A wild first season of the expanded Big 12 is down to what should be a chaotic final weekend. Through all the upsets, unexpected rises and falls, there are nine teams still in the mix to play in the conference championship game. No. 14 Arizona State and No. 17 Iowa State have the best odds, yet a multitude of scenarios could play out — 256 to be exact. There's even the possibility of an eight-team tie. It may take a mathematician to figure out which teams are in the Dec. 7 game in Arlington, Texas — even for the ones who win. Travis Hunter, Colorado. The Buffaloes' two-way star has excelled on both sides of the field, making him one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Cam Skattebo, Arizona State. The senior running back can do a little of everything, but excels at punishing would-be tacklers. He's one of the nation's leaders in yards after contact and the focal point of the Sun Devils' offense. Shadeur Sanders, Colorado. If it weren't for Hunter, Sanders might be the Heisman favorite. The son of coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur is fifth nationally with 3,488 yards passing and has been a big part of the Buffaloes' turnaround. DJ Giddens, Kansas State. The Wildcats' running back is one of the nation's most versatile players. He is ninth nationally with 1,271 rushing yards and has added 21 receptions for 258 yards. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona. The Wildcats have struggled this season, but McMillan has not. He is third nationally with 1,251 receiving yards with seven touchdowns on 78 catches. Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech. The Red Raiders' junior linebacker leads the Big 12 with 68 tackles, averaging 10.2 per game. He also has four sacks. Brendan Mott, Kansas State. He's a menace to opposing quarterbacks, leading the Big 12 with 8 1/2 sacks. The Big 12 has nine teams already bowl eligible and two more a win away. The winner of the Big 12 championship game will be in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot. Arizona State, Iowa State, No. 19 BYU, Colorado, Kansas State, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia have already clinched bowl berths. Kansas and Cincinnati can get into the postseason with wins this weekend. Gus Malzahn, UCF. Despite successes in recruiting, the Knights are 10-14 in two seasons since moving to the Big 12. Maybe not enough to get shown the door this year, but another mediocre season could lead UCF to make a change. Kyle Whittingham, Utah. Whittingham was one of the Pac-12's best coaches, leading the Utes to consecutive conference titles. Utah was expected to contend for the Big 12 title its first year in the league, but enters the final weekend 1-7 in conference play, which could push Whittingham toward retirement since it's doubtful he'd be fired. Neal Brown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers' coach was in a precarious spot at the end of last season and West Virginia hasn't lived up to expectations this season. The Mountaineers are eligible to go to a bowl game for the second straight season, but Brown could be on the hot seat even after signing a contract extension before the season. Josiah Trotter, West Virginia. The redshirt freshman is the latest Trotter to have success at the linebacker position, following the footsteps of his father, former Philadelphia Eagles player Jeremiah Trotter, and brother Jeremiah Trotter Jr., a current Eagles linebacker. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State. The Michigan State transfer has been just what the Sun Devils' needed: an agile quarterback who extends plays with his legs and rarely makes bad decisions. Bryson Washington, Baylor. The Bears' running back has rushed for 812 yards — 196 against TCU — and 10 TDs. TCU has the Big 12's highest rated 2025 recruiting class with six four-star players among 26 commitments, according to the 247 Sports composite. Receiver Terry Shelton of Carrollton, Texas, is the highest-rated recruit at 71st nationally. Baylor is next with five five-star players among its 20 commitments, including running back Michael Turner, rated 13th at his position out of North Richland Hills, Texas. Texas Tech is ranked seventh in the Big 12, but has four four-star recruits. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Through all the upsets, unexpected rises and falls, there are nine teams still in the mix to play in the conference championship game. No. 14 Arizona State and No. 17 Iowa State have the best odds, yet a multitude of scenarios could play out — 256 to be exact. There's even the possibility of an eight-team tie. It may take a mathematician to figure out which teams are in the Dec. 7 game in Arlington, Texas — even for the ones who win. Star power Travis Hunter, Colorado. The Buffaloes' two-way star has excelled on both sides of the field, making him one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Cam Skattebo, Arizona State. The senior running back can do a little of everything, but excels at punishing would-be tacklers. He's one of the nation's leaders in yards after contact and the focal point of the Sun Devils' offense. Shadeur Sanders, Colorado. If it weren't for Hunter, Sanders might be the Heisman favorite. The son of coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur is fifth nationally with 3,488 yards passing and has been a big part of the Buffaloes' turnaround. DJ Giddens, Kansas State. The Wildcats' running back is one of the nation's most versatile players. He is ninth nationally with 1,271 rushing yards and has added 21 receptions for 258 yards. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona. The Wildcats have struggled this season, but McMillan has not. He is third nationally with 1,251 receiving yards with seven touchdowns on 78 catches. Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech. The Red Raiders' junior linebacker leads the Big 12 with 68 tackles, averaging 10.2 per game. He also has four sacks. Brendan Mott, Kansas State. He's a menace to opposing quarterbacks, leading the Big 12 with 8 1/2 sacks. Going bowling The Big 12 has nine teams already bowl eligible and two more a win away. The winner of the Big 12 championship game will be in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot. Arizona State, Iowa State, No. 19 BYU, Colorado, Kansas State, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia have already clinched bowl berths. Kansas and Cincinnati can get into the postseason with wins this weekend. Hot seats Gus Malzahn, UCF. Despite successes in recruiting, the Knights are 10-14 in two seasons since moving to the Big 12. Maybe not enough to get shown the door this year, but another mediocre season could lead UCF to make a change. Kyle Whittingham, Utah. Whittingham was one of the Pac-12's best coaches, leading the Utes to consecutive conference titles. Utah was expected to contend for the Big 12 title its first year in the league, but enters the final weekend 1-7 in conference play, which could push Whittingham toward retirement since it's doubtful he'd be fired. Neal Brown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers' coach was in a precarious spot at the end of last season and West Virginia hasn't lived up to expectations this season. The Mountaineers are eligible to go to a bowl game for the second straight season, but Brown could be on the hot seat even after signing a contract extension before the season. Youth movement Josiah Trotter, West Virginia. The redshirt freshman is the latest Trotter to have success at the linebacker position, following the footsteps of his father, former Philadelphia Eagles player Jeremiah Trotter, and brother Jeremiah Trotter Jr., a current Eagles linebacker. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State. The Michigan State transfer has been just what the Sun Devils' needed: an agile quarterback who extends plays with his legs and rarely makes bad decisions. Bryson Washington, Baylor. The Bears' running back has rushed for 812 yards — 196 against TCU — and 10 TDs. Recruiting watch TCU has the Big 12's highest rated 2025 recruiting class with six four-star players among 26 commitments, according to the 247 Sports composite. Receiver Terry Shelton of Carrollton, Texas, is the highest-rated recruit at 71st nationally. Baylor is next with five five-star players among its 20 commitments, including running back Michael Turner, rated 13th at his position out of North Richland Hills, Texas. Texas Tech is ranked seventh in the Big 12, but has four four-star recruits.NoneDavid Beckham’s doing it. So is Meghan Markle. With a list of fans longer than Jack’s beanstalk, we ask experts if TikTok’s latest hobby could make us healthier. When you think of Kate Moss, does a pair of pruning shears spring to mind? No? How about Gisele Bündchen? It turns out the supers share more than a talent for the runway, since the notorious nature lovers have been quietly cultivating their veggie gardens for years. And with more than 660 million gardening posts and counting on TikTok, the cover girls seem to have been early adopters of a burgeoning trend for tillage . It’s 2024 and everyone from Meghan Markle (who has made jam from the fruits of her own garden) to David Beckham with his farming forays in the Cotswolds, is a budding botanist. As a passion for plants grows on social media (thanks in no small part to these celebs and their high-end horticulture), the ‘green thumb’ demographic is skewing younger than ever before. Celebs have clearly cottoned on to the benefits, but is it all aesthetics, or is gardening a sleeper hit for mental health? Should we all start bending over flower beds like Beckham? Scientifically speaking, there’s little doubt that time spent in the great outdoors is good for the noggin. In 2022, a multidisciplinary taskforce from the World Federation of Societies for Biological Psychiatry and Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine included exposure to green spaces in their recommended guidelines for the treatment of major depressive disorders. The report also recommended physical activity – another key component of a good gardening sesh. Dr Maria-Elena Lukeides, psychologist at The Wellness Fountain, confirms that connecting with nature can offer meaningful psychological benefits, ranging from reduced stress to improved mood and even a sense of accomplishment. “When people nurture plants, they experience a sense of control and achievement,” she explains. “Then, if we look at the repetitive nature of gardening tasks, this can serve as a form of meditation, helping you to slow down and calm the mind.” And with burnout at an all-time high, it’s no surprise we’re turning to green spaces for some much-needed solace. This is certainly the case for Lee Sullivan, founder of Urban Veggie Patch, who shares gardening tips with more than 150,000 followers on her Instagram account. “My garden has become a haven. Somewhere I can go when life gets stressful or busy to regain clarity and a sense of peace,” she says. Sullivan’s passion for plants blossomed in the wake of new motherhood while experiencing mild postpartum depression. “I found gardening was helping me regain a sense of self, lifting my mood and creating new purpose.” But she’s noticed other benefits, too. “Not only are you eating lots of nutrient-dense wholefoods, caring for a garden can also be great cardio!” A 2024 metanalysis looking into the impact of gardening on overall wellbeing confirms the benefits may indeed stretch further than a healthy mind. Studies included in the analysis linked gardening with lower stress levels, improved emotional resilience, greater community connection and even physical health outcomes – think lower blood pressure and a dialled-down risk of health conditions including type 2 diabetes. A 2024 metanalysis looking into the impact of gardening on overall wellbeing confirms the benefits may indeed stretch further than a healthy mind. Image: Pexels Stuck in the inner city with little more than a windowsill to work with? Don’t let that kill the vibe. Dr Lukeides assures me, “Tending to plants indoors still provides similar benefits.” According to researchers from RMIT and the University of Melbourne, simply sharing your home with greenery might be enough to reap the benefits of what you’ve sown. They found that living with multiple indoor plants can meaningfully enhance both air quality and mental wellbeing. So, slap on your gumboots, some gloves and a cute pair of op-shop overalls, and get planting. We’re rooting for you. More Coverage How to be a better plant parent Melissa King Super herbs: The best herbs to keep your immunity in top shape Charlotte Brundrett Originally published as Why A-List Celebs are hot for horticulture Lifestyle Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. More related stories Entertainment Punk rock band The Offspring planning Aussie tour in 2025 American punk rockers The Offspring are playing an exclusive Melbourne show on Sunday at one of the city’s most loved venues. Read more Lifestyle Jordan Ablett gives thanks for life with Levi Jordan Ablett has endured more heartache than most. But the mum-of-three is doing all she can to look on the bright side. Read more
Bourse : TSX (Bourse de Toronto) Symbole : CMR TORONTO, 19 déc. 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gestion d’actifs BlackRock Canada Limitée (« BlackRock Canada »), filiale en propriété exclusive indirecte de BlackRock, Inc. (« BlackRock ») (NYSE : BLK), a annoncé le 8 novembre 2024 avoir convoqué une assemblée extraordinaire des porteurs de parts (l’« assemblée ») du iShares Premium Money Market ETF (le « Fonds iShares »), qui devait initialement avoir lieu vers le 22 janvier 2025, afin d’approuver une modification de l’objectif de placement du Fonds iShares de façon à permettre des investissements dans du papier commercial adossé à des actifs (la « proposition »). En raison de l’interruption de travail chez Postes Canada, BlackRock Canada reporte l’assemblée au 3 février 2025. BlackRock Canada tiendra l’assemblée uniquement en ligne, soit par webdiffusion audio en direct. Conformément à la législation en valeurs mobilières applicable, une circulaire de sollicitation de procurations portant sur la proposition (la « circulaire ») sera mise à la disposition des porteurs de parts avant l’assemblée. Les avis de convocation à l’assemblée ainsi que la procédure à suivre pour accéder à la circulaire en ligne (ou en demander un exemplaire) seront postés vers le 3 janvier 2025. Les porteurs de parts inscrits du Fonds iShares à la fermeture des bureaux le 5 décembre 2024 auront le droit de recevoir l’avis et de voter à l’assemblée. La circulaire sera également affichée au www.sedarplus.ca et au www.blackrock.com/ca et renfermera de plus amples renseignements sur la proposition. Les porteurs de parts inscrits peuvent voter : i) en remplissant, en signant et en datant leur formulaire d’instructions de vote et en le retournant par la poste en suivant les directives qui y sont fournies; ii) par Internet à www.proxyvote.com ; ou iii) en composant le numéro applicable indiqué sur le formulaire d’instructions de vote. Les porteurs de parts inscrits pourraient subir des retards importants dans la livraison de leur courrier en raison de l’interruption de travail chez Postes Canada. Les porteurs de parts inscrits sont donc encouragés à soumettre leurs instructions de vote d’une autre façon afin d’éviter les retards. Les porteurs de parts inscrits n’ayant pas reçu leur numéro de contrôle en raison de l’interruption de travail chez Postes Canada peuvent communiquer avec leur courtier pour l’obtenir et être en mesure d’exercer les droits de vote rattachés à leurs parts. Si la modification de l’objectif de placement est approuvée par les porteurs de parts du Fonds iShares, BlackRock Canada s’attend à ce que la proposition prenne effet le 7 février 2025. Pour plus de renseignements sur le Fonds iShares, veuillez consulter le site www.blackrock.com/ca . À propos de BlackRock BlackRock vise à aider de plus en plus de gens à savourer un confort financier. À titre de fiduciaire pour le compte d’investisseurs et de fournisseur de premier plan de technologies financières et en rendant l’investissement plus facile et plus abordable, nous aidons des millions de gens à accumuler des épargnes qui leur serviront toute leur vie. Pour de plus amples renseignements sur BlackRock, veuillez visiter www.blackrock.com/corporate . À propos d’iShares iShares ouvre les portes de tous les marchés afin de répondre à la demande des investisseurs en constante évolution. Grâce à plus de 20 ans d’expérience, à une gamme de plus de 1 400 fonds négociés en bourse (FNB) de calibre mondial et à un actif sous gestion de 4,2 trillions de dollars américains au 30 septembre 2024, iShares continue d’ouvrir la voie au secteur des finances. Les fonds iShares sont pourvus par l’équipe d’experts en gestion de portefeuille et du risque de BlackRock. Les FNB iShares MD sont gérés par Gestion d’actifs BlackRock Canada Limitée. Des commissions, des commissions de suivi, des frais de gestion et d’autres frais peuvent être associés à un placement dans les FNB iShares. Veuillez lire le prospectus pertinent avant d’effectuer un placement. Les placements des fonds ne sont pas garantis, leurs valeurs varient fréquemment et le rendement passé n’est pas indicatif du rendement à venir. Les décisions en matière de fiscalité et de placement ainsi que toute autre décision connexe devraient être prises, le cas échéant, à la lumière des conseils d’un professionnel qualifié. Personne-ressource pour les médias : Sydney Punchard Adresse courriel : Sydney.Punchard@blackrock.comArihant Foundations secures funding from CaratLane foundersBy KELVIN CHAN, Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Looking for a new social media platform because X, Threads and Mastodon just aren’t cutting it? You could try Bluesky . People seeking to avoid chaos, noise and political bluster in the aftermath of the U.S. elections are noticing a different mood on the Bluesky social platform, where the vibe is seemingly welcoming and there are noticeably fewer trolls. The site announced it had rapidly added more than a million new users in the week after Election Day, and has emerged as one of the fastest growing rivals to Elon Musk’s X and similar platforms. If you’re tempted to check out the new space, here’s a guide on how Bluesky works: Maybe you’re not ready to commit to adding yet another social media account. No problem — you can still look around on Bluesky without signing up because all posts and profiles are public. You might get a sense of deja vu because the platform’s look and feel are very similar to X. That should be no surprise because Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey was an early Bluesky champion. (Dorsey’s no longer involved with Bluesky, which is owned and run by its executive team as a public benefit corporation.) If you take the plunge and get an account, you’ll need a username. You’ll notice Bluesky handles are a little bit different because they end by default in the site’s domain, .bsky.social. You can personalize your handle to make it more memorable, by using your own website’s domain or buying a custom one through Bluesky. But it might not be something most newbie users need or want to do right away. Bluesky boasts that it gives users “algorithmic choice” to tailor the content they’re shown instead of leaving it up to the whims of a centralized system. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see,” it says . What it means is that you can follow custom feeds set up by other users, or design your own. If you tap #Feeds in the menu on the left, you’ll see some default offerings like Cat Pics and Gardening. My Bangers is a list of your most popular posts by likes and Catch Up shows the site’s most popular posts from the past 24 hours. You can find more by doing a search and tapping the Feeds button. There’s also the usual “Discover” feed of suggested posts and a chronological feed of accounts that you follow. To help new users settle in, Bluesky has starter packs of recommended feeds and accounts to follow, which anyone can create and share. They don’t show up in Bluesky’s search results but can be found in directories online . Or someone might share one with you. After I signed up, a colleague pointed me to one for major news outlets . There are tens of thousands of starter packs, ranging from broadly appealing topics like Taylor Swift to niche interests like cargo bikes or U.K. comedians . You can follow the whole pack or scroll down the list to choose individual accounts. What about people you followed on X? There’s a browser extension tool called Sky Follower Bridge that will help you find X users who’ve migrated to Bluesky. But check before clicking the follow button to make sure it’s not a different user using the same display name or handle. Ready to join the conversation? You can write posts or reply to others but keep it short because there’s a limit of 300 characters — 20 more than on X. You can also upload photos and videos, though videos can’t be longer than 60 seconds. GIFs and emojis are, of course, available too. You can still @ people by typing in their username, like posts by tapping a heart icon or use hashtags to highlight a theme. Bluesky has added a menu to hashtags, so when you click on one you’ll get different options for seeing, or muting, posts on that topic. Bluesky’s decentralization ethos extends to the content control options it offers. For starters, users can choose in their settings menu whether to see replies, reposts or quote posts in their feed. Specific words or tags can be muted temporarily, or forever, while accounts can be muted or blocked individually, or in bulk by adding them a moderation list. You can even fine tune the level of adult content that shows up in your feed. Bluesky has a team of content moderators to police the site for material that’s illegal or breaks the rules. But it’s also taking a different approach by open sourcing its content moderation system in an attempt to resolve problems with traditional moderation services which it says “lack transparency and user control.” So, individuals or groups can set up their own content filters, or labelers, that go beyond what Bluesky offers. These labelers can be used to categorize content or users, which can then be blocked or hidden. But they could also be used for informational or creative purposes, like curating or verifying content. There are labelers to identify images generated by artificial intelligence or to fact check news posts. You can find lists of labelers online. After I subscribed to a U.S. politics labeler, some posts in my feeds were flagged “!Donald Trump” or “!Democrat politician” and hidden unless I click Show. Follow Kelvin Chan on Bluesky Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs leaves game because of concussion
Recap - While New Zealand might be leaving 2024 with fewer reporters than it started , no one told the news - so it just kept happening. Rude. Luckily, RNZ was there to cover it all - whether it was about brain worms , brain computer chips or brain rot , we were there. Or at least somewhere with access to a computer where we could stick it online. Here are some of the strangest, oddest and most brain-tickling stories RNZ covered in 2024. January Mysterious 'Big Ring' found in space 'must surely be telling us something' - astronomer The 'Big Ring' of "galaxies and galaxy clusters" is apparently "by no means the first likely violation of the cosmological principle", RNZ partner BBC News reported , definitely an inauspicious start to the year. Just send us an obelisk next time, ET. Mystery envelope containing $5000 cash handed to Auckland pensioner by young man who runs away "He knows of no debt that was ever to be repaid, favour not recognised or betrayal to be made good," RNZ's friends at the NZ Herald reported . Must have been a landlord? Mystery of disappearing gnomes in Hastings appears to be solved Officers discovered an array of animals, gnomes, fairies and other creatures in the garden of a suspect they were visiting after receiving a tip-off . Elon Musk's Neuralink implants brain chip in first human While many people who valued their brains fled X (formerly Twitter, I'm obliged to add) in 2024, one brave person in January let Elon Musk stick a computer chip in his brain - which they then used to play Civilization VI . Achievement unlocked. February Rogue digital billboard pokes fun at Waka Kotahi A digital billboard poking fun at Waka Kotahi appeared near an intersection in New Plymouth in February, featuring several tongue-in-cheek jibes at the transport operator. March Winston Peters told to stop using Chumbawamba hit 'Tubthumping' at rallies It sounds like a headline written via Madlibs or by ChatGPT, but this really happened . "Is he just being antagonistic about it now? Is that his thing?" Chumbawamba singer and sweet summer child Dunstan Bruce told First Up . US says UFO sightings likely secret military tests Of course that's what THEY would say. This could be a case for Mulder and Scully. Rare 'UFO cloud' has Aucklanders' eyes on the skies Ditto . April Swipe card found in Antarctica years after being lost in Wellington RNZ Concert senior music producer David McCaw lost his Wellington Town Hall swipe card in 2003 when his car was broken into, and somehow it ended up in Antarctica . Scientists found it in 2016, but progress from there was glacial - get it? Snow joke. Military horses break free, rampage through London It's time to play real life or Blackadder ? Not only was this real life , it happened again just a couple of months later . An American journalist read her own obituary online, and soon discovered the strange world of obit pirates RNZ partner ABC News explains : "Anonymous internet fraudsters use search engine optimisation (SEO) to identify people looking up the name of someone who has recently died." So just normal sickening internet stuff then. Carry on. May Mystery Roman artefact sparks wild speculation Found during a dig in the place where Walt Disney's ancestors hailed from , the 12-sided object was likened to a dog treat dispenser, a spaghetti measure and even a measuring gauge for slingshot. Expect it to appear in the next Indiana Jones film. June Photo box mystery: 'Massive' collection of family snaps found in sewing machine case The photos covered a century, up to the early 2000s, with the only clue being the name 'McDonald', which didn't really narrow it down . July Vegan cafe turns to meat to stay afloat No, a mostly vegan café in Auckland did not literally turn to meat - but started selling "ethical" meat to pay the bills . "I think if we didn't do this, we wouldn't survive," the owner said, immediately nailing the vibe of a true red-blooded meat-eater. Woman calls police after mistaking 'realistic' sex doll for body "When it was on its back, it had everything... it was very realistic," Taranaki woman Alice Cowdrey told RNZ , not worried that going on the record would forever tie her name in search engines to the phrase "headless sex doll". Mystery milk bottles confound Alexandra residents A contender for best opening line of the year goes to reporter Soumya Bhamidipati: "As Alexandra residents wake to another cold morning, a silent figure slips into the mist. They leave no trace - except for another bottle of flavoured milk dumped at a local petrol station." And a contender for quote of the year too from fuel stop operator Poppy Prendergast: "Look, I hate to say it but I think it's got to be a man. I've never met any woman that drinks that much flavoured milk." The mystery only deepened when CCTV footage was obtained . August Nothing funny happened in August. September Aussie breakdancer Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn ranked world No. 1 When Paris was awarded the 2024 games back in 2017, no one could have predicted the breakout star would be an Australian who could not dance, especially as she was competing in a dance competition. Despite getting a zero score at the Games , 'Raygun' somehow ended up the sport's top-ranked competitor . Have you seen a blue ute with a bright pink door in Wellington? Karen O'Leary wants it back Not sure this counts as weird news, but it's certainly a weird headline if - like me - you weren't immediately aware who Karen O'Leary was. New 'ghost shark' discovered in New Zealand waters No, you can't touch it . Seriously, they live more than 2500m below the surface of the ocean. Spacehead. Mystery flower rearrangement at Upper Hutt cemetery outrages families It's never a good sign when real life imitates a Curb Your Enthusiasm plotline, but this is 2024. Government to launch AI chatbot called Gov-GPT Having solved every other problem, in September the government launched its own AI chatbot - the announcement arriving with an AI-created image of Judith Collins as an astronaut. I swear this is true. October Donald Trump rally turns into bizarre dance-a-thon We all know this list could have just been a Trump campaign diary, but sticking to just one incident, it had to be the "GREAT EVENING" (his words) in October which saw him gyrate on stage to the Village People and Guns n' Roses instead of doing whatever it is US presidential candidates are supposed to do. We can mock, and Kamala Harris certainly got stuck in, but he did end up winning. Covfefe. Pranksters rename New Zealand schools on Google Maps Nelson College for Girls was dubbed Yoza highschool (I have no idea what this means), while Rathkeale College in Masterton was renamed the Huak Tuah College of rizzcraft and sigmatry (unfortunately - sigh - I do know what those mean). Quasi leaving Wellington after five years perched on city's art gallery The job market has gotten so bad in the capital, there's no longer any place for a gigantic terrifying hand-man . Decision to remove Luxon artwork from Trade Me 'weird' - artist Kiwi artist Josh Drummond painted a rather terrifying portrait of Christopher Luxon for charity, which was removed from sale on Trade Me for being "material of a suggestive nature and/or graphic iconography". Drummond was not impressed . "The original idea was to have Luxon's head popping out from a wall of flesh, which was the meaning a lot of people got from that King Charles portrait ... I found that the photo reference I used for Luxon wasn't working with that wall of flesh idea so I was like: 'Oh I'll make it more of a tunnel.'" Christopher Luxon responds to attention on Wellington apartment sale Well-off businessman sells property to make a tidy, possibly tax-free profit? Not really a headline. But when that man is the prime minister and immediately afterwards boasts that he's wealthy ? What I say to you is... yikes. At least he might get an award - of sorts - out of it . November Aotearoa has multiple clouds so unique they have names Unique names aren't really New Zealand's forte, so when it was discovered we'd put more effort into naming clouds than our main islands' colonial names, of course it made headlines . Stowaway seal makes surprise visit to offshore gas platform A Department of Conservation expert said it topped her list of bizarre places where seals have turned up . Her only other example was one that got through a cat door, so yes, she was probably right. Gang member charged after walking into police station wearing Mongrel Mob hat Well, that was a freebie . Russia fines Google $20,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 The first time RNZ ran this story , it literally broke the homepage. Police vehicle crashes into limo carrying Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis Ram-raids were down over 2024 , but ram-raids by police officers on ministers of the Crown were up infinity percent . School ditches traditional bell for AC/DC and Muppets Locals signed a petition calling it "noise pollution" , perhaps entirely unaware one of AC/DC's biggest songs states definitively that it is not . Plan to relocate Westport To paraphrase an earlier paragraph, it's never a good sign when real-life imitates The Simpsons (President Trump, anyone?). In November a draft master plan proposed relocating the entire South Island town of Westport a bit to the southwest - in the long-term, not "next month", master planning project lead Paul Zaanen helpfully noted. 'Close to McDonald's': Auckland real estate agent lures buyers with cheesy sell In November, our friends at Stuff reported a real estate agent using a property's proximity to McDonald's as a selling point . He talked up its distance in terms of how long it would take to walk there however, perhaps losing those eyeballs just as quickly. December New Zealand man wins Spanish Scrabble championships despite not speaking Spanish If this headline sounds familiar , it's because you've read it before - except last time it was French . But don't get despondent if you suck at Scrabble, because Mattel this year released a non-competitive version just for you - yes, you with the letters K, W, Y, J, I, B and O. Woman arrested with 10kg of meth wrapped as Christmas presents at Auckland Airport With another one of his mules captured, authorities in December got a step closer to bringing down Santa . Rawiri Waititi says Luxon may be 'drop-nuts' if he doesn't attend Waitangi Day No further comment. British political stoush over sandwiches In an interview Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch suggested sandwiches were not real food and lunch was "for wimps" . In response, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said sandwiches were a "great British institution", particularly cheese toasties. Since this is RNZ I did the research (well, I read the Google search AI summary) and it seems both sandwiches and cheese toasties are indeed British. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday .
Putin signs law letting Ukraine fighters write off bad debtsThis was the third Christmas since I lost my Dad. My Dad was the social planner of our family and he made every holiday so special. Christmas hadn't felt right since he left us to go be with Jesus. This year I was looking forward to a bit of Christmas magic. My son is a firefighter and was off this Christmas. He has met a lovely young lady who he will will likely marry soon and my younger daughter had finished her first semester of college successfully. I was happy with the gifts I had carefully selected and was really excited about Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. On Sunday, December 22nd, reality ruined my best laid plans. Hey friends. For those of you who pray, please add my mom Priscilla to your prayer list. She started feeling very off yesterday and I took her to the ER. Her hemoglobin was 5.5. She received two units of blood and it was slightly higher today. They are doing a procedure on... pic.twitter.com/MQglSRWVdQ My mom woke up feeling very weak. She could barely walk to our car. We arrived at the ER to discover her hemoglobin was incredibly low, so low they ran her labs twice. Obviously, she was bleeding internally somewhere. We spent the next few days in the hospital trying to come to terms with various diagnosis. The highest paid people in this hospital (docs and nurses) all seem miserable with the worst bedside manner but the people making the least, housekeepers and nutrition, are so kind and full of joy. It’s the strangest phenomenon. During that time, it was most often the nutritional team and the housekeeping staff who kept our spirits up. They were making the least amount of money, but seemed to understand families in the hospital are just as sad as the people who have to leave their loved ones and come work in the hospital over the holidays. One young man in the hospital cafeteria on Christmas morning boosted my mood for the rest of the day with his kind words and big smile. He wanted to be home with this family, I'm sure, and I wanted my family member home, but he shared humanity with me. We’ve got the world’s smallest Christmas tree and the stockings are hung by the IV with care... and yes, they were knitted by Miss E. pic.twitter.com/UCtaiDuDdx Miss E went into the hospital three weeks ago today, and is still stubbornly hanging on. Meanwhile, oldest son called me this morning to tell me he hit a deer driving back from the hospital last night. Thankfully he’s okay, but his car is probably totaled. Haven’t said it for... Dear friends, I’ll follow up with a proper Christmas salutation from Iron Will, but in the meantime, I’m humbling requesting your prayers. As you know, my mother has Alzheimer’s. And has been fighting valiantly for a long while. But she is nearing her well-earned final rest.... pic.twitter.com/3yAh6bXUuM Wallowing low in my 'woe is me' over our ruined Christmas, I scanned Twitter. I quickly found we were far from the only family spending a sad Christmas in the hospital and many families wouldn't bring their loved one home as I did. Christmas evening, my Mom was stable enough to come home. We received her biopsy results yesterday and her tumor is not cancerous as Doctors had feared. Hi friends! Thank you for all of your prayers. We received good news today. pic.twitter.com/FNgMUCbfFr My mom will need an additional surgery, albeit one without incisions, thankfully, but all in all, this was the best news we could receive. Yes, I missed spending the day with my children, but my extended family loved on them well for me. my family is sending me pics of my kids so I can kind of share their Christmas and it makes my heart happy pic.twitter.com/4pCZORvnMV If this Christmas did not go as planned for you, know you are not alone. Christmas is about a Savior that came to redeem us from all the heartache the world offers us. Thank you to all who prayed for my Mother and know our Risen Savior is closest in our heartache.
Roasted Coffee Market Size, Driving Factors, Growth Statistics, Competitive Landscape And Forecast To 2033Shoppers all saying the same thing as Easter eggs appear supermarket shelves four months earlyBy WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS NEW YORK (AP) — Sneaking a little ahead of line to get on that plane faster? American Airlines might stop you . In an apparent effort to reduce the headaches caused by airport line cutting, American has rolled out boarding technology that alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group. This new software won’t accept a boarding pass before the group it’s assigned to is called, so customers who get to the gate prematurely will be asked to go back and wait their turn. As of Wednesday, the airline announced, the technology is now being used in more than 100 U.S. airports that American flies out of. The official expansion arrives after successful tests in three of these locations — Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Tucson International Airport. The initial response from customers and American employees “has exceeded our expectations,” Julie Rath, American’s senior vice president of airport operations, reservations and service recovery, said in a statement. She added that the airline is “thrilled” to have the technology up and running ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday . American got lots of attention when it unveiled its gate-control testing last month. Analysts say that isn’t surprising. It’s no secret that line cutting in airports hits a nerve. Whether intentional or not, just about every air traveler has witnessed it, noted Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst with Atmosphere Research Group. It can add to frustrations in what can already be a tense environment, with particular anxiety around passengers wanting to sit together or rushing for some overhead bin space. Harteveldt doesn’t see American’s recent move as “shaming” customers who cut the line. “What it is intended to do is bring order out of chaos,” he said. “And I hope it will defuse any potential flare ups of anger (from) people who simply think they’re entitled to board out of turn .... It’s just not fair.” Harteveldt added that he thinks this change will enhance the experiences of both customers and gate agents. Others say more time will tell. Seth Miller, editor and founder of air travel experience analysis site PaxEx.aero, said he can see the benefits of more orderly and universal gate-control enforcement, particularly for airlines. But he said he isn’t “100% convinced this is perfect for passengers” just yet. Families, for example, might be booked on several different reservations across more than one group, he said. Airlines typically have workarounds for that, and American noted Wednesday that customers traveling with a companion in an earlier group can simply have a gate agent “override the alert” to continue boarding. Still, Miller said, “you have to go through the extra hoops.” And a difficult customer still might choose to hold up the line and argue when they’re not allowed to board, he added. Related Articles National News | A Mexican cartel leader arrested in the US faked his death and assumed a phony name, prosecutors say National News | Major storm drops record rain, downs trees in Northern California after devastation further north National News | SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who led US crackdown on cryptocurrencies, to step down National News | ACLU sues government for records detailing Trump’s mass deportation plan National News | Jussie Smollett’s conviction in 2019 attack on himself is overturned Another question is whether customers who encounter a beep will walk away feeling embarrassed. But Harteveldt said he was happy to learn that American’s alert is “not a bellowing sound that can be heard throughout the terminal,” or accompanied by your name read over a loudspeaker, noting that this is important to avoid feelings of shame. Expanding this technology just a week before peak Thanksgiving travel could be “both good and bad,” Harteveldt adds. On one hand, the tech could help significantly improve the boarding process during such a busy time, he said, but airport employees might also have appreciated more time to prepare. Both Miller and Harteveldt said they wouldn’t be surprised if other carriers soon follow American’s lead. Headaches over airport line cutting are far from new. While maybe not to the extent of American’s new tech, Miller noted he’s seen gate agents from other airlines ask people to leave a line and wait for their group. Harteveldt added that he’s been to some airports in Asia and Europe with “sliding doors” that ensure passengers are in the right group before boarding a plane. The more than 100 airports that American is now using its gate-control technology in are all spoke, or non-hub, locations — including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The airline says it expects to further expand to its hubs and other airports in the coming months.
Mumbai, Nov 23 (PTI) In a first since it entered electoral politics in 2009, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will not have any representation in the assembly, with the party drawing a blank in the elections, results of which were declared on Saturday. None of the 125 candidates fielded by MNS, including Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray, could win the elections swept by the BJP-led Mahayuti. Raj Thackeray on Saturday described the poll results as "unbelievable". The MNS had won 13 seats in the debut poll contest in 2009 powered by the sons-of-the-soil sentiment. However, in the 2014 and 2019 assembly polls, the party won one MLA each. The mandate on Saturday raises questions on the political relevance of MNS which has been pushed to the margins of state politics. The BJP has won 128 seats and leading in four in the results of 280 of 288 constituencies declared so far. Shiv Sena led by CM Eknath Shinde won 56 and is ahead in one seat, while NCP bagged 40 constituencies, leading in 1. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)Action 24/7 Sportsbook Partners With Wagerwire For Betting Marketplace And Media Services
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What could go wrong for the US economy in 2025? Here are 6 things to noteThe president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Emeka Rollas has shared the latest news on the death of actor Junior Pope He said that he wanted to sue the producer Adanma Luke, whose movie cost the death of the actor, however, the contract he signed could not permit him The Nollywood star also shared how he wants AGN to operate from henceforth, among other issues PAY ATTENTION: Got a Minute? Complete Our Quick Survey About Legit.ng Today! The president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Emeka Rollas has said that he wanted to sue actress and producer Adanma Luke for the death of actor Pope Odonwodo , aka Junior Pope. After he reviewed the contract the late actor and Luke signed, it became impossible for him to sue her because only Junior Pope's family had the right to do so. Rollas made this statement during an interview with Arise TV and he added that he is working toward making the guild to be more structured. Read also Portable laments as man fights him in Canada shopping mall, involves the police: "It Is harassment" He revealed that when Junior Pope died, he discovered that the deceased had not paid his monthly dues for one year. Hence, he advised members of the guild to pay whatever they were owing. PAY ATTENTION : Standing out in social media world? Easy! "Mastering Storytelling for Social Media" workshop by Legit.ng. Join Us Live! The Nollywood star added that actors in the industry will be given license with which they would need to operate as professionals. Junior Pope died on April 10, 2024, after he was involved in a boat mishap in Anambra state. Watch the video below: Reactions as Emeka Rollas speaks on Junior-Pope Legit.ng has compiled some of the reactions to Emeka Rollas' interview on Junior Pope, Adanma Luke, and AGN below: @iam_valebridge: "Junior Pope died due to Nigeria's negligence of health and safety. To date, people are still travelling on similar pathetic boats without life jackets. Many are still sinking on a daily basis, and the government has overlooked the safety of its citizens. For me, the director is a victim of Nigerian factors." Read also Davido appreciates God ahead of 32nd birthday, shares ordeal he passed through: "Happy to be alive" @iam_petithazard: "No die ooo make them no use you do upgrade." @halafbi: "In all you do in this life ... just try no first die. E get why." @steadimaji: "Just take the steps don't talk much." ijezz_ijezz: "This argument makes sense." @lrd.caesar: "Who provide such evil contract for Junior Pope to sign?" Junior Pope: Adanma Luke begs for forgiveness Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Adanma Luke had broken down in tears on social media as she reacted to Jnr Pope and her crew members’ demise for the umpteenth time. The new mum pleaded with Nigerians to forgive her while stating that the tragedy was destined to happen. Adanma Luke’s statements in the video raised a series of mixed feelings, with some Nigerians sympathising with her. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ngIt’s a dream for many us, but is a move to the country as idyllic as it seems?