Drexel defeats Howard 68-65MUMBAI: Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh, who has been scooping adulation across the world courtesy his live shows, dedicated his recent show in Guwahati to the former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The actor-singer took to his Instagram on Sunday, and shared a video from his show. In the video, Diljit paid a moving tribute to the former PM, and said that MMS was a man of grace, who always conducted himself in a sophisticated manner, and never answered anyone in an uncivilised manner. He said, “Today's concert is dedicated to former late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He led a very simple life. He never used to answer back or talk ill which is quite immpossible in a profession like politics”. He then went on to say a shayari once used by MMS, as he said, "Hazaro’n jawabo’n se meri khamoshi acchi, na jane kitne sawalo ki aabru dhak leti hai”. The superstar urged the youth including himself to learn such etiquettes from him. He wrote in the caption, “Today’s Concert is dedicated to Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. DIL-LUMINATI TOUR Year 24”. MMS passed away on December 26 after prolonged illness. Several members of the film fraternity condoled his demise, and thanked him for his service to the nation and materialising several key moments in modern India. Earlier, Diljit addressed the “conspiracy” that has been alleged against him over the spelling of the Indian state of Punjab. The actor-singer took to his X, formerly Twitter, and spoke about the same. He penned a long note in which he also spoke about how English is a very tricky language, and can particularly cause trouble to those whose first language is not English. He wrote, “Punjabi. If I mistakenly didn’t put up India’s flag after writing ‘Panjab’ in a tweet then it becomes a conspiracy. In a tweet from Bengaluru, I forgot to mention the Indian flag after writing ‘Panjab’, it became a conspiracy”. He further mentioned, “If you write ‘Panjab’ instead of ‘Punjab’, it will remain ‘Punjab’. Panj Aab - 5 Rivers. Bravo, those who create conspiracy around the usage in a language of the Englishmen. You know what, I will write ‘Panjab’. How many times do we prove that we LOVE INDIA. Bring something new, or is creating conspiracy is what you get paid for? #Vehley”. The superstar has seen a meteoric rise in the last couple of years with the box-office success of his films in Hindi and Punjabi cinema. The singer-actor also performed at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April 2023 making him the first Indian performer to achieve the feat. He was followed by fellow Punjabi artiste A. P. Dhillon at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April 2024. Meanwhile, Diljit is set to conclude the India leg of Dil-Luminati tour in Ludhiana. --IANS aa/
Mystery Drone Sightings at Military Bases is an International ProblemThe University of Arizona projects its research activity exceeded $1 billion in fiscal year 2024, which it says would put the university into a select group of top research institutions. The University of Arizona’s Dante Lauretta, lead scientist for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, signals the success and celebrates the triumph after a capsule containing materials from the asteroid Bennu landed in October 2023 on a Utah military range. The successful mission conceived and led by the UA was among the highlights of the university's $1 billion-plus in overall research spending in fiscal year 2024. Those include Stanford University, Duke University, Harvard University, University of California — Los Angeles, University of Florida, University of Michigan and University of North Carolina. “Our faculty members tackle urgent global challenges, from energy and environmental issues to national security, human health and the societal impact of technological change,” said UA President Suresh Garimella, who joined the university on Oct. 1, in announcing the research milestone in a news release Tuesday. Among UA's 2024 research highlights noted by UA: "Retrieving the largest asteroid sample ever brought to Earth, advancing a vaccine for Valley fever to human clinical trial — the world's first against fungal infection to reach this stage — and mitigating the effects of extreme heat." Researchers watch the OSIRIS-REx capsule begin its Utah landing during a watch party in October 2023 at the University of Arizona. The UA will submit its data to the National Science Foundation for review and the official number is set to be confirmed in the fall. This feat in research spending was achieved in the midst of the university’s year-long budget deficit and "financial crisis" revealed by former President Robert C. Robbins in the fall last year. The university continues to rebuild its faculty and staff numbers after layoffs and a temporary hiring freeze, having reduced its year-end projected budget deficit to $63 million from $177 million. "Research is the cornerstone of the University of Arizona's standing as a world-class institution, and our latest rankings reaffirm this excellence," said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, senior vice president of research and innovation, in the news release. His role at the UA started Nov. 11. The most recent National Science Foundation rankings show the UA: • Spent a total of $955 million on research activity in fiscal year 2023, including more than $356 million in health sciences, which placed the university among the nation’s top 20 public research institutions for the sixth year in a row. • Ranks among the top 4% of 900 universities and colleges invested in research and development. • Has maintained its no. 1 ranking in astronomy and astrophysics since 1987. • Also holds the rankings of No. 2 among public universities for space science, No. 4 in high Hispanic enrollment, No. 6 in NASA-funded activity, No. 7 in physical sciences, No. 20 in overall public universities and No. 36 across all universities, according to the university website . “The scale of our research enterprise provides the capacity to lead multi-institution and interdisciplinary successes like the OSIRIS-REx (asteroid) mission and to pursue revolutionary advancements that will benefit people everywhere, such as personalized medical treatments with the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies,” said Garimella. According to Coco Tirambulo, an M.D./Ph.D. student at the UA College of Medicine — Tucson quoted in the news release, the hope is for the research to produce “transformative solutions for families navigating neurodegenerative diseases.” Reporter Prerana Sannappanavar covers higher education for the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson.com . Contact her at psannappa1@tucson.com . Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Higher Education ReporterBank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says the central bank is preparing for a future that looks more uncertain and more prone to shocks. In a speech to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, he said Monday structural changes are underway in the world including demographic shifts, technological changes, decarbonization and a move away from globalization. “We need to use the pandemic experience to prepare for future crises,” Macklem said in a prepared text of his speech. To that end, Macklem says the Bank of Canada is working to learn what it can from how the economy reacted to the pandemic and in its aftermath. The Bank of Canada is conducting a review of the policy actions it took to restore financial stability and support the economy during the pandemic that it plans to publish along with an assessment of an independent panel of experts. Macklem said the spike in inflation in 2022 was a reminder that even though inflation was relatively low and stable for 30 years leading up to the pandemic, central banks cannot take public trust for granted. “All of a sudden, people couldn’t afford the things they need. And while inflation is low once again, many prices are still a lot higher than they were before the pandemic. So people feel ripped off. And that erodes public trust in our economic system,” he said in his speech. The Bank of Canada has cut its key policy interest rate five times this year including last week when it reduced the benchmark by a half a percentage point to 3.25 per cent. Macklem says the bank will be evaluating the need for further reductions in the policy rate one decision at a time and anticipates a more gradual approach to monetary policy if the economy evolves as expected. Statistics Canada reported last month that the annual inflation rate was two per cent in Ontario, hitting the Bank of Canada’s target. The speech by Macklem came ahead of the release of the November inflation report on Tuesday.
Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. New York to charge fossil fuel companies for damage from climate change ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Large fossil fuel companies would have to pay fees to help New York fight the effects of climate change under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. The governor signed the new law Thursday. It requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state infrastructure fund for repairs or projects that help avoid future damage from climate change. Lawmakers approved the bill earlier this year. It's meant to make big oil and gas companies contribute to the cost of repairs after extreme weather events or for resiliency projects. Such projects may include restoring coastal wetlands or upgrading roads, bridges and water drainage systems. Legal challenges to the new law are expected. Aviation experts say Russia's air defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured. Azerbaijan is observing a nationwide day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of the crash. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan. Cellphone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies aged 92 NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. The hospital said Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to “sudden loss of consciousness at home." He was “being treated for age-related medical conditions,” the statement added. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and earned a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Why this Mexican American woman played a vital role in the US sacramental peyote trade MIRANDO CITY, Texas (AP) — Amada Cardenas, a Mexican American woman who lived in the tiny border town of Mirando City in South Texas, played an important role in the history of the peyote trade. She and her husband were the first federally licensed peyote dealers who harvested and sold the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church in the 1930s. After her husband's death in 1967, Cardenas continued to welcome generations of Native American Church members to her home until her death in 2005, just before her 101st birthday.Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says the central bank is preparing for a future that looks more uncertain and more prone to shocks. In a speech to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, he said Monday structural changes are underway in the world including demographic shifts, technological changes, decarbonization and a move away from globalization. “We need to use the pandemic experience to prepare for future crises,” Macklem said in a prepared text of his speech. To that end, Macklem says the Bank of Canada is working to learn what it can from how the economy reacted to the pandemic and in its aftermath. The Bank of Canada is conducting a review of the policy actions it took to restore financial stability and support the economy during the pandemic that it plans to publish along with an assessment of an independent panel of experts. Macklem said the spike in inflation in 2022 was a reminder that even though inflation was relatively low and stable for 30 years leading up to the pandemic, central banks cannot take public trust for granted. “All of a sudden, people couldn’t afford the things they need. And while inflation is low once again, many prices are still a lot higher than they were before the pandemic. So people feel ripped off. And that erodes public trust in our economic system,” he said in his speech. The Bank of Canada has cut its key policy interest rate five times this year including last week when it reduced the benchmark by a half a percentage point to 3.25 per cent. Macklem says the bank will be evaluating the need for further reductions in the policy rate one decision at a time and anticipates a more gradual approach to monetary policy if the economy evolves as expected. Statistics Canada reported last month that the annual inflation rate was two per cent in Ontario, hitting the Bank of Canada’s target. The speech by Macklem came ahead of the release of the November inflation report on Tuesday.
Border plan features round-the-clock aerial surveillance, drug detection supportAlyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians
( MENAFN - media OutReach Newswire) MACAO SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 December 2024 - The 19th Annual PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final revealed the region's finest Real estate and outstanding developers at The Bangkok. Hotel Central Macau, with its renovation and revitalization led by Lek Hang Group, was honored with two prestigious titles: "Best Heritage Development (Asia)" and "Best Heritage Hotel Restoration Development (Hong Kong and Macau)." Mr. Simon Sio, Founder and Chairman of Lek Hang Group, proudly presented the Hotel Central Macau project to the Hong Kong and Macau judges of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards. Simon Sio, the Founder and Chairman of Lek Hang Group, expressed his immense honor as the group's first participation in the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards reached the final stage and achieved remarkable results. Lek Hang Group emerged as the sole enterprise and so far the only in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau to win the "Best Heritage Development (Asia)" award in the development awards. This prestigious distinction is not only an international recognition of the group's and hotel's efforts in cultural heritage protection and inheritance, but also a testament to the dedication and excellence of the group's team. He also highlighted that the success of the Hotel Central Macau project stems not only from its meticulous restoration and protection of historical buildings but also from its seamless integration of traditional culture with modern technology. This fusion breathes new life into cultural heritage and offers guests a truly unique and enriching cultural experience. Mr. James Wong, Marketing Director and Senior Assistant to the Chairman of Lek Hang Group, proudly accepted the award. In addition to the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards, the Hotel Central Macau project has garnered several prestigious accolades. These include: · Annual Designer's Boutique Hotel for the year 2024 at the 19th China Tourism and Culture Starlight Awards · Best Hotel of the Year and Best Design Hotel of the Year at the 13th CHA China Hotel Awards ceremony hosted by "Lifestyle Magazine" · China's Most Charming Hotel at the Golden Pearl Awards organized by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Hotel General Managers Society · Best Newly Opened Hotel and The Most Popular Check-in Destination Hotel at the 17th China's Best Hotel Awards. · Style Star at the Travel Excellence Awards held by Southeast Asia's leading culture and travel inspiration platform TripZilla · Best Luxury Historical Hotel in East Asia at the World Luxury Hotel Awards These honors reflect Lek Hang Group and Hotel Central Macau unwavering dedication to excellence in heritage conservation and modern hospitality. The Lek Hang Group's Hotel Central Macau project has garnered significant acclaim, securing top honors in prestigious domestic and international competitions. MENAFN17122024003551001712ID1109005179 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.Mind the Gap: Six Tips to Assess Your Healthcare Coverage Before the New Year
A fter 21 years, the day Farouk feared had finally come. An envelope sealed with red wax made its way through the faded hallways of Syria’s national news agency, Sana, and landed on his desk. Inside was what employees called a penalty, the contents of which could range from a reprimand from the editors to a summons to one of Syria’s brutal security branches. “I found a mistake before the article was published and I brought it to the editors’ attention. I thought this would be a good thing but they punished me,” Farouk, a journalist on Sana’s foreign news desk, said under a pseudonym. Farouk was lucky: he faced only an administrative consequence. Other co-workers had not been so fortunate. One day in 2014, Mohanned Abdelrahman was in the break room chatting with other colleagues as he prepared tea. During the conversation, it dawned on him that all of the employees in the group were from the same religious sect, something that could arouse the suspicion of authorities who were paranoid about any forms of community organising. Quickly, the group disbanded and headed back to their offices. A week later, he and the other employees found an envelope with the feared red seal on their desks. Inside was a summons to Branch 235, AKA the Palestinian branch, one of the country’s most infamous detention centres, where Abdelrahman and other employees would be kept and interrogated for the next 15 days. Abdelrahman and his colleagues recounted their respective arrests while seated around a desk in Sana’s foreign news department 10 days after the fall of the Assad regime, seemingly still dazed that they could speak freely. For the past 13 years, journalists had not been allowed to report freely as their news agency was on the frontline of the Assad regime’s propaganda effort. The Sana homepage, not updated since Assad’s ousting on 8 December , still bore the last headline issued by the Assad regime. “President al-Assad assumes his work, national and constitutional duties”, the news ticker read, despite the dictator’s flight to Moscow a few hours earlier. The news agency’s coverage in the days before the toppling of the Assad regime claimed all was well within Syria. As rebels advanced on Damascus, Sana said they were merely staging photo ops. It spoke of “strategic redeployments” while Syrian government forces abandoned their posts en masse. Sana journalists were not brainwashed; they knew that the opposition was making inroads against regime forces. But years of Orwellian control and censorship within the newsroom had left them unable to write the truth. Abdelrahman said: “They would tell you that the yoghurt was black and you were not allowed to say it’s white. They made you feel scared that you would be punished, so you wouldn’t try to add anything new to articles.” Throughout the civil war, Sana parroted regime lines, making itself key to the Syrian and Russian disinformation campaign. Its articles called the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, organ-harvesting agents of al-Qaida. While more than 90% of Syrians were living below the poverty line, the news agency reported on the installation of eco-buses in Damascus. To ensure journalists did not write anything that contradicted the regime’s line, Syrian intelligence agents planted informants in the office to observe reporters. “You didn’t know who was the one among us writing reports on their fellow employees. They reported when you got into work, when you left, how long you spent in the bathroom,” Abdelrahman said. Journalists’ social media profiles were monitored. A status that expressed any dissenting view, or even a “like” on a suspicious comment, would attract the attention of authorities. The consequences for journalists who dared to deviate from the state’s line could be deadly. Reporters recalled a colleague who was detained for three months and tortured daily, suspended from a pipe in a grotesque stress position. Another was severely tortured after it was discovered he had been sending footage of opposition protests in south Syria to Al Jazeera. Almost all Sana journalists had stories about being detained. Alleged offences included tarnishing the reputation of Syria, organising revolutionary activities, working on behalf of Israel and working on behalf of Iran. Under the threat of bodily harm, journalists were asked to deny the reality they saw with their eyes and instead believe the press releases sent to them by the regime’s PR teams. As economic conditions deteriorated, the Syrian regime would plant more and more egregious statistics and figures in their articles. The Assad regime was most sensitive towards the economic stories, acutely aware of growing discontent. “There was a blackout on any real information. The numbers coming from the ministry of industry and economy were pulled out of thin air,” said Adnan al-Akhras, a home news reporter. Journalists also had to contend with the organisation’s fearsome bureaucracy and onerous editorial standards. If a journalist was dispatched to cover a story abroad, they would first have to seek the permission of their editor, who would need to get the permission of the managing editor, who would report to the editor-in-chief, who would have to ask the minister of information. By the time all the permissions had been secured, the story was long over. Foreign news journalists relied on wire agencies such as Sputnik and Xinhua for their copy. However, there were strict editorial policies in place that sometimes even exceeded those of the Assad regime’s foreign patrons. Journalists were obliged to change copy from Russia’s Sputnik news agency to make it stricter. For example, Russian media’s mention of “Ukraine’s army” would be changed to “neo-Nazi forces” in Sana’s stories. “We would joke that we were the real Moscow, not them,” Abdelrahman said, adding that in recent years journalists on the foreign desk could only write about Cuba, Iran, Russia and Venezuela. As journalists researched their stories, they were asked to collect any negative articles about the Assad regime that appeared in the foreign press. They would copy and paste these stories into an email, sign their names and send it off to a special account given to them by the palace. Where those emails went, the journalists had no idea – they never received a reply. As life in Syria grew harsher, so did the work at Sana. Monthly salaries at the news agency hovered at about 150,000 Syrian pounds (£9). The stories grew more outrageous in contrast to the country’s growing poverty, absurd even to their authors. “We had a phrase: ‘Let the owner of the donkey tie it where he would like’,” said Ibrahim, a Sana journalist who asked to be identified only by his first name. Journalists were not allowed to quit. They could present their resignation to a special committee, which invariably would deny the request. They were not allowed to travel. If they tried, their name would flash across the border guard’s screens and they would be sent back home. Sana journalists were considered as having access to sensitive information and so would have to apply for special security permissions to leave Syria – “which we never got”, Abdelrahman said. Despite the years of repression, journalists at Sana returned to work two days after the fall of the Assad regime. Home news reporters gathered and began to excitedly pitch ideas for future articles: the new marketplaces springing up in the post-Assad era; the rise of the dollar; tracing the disappearance of camera footage from regime prisons. Still, after years of strict control, journalists seemed unsure how to proceed. “We hope we will have freedom as journalists and that none of us will be arrested any more,” Abdelrahman said, glancing at a media officer from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the ousting of Assad, who had been given the task of helping reorganise the state news agency.Sydney Weather Forecast for 31 December 2024: Will Rain Dampen New Year's Eve Fireworks? Check Rainfall Predictions Ahead of New Year 2025 Celebrations