NATCHITOCHES, La. (AP) — Chris Mubiru had 13 points to lead Northwestern State to a 71-58 victory over North Alabama on Sunday. Mubiru finished 5 of 6 from the field for the Demons (3-4). Jerald Colonel scored 12 points and added six rebounds. Landyn Jumawan had 12 points with two 3-pointers. Jacari Lane finished with 14 points to lead the Lions (4-3). Will Soucie added 13 points and Canin Jefferson scored nine. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .A Ukrainian serviceman holds a Stinger anti-aircraft missile as he attends a joint drills of armed forces, national guard and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) near the border with Belarus, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine in Rivne region, Ukraine on Feb 11, 2023. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “The United States and more than 50 nations stand united to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression." WASHINGTON - The United States will send Ukraine US$725 million (S$975 million) of missiles, ammunition, anti-personnel mines and other weapons, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Dec 2, as President Joe Biden's outgoing administration seeks to bolster Kyiv in its war with Russian invaders before leaving office in January. The assistance will include Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), drones and land mines, among other items, he said in a statement. Reuters reported last week that the Biden administration planned to provide the equipment, much of it anti-tank weapons, to ward off Russia’s attacking forces. Moscow’s troops have been capturing village after village in Ukraine’s east, part of a drive to seize the industrial Donbas region, while Russian airstrikes target a hobbled Ukrainian energy grid as winter sets in. “The United States and more than 50 nations stand united to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression,” Mr Blinken’s statement said. The announcement marks a steep uptick in size from Mr Biden’s recent use of so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the US to draw from current weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency. Recent PDA announcements have typically ranged from US$125 million to US$250 million. Mr Biden has an estimated US$4 billion to US$5 billion in PDA already authorised by Congress that he is expected to use for Ukraine before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan 20. Waiting for Trump Trump is widely expected to change US strategy on Ukraine, after he criticised the scale of Mr Biden’s support for Kyiv and made winding down the war quickly a central campaign promise. Last week, he picked Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant-general who presented him with a plan to end the war, to serve as special envoy for the conflict. Mr Kellogg’s plan for ending the war, which began when Russia invaded Ukrainian sovereign territory, involves freezing the battle lines at their prevailing locations and forcing both Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table, Reuters reported in June. The tranche of weapons represents the first time in decades that the United States has exported land mines, the use of which is controversial because of the potential harm to civilians. Although more than 160 countries have signed a treaty banning their use, Kyiv has been asking for them since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in early 2022, and Russian forces have used them on the front lines. The land mines that would be sent to Ukraine are “non-persistent,” with a power system that lasts for just a short time, leaving the devices non-lethal. This means that - unlike older landmines - they would not threaten civilians indefinitely. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now
Chris Mubiru leads Northwestern State over North Alabama 71-58
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Residential Dehumidifiers Market Driven by Demand for Immersive Technologies Across IndustriesNoneAmid a fall season characterized by restive shareholders seeking an activist bid to unseat senior management and change the trajectory of the company, Pfizer ( PFE 2.29% ) is communicating that everything is under control. Per its updated forecast for its 2024 and 2025 fiscal years on Dec. 17, the overarching message is that the pharma will continue to seek to control its costs while bolstering its portfolio of medicines as usual. But does that make the stock a buy, or is there reason to be cautious? Let's dig into the details here and make a judgment. This new forecast is a mixed bag To begin, let's compare the new outlook issued by management for 2025 with its recent performance to get a sense of how significant the coming 12 months will be for shareholders. Pfizer's trailing-12-month (TTM) revenue is $59.3 billion, whereas its TTM normalized diluted earnings per share (EPS) is $1.55. Per the updated projection for next year, the business anticipates bringing in revenue of as much as $64 billion, and adjusted diluted EPS of between $2.80 and $3.00. But here's where shareholders are apt to frown. According to the reaffirmed forecast for this year, 2024, the company expects to bring in as much as $64 billion in revenue, and as much as $2.95 in adjusted diluted EPS. See the issue? Even if things go well enough that sales and earnings end up in the upper ranges of management's forecasts, there won't be much in the way of top or bottom-line growth between 2024 and 2025. That means management's plan to implement $500 million in cost savings in 2025 will hardly make a dent. On the bright side, a separate cost-savings campaign dedicated to manufacturing specifically is expected to start to deliver in the second half of 2025, so that might make 2026 a bit better from an earnings perspective. Plus, the overlapping forecast for 2024 and 2025 are, to an extent, a mirage; after removing non-recurring items from this year's forecast performance, Pfizer thinks that its revenue could grow by as much as 5% and its adjusted diluted EPS by as much as 18% in 2025. Still, that isn't actually very reassuring, as management is frank that performing at the lower ends of its estimates would result in zero revenue growth and just 10% EPS growth year over year. The long term looks a bit better than the near term What should investors make of this update from management? For one, there hasn't been much discussion of how the business is going to grow faster in the near future than it is today, which suggests no upcoming major changes in strategy. The previously established goals of becoming more efficient, becoming a world leader in oncology drugs, and continuing to return capital to shareholders while reducing the company's debt burden are still in progress. Likewise, research and development (R&D) activities will continue to be fully funded, and while it hasn't been explicitly mentioned, there is a high probability that Pfizer will continue to look for opportunities to acquire promising biotechs or their pharmaceutical assets to bolster the pipeline. More importantly, shareholders need to brace themselves for another year of the stock being in the doldrums. There's no obvious pending catalyst that would enable big price appreciation. At the same time, if you're interested in collecting a dividend with a toothsome forward yield of 6.7%, right now looks like a great time to buy more shares or invest for the first time -- except for the fact that Pfizer is paying out significantly more than it's generating in earnings; its payout ratio is a lofty 223%. The risk of the dividend getting cut is not very high at the moment, but if weak growth continues for a couple of years longer, it could be on the table, especially if there's an unlucky run of late-stage programs that fail in the pipeline. With all of the above in mind, this stock is still worth buying, provided that you're willing to hold onto it through the slow period ahead. Just be aware that the risk is higher here than it would normally be with a big pharma stock, as this giant looks like it's moving slower than its shareholders might prefer.
NoneSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jacob Holt had 23 points in Sacramento State's 98-47 victory over Stanislaus State on Sunday. Holt also contributed five rebounds for the Hornets (3-9). Bailey Nunn scored 18 points while shooting 6 for 7, including 5 for 6 from beyond the arc. Chudi Dioramma had 14 points and finished 6 of 8 from the floor. The Hornets broke a five-game slide. Jason Cibull led the way for the Warriors with 17 points. Stanislaus State also got 10 points from Cam Walker. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .