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Anthony Albanese supports a very tongue-in-cheek suggestion that tech giants will comply with an under-16s social media ban if the government coughs up $1000 per child kicked off each platform. Last week, federal parliament passed a world-first ban on children under-16 from having social media accounts. The Prime Minister spoke to radio station NovaFM on Tuesday morning, receiving praise from the show hosts, who suggested pushback from the tech companies could be averted by cash incentives. “TikTok, in particular, they recognised 76 million people last year that were underage. They have the technology to do it,” radio host Michael Wipfli said. “If we, for example, hypothetical, said to Meta ‘hey we’re going to give you $1000 for identifying every person under the age of 16’, how’d you reckon they’d go? I reckon they’d be pretty good at it,” Wipfli said. “That’s exactly right,” Mr Albanese said. “Well, we’ve given them a financial incentive to get this right as well because we want to make sure that the obligations were on the social media companies, not on parents.” Under the new laws, social media companies like Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, is required to prevent under-16s from using their services. Failing to comply brings the prospect of a $50m fine when the ban becomes active in no less than 12 months. The Australian Human Rights Commission and Meta both said the legislation was rushed. Meta also tried to suggest there was a “lack of evidence” to suggest social media had a causal link with children’s mental health. UK technology secretary Peter Kyle told the BBC the British government was in contact with Australian counterparts and considering similar laws. “As you’d expect, I’m really interested in what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and the evidence they’re basing it on,” he said. Originally published as Anthony Albanese backs facetious cash sweetener for tech companies to follow under-16 social media banIllinois St. 84, UAB 83The Sapta Shakti Command orchestrated a running event on a crisp winter morning to pay tribute to Army veterans for their dedication and patriotism, an official reported on Sunday. Hosted at the Albert Hall, the run saw a diverse group of participants, including veterans, soldiers, National Cadet Corps cadets, professional runners, para-athletes, civilians, specially-abled children, and organ transplant survivors, as articulated by defence spokesperson Colonel Amitabh Sharma. The race was flagged off by various dignitaries, including Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of Information Technology and Communication, among others. Colonel Rathore praised the participants' dedication and highlighted the importance of honoring the nation's veterans. The event, which featured timed and non-timed races, distributed up to Rs 30 lakh in prizes, promoting health, unity, and recognition of exceptional achievements, concluded with jubilant celebrations. (With inputs from agencies.)
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The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Contributors include former AP staffer Alex Sanz in Atlanta.
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Shares of Kovitz Core Equity ETF ( NYSEARCA:EQTY – Get Free Report ) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday . Approximately 79,605 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 62% from the previous session’s volume of 49,051 shares.The stock last traded at $23.99 and had previously closed at $24.26. Kovitz Core Equity ETF Stock Down 1.2 % The stock’s fifty day moving average is $24.10 and its 200-day moving average is $22.91. The stock has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.36 and a beta of 1.00. Kovitz Core Equity ETF Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) The Kovitz Core Equity ETF (EQTY) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund is a narrow, core equity portfolio of companies believed by the adviser to be high quality and undervalued. The actively managed fund invests in large- and mid-cap companies around the globe. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Kovitz Core Equity ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kovitz Core Equity ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Doing Life With... is a BellaNaija Features series that showcases how people live, work, travel, care for their families and... everything in between. We are documenting the lives of all people and ensuring everyone is well-represented at BN. Did you miss last conversation with Sweet Ope ? You can catch up here . This week, we are doing life with Emmanuel Osahor , a lawyer, teacher and founder and executive director of Slum to Stage Africa, a nonprofit founded to create preliminary and intermediate dance training for children and young adults in developing areas in Abuja through performing and creative arts programs that enhance both their academic and artistic performance. Enjoy the conversation! Hey Emmanuel, how do you do? I am very well, thank you. Can you share a bit about your background—your upbringing, education, and any key moments from your childhood that shaped you into what you are today? I grew up in a very traditional African home. Certain rules were absolute- no going out unless for errands; must be home before 5 pm; study hard to secure a good job with clear options: pursue professional courses, with a choice between medicine or engineering. I, however, decided to study law at Benson Idahosa University . One childhood memory that profoundly shaped my work ethic is a story my mother shared with me. When I was one month old, my mother had to sell farm produce in a town far from our village. She wrapped me on her back and set off with her younger brother on their motorcycle. Along the way, it started raining, so intense that my mother and her brother fell into the mud. Floodwaters swept away her sandals. Despite this, my mother pressed on, sold her produce at the market and returned home barefoot. Whenever we visited that area later in life, she would point to where she had fallen and say, “This is where I fell, with you on my back.” Her story made me decide that distance would never be a barrier to impacting others, achieving my goals or securing the bag. So, you’re a ballet dancer Yes, I am. Before we talk about that, how do you balance lawyering with dancing? Both career paths are so demanding and rewarding, and I’m still figuring out how to balance them. I remember when I was preparing for my Bar Finals, and I received a call from Kaffy to perform with the dancers at the Big Brother Naija 2019 Opening Night. Some of my classmates—who had seen me on TV and social media—wondered if I was even studying for the exams. Most days, I rush from rehearsals during office breaks, or after hours when my colleagues have already gone home. The fun part? The thrill of changing outfits in the car on the way to my next appointment. One moment I’m in a suit; the next, I’m in a costume. It honestly makes me feel like Batman—switching identities. Tell us about your dancing journey At school or in church, I was always involved in the cultural dance troupe as a child. Most times, I was almost the only boy or one of just two or four boys surrounded by ten or fifteen girls. Dancing in church, however, irritated my father so much that he forbade me from dancing, even during the regular praise and worship sessions. To him, I was meant to be quiet, refined, and mysterious—preparing to one day be a Chief Judge. So, slowly, I became quiet. Until my third year in university, I had never heard of ballet. One Saturday, a female friend needed to rent ballet costumes for a Christmas carol performance at church. She asked me to accompany her to the dance studio to pick them up, and I agreed. That day, I walked into the studio as a law student, and I left as an artist. I asked the dance teacher, Aunty Marie if I could join the class. She said yes. I paid my ballet fees using my feeding money and showed up for training the very next day. For the next four years, I trained every Saturday, never missing a single dance class. And I’ve been dancing ever since. Considering that ballet is somewhat strange to Nigeria, did you face any form of pushback or stereotypes when you started? The only significant pushback I experienced came from my family, particularly my parents. I love and adore them deeply, so their resistance to the one art form through which I express myself was particularly hurtful. It affected me profoundly, in a way that no other opposition ever has. Another moment that came close to that level of pain occurred during my NYSC year. I performed for the then Director General of NYSC, and the performance was so well-received that I was immediately assigned to the Dance and Drama CDS group. However, when I went to register my details at the NYSC office, the officer in charge asked what I had studied in school. When I told her I studied law, she allocated me to the Legal Aid CDS instead. I reminded her that I had already been assigned to the Dance and Drama CDS. She looked at me with a mixture of disdain and disbelief and said, “Hmm, a lawyer who wants to dance.” I was embarrassed, to say the least. Despite that moment, I had an amazing experience in the Dance and Drama CDS. It reminded me that my passion cannot be diminished by the judgments of others. Well done for that Thank you. It must be a good feeling to be the first Nigerian brand ambassador for Ballet Rosa Ballet Rosa Homme is a European dancewear line solely for male dancers, and being the first Nigerian Brand Ambassador is a tremendous honour. Ballet Rosa Homme represents a blend of sophistication, artistry, and global excellence, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of such a prestigious brand. As a Nigerian, this recognition also brings pride to the ballet contemporary community in my country, showing that there are no boundaries when it comes to talent, fashion, and cultural representation. Honestly, it was this honour that motivated me to continue breaking new ground after COVID struck and things were beginning to open up slowly. What has been your proudest moment since you started dancing? My proudest moment was when I finally told my parents about Slum to Stage Africa. I had been preparing for the third edition of our annual Slum to Stage Event, and this year’s production was particularly significant. It featured a dance performance in ARTvocacy against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), inspired by Chinua Achebe ’s Things Fall Apart. I could feel that Slum to Stage was gaining real momentum, and I knew it would be unfair to keep my parents out of the loop any longer. I am particularly proud of this year’s Slum to Stage Africa production. What do you mean by “finally told my parents”? I founded Slum to Stage in 2022, but they didn’t know about it until last month. Sharing this with them felt like a milestone, a way of letting them see the bigger picture of what I had been building. Oh, that’s cool Yeah, another proud moment for me was performing for the Olu of Warri and his dignitaries at the King’s Banquet, which marked the conclusion of the Elevate Africa Convergence. I also used ballet to compete in the RedBull Dance Your Style event, where I reached the finals in Abuja. Tell us about Slum to Stage Africa Slum to Stage is a nonprofit I founded to create preliminary and intermediate dance training for children and young adults in developing areas in Abuja through performing and creative arts programs, that enhance both their academic and artistic performance. Slum to Stage is not a dance school or academy, but we use dance to teach children socio-behavioural and emotional skills needed for life-long success. In essence, at Slum to Stage, the dance and technique children learn are not the focus, the behavioural skills they develop during these trainings are. What motivated you to start the initiative? Starting Slum to Stage was a deeply personal journey for me. When the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted my dreams of attending The Juilliard School, I found myself reevaluating my path. Rather than focusing solely on my aspirations, I travelled to Rwanda with Mindleaps, a nonprofit organization based in New York that operates in six African countries. There, I worked with out-of-school youth, helping them develop skills and increase their chances of returning to formal education. Many of these young people were children of survivors of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, facing immense challenges as they sought to rebuild their lives and education. During my time with Mindleaps, I also travelled to Guinea, where I trained 40 Guinean youth to join the Mindleaps staff in West Africa. What stood out to me in my experience was the unique approach to teaching the children. As international trainers, we were taught to engage each child with compassion. We encouraged them to explore complex routines creatively, motivated them to develop the self-esteem needed for independent performance, and guided them to collaborate effectively as a team. Mindleaps was not focused on whether the children could execute a perfect split or perform 32 turns; instead, the emphasis was on nurturing their confidence and resilience. After my time in Guinea, I approached the Executive Director of Mindleaps with a suggestion to open a training centre in Nigeria. The Executive Director responded that if we found a Nigerian partner organisation, they would come to train the children in our community. Upon returning to Nigeria, I searched for an organisation to pitch Mindleaps’ proposal, but I found none willing to sponsor underprivileged children in dance. Most organisations were focused on addressing issues like health, technology, sexual and gender-based violence, and other pressing concerns. I decided to create the organisation myself. I didn’t establish Slum to Stage to make a grand impact on the world; I founded it to provide a safe and supportive space for children in my community—one free from ridicule, unhealthy competition, and unrealistic expectations. I wanted children in government-owned schools to have access to ballet and other performing arts, and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing since 2022. What about the challenges? A lot of challenges, especially financially. But one of the most challenging periods of my life was in 2023. I had just lost a scholarship opportunity I had been eagerly anticipating. At the same time, I was teaching dance for 9 hours a day, 3 days a week, all in the name of “Summer Classes.” I lost half of my body weight in 3 months and vowed never to take on that much again unless I had the capacity for it. I was balancing this with my law career and my career as a performing artist—juggling performances in Lagos, Ghana, and Abuja. Those were trying times. The funny thing is, I was taking on these jobs just so I could generate enough money to fund Slum to Stage’s operations. If I kept listing the challenges, we’d never finish this conversation. But thank God for how far we’ve come. While I’m still facing challenges, I’ve grown tremendously. The experiences of the past have built in me a level of tenacity that I carry into the present, and into the challenges that lie ahead. From your journey so far and your projections for the future, what does success mean to you? For me, success has always been about growth. In this context, success means that Slum to Stage has helped create a society where children and young adults feel mentally safe, are treated with respect and dignity, and have equal opportunities to activate, develop, and pursue their talents—both artistic and academic. Success will look like children who can confidently follow their artistic passions, free from the pressure of insecurity. Success will also look like more male African ballet dancers boldly claiming space in a traditionally female-dominated world of dance Do you have an unconventional thought about the world that you think people might not agree with? I believe the global development and NGO sector often unintentionally undermines the creative potential of youth, especially in Africa, by focusing too heavily on a “problem-solving” mentality instead of nurturing self-expression and cultural vitality through arts, including dance. The unconventional thought here is that NGOs and development initiatives should focus more on empowering youth through universal cultural creativity—dance, music, arts—because these are powerful tools for personal development, community cohesion, and economic opportunities, especially in the context of a globalizing world where cultural industries are increasingly valued. Yet, these creative skills are often undervalued in favour of more “practical” ones. What’s a typical day in your life like? I constantly juggle my roles as a lawyer, dancer, and teacher. A typical day for me begins at 5:30 a.m. I wake up to run (on most days) and prepare for work, whether I’m in the office or working from home. On weekends, after having breakfast, I head to the dance studio to teach my “Slum to Stage” classes. Following that, I rehearse for any upcoming performances. After rehearsals, I go to the performance or shoot venue for stage or set rehearsals, pick up my costumes, and return to the event venue for final preparations. After the performance, if I’ve been working with child dancers, I drop them off at their homes before making my way back to mine. I usually check my email for any pending deliverables, and if there’s nothing urgent, I prepare to wind down and go to bed by 10 p.m. The challenging part of this routine is that it leaves almost no room for hanging out with friends. When I’m not working on a legal brief, I’m dancing. When I’m not dancing, I’m teaching. And when I’m not doing either of these, I’m sleeping. Yet, despite this packed schedule, I’ve learned that the balance between work and passion, between serving others and pursuing my artistic growth, is what keeps me going. This is the life I’ve chosen, and although it is demanding, it is also deeply fulfilling. If you could remove three things (policies, workplace practices, or anything else) from the HR world, what would they be and why? I’m not sure I would remove anything from my life, because everything I’ve been through—whether good or bad—is ultimately working for my growth and good. However, if there are experiences I would rather not have had, the first would be the stress of having to travel to another country for quality education or for better opportunities. Secondly, I would remove Amala from the list of foods. Ehn? Amala? No offence intended. Thank you for being on Doing Life With, Emmanuel Honoured to be featured. __ Many thanks to Emmanuel Osahor for having this conversation with us and answering all our questions – and swiftly too, we must add. Do you love this content, have any feedback for us or want to be a BellaNaija Features contributor? We’d love to read from you. Shoot us an email: [email protected] . Join us on Saturday for the next episode!
NEW YORK (AP) — Police don't know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack , not a random one. They know he ambushed Thompson at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday as the executive arrived at the Hilton for his company’s annual investor conference, using a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise. They know ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics . The fact that the shooter knew UnitedHealthcare group was holding a conference at the hotel and what route Thompson might take to get there suggested that he could possibly be a disgruntled employee or client, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. Over the weekend, police divers were seen searching a pond in Central Park, where the killer fled after the shooting. Officers have been scouring the park for days for any possible clues and found his backpack there Friday. They didn’t immediately reveal what, if anything, it contained but said it would be tested and analyzed. Early Sunday afternoon, police declined to comment on the contents of the backpack, or on the results of the search in the pond, saying no updates were planned. The bag’s apparent manufacturer did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. Investigators have urged patience, saying the process of logging evidence that stands up in court isn’t as quick as it looks like on TV . Hundreds of detectives are combing through video recordings and social media, vetting tips from the public and interviewing people who might have information, including Thompson’s family and coworkers and the shooter’s randomly assigned roommates at the Manhattan hostel where he stayed. Investigators caught a break when they came across security camera images of an unguarded moment at the hostel in which he briefly showed his face. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, police say, it appears he left the city by bus soon after the shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. He was seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later, Kenny said. With the high-profile search expanding across state lines, the FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police say they believe the suspect acted alone. Police distributed the images to news outlets and on social media but so far haven’t been able to ID him using facial recognition — possibly because of the angle of the images or limitations on how the NYPD is allowed to use that technology, Kenny said. Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi. The first shows him outside the vehicle and the second shows him looking through the partition between the back seat and the front of the cab. In both, his face is partially obscured by a blue, medical-style mask.A boat is believed to have capsized off the coast in the Mindarie/Jindalee area this morning, landing two people in the water. Police were notified at 6.45am and St John Ambulance 7.14am. St John Ambulance has confirmed it sent four crews at priority 1 speed to attend two people pulled from the water, ages and genders unknown. Water police, marine rescue staff and the police helicopter are also attending. We’ll bring you more on that soon. Sculpture by the Sea has today announced its popular annual Cottesloe art exhibition will be cancelled in 2025, due to a lack of vital support from the federal government. In a post on their website, the company expressed their dismay at the lack of funding from the federal arts agency Creative Australia. Zadok Ben-David’s ‘Big Boy’, Sculpture By the Sea, Cottesloe 2017. Credit: Richard Watson “Following the end of the Catalyst Fund and the RISE Fund in 2023, Sculpture by the Sea Cottesloe has received no federal government arts funding to stage the large-scale exhibition that transforms Cottesloe beach for 230,000 visitors over 18 days in March each year,” the post reads. “One of Perth’s largest, longest running and most beloved public events, it was founded on the idea of providing a major free exhibition to transform Cottesloe beach into a temporary world-class sculpture park for everyone to enjoy. “However, organisers see no other choice but to cancel the 2025 edition due to the significant costs of mounting a free exhibition of this scale.” Many WA artists have signed a letter to the federal arts minister or written their own, asking for funding to resume. Denise Pepper, a Perth-based artist who has exhibited at the Cottesloe event 10 times since 2009, said it had been a “game-changer” in her career. WA artist Dr Jon Tarry said the lack of funding “felt like a funeral.” “We can’t believe it’s happening and how anyone responsible for the public arts in Australia could let this happen. Sculpture by the Sea is what every city in the world would love to have,” he said. This is not the first time the organisers of Sculpture by the Sea Cottesloe have been forced to consider pausing the exhibition but, unlike in previous years, no solution has been found. Making headlines today: Kazem Hamad seems out of reach to Australian authorities. Credit: The Age Longtime Neighbours star Ian Smith has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer . The 86-year-old actor, best known for playing Harold Bishop, revealed the news in an interview with Channel 10 last night. Mostly cloudy today, staying cool with a top of 23 degrees. Good morning, and welcome to our live blog for Tuesday, December 3. Would you look at that? Christmas is nearly upon us (did you need another reminder?) and just in time for the festive season is an opening in Leederville that’s sure to spark boundless joy among fans of bound pages. Many people – aforementioned fans chief among them – would say a high street without a bookstore will always lack that certain something special. So it will be good news to those who frequent Oxford Street that a new retailer will be opening its doors to, er, start a new chapter in the heart of the premier precinct. Emma Young’s got the full story. Read it here. Stormie Mills on the river in Perth. Meanwhile, in the latest instalment of our Three Things I Love series, we chat to celebrated artist Stormie Mills about what he loves in his home town. And, as it turns out, Mills’ time spent in Venice (he’s been living there for the past 18 months) has given him a new perspective on our city, and the beautiful river that flows from the hills, through its heart and out to the sea. Read the full article here. Thanks for joining us today, and stay tuned as we bring you all the news you need to know.
The Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria is set to begin kidney transplant surgeries in 2025, aiming to provide relief to patients with kidney failure and reduce medical tourism. Prof. Ahmed Umdagas, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, revealed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Zaria. He announced that the Urology Centre of Excellence, which will deliver advanced urology services, is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2025. Related Stories Nigerians with kidney ailments face high dialysis costs as transplant exceeds N14 million US Surgeons perform the first pig to human kidney transplant “By the first quarter of 2025, ABUTH would commence kidney transplant. What was just holding us was a few infrastructure,” Umdagas said. He added that most of the required machines and equipment are already in place, and personnel have been adequately trained to deliver the services. Umdagas stated that the Urology Centre of Excellence at ABUTH would be ready by the first quarter of 2025 to deliver high-quality urology services. “By the first quarter of 2025, ABUTH will commence kidney transplants. What has been holding us back is a few infrastructure upgrades,” he said. He added, “Besides that, most of the machines and equipment required for kidney transplants are available, and our personnel have been adequately trained to provide the services.” Umdagas also revealed plans for an Amenity Wing, designed to accommodate patients from all classes. According to him, the Amenity Wing will feature a single-bedroom and a room-and-parlor option for affluent patients, emphasizing that ABUTH is committed to offering world-class services. “The Amenity Wing will have a dedicated line and a website,” Umdagas explained. “The website will showcase the profiles of doctors in the hospital. When a patient wants to see a specific professor or specialist, they will simply need to use the dedicated line or the website to book an appointment seamlessly.” Similarly, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) also disclosed that a contract has been awarded for the procurement of linear machines to enhance cancer care at the facility. Speaking on additional efforts to curb medical tourism, the CMD highlighted that ABUTH boasts a fully functional 128 Slice CT Scan machine. He explained, “If you undergo an investigation abroad requiring the 128 Slice CT Scan, it costs no less than $200, which is over N300,000. Meanwhile, ABUTH charges just N30,000 for the same service.” The CMD noted that many patients now come to ABUTH for scans, take the results abroad, and continue their treatments there. “ We also have 1.5 Tesla MRI and 0.2 Tesla MRI machines, which are advanced imaging technologies . These machines are fully functional, and the cost for such services at ABUTH is significantly lower than what is charged elsewhere in Nigeria.” , He said. He added, “We also perform lithotripsy at ABUTH, which involves breaking stones using lasers instead of surgery.” Umdagas further shared that the hospital had celebrated over five successful IVF cases in collaboration with its partners. He revealed plans to establish a dedicated unit for IVF services in future budgets, ensuring all necessary equipment is housed in one facility.ACHC COURT UPDATE: The Acadia Healthcare Class Action Deadline is December 16 – Investors with Losses are Urged to Contact BFA Law (NASDAQ:ACHC)
Total Energy Services Inc. ( OTCMKTS:TOTZF – Get Free Report ) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 8,400 shares, an increase of 68.0% from the November 30th total of 5,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 5,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.5 days. Total Energy Services Price Performance Shares of TOTZF stock opened at $8.25 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $7.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $7.28. Total Energy Services has a fifty-two week low of $5.72 and a fifty-two week high of $8.71. Total Energy Services Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Read More Receive News & Ratings for Total Energy Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Total Energy Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Harnessing Renewable Energy for Kashmir’s Economic Renaissance
TOR Minerals International, Inc. ( OTCMKTS:TORM – Get Free Report ) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a decrease of 50.0% from the November 30th total of 200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days. TOR Minerals International Stock Performance Shares of TOR Minerals International stock opened at $1.50 on Friday. TOR Minerals International has a twelve month low of $0.56 and a twelve month high of $2.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 3.59. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1.47 and its 200 day moving average is $1.70. About TOR Minerals International ( Get Free Report ) Read More Receive News & Ratings for TOR Minerals International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TOR Minerals International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
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