated by conservative extremists that asked the court to review constitutional challenges to California’s authority to enforce its own emissions limits for new cars and light trucks. The Court’s order denying a petition submitted by Ohio and other states came after the court declined on December 13 to consider the merits of oil and gas interests’ separate challenges to the lawfulness of EPA’s decision granting California a waiver of Clean Air Act preemption for its clean vehicle standards. The only issue the Court said it will consider related to the challenges by the fossil fuel companies is a very narrow preliminary question about whether they have standing to bring their claims. The court granted review on that issue in its order last Friday. “California’s clean car standards have successfully helped reduce the dangerous soot, smog, and climate pollution that put all people at risk, while also turbocharging clean technologies and job creation,” said Alice Henderson, director and lead counsel for Transportation and Clean Air Policy at the Environmental Defense Fund . “EPA’s decision to grant California this preemption waiver is based on a rock-solid legal foundation and decades of precedent, and it ensures vital clean air protections for millions of people. EDF is committed to continuing to help defend California’s Clean Air Act authority and these life-saving clean car standards,” said Henderson. California’s emissions standards have played a central role in many advancements in vehicle emission technology, from catalytic converters to zero emission vehicles. Congress has long recognized California’s leadership in addressing the harmful pollution from new vehicles and adopted Clean Air Act provisions specifically excluding California’s standards from preemption. The Clean Air Act was passed at the behest of that rabid, foaming at the mouth liberal, Richard Nixon. According to Heather Cox Richardson , in February 1970, Nixon sent “a special message “to Congress on “environmental quality.” It said, “[W]e...have too long abused our natural environment. The time has come when we can wait no longer to repair the damage already done, and to establish new criteria to guide us in the future.” He called for “fundamentally new philosophies of land, air and water use, for stricter regulation, for expanded government action, for greater citizen involvement, and for new programs to ensure that government, industry and individuals all are called on to do their share of the job and to pay their share of the cost.” His message would not get a single vote from the Republicans in Congress today. Since 1967, federal law has contained a preemption waiver for California’s emission standards for new motor vehicles, so long as those standards are at least as protective as national standards. In that time EPA has granted California more than 75 waivers. The California Clean Cars program at issue in this case has been delivering life-saving pollution reductions to communities since 2017 and has been adopted by 17 other states across the country, the EDF says. In 2023, the oil and gas industry, as well as the attorneys general of Ohio and other states, challenged this waiver. The state challengers were not seeking their own right to set standards; they just wanted to disrupt California’s longstanding clean cars program, the EDF says. In April 2024, a panel of judges on the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled against the challengers and upheld the EPA’s decision to grant the waiver to California, unanimously rejecting the challengers’ constitutional argument. EDF was part of a coalition of environmental and health groups that helped defend the waiver as parties in that case. California, joined by 17 other states and the District of Columbia, and a group of major auto manufacturers including Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, BMW, and Volvo, also intervened to defend the EPA’s decision. The challengers then filed petitions with the Supreme Court asking it to review the D.C. Circuit’s decision. On December 16, the Court denied Ohio’s constitutional challenges to California’s authority, though Justice Thomas did indicate he would have granted review. Before liberals break out the brie and Sauvignon blanc to celebrate, a little self reflection is in order. CNN cautions that what remains of the legal dispute could be upended anyway after you know who resumes the occupancy of the Offal Office next month. In 2019, the first Trump administration rolled back California’s longstanding waiver that allowed it to set its own air pollution standards. The Biden administration reinstated the waiver in 2022 . California has moved faster than the EPA toward an all-electric vehicle future. The state’s air regulators voted in 2022 to set stringent rules banning the sale of new gasoline cars by 2035 and put interim targets in place to phase the cars out. Since then, 11 other states and the District of Columbia have agreed to follow California’s lead on exhaust emissions, which effectively gives California control over about 40% of the new car market in the US. In contrast to California, the Biden EPA has put in more forgiving vehicle emissions standards which allow plug-in hybrids to play a significant role in the transition to electric cars and trucks. The EPA engaged in extensive negotiations with automakers and other stakeholders before softening its proposed regulations. The thinking was that by allowing more flexibility in the early stages of the new regulations, the EV revolution would more forward on its own. In the end, the EPA calculated that the percentage of EV sales in 2035 would be approximately the same under the less strict framework as they would be indeed the more stringent rules. But compromise is not something MAGAlomaniacs can tolerate. They have to have everything 100% their own way or else they will stomp their feet and hold their breath until they turn blue like a reactive two-year-old. The battle will be rejoined as soon as the new administration takes office. The Tangerine Tyrant told the fossil fuel companies what he needed to grant all their wished — one billion dollars in cash. They delivered for him, so now he intends to deliver for them. If you think that sounds like bribery, you aren’t wrong. It is corruption writ large and smacks of the kind of shakedown the Mafia specializes in. Yet it is the new paradigm in America. Pay Tramp the money he demands and all your prayers will be answered. Things don’t get much greater than that. It is comforting to know we have elected someone who will subvert any and all pollution rules so his friends with money can get even richer while Americans experience more health-related issues than most developed countries. If that doesn’t make you proud, we don’t know what will. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email RedditIndia is the first country to develop a long-range hypersonic missile that can travel more than eight times the speed of sound and is a game-changer in global defence technology, which no other country has, claimed Defence scientists. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently test-fired the country’s first long-range hypersonic missile that can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, to a distance exceeding 1,500 km, at a speed of nearly 3 km per second. Although in terms of technology, India is the fourth country to possess a hypersonic missile, it is the first country to have successfully tested a hypersonic missile that can travel twice the range of the missile that Russia has in its arsenal. “The hypersonic missile that India now possesses is unique in terms of speed, range, precision and detectability. It is a game-changer and going to play an important role providing an edge to our Armed Forces,” former DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy told The New Indian Express. The superfast hypersonic missile is of two types – hypersonic glide vehicle (ballistic) and hypersonic cruise missile. The hypersonic ballistic missiles are usually launched with a rocket booster. After the booster gets separated at a certain altitude, it travels towards the target much faster. The hypersonic cruise missiles, on the other hand, use scramjet engines to maintain speed throughout their flight path and possess high maneuverability. “What India has developed is not exactly a hypersonic cruise missile, but is like a hypersonic cruise missile. It can maneuver in-flight to avoid being detected by enemy radar and shot down. This missile is a technological marvel and a great achievement in India’s missile technology,” said a Defence scientist. (The New Indian Express)
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. Declares Cash Dividend of $1.32 per Common Share for 4Q24, an Increase of 2 Cents Over 3Q24, and an Aggregate of $5.19 per Common Share for 2024, an Increase of 23 Cents, or 5 Percent, Over 2023MUMBAI: An Enforcement Directorate (ED) money-laundering investigation related to digital loan apps operated by Chinese nationals revealed that multi-crore proceeds of crime were allegedly siphoned off outside India using crypto wallets/accounts. The funds utilised for the disbursement of short-term online loans were allegedly sourced from crypto wallets even as the subsequent loan collections were deposited in crypto wallets back again, ED sources said. They were later converted into crypto currencies and then withdrawn through wallets located overseas, while some of the wallets were allegedly accessed from Hong Kong, the agency’s probe found out. The case involves digital loan apps that allegedly indulged in disbursing short-term instant loans through various mobile applications while charging exploitative rate of interest from the public, ED sources said. ED began its investigation on the basis of several cases registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act and Foreigners Act against entities/persons who indulged in digital-lending transactions, based on complaints filed by number of borrowers. The agency arrested two Chinese nationals, Xiao and Wu, recently for their alleged involvement in the case. ED’s investigation revealed that a few Chinese nationals had incorporated two firms in 2020, which allegedly provided online short-term instant loans through mobile apps. The borrowers had alleged that they had been threatened and abused to repay the loan and were charged exorbitant rates of interest and processing fees. The complainants had downloaded mobile applications on their phones and applied for small loans, ranging from ₹ 5,000 to ₹ 10,000, wherein, they had to share their personal information. In case of failure to repay the loans, the borrowers were pressurised to take fresh loans from other mobile apps to repay the previous one, which drew them into the loan trap, the sources said. Once the tenure of the loan would get over and in the event of non-payment of loan before due date, their personal data was allegedly mis-used to harass and extort money from them. At the time of the loans’ disbursal, around 20 to 30% of the sanctioned amount was allegedly deducted upfront in the name of processing fees and other charges. The tenure was kept at 7 to 15 days, while the interest rate charged was on the higher side, the sources said. The agency suspects that loans worth ₹ 49.2 crore had allegedly been collected/recovered by harassing the borrowers. Funds worth ₹ 19.43 crore have been frozen by the agency across several states as part of the probe.Trump’s Cabinet And Key Jobs: Brooke Rollins Tapped For Agriculture Secretary
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 9, 2024-- Zuora, Inc. (NYSE: ZUO), a leading monetization suite for modern business, today announced financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended October 31, 2024. Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results: Descriptions of our non-GAAP financial measures are contained in the section titled "Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below and reconciliations of GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures are contained in the tables below. Proposed Acquisition; Conference Call and Guidance On October 17, 2024, we announced that Zuora entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Silver Lake, the global leader in technology investing, in partnership with an affiliate of GIC Pte. Ltd. (“GIC”). The transaction is valued at $1.7 billion, with Silver Lake and GIC to acquire all outstanding shares of Zuora common stock for $10.00 per share in cash. The acquisition is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions and approvals, including the receipt of the required regulatory approvals. Upon completion of the transaction, Zuora will become a privately held company. Given the proposed acquisition of Zuora, we will not be holding a conference call or live webcast to discuss Zuora's third quarter of fiscal 2025 financial results, we will not be providing any forward looking guidance, and we are withdrawing all previously provided goals, outlook, and guidance. Key Operational and Financial Metrics: Explanation of Key Operational and Financial Metrics: Annual Contract Value (ACV) . We define ACV as the subscription revenue we would contractually expect to recognize from a customer over the next twelve months, assuming no increases or reductions in their subscriptions. We define the number of customers at the end of any particular period as the number of parties or organizations that have entered into a distinct subscription contract with us and for which the term has not ended. Each party with whom we have entered into a distinct subscription contract is considered a unique customer, and in some cases, there may be more than one customer within a single organization. Dollar-based Retention Rate (DBRR) . We calculate DBRR as of a period end by starting with the sum of the ACV from all customers as of twelve months prior to such period end, or prior period ACV. We then calculate the sum of the ACV from these same customers as of the current period end, or current period ACV. Current period ACV includes any upsells and also reflects contraction or attrition over the trailing twelve months but excludes revenue from new customers added in the current period. We then divide the current period ACV by the prior period ACV to arrive at our dollar-based retention rate. Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). ARR represents the annualized recurring value at the time of initial booking or contract modification for all active subscription contracts at the end of a reporting period. ARR excludes the value of non-recurring revenue such as professional services revenue as well as contracts with new customers with a term of less than one year. ARR should be viewed independently of revenue and deferred revenue, and is not intended to be a substitute for, or combined with, any of these items. ARR growth is calculated by dividing the ARR as of a period end by the ARR for the corresponding period end of the prior fiscal year. Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures: In addition to financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), this press release and the accompanying tables contain non-GAAP financial measures including: non-GAAP cost of subscription revenue; non-GAAP subscription gross margin; non-GAAP cost of professional services revenue; non-GAAP professional services gross margin; non-GAAP gross profit; non-GAAP gross margin; non-GAAP income from operations; non-GAAP operating margin; non-GAAP net income; non-GAAP net income per share; and adjusted free cash flow. The presentation of these financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. We use non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP measures as part of our overall assessment of our performance, including the preparation of our annual operating budget and quarterly forecasts, to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies and to communicate with our Board of Directors concerning our financial performance. We believe these non-GAAP measures provide investors consistency and comparability with our past financial performance and facilitate period-to-period comparisons of our operating results. We also believe these non-GAAP measures are useful in evaluating our operating performance compared to that of other companies in our industry, as they generally eliminate the effects of certain items that may vary for different companies for reasons unrelated to overall operating performance. We exclude the following items from one or more of our non-GAAP financial measures: Additionally, we disclose "adjusted free cash flow", which is a non-GAAP measure that includes adjustments to operating cash flows for cash impacts related to Shareholder matters and Acquisition-related expenses described above, and net purchases of property and equipment. We include the impact of net purchases of property and equipment in our adjusted free cash flow calculation because we consider these capital expenditures to be a necessary component of our ongoing operations. We believe this measure is meaningful to investors because management reviews cash flows generated from operations excluding such expenditures that are not related to our ongoing operations. Investors are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool. The non-GAAP measures we use may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies, limiting their usefulness for comparison purposes. We compensate for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP items excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as “believes,” “may,” “will,” “determine,” “estimates,” “potential,” “continues,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “expects,” “could,” “would,” “projects,” “plans,” “targets,” “strategy,” “likely,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding the proposed acquisition of Zuora, including the expected timing of the closing of the acquisition, and expectations for Zuora following the completion of the acquisition. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations as of the date of this filing and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. Our actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, risks detailed in our Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 29, 2024 as well as other documents that may be filed by us from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024. In particular, the following factors, among others, could cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: the possibility that the closing conditions to the proposed acquisition are not satisfied (or waived), including the risk that required approvals from Zuora’s stockholders for the proposed acquisition or required regulatory approvals to consummate the acquisition are not obtained in a timely manner (or at all); the outcome of the current complaint and any potential litigation relating to the proposed acquisition; uncertainties as to the timing of the consummation of the proposed acquisition; the ability of each party to consummate the proposed acquisition; our ability to attract new customers and retain and expand sales to existing customers; our ability to manage our future revenue and profitability plans effectively; adoption of monetization platform software and related solutions, as well as consumer adoption of products and services that are provided through such solutions; our ability to develop and release new products and services, or successful enhancements, new features and modifications; challenges related to growing our relationships with strategic partners; loss of key employees; our ability to compete in our markets; adverse impacts on our business and financial condition due to macroeconomic or market conditions; the impact of actions to improve operational efficiencies and operating costs; our history of net losses and ability to achieve or sustain profitability; market acceptance of our products; the success of our product development efforts; risks associated with currency exchange rate fluctuations; risks associated with our debt obligations; successful deployment of our solutions by customers after entering into a subscription agreement with us; the success of our sales and product initiatives; our security measures; our ability to adequately protect our intellectual property; interruptions or performance problems; litigation and other shareholder related costs; the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and ability to integrate operations and technology of any acquired company; geopolitical conflicts or destabilizing events; other business effects, including those related to industry, market, economic, political, regulatory and global health conditions and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. We undertake no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Important Information and Where to Find It In connection with the proposed acquisition, Zuora has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a proxy statement in preliminary form on November 25, 2024, a definitive version of which will be mailed or otherwise provided to its stockholders. The Company and affiliates of the Company have jointly filed a transaction statement on Schedule 13E-3 (the Schedule 13E-3). Zuora may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the potential transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, ZUORA’S STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND THE SCHEDULE 13E-3 IN THEIR ENTIRETY AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE THEREIN BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND THE PARTIES TO THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the proxy statement, the Schedule 13E-3 and other documents that Zuora files with the SEC from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and Zuora’s website at investor.zuora.com . In addition, the proxy statement, the Schedule 13E-3 and other documents filed by Zuora with the SEC (when available) may be obtained from Zuora free of charge by directing a request to Zuora’s Investor Relations at investorrelations@zuora.com . Participants in the Solicitation Zuora and certain of its directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Zuora’s stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of Zuora in connection with the proposed transaction, including a description of their respective direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise will be set forth in the proxy statement and Schedule 13E-3 and other materials to be filed with the SEC. You may also find additional information about Zuora’s directors and executive officers in Zuora’s proxy statement for its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on May 16, 2024 (the “Annual Meeting Proxy Statement”). To the extent holdings of securities by potential participants (or the identity of such participants) have changed since the information printed in the Annual Meeting Proxy Statement, such information has been or will be reflected in Zuora’s Statements of Change in Ownership on Forms 3 and 4 filed with the SEC. You can obtain free copies of these documents from Zuora using the contact information above. About Zuora, Inc. Zuora provides a leading monetization suite to build, run and grow a modern business through a dynamic mix of usage-based models, subscription bundles and everything in between. From pricing and packaging, to billing, payments and revenue accounting, Zuora’s flexible, modular software platform is designed to help companies evolve monetization strategies with customer demand. More than 1,000 customers around the world, including BMC Software, Box, Caterpillar, General Motors, The New York Times, Schneider Electric and Zoom use Zuora’s leading combination of technology and expertise to turn recurring relationships and recurring revenue into recurring growth. Zuora is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in the Americas, EMEA and APAC. To learn more, please visit zuora.com . © 2024 Zuora, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Zuora, Subscribed, Subscription Economy, Powering the Subscription Economy, Subscription Economy Index, Zephr, and Subscription Experience Platform are trademarks or registered trademarks of Zuora, Inc. Third party trademarks mentioned above are owned by their respective companies. Nothing in this press release should be construed to the contrary, or as an approval, endorsement or sponsorship by any third parties of Zuora, Inc. or any aspect of this press release. SOURCE: ZUORA, INC. (1) Stock-based compensation expense was recorded in the following cost and expense categories: (1) For the three months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, GAAP and Non-GAAP net (loss) income per share are calculated based upon 152.3 million and 141.5 million basic and diluted weighted-average shares of common stock, respectively. For the nine months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, GAAP and Non-GAAP net (loss) income per share are calculated based upon 149.5 million and 138.8 million basic and diluted weighted-average shares of common stock, respectively. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209614914/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations Contact: Luana Wolk investorrelations@zuora.com 650-419-1377Media Relations Contact: Margaret Juhnke press@zuora.com 619-609-3919 KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE PAYMENTS ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY ELECTRONIC COMMERCE FINTECH OTHER TECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Zuora, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/09/2024 04:10 PM/DISC: 12/09/2024 04:08 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209614914/enTulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria fallout
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Then-President Donald Trump looks to Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as she speaks during a Jan. 11, 2018, prison reform roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as his former domestic policy chief. She is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. Rollins, 52, previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Brooke Rollins, assistant to the president and director of the Domestic Policy Council at the time, speaks during a May 18, 2020, meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins’ pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. ___ Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Josh Funk and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu has surgery for injury
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Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): An international game called Ultimate Frisbee or Ultimate has changed the lives of over 150 Pardhi and Gond children. It drew them to education and took them away from addiction and beggary. These children living in and around Bhopal were once ragpickers and addicts. Ultimate, which was invented by an American in 1960s, is different from other organised games and sports in more ways than one. It is played by boys and girls together with no referee or umpire. Players call their own fouls. It promotes gender equality and inculcates a sense of fair play. All that is needed to play is a metallic disc and an open ground. Points are scored by passing the disc to a teammate in opposing team’s zone. Their team is named Flying Teetars. The team’s captain Abhishek learned the game with help of YouTube videos after he was introduced to it by an activist associated with an NGO called Muskan. Then, he went to Delhi where he learned the nuances of the game for four months. On his return, he persuaded boys and girls of his basti to get together and form a team. FP Photo The team played a Sectional Tournament in 2019 where it was in competition with teams from all over the country. And it won appreciation for excelling without the help of a coach and no access to a proper ground. In last five years, the team played tournaments in different places even as its members continued to study and persuade others to learn the game and play it. Abhishek was approached by a team from Madras to play at an international tournament in Malaysia. But there was no money. Ultimately, crowd-funding helped him to fly to Malaysia in July this year. Of the 150 children who had quit beggary and rag picking after they began playing the games, 20 have cleared Class 12 and are studying at Azim Premji University. “I am happy that the children of our community who could not get out of the slums are playing and studying across the country,” Abhishek said.
Investing in dividend stocks within a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) offers a powerful way for Canadians to grow their wealth. With a TFSA, dividends earned are completely tax-free, and withdrawals do not count as taxable income, making it a top choice for those aiming to build a steady income stream while avoiding the tax burden. When selecting dividend stocks for a TFSA, a combination of , growth potential, and a solid history of shareholder returns is key. Let’s explore how ( ), ( ), and ( ) fit this bill perfectly. OpenText OpenText is a global leader in information management and cloud-based services, catering to businesses seeking to harness the power of data and artificial intelligence (AI). Recently, OpenText announced its fiscal year 2024 results, reporting total revenues of $5.8 billion — a 29% year-over-year growth. Despite some challenges in revenue growth last quarter, the company’s quarterly earnings showed a 4.3% increase compared to the same period last year, signalling its resilience. OpenText also introduced a $300 million share-buyback program and raised its annual dividend by 5%, reflecting its commitment to rewarding shareholders. With a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 8.55, it remains attractively valued, especially for investors looking to combine stable dividend income with l growth in the tech sector. goeasy Next, goeasy may be a lesser-known gem, yet it has steadily built a reputation in the financial services sector by catering to non-prime borrowers. Over the years, it has shown phenomenal growth, with its loan portfolio increasing by 30% year over year in its latest quarter to reach $3.65 billion. The company’s ability to expand during uncertain economic times is a testament to its solid business model and management. Goeasy also boasts a growing dividend, with a forward annual yield of 2.75% backed by a payout ratio of just 27%. This leaves ample room for future increases, making it an appealing choice for those looking to boost their TFSA’s income potential. Moreover, with a robust forward P/E of 8.40, goeasy offers a balance of value and growth for savvy investors. BCE Finally, BCE is one of Canada’s most recognized telecommunications companies, continuing to be a pillar of stability and reliable income. Although facing pressures from a highly competitive industry, BCE’s scale and diversified services allow it to weather challenges effectively. The company’s latest moves, including its acquisition of Ziply Fiber for $5 billion and the sale of its stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for $4.7 billion, highlight its strategic focus on streamlining operations and enhancing its market position. While quarterly revenue dipped slightly by 1.8% year over year, BCE’s forward annual dividend yield of over 10% is hard to ignore. With its reliable cash flow and strong commitment to returning value to shareholders, BCE stands out as a core holding for any TFSA focused on income generation. The perfect trio Together, OTEX, GSY, and BCE bring a mix of growth potential, robust financials, and generous dividends to the table. For a TFSA investor, these qualities are invaluable. OpenText’s focus on AI and cloud solutions positions it well in a world increasingly reliant on digital transformation. Meanwhile, goeasy’s unique positioning in the lending space taps into an underserved market, driving robust growth that supports its rising dividend. Lastly, BCE remains a beacon of stability, particularly for income-seeking investors who value consistent cash flow, even amid market volatility. Another significant advantage of these companies is resilience during economic uncertainty. Dividend stocks, especially those with a history of increases like OTEX and GSY, often demonstrate stability during market downturns. This makes them a practical choice for risk-averse investors looking to safeguard their savings while still growing their wealth. Bottom line Incorporating OTEX, GSY, and BCE into your TFSA is not just about diversifying. It’s about building a portfolio that works for you in multiple ways. Whether it’s OpenText’s growth in AI and cloud technology, goeasy’s remarkable earnings trajectory, or BCE’s steady dividend yield, these stocks align perfectly with the goals of a TFSA investor. If you’re looking to make your investments work smarter, not harder, these three options could be the winning formula for a thriving, tax-efficient portfolio.Sri Lanka, in addition to other sectors, plans to attract over USD 13 billion from two keys segments, tourism and ICT in the next three years, stated CT CLSA research, quoting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s policy statement at the 10th Parliament inauguration ceremony on November 21. Tourism: The Government plans to attract four million tourists and generate US$ 8 billion to the economy thorough the sector within three to four years. “IT markets are to be enhanced from the current 85,000 IT professionals to 200,000 IT professionals to enhance export potential of the sector from current US$ 1.2 bn at present to US$ 5 billion per year. CT CLSA highlighted the Government plans to enhance the value derived from mineral resources by setting up a value-added industrial system that integrates state and private sector efforts. Higher focus on the maritime sector by leveraging on the location of Colombo and the higher importance of becoming a major trade and maritime hub was also highlighted. The policy statement also focused on innovation in agriculture through research and development and further improvement in subsidies towards agriculture. Acknowledging the need for innovation, a dedicated Ministry of Science and Technology has been set up to drive research and development, aiming to transition from traditional markets to new, innovative ones It also highlighted the economic stabilisation efforts where the President outlined plans for stabilising the economy through careful decision-making and adherence to agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Under the new economic strategies President proposed three key pillars for economic strategy: rapid growth in production, inclusive participation of citizens in the economy and most importantly fair distribution of national wealth to prevent its concentration among a few.