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Australia’s job market is shrinking, with employment platform behemoth Seek saying the peak times to either switch roles or get a pay rise are likely behind us. In its latest labour market balance report, Seek is warning Aussies the job market has become looser over the last two years and “broadly balanced”. A tight labour market means it is easy for jobseekers to find work and is generally seen as better for employees, while a loose labour market means that there is more competition among jobseekers for fewer roles. Seek said the indicators revealed there were still jobs out there for those who were searching, but they were not as plentiful as they had been over the last few years. “It is taking 10 weeks longer for the average jobseeker to find a job and there is more competition for roles,” Seek report author Blair Chapman wrote. “From a hirer perspective, this means that there are now more potential candidates to choose from and roles should be easier to fill than in 2022.” While pointing to a bleak overall picture for employees moving forward, there are still pockets where jobseekers can get ahead. Job ads for healthcare medical, community services deployment and manufacturing transport logistics remain elevated despite Australia’s economy slowing. On the other side, jobs in information communication technology and banking finance are no longer in demand and demand has fallen below pre-Covid levels. This is likely going to have a flow-on effect for Aussies next pay rise, as wages also tend to grow faster when the market is tight and employers have to offer higher wages to attract top talent. “Wages can take time to reflect an imbalance in the market because of the nature of wage settings in Australia,” Mr Chapman said. Although there is a silver lining for employees, the labour market still remains tighter than five years ago. The report said while the labour market was slightly loose in 2019 on average, it is a natural comparison point to use for assessing where we sit today, as it was the year before we experienced the massive disruptions caused by Cvid and the economy was relatively stable. “If the Australian economy is operating at its full potential, the labour market should be a little tighter than it was in 2019 when the RBA was cutting the cash rate to encourage faster economic growth, and the labour market was not tight,” Mr Chapman said. Seek’s report follows Australia’s official unemployment rate holding steady for three months, at 4.1 per cent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Unemployment Figures The number of unemployed people in October was 67,000 higher than a year ago but was still 82,000 people lower than in March 2020. “With employment rising by around 16,000 people and the number of unemployed up by around 8000, the unemployment rate remained at 4.1 per cent,” ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said. “This was the third month in a row that the unemployment rate had been at 4.1 per cent. This is around 0.6 percentage points above its recent low of 3.5 per cent in June 2023 but is 1.1 percentage points below March 2020 when it was 5.2 per cent.”
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South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law, as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the National Assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon’s impeachment or resignation. The party’s floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said it will soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. “We’ll surely impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who is the greatest risk to Republic of Korea,” party leader Lee Jae-myung said. “We’ll surely bring back this country to normal before Christmas Day or year’s end.” Despite escaping the impeachment attempt, many experts worry Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 2 1/2 years in office. They say some ruling party lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. Protests against Yoon are swelling On Saturday, tens of thousands of people densely packed several blocks of roads leading up to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP’s headquarters near the Assembly, angrily shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon’s supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied in separate streets in Seoul, decrying the impeachment attempt they saw as unconstitutional. Impeaching Yoon required support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The Democratic Party and five other small opposition parties, which filed the motion, have 192 seats combined. But only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn’t reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result “very regrettable” and an embarrassing moment for the country’s democracy that has been closely watched by the world. “The failure to hold a qualified vote on this matter means we were not even able to exercise the democratic procedure of deciding on a critical national issue,” he said. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. Yoon apologizes for turmoil Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued a public apology over the martial law decree, saying he won’t shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose martial law. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office.” “The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The turmoil resulting from Yoon’s bizarre and poorly-thought-out stunt has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon’s martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. PPP later decided to oppose Yoon’s impeachment motion. Yoon’s speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon’s early exit from office. Lee told reporters that Yoon’s speech was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon’s martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife. Some lawmakers from Yoon’s party were seen leaving the hall after that vote, triggering angry shouts from opposition lawmakers. Yoon accused of ordering arrests of politicians On Friday, PPP chair Han Dong-hun, who criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities.” Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians. The targeted politicians included Han, Lee and Woo, according to Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly after Yoon imposed martial law. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eldorado Gold Corporation (“Eldorado” or “the Company”) today releases its updated Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource (“MRMR”) estimates as of September 30, 2024. “Our updated Mineral Reserves estimate provides a solid foundation and underpins our production profile over the next decade and beyond,” said George Burns, President and CEO. “We were pleased to increase our Mineral Reserves by approximately 2% overall, driven by increases at the Lamaque Complex and Efemcukuru that extends Reserve mine life significantly and complements our already long mine life assets at Skouries, Kisladag and Olympias. The Lamaque Complex Mineral Reserve increased by 45%, driven primarily by the declaration of an Inaugural Mineral Reserve at Ormaque of 619 thousand ounces. This follows a solid track record of successfully replacing Mineral Reserves since acquiring the asset in 2017 and sets up the Lamaque Complex for the long-term with two underground mines with significant Inferred Mineral Resource conversion potential and exploration upside.” “In addition, at Efemcukuru, we increased Mineral Reserves by 23% resulting in an extension to the mine life by an additional two years to an updated life of mine of eight years. Efemcukuru has been a reliable producer since 2011, and our team remains committed to exploring opportunities to extend mine life further. During 2025, our focus will continue to be on extending the mine life at our existing operations and testing near-mine exploration targets, while seeking a discovery from our highly prospective portfolio of early stage exploration targets in Canada and Turkiye.” Mineral Reserves Update The Company’s Proven and Probable gold Mineral Reserves totalled 11.9 million ounces as of September 30, 2024, an increase of approximately 2% from the previous MRMR statement from September 30, 2023. The complete MRMR table and notes can be found at the end of this release. (1) The Company’s total MRMR excludes Mineral Reserves at its non-core Romanian asset (Certej). As disclosed in the Q3 2024 Managements Discussion & Analysis, the Certej project has been presented as a disposal group held for sale as at September 30, 2024 and as a discontinued operation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. On October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement to sell the Certej project. The closing of the disposition is subject to certain conditions. (2) Depletion declared here are in-situ ounces. Depletion includes the 12-month period of October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024. Excluding depletion, the increase in Mineral Reserves is primarily attributable to additions at Kokarpinar South at Efemcukuru as well as an inaugural Mineral Reserve estimate for the Ormaque deposit within the Lamaque Complex. The following table summarizes the period-over-period changes to the Company’s Mineral Reserves: NOTE: Totals may not sum due to rounding. (1) The Company reports its MRMR as of September 30, 2024. As such, the change year over year is from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. Mineral Resources Update Eldorado’s Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources (“M&I Mineral Resources”) totalled 22.0 million ounces gold, as of September 30, 2024. The Company successfully converted Inferred Mineral Resources to M&I Mineral Resources at Ormaque, within the Lamaque Complex, and at Efemcukuru. The total is offset by depletion at the other operating mines. This resulted in a 3% decrease from the previous MRMR statement from September 30th, 2023. Eldorado’s Inferred Mineral Resources totalled 6.8 million ounces as of September 30, 2024, a 10% decrease from the previous MRMR statement. Detailed MRMR disclosure tables are included at the end of this news release. The following table summarizes the period-over-period changes to the Company’s Mineral Resources: NOTE: Totals may not sum due to rounding. (1) Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves. (2) The Company Reports on its MRMR as of September 30, 2024. As such, the change year over year is from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. (3) As disclosed in the Q3 2024 Managements Discussion & Analysis, the Certej project has been presented as a disposal group held for sale as at September 30, 2024 and as a discontinued operation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. On October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement to sell the Certej project. The closing of the disposition is subject to certain conditions. 2025 Reporting Schedule The Company intends to report, and host a conference call led by senior management, as set out in the table below. The Company reserves the right to amend the schedule in its discretion and will inform the market of any changes in schedule. About Eldorado Eldorado is a gold and base metals producer with mining, development and exploration operations in Turkiye, Canada and Greece. The Company has a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, safe and responsible operations, a portfolio of high-quality assets, and long-term partnerships with local communities. Eldorado's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: ELD) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EGO). Contact Investor Relations Lynette Gould, VP, Investor Relations, Communications & External Affairs 647 271 2827 or 1 888 353 8166 lynette.gould@eldoradogold.com Media Chad Pederson, Director, Communications and Public Affairs 236 885 6251 or 1 888 353 8166 chad.pederson@eldoradogold.com Notes: (1) Resource grades are reported undiluted, however resources are assessed for reasonable expectation of economic extraction by applying expected minimum mining shapes. (2) As disclosed in the Q3 2024 Managements Discussion & Analysis, the Certej project has been presented as a disposal group held for sale as at September 30, 2024 and as a discontinued operation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. On October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement to sell the Certej project. The closing of the disposition is subject to certain conditions. (3) Mineralized shapes based on RPEEE identified based on 2.5 g/t Au COG; within shapes material below incremental COG of 1.0 g/t have been excluded; grades are diluted by must-take material between 1.0 and 2.5 g/t Au. (4) Due to narrow veins, continued conversion of Resources to Reserves at Ormaque will reflect expected lower grades to fully represent mining modifying factors. Notes: (1) Resource grades are reported undiluted, however resources are assessed for reasonable expectation of economic extraction by applying expected minimum mining shapes. (2) As disclosed in the Q3 2024 Managements Discussion & Analysis, the Certej project has been presented as a disposal group held for sale as at September 30, 2024 and as a discontinued operation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. On October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement to sell the Certej project. The closing of the disposition is subject to certain conditions. (3) Due to narrow veins, any future potential conversion of Resources to Reserves at Ormaque will reflect expected lower grades to fully represent mining modifying factors. ADVISORIES AND DETAILED NOTES ON MINERAL RESERVES AND RESOURCES General Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources are as of September 30, 2024 The Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources were classified using logic consistent with the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources & Mineral Reserves (2014) incorporated, by reference, into National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). Sample preparation, analytical techniques, laboratories used, and quality assurance and quality control protocols used during exploration drilling programs are done consistent with industry standards and independent certified assay labs are used. Mineral Reserves are included in the Mineral Resources. The Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources are disclosed on a total project basis. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. With respect to “Inferred Mineral Resources”, there is a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of a “Measured Mineral Resource”, “Indicated Mineral Resource” or “Inferred Mineral Resource” will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Additional information on the Kisladag, Efemcukuru, Olympias, Skouries and Lamaque mineral properties mentioned in this news release (all of which are considered to be material mineral properties to the Company) are contained in Eldorado’s annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the following technical reports for each of those properties, all of which are available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.com and www.sec.gov : Qualified Persons Simon Hille, FAusIMM, Executive Vice President, Operations and Technical Services, is the “qualified person” under NI 43-101 responsible for preparing and supervising the preparation of the scientific or technical information contained in this news release and verifying the technical data disclosed in this document relating to our operating mines and development projects, unless otherwise noted. Additional qualified persons have approved disclosures for specific properties as detailed in “Mineral Reserve Notes” and “Mineral Resource Notes” below. Jessy Thelland, géo (OGQ No. 758)., Director Technical Services Lamaque, a member in good standing of the Ordre des Géologues du Québec, is the qualified person as defined in NI 43-101 responsible for, and has verified and approved, the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release for the Quebec projects. Cautionary Note to US Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources There are differences between the standards and terms used for reporting mineral reserves and resources in Canada, and in the United States pursuant to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”). The terms Mineral Resource, Measured Mineral Resource, Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource are defined by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) and the CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources adopted by the CIM Council, and must be disclosed according to Canadian securities regulations. These standards differ from the requirements of the SEC applicable to domestic United States reporting companies. Accordingly, information contained in this news release with respect to mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by United States companies subject to the SEC’s reporting and disclosure requirements. Mineral Reserve Notes Eldorado reports Mineral Reserves in accordance with CIM Definition Standards. Mineral Reserves for the operating sites (Efemcukuru, Kisladag, Olympias, and within the Lamaque Complex – Ormaque and Triangle) were determined using a long-term gold price of $1,450/oz while Mineral Reserves for the Skouries and Perama Hill projects were determined based on a $1,300/oz gold price. A reserve test is undertaken every year to confirm future undiscounted cash flow from reserve mine plan is positive. Qualified Persons The following persons, all of whom are qualified persons under NI 43-101, have approved the disclosure related to the Mineral Reserves for the projects noted below contained within this release: Mineral Resource Notes Eldorado reports Mineral Resources in accordance with CIM Definition Standards. All Mineral Resources are assessed for reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction (RPEEE). The Resource cut-off grades or values (e.g. gold equivalent) are determined using a long-term gold price ($1,800/oz) and modifying factors derived in the resource to reserve conversion process (or by comparison to similar projects for our resource-only properties). These values are then used to create constraining volumes that provide limits to the reported Resources. Resource grades are reported undiluted from within the constraining volumes that satisfy RPEEE. At Efemcukuru, mineralized shapes based on RPEEE identified based on 2.5 g/t Au COG; within shapes material below incremental COG of 1.0 g/t have been excluded; grades are diluted by must-take material between 1.0 and 2.5 g/t Au. Due to the presence of narrow veins, any future potential conversion of Resources to Reserves at Ormaque will reflect expected lower grades to fully represent modifying factors associated with mining. Open Pit Resources used pit shells created with the long-term gold price to constrain reportable model blocks. Underground Resources were constrained by volumes whose design was guided by a combination of the reporting cut-off grade or value, contiguous areas of mineralization and mineability. Eldorado’s Mineral Resources are inclusive of Reserves. Mineral Resource Reporting and demonstration of Reasonable Prospects for Eventual Economic Extraction: The Mineral Resources used a long term look gold metal price of $1,800/oz for the determination of resource cut-off grades or values. This guided execution of the next step where constraining surfaces or volumes were created to control resource reporting. Open pit-only projects (Kisladag, Perama Hill, Perama South, and Certej) used pit shells created with the long-term gold price to constrain reportable model blocks. Underground Resources were constrained by 3D volumes whose design was guided by the reporting cut-off grade or value, contiguous areas of mineralization and mineability. Only material internal to these volumes were eligible for reporting. Projects with both open pit and underground Resources have the open pit Resources constrained by either the permit (Skouries), and pit shell, or by an open pit/underground economic crossover surface, and underground Resources constrained by a reporting shape. (1) Mineralized shapes based on RPEEE identified based on 2.5 g/t Au COG; within shapes material below incremental COG of 1.0 g/t have been excluded; grades are diluted by must-take material between 1.0 and 2.5 g/t Au. Qualified Persons The following persons, all of whom are qualified persons under NI 43-101, have approved the disclosure related to the Mineral Resources for the projects noted below contained within this release: Cautionary Note about Forward-looking Statements and Information Certain of the statements made and information provided in this news release are forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Often, these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “anticipates”, “believes”, “budget”, “continue”, “estimates”, “expects”, “forecasts”, “foresee”, “future”, “goal”, “guidance”, “intends”, “opportunity”, “outlook”, “plans”, “potential”, “strive”, “target” or “underway” or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “can”, “could”, “likely”, “may”, “might”, “will” or “would” be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information are by their nature based on a number of assumptions, that management considers reasonable. However, such assumptions involve both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which, if proven to be inaccurate, may cause actual results, activities, performance or achievements may be materially different from those described in the forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information contained in this release include, but are not limited to, statements or information with respect to: our Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources; long term prospects for the Lamaque Complex, the sale of the Certej project; exploration opportunities to extend the life of mine at Efemcukuru; 2025 focus on extending mine life, testing near-mine exploration targets and seeking a discovery from prospective early-stage exploration targets; the filing of a new technical report for the Lamaque Complex, the disclosed outlook on long term metal prices; and generally our strategy, plans and goals. We have made certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and information, including assumptions about: our ability to obtain all required approvals and permits in a timely manner and our ability to comply with all the conditions that are imposed in such approvals and permits; timing of filing of a new technical report for the Lamaque mineral properties; timing, cost and results of our construction and development activities, improvements and exploration; the future price of gold and other commodities and the global concentrate market; exchange rates; anticipated values, costs, expenses and working capital requirements; production and metallurgical recoveries; Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources; our ability to unlock the potential of our brownfield property portfolio; our ability to address the negative impacts of climate change and adverse weather; consistency of agglomeration and our ability to optimize it in the future; the cost of, and extent to which we use, essential consumables (including fuel, explosives, cement, and cyanide); the impact and effectiveness of productivity initiatives; the time and cost necessary for anticipated overhauls of equipment; expected by-product grades; the use, and impact or effectiveness, of growth capital; the impact of acquisitions, dispositions, suspensions or delays on our business; the sustaining capital required for various projects; and the geopolitical, economic, permitting and legal climate that we operate in (including disruptions to shipping operations and related impacts). Even though our management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statement or information will prove to be accurate. Many assumptions may be difficult to predict and are beyond our control. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, risks relating to our operations in foreign jurisdictions (including disruptions to shipping operations) development risks at Skouries and other development projects; community relations and social license; liquidity and financing risks; climate change; inflation risk; environmental matters; production and processing; waste disposal; geotechnical and hydrogeological conditions or failures; the global economic environment; risks relating to any pandemic, epidemic, endemic or similar public health threats; reliance on a limited number of smelters and off-takers; labour (including in relation to employee/union relations, the Greek transformation, employee misconduct, key personnel, skilled workforce, expatriates, and contractors); indebtedness (including current and future operating restrictions, implications of a change of control, ability to meet debt service obligations, the implications of defaulting on obligations and change in credit ratings); government regulation; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; commodity price risk; mineral tenure; permits; risks relating to environmental sustainability and governance practices and performance; financial reporting (including relating to the carrying value of our assets and changes in reporting standards); non-governmental organizations; corruption, bribery and sanctions; information and operational technology systems; litigation and contracts; estimation of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources; different standards used to prepare and report Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources; credit risk; price volatility, volume fluctuations and dilution risk in respect of our shares; actions of activist shareholders; reliance on infrastructure, commodities and consumables (including power and water); currency risk; interest rate risk; tax matters; dividends; reclamation and long-term obligations; acquisitions, including integration risks, and dispositions; regulated substances; necessary equipment; co-ownership of our properties; the unavailability of insurance; conflicts of interest; compliance with privacy legislation; reputational issues; and competition. The reader is directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in our most recent Annual Information Form & Form 40-F filed on SEDAR+ and EDGAR under our Company name, for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect our business and operations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements and information is designed to help you understand management’s current views of our near- and longer-term prospects, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward-looking statements and information continually as conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of the Company’s business contained in the Company’s reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States.TORONTO (AP) — Britta Curl-Salemme and Michaela Cava each scored twice and the Minnesota Frost beat the Toronto Sceptres 6-3 on Saturday in the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Curl-Salemme gave Minnesota a 4-3 lead at 6:29 of the third period. Cava scored the final two goals, the last into an empty net. Claire Butorac and Dominique Petrie also scored and Maddy Rooney stopped 21 shots to help Minnesota improve to 2-0-1. Daryl Watts, Victoria Bach and Jesse Compher scored for Toronto. The Sceptres are 1-2-0. Minnesota beat Toronto for the fourth straight game dating to last season’s playoffs. The Frost won the final three games of a best-of-five semifinal after dropping the first two. Takeaways Frost: Defender Maggie Flaherty served the first game of a two-game suspension for a headshot on Boston’s Alina Mueller, with Mae Batherson taking her place for her PWHL debut. Batherson is the younger sister of Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson. Sceptres: Rylind MacKinnon is one of only two Canadian university players in the PWHL, with New York's Emmy Fecteau from Concordia the other. MacKinn, a former University of British Columbia defender, has two assists this season. Up next Toronto is at New York on Wednesday night. Minnesota host Ottawa on Thursday night. ___ AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports The Associated PressA damaged poster of Bashar al-Assad in Syria's second city of Aleppo. Photo: Reuters "We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison," said the rebels. Sednaya is a large military prison on the outskirts Damascus where the Syrian government detained thousands. Just hours earlier, rebels announced they had gained full control of the key city of Homs after only a day of fighting, leaving Assad's 24-year rule dangling by a thread. Intense sounds of shooting were heard in the centre of the Damascus, two residents said on Sunday, although it was not immediately clear what the source of the shooting was. In rural areas southwest of the capital, local youths and former rebels took advantage of the loss of authority to come to the streets in acts of defiance against the Assad family's authoritarian rule. Thousands of Homs residents poured onto the streets after the army withdrew from the central city, dancing and chanting "Assad is gone, Homs is free" and "Long live Syria and down with Bashar al-Assad". Rebels fired into the air in celebration, and youths tore down posters of the Syrian president, whose territorial control has collapsed in a dizzying week-long retreat by the military. The fall of Homs gives the insurgents control over Syria's strategic heartland and a key highway crossroads, severing Damascus from the coastal region that is the stronghold of Assad's Alawite sect and where his Russian allies have a naval base and air base. Homs' capture is also a powerful symbol of the rebel movement's dramatic comeback in the 13-year-old conflict. Swathes of Homs were destroyed by gruelling siege warfare between the rebels and the army years ago. The fighting ground down the insurgents, who were forced out. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the main rebel leader, called the capture of Homs a historic moment and urged fighters not to harm "those who drop their arms". Rebels freed thousands of detainees from the city prison. Security forces left in haste after burning their documents. Residents of numerous Damascus districts turned out to protest Assad on Saturday evening, and security forces were either unwilling or unable to clamp down. Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghani said in a statement early Sunday that operations were ongoing to "completely liberate" the countryside around Damascus and rebel forces were looking toward the capital. In one suburb, a statue of Assad's father, the late President Hafez al-Assad, was toppled and torn apart. The Syrian army said it was reinforcing around Damascus, and state television reported on Saturday that Assad remained in the city. Outside the city, rebels swept across the entire southwest over 24 hours and established control. EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO ASSAD RULE The fall of Homs and threat to the capital pose an immediate existential danger to the Assad dynasty's five-decade reign over Syria and the continued influence there of its main regional backer, Iran. The pace of events has stunned Arab capitals and raised fears of a new wave of regional instability. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Russia issued a joint statement saying the crisis was a dangerous development and calling for a political solution. But there was no indication they agreed on any concrete steps, with the situation inside Syria changing by the hour. Syria's civil war, which erupted in 2011 as an uprising against Assad's rule, dragged in big outside powers, created space for jihadist militants to plot attacks around the world and sent millions of refugees into neighbouring states. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the strongest rebel group, is the former al Qaeda affiliate in Syria regarded by the U.S. and others as a terrorist organisation, and many Syrians remain fearful it will impose draconian Islamist rule. Golani has tried to reassure minorities that he will not interfere with them and the international community that he opposes Islamist attacks abroad. In Aleppo, which the rebels captured a week ago, there have not been reports of reprisals. When asked on Saturday whether he believed Golani, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov replied, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group withdrew from the Syrian city of Qusayr on the border with Lebanon before rebel forces seized it, Syrian army sources said on Sunday. At least 150 armoured vehicles carrying hundreds of Hezbollah fighters left the city, long a point on the route for arms transfers and fighters moving in and out of Syria, the sources said. Israel hit one of the convoys as it was departing, one source said. ALLIES' ROLE IN SUPPORTING ASSAD Assad long relied on allies to subdue the rebels. Russian warplanes conducted bombing while Iran sent allied forces including Hezbollah and Iraqi militia to reinforce the Syrian military and storm insurgent strongholds. But Russia has been focused on the war in Ukraine since 2022 and Hezbollah has suffered big losses in its own gruelling war with Israel, significantly limiting its ability or that of Iran to bolster Assad. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said the U.S. should not be involved in the conflict and should "let it play out".
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Big Ten slate features Indiana-Ohio State showdown and Penn State-Minnesota matchup Things to watch this week in the Big Ten Conference: No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP ) at No. 2 Ohio State (9-1, 6-1, No. 2 CFP), Saturday, noon ET (Fox) This marks the 98th matchup between these two teams, but it's only the fourth time both teams have been ranked. Although Indiana is unbeaten, its soft schedule means the Hoosiers aren't assured of making the 12-team field if they lose this game. The only team with a winning record that Indiana has beaten is Washington (6-5). Ohio State needs a win to have a realistic shot at a rematch with top-ranked Oregon in the Big Ten championship game. Ohio State has beaten Indiana 28 straight times since the Hoosiers posted back-to-back victories in 1987-88. No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1, No. 4 CFP) at Minnesota (6-4, 4-3), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (CBS) This is likely Penn State's biggest obstacle on its way to a potential playoff berth. The Nittany Lions' lone remaining regular-season game is a Nov. 30 home matchup with Maryland (4-6, 1-6). Minnesota has had an extra week to prepare this game since its 26-19 loss at Rutgers on Nov. 9, which snapped a four-game winning streak. Penn State and Minnesota have split their last four meetings, with the home team winning each time. Penn State DE Abdul Carter has multiple tackles for loss in each of his last three games. He ranks second among all Bowl Subdivision players in tackles for loss (17 1⁄2). Southern California RB Woody Marks rushed for a career-high 146 yards in a 28-20 win over Nebraska. Marks has six 100-yard rushing performances this season. Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai is the first Scarlet Knight to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since Ray Rice did it three straight years from 2005-07. Monangai has run for 1,028 yards this season and rushed for 1,262 yards last year. Oregon OLB Matayo Uiagalelei recorded a sack and had a game-clinching interception as the top-ranked Ducks won 16-13 at Wisconsin last week. He has 8 1⁄2 sacks this season to rank second in the Big Ten. Four of the top seven Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks in passer rating are from the Big Ten. Indiana's Kurtis Rourke is second, Ohio State's Will Howard is third, Penn State's Drew Allar is fifth and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel is seventh. ... Illinois QB Luke Altmyer has thrown 18 touchdown passes with only three interceptions. The only Power Four quarterback with a better touchdown/interception ratio while throwing at least 10 touchdown passes is Clemson's Cade Klubnik, who has 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. ... Rutgers' three Big Ten wins matches its largest total since joining the league in 2014. Rutgers also had three conference wins in 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023. A victory Saturday over No. 24 Illinois would give Rutgers three straight Big Ten wins for the first time. ... Washington's 31-19 win over UCLA was its 20th straight home victory, representing its second-longest such streak in school history. The Huskies won 45 straight home games from 1908-17. ... Wisconsin heads to Nebraska this week having won its last 10 matchups with the Cornhuskers. Penn State justifiably is favored on the road against Minnesota, but Bet MGM's 12 1⁄2-point spread seems way too big. Expect this game to have a single-digit margin. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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By MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he pushed to win enough votes for confirmation. He said he will not back down after allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell. It’ll be a first for him National Politics | The Trump and Biden teams insist they’re working hand in glove on foreign crises National Politics | ‘You don’t know what’s next.’ International students scramble ahead of Trump inauguration National Politics | Trump is threatening to raise tariffs again. Here’s how China plans to fight back National Politics | Trump won’t be able to save the struggling US beef industry Collins said after the hourlong meeting that she questioned Hegseth about the allegations amid reports of drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. She said she had a “good, substantive” discussion with Hegseth and “covered a wide range of topics,” including sexual assault in the military, Ukraine and NATO. But she said she would wait until a hearing, and notably a background check, to make a decision. “I asked virtually every question under the sun,” Collins told reporters as she left her office after the meeting. “I pressed him both on his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him, so I don’t think there was anything that we did not cover.” The meeting with Collins was closely watched as she is seen as more likely than most of her Republican Senate colleagues to vote against some of Trump’s Cabinet picks. She and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow moderate Republican, did not shy from opposing Trump in his first term when they wanted to do so and sometimes supported President Joe Biden’s nominees for the judicial and executive branches. And Hegseth, an infantry combat veteran and former “Fox & Friends” weekend host, is working to gain as many votes as he can as some senators have expressed concerns about his personal history and lack of management experience. “I’m certainly not going to assume anything about where the senator stands,” Hegseth said as he left Collins’ office. “This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope, in time, overall, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support.” Hegseth met with Murkowski on Tuesday. He has also been meeting repeatedly with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a military veteran who has said she is a survivor of sexual assault and has spent time in the Senate working on improving how attacks are reported and prosecuted within the ranks. On Monday, Ernst said after a meeting with him that he had committed to selecting a senior official to prioritize those goals. Republicans will have a 53-49 majority next year, meaning Trump cannot lose more than three votes on any of his nominees. It is so far unclear whether Hegseth will have enough support, but Trump has stepped up his pressure on senators in the last week. “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform last week.