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are gaming laptops good for vr But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”SYDNEY, Australia, Dec. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hampton Capital Asset Management is proud to announce its appointment and selection for the UNSW TRaCE (Translational Research and Commercialisation Experience) Venture Funding Programme, a pioneering initiative designed to accelerate high-potential startups from research labs to market. The $280 million TRaCE programme, established by the University of New South Wales in collaboration with the Commonwealth Government, industry partners, and the University of Newcastle, is the first of its kind in Australia. Inspired by successful frameworks from Israel and Singapore, TRaCE identifies and supports startups expected to make significant contributions to their industries. By combining early-stage funding with a network of industry leaders, the programme enables venture capital limited partnerships (VCLP) like Hampton Capital to commercialise innovative ideas into successful ventures while reducing risks at critical stages. Hampton Capital's Commitment to Innovation and Shared Vision Hampton Capital, a leading venture builder, and Hampton Accelerate , its accelerator arm, use cutting-edge technologies and sustainable investment strategies to deliver exceptional outcomes for their clients. Hampton Capital's selection into the TRaCE programme reflects their dedication to driving impactful solutions and aligns with TRaCE's mission of tackling the "Valleys of Death”-the critical barriers startups face on their path to commercial viability. The "Valleys of Death” describe the challenges of high development costs and unproven market traction that often deter private investment at crucial growth stages. By using the resources and funding provided by TRaCE, Hampton Capital aims to empower startups to bridge these gaps and scale effectively. "We are honoured to join the UNSW TRaCE programme,” said John Priest, Founder and CEO of Hampton Capital. "This opportunity allows us to refine our innovative financial solutions while extending our reach into world-class research, with a strong focus on sustainability and technological advancement.” Innovative Partnerships Driving Success The TRaCE programme represents a bold new approach to commercialising university research. By integrating TRaCE's deep R&D capabilities with Investible's $32.7 million Climate Tech Fund and its expertise in scaling early-stage startups, the programme addresses critical funding gaps that often hinder climate-tech ventures. Through this partnership, startups can access a co-investment framework designed to de-risk ventures and support their transition from lab-based innovation to local manufacturing and global deployment. The collaboration ensures that innovative technologies have the resources and guidance needed to achieve commercial success. Sustainable Innovation for the Future Hampton Capital's inclusion in the TRaCE programme highlights its leadership in reshaping the financial sector through sustainable investment practices. The programme's innovative funding mechanisms, including its buy-back system, enable TRaCE to recycle funds and reinvest in future startups, creating a sustainable pipeline of support. Over the coming months, Hampton Capital will collaborate closely with the TRaCE programme team to enhance its market presence, maximise its impact, and solidify its position as a trailblazer in the commercialisation of groundbreaking research. Contact Information:

1 2 3 4 Ludhiana: Six months ago, four activists from Ludhiana called for blocking the polluted water entering villages from the city. They are the ones who have brought the Kale Pani Da Morcha , the protest movement aimed at addressing severe pollution in Buddha Dariya, to this point. These activists, Kapil Arora (civil engineer), Jaskirat Singh (chemical engineer), Kuldeep Khaira (dairy owner and RTI activist), and Dr Amandeep Bains (dentist), took up the initiative when they saw that the AAP government did nothing to solve the Buddha Dariya pollution issue, despite having contested elections on this platform. The activists claimed it deeply troubled them to see CM Bhagwant Mann and Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan remain silent on the issue. These activists were also part of the Mattewara and Zira Factory morchas. Kuldeep Singh Khaira, a resident of Isher Nagar, Gill Road, and an RTI activist since 2006, has been raising numerous issues through his RTI queries. “We have been working on environmental issues for a long time together, and Buddha Dariya has always been at the back of our minds as it is a major issue not only for this city but also for the entire state,” he said. He mentioned that many politicians and bureaucrats talked about clearing the drain as before, but nothing happened on the ground. Khaira further said that what pinched the most was the silence of the present government, which had contested elections on this issue. He said CM Bhagwant Mann should watch his previous videos where he visited the houses of people who lost their loved ones to cancer and other diseases, all because they are forced to drink such polluted water. Kapil Arora, a civil engineer and resident of BRS Nagar, came into the limelight in 2021 when a small portion of the Gill Chowk flyover collapsed. As a member of the Council of Engineers, he pointed out the issues with the flyover and has since been active on various environmental issues. Arora has filed at least 30 cases in the National Green Tribunal, with 17 or 18 cases still active. Regarding this morcha, he said: “Initially, when we gave the government a three-month ultimatum, we believed they would take action during this period. We even extended the deadline from Sep to Dec, but it did not work.” He said that water body pollution is a very serious issue, and now they want to see whether the government will support them or those who are polluting everything. Arora further said that they will conduct a peaceful protest and block the outlets, but if any untoward incident occurs, the government will be responsible. Jaskirat Singh, a chemical engineer and software developer residing in Model Town, has been dedicated to this cause since 2006. He has joined many other groups addressing environmental issues, whether it be the axing of trees, Buddha Dariya, or other violations. He said: “We are not after money, and this is perhaps the major reason we could take up this issue to this point. But the sad part is the silence of the state government. The govt wants activists and industrialists to be at loggerheads with each other.” Asked why they are targeting CETPs first, he said: “Document show that CETPs are discharging their treated water into Buddha Dariya illegally, by going against the agreement. We are not violating anything, but helping implement the PPCB’s orders. After CETPs, we will fight other violations. Dr Amandeep Bains, a dentist residing in Basant Avenue, is quite vocal about various issues in Punjab, whether religious, political, or social. He began his environmental work with the NGO RBS Roots, under which he conducted plantation drives and cleanliness campaigns at the Satluj and Sidhwan canals. Despite having a fractured leg when he joined the Kale Pani Da Morcha, he was active in the events. Bains said: “We can’t let our kids die just for a few industrialists. Clean water is a basic right, and AAP govt has failed. CM Mann was to take a dip in Buddha Dariya after the rejuvenation project was completed, but to date, he has not even bothered to talk to us about this issue.” He said that they will ensure this issue reaches a conclusion. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

( MENAFN - Gulf Times) Qatar Social Work Foundation (QSWF), which is affiliated with the Ministry of Social Development and Family, and its centres -- Shafallah Center, Aman Center, and Al Noor Center -- participated in the fourth edition of the Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination, held in Barcelona, Spain, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union, and Unesco. This annual forum serves as an important platform that brings together representatives from governments, municipalities, civil society organizations, and academic circles to discuss prominent issues and exchange the best solutions to strengthen the global movement against racism and discrimination. The fourth edition of the forum focused on key issues, including combating racism, empowering women, and empowering people with disabilities, while enhancing the exchange of experiences between civil society organizations, which contributes to the development of effective policies to combat discrimination at both the local and global levels. The participation of the Qatar Social Work Foundation is part of its commitment to combating discrimination and promoting equality in society, making it a fundamental pillar in supporting the social sector in Qatar. The foundation also seeks to strengthen institutional partnerships with relevant international organizations as part of achieving Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to build an interconnected society that ensures the well-being of all its members and enhances social solidarity values, with a focus on sustainable human and social development in all areas. MENAFN13122024000067011011ID1108992054 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.Winter chill sparks a surge in heating appliance salesLondon, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pixalate, the market-leading ad fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform, today released the Q3 2024 United Kingdom Seller Trust Index for Web, Mobile, and Connected TV (CTV) to rank programmatic ad sellers across desktop and mobile web , mobile apps , and CTV . The first-of-its-kind rankings, using SupplyChain Object (SCO) data, offer a comprehensive view of programmatic ad sellers based on quality across the advertising supply chain, as measured by Pixalate. Pixalate’s Seller Trust Indexes feature country-level seller ratings in 140+ countries for 580+ sellers. The rankings are based on an analysis of over 50 billion monthly programmatic advertising impressions from Q3 2024. Top Programmatic Web Ad Sellers in the United Kingdom (Q3 2024) See more in the Web Seller Trust Index . Top Programmatic Mobile Ad Sellers in the United Kingdom (Q3 2024) See more in the Mobile Seller Trust Index . Top Programmatic CTV Ad Sellers in the United Kingdom (Q3 2024) Amazon Fire TV Samsung Smart TV See more in the CTV Seller Trust Index . Pixalate’s Seller Trust Indexes provide a full view of the ad supply chain ecosystem. In doing so, the Indexes aim to foster economic fairness, encourage competition, and highlight the full range of sellers available to buyers, including each sellers’ relative strengths and weaknesses in each country. Explore all of Pixalate’s Seller Trust Indexes: Web Seller Trust Index Mobile Seller Trust Index CTV Seller Trust Index About Pixalate Pixalate is a global platform specializing in privacy compliance, ad fraud prevention, and digital ad supply chain data intelligence. Founded in 2012, Pixalate is trusted by regulators, data researchers, advertisers, publishers, ad tech platforms, and financial analysts across the Connected TV (CTV), mobile app, and website ecosystems. Pixalate is accredited by the MRC for the detection and filtration of Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). pixalate.com Disclaimer The content of this press release, and the Seller Trust Indexes (collectively, the "Indexes"), reflect Pixalate's opinions with respect to factors that Pixalate believes may be useful to the digital media industry. As cited in the Indexes, the ratings and rankings in the Indexes are based on a number of metrics and Pixalate's opinions regarding the relative performance of each seller with respect to the metrics. The data is derived from buy-side, predominantly open auction, programmatic advertising transactions, as measured by Pixalate. The Indexes examine global advertising activity. Any insights shared are grounded in Pixalate's proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating. Any references to outside sources in the Indexes and herein should not be construed as endorsements. Pixalate's opinions are just that, opinions, which means that they are neither facts nor guarantees; and neither this press release nor the Indexes are intended to impugn the standing or reputation of any person, entity or app. Per the MRC , “'Fraud' is not intended to represent fraud as defined in various laws, statutes and ordinances or as conventionally used in U.S. Court or other legal proceedings, but rather a custom definition strictly for advertising measurement purposes. Also per the MRC , “‘Invalid Traffic’ is defined generally as traffic that does not meet certain ad serving quality or completeness criteria, or otherwise does not represent legitimate ad traffic that should be included in measurement counts. Among the reasons why ad traffic may be deemed invalid is it is a result of non-human traffic (spiders, bots, etc.), or activity designed to produce fraudulent traffic.”

The Gap, Inc . GAP reported better-than-expected earnings for its second quarter and raised its outlook for FY24 gross margin. Gap reported quarterly earnings of 72 cents per share, which beat the analyst consensus estimate of 57 cents. Quarterly revenue came in at $3.82 billion, which beat the consensus estimate of $3.81 billion and is an increase over sales of $3.76 billion from the same period last year. "I'm proud that Gap Inc. delivered another successful quarter, growing net sales for the fourth consecutive quarter and gaining market share across all brands while meaningfully expanding operating margin," said Gap CEO Richard Dickson. Gap raised its full-year outlook for net sales, gross margin and operating income growth compared to prior expectations. The company now sees net sales up 1.5% to 2%, gross margin growth of 220 basis points and operating income margin of mid-to-high 60%. Gap shares gained 10.7% to trade at $24.41 on Friday. These analysts made changes to their price targets on Gap following earnings announcement. B of A Securities maintained Gap with a Neutral and raised the price target from $25 to $28. Morgan Stanley analyst Alex Straton maintained Gap with an Overweight and raised the price target from $29 to $30. Barclays analyst Adrienne Yih maintained the stock with an Overweight and raised the price target from $31 to $32. Wells Fargo analyst Ike Boruchow maintained Gap with an Overweight and raised the price target from $28 to $30. Evercore ISI Group analyst Michael Binetti maintained the stock with an Outperform and increased the price target from $32 to $33. JP Morgan analyst Matthew Boss maintained Gap with a Neutral and boosted the price target from $26 to $28. BMO Capital analyst Simeon Siegel maintained Gap with a Market Perform and raised the price target from $23 to $25. Considering buying GAP stock? Here’s what analysts think: Read This Next: Jim Cramer Says This Stock Is A Bitcoin Play And He Prefers To Own Bitcoin © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.By MIKE CATALINI CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It’s unclear if it’s drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Related Articles National News | FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup National News | OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment National News | Judge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election case National News | Texas’ abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine National News | US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what’s behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey’s new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they’re looking into what’s happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she’s glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn’t buy what the governor said, that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there’s the notion that people could misunderstand what they’re seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they’re looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin’s view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That’s not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

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Senator Ted Cruz facing deadline to pass bill protecting victims of deepfake pornography

Take a look at some of the events coming up this weekend, including pantomimes and Christmas parties. It's Christmas party night at Barry Island Sports and Social Club on Saturday, December 14, from 7.30pm. There will be tributes to Michael Bublé and The Ratpack with Paul Brown, as well as a Mr Motown and Soul show. South Wales comedian Lenny Dee will also be performing, supported by DJ Mike Briscombe. Tickets cost £10 each. A Christmas disco for children will be held at Highlight Park Community Centre on Saturday, December 14, from 4pm to 6pm. Tickets cost £4 per child, including a hot dog and unlimited squash. Memo Arts Centre will be hosting BillBoard Ensemble presents Cinderella the pantomime from Thursday, December 12, to Sunday, December 15. Tickets cost £18, or £14 for concessions. On Saturday, December 14, at 11am, a relaxed performance will be held. This showing will have no loud bangs, strobes, or flashing lights, making it the perfect choice for anyone who prefers a quieter, more relaxed experience. Ideal for families and guests who may be more sensitive to sensory effects but still want to enjoy the magic of pantomime. The pantomime will be performed at 7.30pm on Thursday, December 12 and Friday, December 13, 11am (relaxed) and 3pm on Saturday, December 14 and 11am and 3pm on Sunday, December 15. Barry Male Voice Choir will be holding its annual charity Christmas concert on Saturday, December 14, at St Helen's Church, Barry. The Vale of Glamorgan Brass Band will also be performing. All profits will be donated to the charity LATCH, which supports children receiving treatment for cancer and leukaemia at the Children's Hospital for Wales, and their families. The last Barry train play event of the year will be held on Sunday, December 15, at Highlight Park Community Centre from 11am. There will be huge tracks, lots of trains, a mini Thomas roller coaster and large red car tracks. For children under five years old, there will be an electric ride on train. There is no upper age limit and everyone is welcome. Each session lasts for one hour and costs £6 per child. Refreshments and pre-loved trains will be available for sale.VANCOUVER - British Columbia business owner Joe Chaput will spend $5,500 a month on security guards during the holiday season and plans on upgrading his store’s video camera system for around $5,000 more. He’s not selling luxury brands or expensive jewels. Chaput sells cheese, and at Christmas, cheese is a hot commodity. He is the co-owner of specialty cheese store les amis du Fromage, with two locations in Vancouver. While cheeselifting is rare in their Kitsilano store, the outlet in East Vancouver is hit in waves, with nothing happening for a month, then three of four people trying to steal their inventory within a week. “Sometimes, you miss it. Sometimes, you catch it. The way shoplifters behave ... they tend to gravitate toward expensive things,” said Chaput. Expensive cheese is on shoplifters’ Christmas list, he said. “They tend to do the classic examples of staying away from customer service and trying to go to a different part of the store so they can be left alone to steal.” Chaput isn’t alone. Police say food-related crimes on are the rise in Canada and as prices climb for items such as cheese and butter, they become lucrative on the black market for organized crime groups, not to mention theft for local resale. Sylvain Charlebois, the director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-food Analytics Lab, said a black market tends to emerge as soon as food prices surge. “Organized crime will steal anything (if) they know they can sell it and so, they probably would have known who their clients are before even stealing anything at all, and that’s how a black market is organized,” said Charlebois. He said he believes there are two categories of people shoplifting — those who do so out of desperation because they can’t afford the food, or organized criminals, profiting from sales on the black market. Mounties in North Vancouver made cheesy headlines when they ran into a man with a cart of stolen cheese in the middle of the night in September. The cheese, valued at $12,800, was from a nearby Whole Foods Store. While the cheese was recovered, it had to be disposed of because it hadn’t been refrigerated. Const. Mansoor Sahak, with the North Vancouver RCMP, said officers believe cheese is targeted because it’s “profitable to resell.” “If they are drug addicts, they will commit further crimes with that or feed their drug habits. It’s a vicious cycle,” said Sahak. Sahak said meat is also a top target for grocery thieves, with store losses sometimes in the thousands. “So, we’re not surprised that this happened,” said Sahak. Police in Ontario have been chasing down slippery shoplifters going after butter. Scott Tracey, a spokesman with Guelph Police Service, said there have been eight or nine butter thefts over the last year, including one theft last December worth $1,000. In October, two men walked into a local grocer and filled their carts with cases of butter valued at $936, and four days later a Guelph grocer lost four cases valued at $958. Tracey said he has looked at online marketplaces and found listings by people selling 20 or 30 pounds of butter at a time. “Clearly, somebody didn’t accidentally buy 30 extra pounds of butter. So, they must have come from somewhere,” said Tracey, “I think at this point it appears to be the black market is where it’s headed.” He said the thefts seem to be organized, with two or three people working together in each case. Police in Brantford, Ont., are also investigating the theft of about $1,200 worth of butter from a store on Nov. 4. Charlebois said retailers could invest in prevention technologies like electronic tags, but putting them on butter or cheese is rare. He said up until recently grocery store theft has been a “taboo subject for many years.” Stores didn’t wanted to talk about thefts because they didn’t want to alarm people but now they feel they need to build awareness about what is “becoming a huge problem,” said Charlebois. Chaput, the cheese store owner, said he had been running the East Vancouver store for 15 years while managing the store in Kitsilano for 30 years, and he loves his customers. “It’s really one of the best parts of our businesses, seeing familiar faces and making new customers. It’s why we come to work, really. Partly it’s the cheese, and partly it’s the people,” said Chaput. He said his strategy to combat would-be thieves is to give them extra customer service to make it harder for them to steal. He admits, however, that the shoplifting causes him stress. “It’s challenging. You’re busy trying to run your business day to day and take care of customers and take care of employees. Having to deal with criminals, just kind of scratches away. It can be a bit exhausting,” said Chaput. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2024.Feature: Chinese drilling team turns Egypt's desert into farmland

Global stocks pressured ahead of Fed decision

The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners than gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street's profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market's other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year. The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. "Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy," he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain's economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.In Kelly Ayotte’s campaign for governor, the now-governor-elect was clear in ads and speeches: She would not be making changes to the state’s abortion law. That law, passed in 2021, bans abortions after six months of pregnancy except in cases of fatal fetal anomalies or to protect the life of the mother. House and Senate Republican leaders also stressed in the lead-up to Election Day that their party would not pursue further abortion restrictions. But just over a week after the deadline for House bill requests for the 2025 session, some Republicans have demonstrated an interest in taking New Hampshire’s abortion restriction further. Others have explored different laws that relate to the topic. Those bills — if they passed the Legislature — could present a political challenge for Ayotte. On the other side, Democrats are continuing to advocate for legislation that would enshrine abortion rights in New Hampshire statute. Here’s a guide to some of the legislation coming up next year. Making transportation of minors without parental consent illegal In April, a private school teacher was fired after transporting a student to an abortion clinic without parents being aware, according to a subsequent lawsuit. The student in that case was over 18, meaning they did not need to have parental permission to obtain the abortion. After initially having her state teacher’s license suspended, the teacher, referred to as “Jane Doe,” filed a lawsuit about the suspension and has since had her credentials restored. But though the student in question in that case was over 18, Rep. Glenn Cordelli says there should be a law stopping adults from making similar arrangements for minors. Cordelli, a Tuftonboro Republican, has filed a bill that would create criminal and civil penalties for the “recruitment, harboring, or transporting” of a pregnant minor to obtain an abortion without parental permission — unless that child had been emancipated. “I view it as more of a parental rights issue, not an abortion issue,” Cordelli said in an interview. “A parent has the right to know what’s going on. I’ve even heard it being termed ‘kidnapping.’ ” Cordelli said he is unaware of cases in New Hampshire where minors have been taken to get abortions without parental consent but said his bill is intended to be precautionary. Information on abortion and alternatives in sex ed Rep. John Sellers, a Bristol Republican, has submitted a bill “requiring the discussion of abortion procedures and viewing of certain videos during health education in public schools.” The idea, Sellers said in an interview, is to provide students with a full understanding of abortion. “This video would actually help them understand what goes in and what’s involved in an abortion,” Sellers said. Sellers has proposed a separate bill “requiring school districts to educate students regarding adoption during health education for grades 9 through 12.” That bill is meant to teach students about potential alternatives to abortion, Sellers said. Due to intensive attention on abortion laws and rights in recent years, Sellers argues kids are already exposed to the idea of abortion. “I’m trying to protect the kids and trying to get them more educated on not only the value of life, but also, you know, if you’re going to do an abortion, this is what it is. And you know what? You don’t have to do an abortion if you have an unplanned pregnancy. You can have an adoption.” Sellers said he hasn’t heard from constituents upset about what their schools are teaching about abortion. But he said the bill is a general response to the increasing prevalence of abortion. A further abortion ban? Despite wishes by leadership, some Republican lawmakers pushed for abortion restrictions in the last session. But their plans this time around are difficult to confirm. Rep. Katy Peternel, a Wolfeboro Republican and the assistant majority whip in the House, has submitted a bill with the description “relative to restrictions on elective abortion.” What that bill does is unclear. In a text exchange, Peternel said that her bill “will allow late-term abortion when the pregnancy poses any risk to the mother’s health or there is a fatal fetal abnormality.” But she did not answer questions about whether the bill would change the current 24-week restrictions. “I don’t have any further comments at this time,” she said in response to repeated follow-up questions. The full text of Peternel’s bill will be made public by the Office of Legislative Services — the nonpartisan office that drafts bills requested by lawmakers — around the end of December. Representatives of the office declined to provide Peternel’s legislative service request describing the bill, saying it is confidential. For his part, Sellers said he would support a 15-week ban — or a six-week ban. He said many of his constituents agree. “They think the 24-week bill is way too long,” he said of his constituents. “I mean, that’s six months. If someone hasn’t made a decision in six months, that’s pretty sad. But you get both sides. No one wants to give (the right to abortion) up, but I don’t think anybody really wants to go that far out.” But more restrictions may have difficulty gaining support. In February, the House voted down by voice vote House Bill 1541, which would have required any abortion after 15 weeks to be carried out in a hospital — not an abortion provider — and in the presence of two physicians. Watching for change For the Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund — an advocacy group that operates separately from Planned Parenthood’s medical operations — the next session is about playing defense. Kayla Montgomery, the organization’s vice president of public affairs, says she’ll be watching whether any abortion restrictions clear the House and Senate and make it to the governor’s desk. “I think it’s just really important that we remember that Gov.-elect Ayotte spent a lot of time and energy and dollars explaining to people that she would not pass any abortion restrictions or any abortion bans, and it’s really important that voters hold her accountable to that,” Montgomery said. Montgomery said she is monitoring for “TRAP laws,” an acronym used by abortion rights supporters that stands for “targeted regulation of abortion providers.” That could include any laws that require abortion providers to change staffing or building layouts such as hallway widths. There are no House legislative service requests that indicate such laws. The deadline for House submissions of legislative service requests was Nov. 22, but senators have not set their deadlines and may continue to propose legislation this month. Beyond Concord, Planned Parenthood is bracing for potential funding cuts under the administration of President-elect Donald Trump. In 2018, during Trump’s previous term as president, his administration passed regulations requiring reproductive health centers to draw a “bright line” to financially separate abortion care from other health care in order to continue qualifying for Title X funds. Many organizations that provide abortions — including Planned Parenthood — pulled out of receiving federal funding. Those rules, referred to by opponents as the “domestic gag order,” were overturned by President Joe Biden, but Montgomery expects Trump to restore the order when he takes office in January. New Hampshire’s Republican-led Executive Council has also blocked state family planning and reproductive health funding from going to Planned Parenthood, as well as two other organizations that provide abortions in the state: the Equality Health Center of Concord and the Joan G. Lovering Health Center of Greenland. Without the Title X or state funding, those organizations will need to rely on outside donations to continue providing health care services, which include cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, and contraceptives.None

HANOI (AFP) – A multi-billion-dollar fraud scandal involving one of Vietnam’s most prominent tycoons exposed systemic weaknesses in the country’s banking sector, said analysts who warn other such cases could yet emerge. Judges on Tuesday upheld the death sentence of property developer Truong My Lan, who was convicted this year of embezzling vast sums from the Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB), which she controlled, having borrowed from tens of thousands of small investors. Corruption is extensive in Vietnam, which ranked 83rd out of 180 in Transparency International’s most recent Corruption Perception Index. But the monumental scale of Lan’s crime was unprecedented, with the USD27-billion in losses prosecutors said she caused equivalent to Bosnia’s entire annual gross domestic product. Banking experts fear other damaging allegations are lurking in hidden recesses of the financial sector of the fast-growing economy, which is seen as a favoured destination for foreign investors. “SCB is not a single problem, it is an illness of the whole economy,” banking expert Bui Kien Thanh told AFP . The Vietnamese financial system was “characterised by a lack of tight state management”, he said. “Similar issues are rampant in society, so (Vietnam) needs to study and fix the problem before others arise.” Experts said a key systemic weakness is in the regulation of the corporate bond market, where companies borrow money from investors. In most developed markets, bonds are issued through independently regulated brokers on the basis of a full prospectus, graded by ratings agencies, and traded on stock exchanges. But SCB, through its branches, misleadingly sold its bonds directly to retail customers, with staff trained for weeks on how to falsely reassure them their money was secure and the investment carried little risk. Tens of thousands of people invested their savings in the bonds and lost everything when the bank collapsed and had to be bailed out by authorities, some of them contemplating suicide. Most Vietnamese company debt is not rated for creditworthiness at all, with local ratings agency FiinRatings saying there were no corporate bonds with credit ratings in the country in the years before Lan’s arrest. That compared with an average of around 50 per cent across the 10-member ASEAN. According to state media, a judge at Lan’s original trial asked police to look into the role played by staff at three of the world’s biggest accounting firms that audited SCB’s books – Ernst and Young, Deloitte and KPMG. None of the three responded to requests for comment by AFP . At every level of the Vietnamese financial sector – from employees on the ground to regulatory authorities – there is a lack of training on financial markets, the risks involved and regulatory obligations, Thanh said. On paper, Lan owned just five per cent of shares in SCB, but at her trial, the court concluded that she effectively controlled more than 90 per cent through family, friends and staff who were asked to hold stocks on her behalf. She then used her position to direct SCB management staff to withdraw money from the bank, over time transporting the equivalent of USD4.4 billion in cash in trucks to her home and the offices of her Van Thinh Phat property firm. “They don’t question the paperwork... they just say, how are we going to do it? How fast can we do it?” said economist based in the United States Khuong Huu Loc. “The whole system is a game based on collusion,” he added. “The problem is, it gets so bad, (but) people let her continue on because you don’t want to open the can of worms.”